The King of Corsetry

John Mangru's career journey from Dublin to NYC

Amid a New York City heat wave, I arrived at John Mangru's Bushwick apartment with photographer Madison Paloski for a photoshoot. As he welcomed us into his home, I couldn't help but notice the green Irish shirt he wore. He proudly explained that it was a reminder of his heritage (he grew up in Ireland) as well as a nod to the late Sinéad O'Connor. 

Mangru is a fashion designer specializing in corsetry. Over the past five years, he has designed for artists such as Lady Gaga, Bosco, Amanda Lepore, and many more. Upon arrival at his home, I was in awe of his small studio situated between his living room and bedroom. The location of the workspace alone points to the blending of home and work. 

"At this point, my life is so intertwined with work–it's like business is pleasure and pleasure is business," Mangru said. 

In the studio, corsets adorned the walls, and the craftsmanship blew me away—from the beadwork to the colors, I could see the care and attention to detail in each and every piece. He pointed to one unfinished piece on a mannequin and noted that it was a commission for Rebecca Black. On a bulletin board, sketches of various projects were pinned alongside fabric swatches. 

Following the photoshoot, we headed around the corner to a local cafe where we chatted about Mangru's career journey thus far—from Dublin to New York, it's certainly been a whirlwind few years. 

Sewing has always been part of Mangru's life; even as a child, he was creating clothing for his toys. However, he didn't always know that designing was what he wanted to pursue as a career. During his first year at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, he had the opportunity to explore various creative mediums. Initially, he thought he would pursue sculpting or painting. However, after the month-long sewing introduction, he knew without a shadow of a doubt that this was what he was meant to do. 

Since that moment, Mangru hasn't looked back once. In college, when he decided to focus on corsetry, he received pushback from the tutors who didn't believe it was practical and didn't want him to pursue it. However, when COVID-19 hit, he suddenly had the time and energy to do his own thing, and that's when he honed in on corsets all the more. In fact,his degree collection was on corsets. 

"Corsets—I feel like we're just intertwined at this point. We're one," Mangru joked. 

Mangru draws inspiration from all avenues, whether that be from a leaf he sees on the sidewalk or designers he admires, including his very favorite, the late Vivienne Westwood. Going to museums is another place where Mangru sees corsetry ingenuity on display. 

"I always look to the past for inspiration," Mangru said.  

Following his graduation in 2020, it was time for Mangru to make the big move to New York City. As the world began to open up, Mangru began attending the parties of New York City nightlife legend Susanne Bartsch. He always showed up alone in a fully custom look, ignoring looks from others on the train as he traveled from Brooklyn to Manhattan for the parties. 

"One of the nights she just saw my outfit and was just like 'hey, I love your work, let's do something together' and the rest is history," Mangru recounted. 

Most recently, Bartsch commissioned Mangru to create a piece for an exhibition she's doing in Zurich, entitled Transformation!. The exhibit is centered around a night out, following the journey from everyday life to the peak moment in a club. Mangru was invited to be part of this unique exhibit and chose to create a kind of golden suit of armor. 

Mangru has truly become the king of corsetry; it's his specialty, and he has designed pieces for some of today's most well-known celebrities. 

"I made one and then something clicked and people liked it and it's literally all I've done since," Mangru said. 

Currently, Mangru splits his time between working for the designer Zaldy and working for himself in his own studio. "I'm kind of doing the two in tandem," he said. 

Through his work with Zaldy, he constructed a corseted bodysuit for Lady Gaga, which she wore as her closing look during her recent hosting of SNL. For Mangru, the project was an exciting career highlight because Lady Gaga is such an iconic and legendary figure in the world of pop culture. 

It's not just Lady Gaga—since working with Zaldy, Mangru has constructed corsets for numerous touring artists, RuPaul, and has also constructed pieces for the first-ever trans-inclusive Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Independently, he has been just as busy, creating custom pieces for a wide range of creatives, and has produced three New York Fashion Week collections. 

Earlier this year, he was also on the Irish Independent's list, 'The ones to watch 2025 – Ireland's rising stars and new talents.' They said, "John Mangru is making waves in New York as a fashion designer, stylist and emerging club kid icon. By day, he creates avant-garde pieces that are at the intersection of costume and haute couture. By night, he works with the legendary Susanne Bartsch, hosting and producing lavish parties." 

Five years after graduating from college, Mangru's career continues to soar, and it's only going up from here as he continues to make a name for himself in the worlds of fashion and corsetry. 

"There've been a lot of situations where I could've just thrown in the towel…Because I kept at it, it kind of led to some of the best opportunities," Mangru said.

Photos by: Madison Paloski