Due to the pandemic starting in 2020 and like many other fashion houses and labels, Mugler traded the traditional fashion show off for the video format. A change of medium that American designer Casey Cadwallader, the house's artistic director since 2018, seems to particularly appreciate. For his Spring/Summer 2022 collection, he unveils a video directed for the third time in collaboration with Torso. With an increasingly prestigious and eclectic cast, including supermodels Bella Hadid, Shalom Harlow, Amber Valletta, Lourdes Leon, as well as celebrities such as Megan Thee Stallion, Chloë Sevigny, and Dominique Jackson, Casey Cadwallader celebrates the diversity of bodies and beauties with an increasingly sculptural and sexy collection, as the climax of his radical vision. The American designer talks to Numéro about the video and his Spring/Summer 2022 collection.
Casey Cadwallader's most subversive collection for Mugler
“I am not Manfred, and I don't pretend to be like him. I do things my own way, just like he did back then. I love the codes of the “I am not Manfred, and I don't pretend to be like him. I do things my own way, just like he did back then. I love the codes of the house, but I pick the ones I want to explore deeper. The sculptural silhouette is the one that inspires me the most. There is a line, a curve, that is unique to Mugler: broad shoulders, a slim waist and voluptuous hips and bottoms. It is all very erogenous, naughty, balanced with refined tailoring and a touch of humor – it is a mystical balance. When I first joined the house, I didn't even dare to play with that sexiness, but as time went by, I let myself go... This Spring/Summer 2022 collection is without any doubt the most subversive one I have ever imagined for the house. It is a manifesto about my love affair with illusions. We have a tool that allows us to create these trompe l'oeil and we have made this incredible pair of jeans with no fabric covering the bottom with this technique. It is a piece that reflects my cheesy side when it comes to my American roots – I invented a pair of jeans that you can wear in the summer without getting too hot.”
An “out of the box” video
“We had a lot of fun making this video. It was both crazy and fun on set, especially since the cast knew exactly what to expect, since it was our third shoot with Torso. With his video, I wanted to literally think “outside the box”, to go beyond any pre- established framework. We don't really know where we are in the video – Los Angeles, New York, maybe? Actually, we shot the video in a Paramount studio, but the sets represent a street in New York. We had some great moments during the shoot, especially during the scene with Chloë Sevigny, when Shalom Harlow and Amber Valletta play members of a film crew.”
A tribute to Manfred Thierry Mugler
“Losing Manfred Thierry Mugler was terrible because it happened as we were just getting to know each other. Paying tribute to him was very important to me with the final scene of the video featuring prima ballerina Maria Kochetkova and voguing star Barbie Swaee, both wearing the sequin haute couture arch dress that he used to love so much. The plexiglass jewel of the dress has inspired several of my pieces for this season. For the past six months, a huge burden has been weighing on my shoulders. I thought about him a lot as I was working, hoping to show him that I understood his vision and that he would like the collection. Fortunately, I was lucky I could interact with him enough to know that I had his support.”
Celebrating bodies and empowerment
“There are various ways of reading Mugler. First, there is the architecture of the garment: everything is very anatomical, structured, sculpted, and with an incredible approach to the body. Then, there is a sense of performance that invites us to put
ourselves on stage and offer the most powerful version of ourselves. The art of self-transformation is a core value of the house. Everyone deserves to be in the spotlight and to uncover the most daring and wild sides of their personality. At Mugler, there is also a socio-cultural aspect to that. The collections celebrate so many different types of beauty, gender, and sexuality, and the values of body, trans, and gay positivity are part of our heritage. It was very exciting for me to be able to work for this house and express ideas that also reflect my own vision and lifestyle.”
Videos over runway shows
“Nowadays many houses have already gone back to runway shows, but videos allow us to reach millions of people at once rather than addressing 250 or 300 only. If I choose to return to the traditional fashion show, I will close the door on this medium and I don't think it is the right thing to do now. Another key argument is that when I make a film, the models look me in the eye, and I look back at them. The atmosphere is more intimist than on a catwalk, where they just walk on by and stare at the horizon. The question of how I'm going to go back to the runway is a very interesting one and has kept me up at night for the last year. Directing a film sure is a lot of fun but so is organizing shows, because there is always plenty of drama.”
Find the Mugler Spring/Summer 2022 collection on mugler.com
