Mugler H&M: discover the highly anticipated collaboration

A Mugler x H&M collaboration by Thierry Mugler and Casey Cadwallader

When we think of a collaboration between H&M and a major fashion house, the first that comes to mind is the one between the Swedish company and Balmain’s artistic director Olivier Rousteing in November 2015. The public’s enthusiasm was such that riots took place in front of the Parisian stores, and the pieces of the collection were sold out within a few minutes only. A craze that surely awaits the new collection designed with Mugler. Available in stores on May 11th, 2023 – don’t forget to save the date in your calendar – this Mugler H&M collaboration is signed by Casey Cadwallader, the current artistic director, but also by Manfred Thierry Mugler, the founder of the house, who died in January 2022 and with whom the collection was initiated. While Casey Cadwallader took over the reins along the way, he worked hard to reconnect the legacy of Manfred Thierry Mugler with his own aesthetic: “It is a real honor to collaborate with H&M. The collection celebrates everything that defines the house of Mugler, and each piece has its own legitimacy – our now signature jumpsuits, the sophisticated tailoring, as well as the denim pieces. It is a true showcase of our iconic pieces,” Casey Cadwallader stated.

A glamorous, inclusive menswear and womenswear collection by Mugler H&M

Highlighting the house’s iconic silhouette with oversized shoulders, slim waist, and voluptuous bottoms, the Mugler H&M collaboration combines archival pieces from Thierry Mugler’s power dressing with Casey Cadwallader’s contemporary bodycon designs. The collection features the house’s signature looks like a black blazer with ultra-broad shoulders and an integrated corset, a velvet dress inspired by the 1997 collection, bodysuits and leggings with tulle spirals, a powder pink suit, and an anise green men’s suit. There are also mini dresses with yokes, oversized denim pieces, sublime 80s-inspired leather coats, as well as daring silver jewelry pieces, such as brooches and earrings featuring the iconic faceted star of the fragrance Angel. A powerful, glamorous, and inclusive wardrobe that dresses both women and men thanks to its avant-garde and transgressive aura.

Mugler H&M’s explosive video with Amaarae, Shygirl, Eartheater, and Arca

In addition to their respective penchant for glamorous and transgressive creations, Thierry Mugler and Casey Cadwallder also share a taste for explosive staging. While Thierry Mugler thrilled the audience with his theatrical performances during his fashion shows in the 80s, Casey Cadwallader knew how to appeal to a large community on Instagram with cinematically powerful short films during the Covid-19 pandemic. Back to the actual catwalk in January 2023, the Mugler show by Casey Cadwallader confirmed his talent as a stage director. During the show, a series of cinematographic devices filmed the models from spectacular angles as they walked – tracking cameras filmed their assertive gait and these images were simultaneously broadcasted on a giant screen.

Directed once again by Torso, the video for the Mugler H&M collaboration is equally explosive and celebrates with an expected flair the relationship between Mugler, music, performance, theatricality, and underground cultures. For the occasion, Casey Cadwallader gathered a quartet made up of the young Ghanaian singer Amaarae, the English experimental singer Shygirl, the electro-pop musician Eartheater, and the unclassifiable Venezuelan producer Arca, who delivered a brilliant version of the 1998 song Music Sounds Better With You by Stardust. Top models Imaan Hammam, Anna Ewers, Mariacarla Boscono joined them, as well as Jerry Hall and black and transgender model Connie Fleming, who both walked for Thierry Mugler in the 90s. “There is an ethos proper to Mugler, as the house’s collections celebrate different types of beauties, genders, and sexual orientations, and as the values of body positivity, trans and gay positivism are part of its legacy. It is fabulous for me to be able to work for this house and to glorify these ideas, which also reflect my own vision and lifestyle,” Casey Cadwallader shared in an interview for Numéro. While we are eagerly waiting to get our hands on the pieces of the Mugler H&M collaboration on May 11th, we take pleasure in diving into the flamboyant universe of the iconic house.

The Mugler H&M collection will be available in stores and on hm.com on May 11th, 2023.