The Mugler stretch jersey and denim jeans made famous by Irina Shayk and Bella Hadid are coming to the masses.
On Thursday, H&M revealed the first look at its upcoming collaboration with Mugler led by creative director Casey Cadwallader. Full of recognizable fits from the French fashion house, the women’s and men’s collection will launch in select stores and online on May 11.
The collection honors the vision of the brand’s late founder, Manfred Thierry Mugler, with limited-edition remakes of archive pieces, alongside Cadwallader’s contemporary designs. H&M said discussions for this collaboration began before Mugler’s death in January last year.
“We are proud to celebrate the legacy of Manfred Thierry Mugler with this collection,” said Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M creative advisor. “We were all honored to get to know Manfred, and it feels very special that he was involved at the initial stages together with Casey and the house of Mugler. Casey has done such an incredible job at paying homage to history, and to the archive, while making the collection totally contemporary. Under him, Mugler has become one of the most innovative and exciting houses on today’s fashion landscape.”
Highlights include cropped jean jackets with strong shoulders, skinny and loose-fit jeans constructed with silhouette-enhancing panels, corset tops, cutout dresses and sheer bodysuits. The pieces are styled with gloves, body jewelry and belts with a large “M” monogram. The mostly black collection features pops of pink, neon green, electric blue and ’80s-inspired teal.
“The collection is a celebration of everything that defines Mugler as a house and each piece is authentic Mugler, from the bodysuits, which have become a signature of ours, to the sharp tailoring and worked denims,” Cadwallader said. “It is a showcase of our icons.”
Mugler experienced something of a renaissance during “hot vax summer” in 2021. Model Irina Shayk nabbed headlines when she wore Mugler’s white-and-black thong jeans out in New York City. Actress Megan Fox appeared at the Billboard Music Awards in the brand’s sheer cutout dress. Meanwhile, Mugler’s sheer catsuits have become the de facto statement piece for pop stars like Dua Lipa, who famously wore the brand’s one-pieces during her “Future Nostalgia” tour in 2022.
To celebrate Mugler’s “long association with music, performance, theatricality and subculture,” H&M released a music video featuring artists Amaarae, Shygirl, Eartheater and Arca singing a version of Stardust’s 1998 dance hit, “Music Sounds Better With You.”
Jerry Hall and Connie Fleming, Mugler muses in the ’90s, make cameos in the video as well.