Miley Cyrus Raids the Mugler Archives for New Album, Something Beautiful

Miley Cyrus once said the reason she doesn’t tour more often is because it’s hard to travel with her archival wardrobe. The museum-quality pieces that Cyrus has favored in recent years aren’t meant for life on the road. They still look amazing photographed, however. The singer proved as much by announcing her upcoming visual album Something Beautiful, out May 30, with a trio of archival Thierry Mugler outfits.

Cyrus wore a translucent look from Mugler’s spring 1997 couture collection on the album’s cover (shot by photographer Glen Luchford). Though not much of the piece was visible, Cyrus’s bodysuit features head-to-toe embellishments that dance with the wearer. Cyrus is no stranger to vintage fashion (she has a special preference for Bob Mackie’s dancing dresses), but this specific runway show was one of Mugler’s more theatrical presentations.

Titled “Les Insectes,” the French designer showed a series of bug-like looks that concluded in a black dress with literal butterfly wings as the finale. Cyrus clearly enjoyed looking through the collection—so much so that she wore a second look from the show for another of the album’s promotional images.

Cyrus again opted for a web-like design from the landmark ’90s collection. Like her first outfit, things were partially obscured aside from the catsuit’s sheer and beaded upper half. The backside of this specific piece has a large, feathered element and dancer-ly fringe along the legs. Perhaps Cyrus will show all of that off in some sort of upcoming visual element.

For her final look of the three, Cyrus opted for a striped fur coat from Mugler’s fall 1997 collection. It looks like she paired her statement jacket with the same sheer bodysuit that was shown on the runway.

Something Beautiful fetaures 13 original tracks and, seemingly, more holy grail vintage fashion. Eagle-eyed fans pointed out that the album’s booklet reads “Thank you to the House of Mugler and Alexander McQueen.” Surely, Cyrus had a ball scouring the archives of Lee McQueen.