Thierry Mugler, the French couturier who died at the age of 73 in January 2022, was a formidable fashion force for more than three decades, from the 1970s to the 1980s and 1990s. With his architectural, ultra-stylised, provocative silhouettes and love of spectacle, he created a world of fantasy and fetish, galaxy glamour that knew no boundaries.
He also made use of innovative technology – a long moulded sheath from 1997 in ivory latex was screen printed with writhing snakes – and suiting with seductive cut-outs were typical of the wow factor with which he was always associated. Although he retired in 2002, he designed costumes for Beyoncé’s world tour in 2009 and for Kim Kardashian for the 2019 Met Gala.
“Mugler feels totally right for now,” says Ann-Sofie Johansson, creative adviser to H&M whose latest designer collaboration is with New Hampshire-born Casey Cadwallader, creative head of Mugler in Paris since 2017.
“There is global enthusiasm for icons of the 1980s and 1990s and young people are looking to the past for inspiration. The house’s founder, Thierry Mugler, is key to the flamboyance and excitement of that period. He set the agenda just as Casey is doing now by reinterpreting the house and its codes for a new generation.
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“He has what Mr Mugler stood for – inclusivity, gender-fluidity, empowerment, body positivity and sexiness with a desire to speak to the future.”
For Cadwallader, who trained as an architect before becoming involved in fashion, “Mugler has always been about embracing the body and extending it into new realms with technological aspects. I’m very inspired by that idea and a lot of our pieces use cut, seams and lines as a form of architecture to accentuate or enhance or lift the body.
“You see that in our signature spiral jeans and in the tailoring which is about complementing and defining curves with the strong shoulders and the nipped-in waists. The tight dresses form just one part of the collection which has so many great Mugler staples – the catsuits, the denim, the dresses, the cut-outs.”
This latest H&M collection launching next month follows in the well-trodden path of high-profile designer collaborations first established nearly 20 years ago by the Swedish giant from Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney and Margiela to Comme des Garcons, Versace and Simone Rocha.
“Mugler has been on our list for a while – we like to offer diversity and have a constant wish list of designers or houses who we think are interesting and right for the moment,” says Johansson.
“Casey was keen to bring together the pieces that have really defined Mugler today – the mini dresses, the catsuits with mesh panels and the denim spiral jeans because they really are a Casey signature and make the body super sculptural,” she says.
The tailoring with its corset-style boning is notable for its shapeliness while the leather jackets and coats with flying leather scarf attachments to be tossed around the shoulders flamboyantly are standout pieces. Denim jackets and spiral jeans are bound to attract attention along with more conventional hoodies and bomber jackets.
Body consciousness, conceal/reveal bodysuits and sharp tailoring define this collection which plays right into the codes established by the late couturier. Cadwallader is unapologetic.
“Our pieces are defined by a strong vision and one thing we focused on was how we could take key iconic pieces and produce them at the scale and price point needed. One way we did that was by working out which details were essential and which could be stripped back.”
His training as an architect, central to his work, has shaped his approach. “I see clothing as working in constant conversation with the body – it should always enhance and never restrict. I like to draw attention to the curve of the hips, the line of the shoulders, muscles and limbs – quite architectural and yet still playful.”
Accessories, bold and sculptural, also reflect that approach. There is a capacious black leather holdall, zany silver necklaces and not too many obtrusive logos other than the big M leather belts.
Johansson says the collection “will offer our customers a piece of fashion history. Casey is very smart as a designer because he isn’t overwhelmed by the past – he takes elements he likes and he totally twists them and makes them modern. And by doing that he has made Mugler a totally recognisable house – and that is a very hard thing to achieve as a designer.”
The Mugler archive has been central to Cadwallader’s approach, both for the brand and for this collaboration with H&M. “My journey with the house is very tied to the archive and using key elements from it as starting points for new ideas. For example, early on, I learnt that when Lycra was invented, Mugler did almost a whole collection in it. You can see that in many stretch pieces in the collaboration. He also did a lot in denim – which is something we continue now.
“So, with this collection, it is naturally about the past, present and future of the house, about a mingling of influences because that is how I work as a designer and that is why I was thrilled to be able to include, alongside contemporary design, some special archive remakes from the 1980s and 1990s,” he says.
The Mugler H&M collection goes on sale online and in selected stores, including H&M store on College Green, Dublin 2, on Thursday, May 11th
