Preview: H&M x Thierry Mugler Collaboration, featuring Jerry Hall in a Diana-inspired Revenge Dress as reviewed by LAURA CRAIK.

Revenge may be a dish best served cold, but it pays to look hot when you serve it.

As Princess Diana well knows, nothing screams “look what you’re missing” like a sexy little black dress. This is why the little black dress she wore in 1994 is the most famous revenge dress in history.

Many women have tried to emulate Diana’s look in the intervening years, but her unique combination of softness and sass has proven elusive. So far. Thanks to Swedish retail giant H&M, the dead ringer Diana’s LBD by Christina Stambolian will soon be available on Britain’s High Street, at a much keener price tag than the designer original.

The dress in question is by Mugler x H&M, one of the year’s most anticipated/high-profile designer collaborations. Nor is it the only coveted item from the lineup that will launch on May 11th.

Based on the signature and archive pieces of Manfred Thierry Mugler, the visionary French designer who changed the face of fashion in the 1980s, the range of womenswear, menswear and accessories offers customers a rare opportunity to shop the designer’s most iconic looks without breaking the bank. .

For those unfamiliar with Mugler’s style, this is the perfect time to learn about his weird and wonderful world.

His life was as eccentric as his clothes, and he counted all the celebrities of the day as his friends. It’s no surprise that there’s a promotional video for Mugler x H&M starring Jerry Hall, the supermodel who was the designer’s muse in his prime.

Now, 66, Hall looks sexy in a Mugler x H&M version of Diana’s dress. Like the original, it’s black, figure-hugging and falling just above the knee, with sleeves that fall seductively from Hall’s shoulders, emphasizing her shoulder blades and bust. “Oh baby, I feel so good,” she exclaims in the video. And it looks good too

Hall’s timing is impeccable, because if ever a woman needed a revenge dress, it’s her. Her ex-husband, Rupert Murdoch, announced this year that he wasn’t content with the time of the sudden contact of their six-year marriage via email.

Hall’s revenge dress may have been imbued with special powers; Shortly after she was shot, Murdoch’s engagement was called off. Could the 92-year-old media mogul be so sorry at the sight of Hall that at this moment he begs for forgiveness and sends dozens of roses to the Oxfordshire estate they once shared?

joked, but Hall definitely knew the style connotations of the dress she was wearing very well.

Never underestimate the power of a good dress. This was the principle that Thierry Mugler, a designer far ahead of his time, understood, having created thousands. His shows were carefully choreographed, eye-catching stage performances that may have been created for the age of social media.

He also pioneered the idea of ​​celebrity guests, seating famous names from the day (Linda Hamilton, Grace Jones) in its front row, as well as their supermodel recruits (Diana Ross, Brigitte Nielsen, Sharon Stone).

He was one of the first designers to treat his fashion shows as entertainment. In 1984, he sold tickets to his show at Zenith, the then largest arena in Paris: 6,000 fans turned up, making the event more like a rock concert than a preview of his new collection.

Not surprisingly for a designer who borrowed much of his artwork from the world of music entertainment, his clothes were hugely popular with rockstar gods and goddesses. David Bowie wore a pink Mugler dress in the video for his 1979 single Boy Keep Swinging.

Madonna and Celine Dion enlisted him to design their stage costumes, as did Beyoncé, commissioning him in 2009 to make 58 outfits for her world tour. Most recently, singers Lady Gaga and Cardi B chose to wear gowns from his archives on the red carpet.

The most famous musical marriage of all was certainly Mugler’s contribution to a very funky 1992 video for George Michael, in which supermodels of the day including Eva Herzigova, Linda Evangelista, and Tyra Banks wore his stunning designs.

Musicians recognized that Mugler clothing had a unique ability to make an impact. cryptic, it was not; His preferred shape was an inverted triangle, characterized by large shoulders and a narrow waist. Even in the age of power shoulders, Mugler literally stood out. Woe to those who wear it trying to squeeze through a narrow door – they had to enter from both sides.

His favorite fabrics emphasized more eye-catching designs. He liked working with leather, latex and high-gloss PVC, borrowing from boudoirs and using corsets to emphasize a woman’s curves. His clothes clung to the body, highlighting his sensuality and strength.

Under Mugler’s gaze, women looked like superheroes. He was not interested in ski clothes but gravitated toward strong, attractive women. Those who fitted the bill would be called upon to view his clothes, even if they weren’t models.

Mugler passed away in January last year, at the age of 73, leaving a legacy as important as household names like Christian Dior and Gianni Versace.

A true trailblazer, he’s said to have invented the first “naked” dress in 1995, sending model Claudia Schiffer down his runway in a fishtail gown dripping with crystals. Other popular designs included a “motorcycle” corset whose bodice mimicked the front of a Harley-Davidson (1992); pants that revealed the wearer’s bottom (1995); A skirt suit made of a rubber tire (1997) and a metal bodysuit that made her model look like a robot (1995).

In 2019, he came out of retirement to dress as Kim Kardashian at the Met Gala. Her tight, wet dress took eight months to make and became the biggest talking point of the event.

Fortunately for those who lack the confidence of the Kardashians, there are no wet look dresses at Mugler x H&M. But there are a lot more that are eye-catching – and guaranteed to make an impact.

For those with a more businesslike look, there are also everyday items including tailored jackets and pants, as well as classics including the leather coat.

The classic black blazer is £149.99, the little black dress is £79.99 and Jerry Hall’s black velvet dress is £229.99.

These are must-see and show-stopping outfits, whether you’re dressing up for the office, a party…or for revenge.