Goodbye to the monarch of glitter and the wasp waist
It seems that Mexican fashion has decided to go into mourning, literally, to say goodbye to Héctor Terrones (1966-2025). And what better way to honor a king than with a drama worthy of his creations? For 35 long years, this man dedicated himself to the noble task of dressing the dreams (and sometimes, the nightmares) of those who celebrated their quinceañeras or ventured into marriage. Because, let’s face it, what is a wedding without a dress that probably weighs more than the bride and requires its own logistics team?
Their design philosophy could be summed up as: “less is boring, more is fantastic”. Glamorous, maximalist, extravagant… these are just nice words to say that a Terrones dress did not go unnoticed. If the baroque had a blind date with an 80s nightclub, the result would be its designs. And in the center of this universe of sequins and ruffles, there was always the corset, that wonderful piece that reminds us that beauty hurts, or at least makes it difficult to breathe. He didn’t just dress people; I sculpted them, I reshaped them. A true anatomy artist with a license to tighten laces.
From familiar plastic to glitter catwalks
The most ironic thing about this story is its origin. Terrones came from a family immersed in the world of plastic. Some might say it was a perfect workout; After all, what is haute couture if not the sublime pursuit of artificiality? She trained at Jannette Klein University, where she learned so much that she later returned to teach. One wonders if his classes included an advanced module on “How to apply 10 kilos of rhinestones without the mannequin collapsing.”
He founded his eponymous brand in the nineties, a time where excess was not just an option, it was a mandate. And boy did he conquer the fascinating world of entertainment. He dressed figures such as Anette Michel, Cecilia Galeano and Galilea Montijo. That is to say, he was responsible for the fact that on certain red carpets the flashes had to work at full speed, dazzled by the reflection of so much brightness. She achieved what many long for: for her clothes to be another character in the soap opera of public life.
He was not satisfied with the catwalks and decided to invade Mexican homes through the small screen, in programs like Hoy and Vida TV. She brought her message of elegance and corsetry to living rooms, probably leaving more than one viewer with the existential doubt of whether she could pull off the dress for the next family wedding.
The news of his departure, as expected, has generated a wave of consternation in the industry. Beatriz Calles, general director of Fashion Week Mexico, used Instagram to say goodbye, thanking “so many happy and fun moments together.” One can imagine those moments involved chaotic backstages and at least one wardrobe crisis solved with ingenuity and maybe a little hot glue.
But the statement that takes the crown, never better said, was that of Anna Fussoni: “The King of the corset leaves us… a designer who took the glitter & glam of Mexican high fashion to the maximum height.” And what height. A height that, without the proper corset, would be impossible to achieve. He took the concept of “more is more” to brilliant, stratospheric heights, creating a legacy where subtlety was the only guest never allowed entry.
The causes of his death are unknown, a final mystery for a figure who always preferred drama and spectacle. And in case anyone doubts it, he will also be remembered for his passion for gastronomy. Because, of course, what goes better with visual opulence than a good banquet? A perfect combination for someone who understood that life, like a gala dress, must be lived without half measures and, preferably, with a dessert.
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