Casey Cadwallader makes his Mugler debut

Have you committed the name Casey Cadwallader to memory yet? The recently appointed Creative Director of luxury label Mugler stepped into the shoes of David Koma last December. The 38-year-old American may be unfamiliar to those outside the industry, but he has solid credentials when it comes to creating luxury clothes that you really want to wear – over the past 17 years, Cadwallader has headed up womenswear for Narciso Rodriguez, Loewe and Acne Studios. Now, he’s putting his stamp on the storied Parisian fashion house, with a debut collection that’s not just a lineup of ultra-desirable pieces, but a statement of intent.

Power dressing has long been a cornerstone of Mugler’s aesthetic and Cadwallader has been riffing on exactly what that means to modern women. And not just through the clothes that he’s designed; for the collection’s lookbook and campaign, he enlisted a handful of strong, inspiring individuals – from models Amy Wesson and Debra Shaw (both longtime muses of Mugler) to Olympic swimmer Anna Santamans and DJ and musician Dustin Muchuvitz – and photographed them against the backdrop of La Fabrica, the iconic postmodernist building outside Barcelona.

The clothes they wear are as arresting as the images themselves. Ever since the label was founded by the charismatic Thierry Mugler in 1973, it’s been synonymous with high-impact, after-dark dressing, worn by incredible women like Diana Ross and Beyoncé. Cadwallader has been riffing on that heritage while introducing a more casual, day-to-day take; there are, of course, make-an-entrance dresses in bold shades and experimental cuts. But there’s also razor-sharp tailoring, cut into sculptural shapes in jet black (that blends both the history of the label and Cadwallader’s passion for architecture) and long, lean jackets that at first glance are splashed with beautiful, colorful prints, but look closely and you’ll find that they’re translucent, conjured from layers of PVC with an array of household goods like hair gel, toothpaste, eyeshadow and chewing gum captured between them.

The collection is peppered with denim, too, and oversized jackets and jeans with twisted, frayed seams – just the thing to wear with your form-fitting, seductively cut-out bodysuit. They give the collection a decidedly contemporary, cool feel; these are clothes that will make a statement, that will make you feel strong when you slip into them, but that you’ll also want to wear with clompy boots and easy flats rather than heels that will slow you down.

“My plan for Mugler is to change and expand the idea of what it is, who it is inspired by, and who it is for. This collection is my first gesture,” says Cadwallader. We can’t wait for his next one.