H&M has announced its latest collaboration with French fashion house Mugler, set to launch in May. The collection will be the latest addition to H&M’s lineup of high-profile collaborations with fashion designers, including Giambattista Valli and Moschino. The Mugler collaboration is highly anticipated among fashion enthusiasts, with many wondering what Casey Cadwallader, Mugler’s Creative Director, has in store for the high street fashion retailer.
Cadwallader has promised to deliver an explosive collection that will excite fans of the brand from the get-go. To achieve this, H&M and Mugler have released an exclusive music video featuring a cast of fashion industry icons and rising stars, including Arca, Shygirl, Amaare, Eartheater, Sora Choi, Imaan Hammam, and Mariacarla Boscono. The video is directed by Torso, the duo behind Mugler’s acclaimed pandemic-time fashion videos featuring Chloe Sevigny, Hunter Schafer, and Megan Thee Stallion.
The collection is divided into several segments, with tailoring leading the way. “It’s an iconic category for Mugler, so it had to be there,” said Cadwallader. The tailoring segment will also include little black dresses, dressy separates, and crystalized pieces. The Berlin-inspired club section will feature leathery fashion and nude-illusion jeans with spiral lycra inserts.
The collection also features the iconic Mugler catsuits, which have been worn by some of the biggest pop stars of the decade, including Beyoncé, Doja Cat, and Cardi B. According to Cadwallader, H&M asked him to include the catsuits in the collection. He had never sold them as a bodysuit, so it is interesting to see how they will perform in the market.
The menswear section will be merchandised together in stores, reflecting Cadwallader’s inclusive approach to gender. The standout pieces include a lapel-less tailored jacket and a zip-up corsetted hoodie.
The collaboration with H&M marks a significant opportunity for Cadwallader to speak directly to younger consumers who are familiar with the Mugler brand, but may not be able to afford it. “We have a lot of young designers working at H&M, and it’s always interesting to ask them what they see as the hottest brands around, and almost all of them mentioned Mugler,” said Ann-Sofie Johansson, creative advisor at H&M.
The collection video, which features an inclusive cast of all genders, identities, sizes, and ages, is a high-octane fashion fantasy that captures the brand’s Y2K spirit. It also features an ’80s talk-show sequence with Jerry Hall and Connie Fleming. The muses wear archive looks reissued for the collaboration, with Hall’s dress picked because of its cultural cachet in recent years.
Cadwallader believes that the Mugler brand has always been democratic, and the H&M collaboration is a way of bringing everyone in. The collection’s diverse range of price points reflects this vision, with items ranging from $50 to $10,000. “It’s always been part of a bigger long-term plan of starting there and then filling out into more real clothes for people,” said Cadwallader.
Overall, the Mugler and H&M collaboration is shaping up to be one of the most exciting fashion events of the year. The exclusive music video provides a glimpse into the collection’s bold and inclusive spirit, while the range of pieces promises to offer something for everyone, from Mugler’s iconic catsuits to tailored jackets and crystalized dresses. Come May, Mugler fans will have their chance to own a piece of the iconic brand at an affordable price point.
