H&M unveils first look from Mugler collaboration launching in May

H&M has unveiled the first look from its upcoming collaboration with the House of Mugler and confirmed that the collection designed by Mugler’s creative director Casey Cadwallader will launch on May 11.

Last month, the Swedish fashion chain confirmed that Mugler would be its next designer collaboration, following in the footsteps of Versace, Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Moschino, Balmain, Lanvin, Simone Rocha, Isabel Marant, and Giambattista Valli.

The Mugler H&M collection will encapsulate the “very essence of Mugler,” explains the retailer in a statement, and will include womenswear, menswear and accessories at high-street prices.

H&M adds that discussions for the collaboration started before Manfred Thierry Mugler’s passing in January 2022 and will “unite the house’s history with its present and future,” offering various Mugler classics and signatures.

From the first campaign image released, those classics will include Mugler’s unique panel-designed jeans that accentuate curves, its sexy barely there bodysuits, body-con dresses and denim tailoring. H&M added that the collection is the “recognisable Mugler fit of today,” with big shoulders, a focus on the waist, and an ode to the curves and lines of the body.

There will also be a series of “very special” limited-edition archive remakes, selected by Cadwallader for their “contemporary resonance” highlighting Mugler’s role on the catwalk in the 80s and 90s.

Mugler H&M to launch on May 11

Ann-Sofie Johansson, creative advisor at H&M, said: "We are proud to celebrate the legacy of Manfred Thierry Mugler with this collection. We were all honoured 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."

Cadwallader added: "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. It is a showcase of our icons."

To celebrate the collaboration, H&M and Mugler have released a music video featuring a collective of rising stars - Amaarae, Shygirl, Eartheater and Arca. The artists have recorded their own take on Stardust’s 1998 dance hit ‘Music Sounds Better With You’.