Mugler Fall 2024 – Casey Cadwallader’s Theatrical Tribute

The grand stage of Mugler Fall 2024, with its 1-0-2 spectacle, once again proves that this talented creative director is a worthy heir to the legendary Thierry Mugler’s fashion legacy.

After the explosion across social platforms, sparked by Zendaya’s “Dune 2” premiere red carpet appearance in the iconic robot armor from the Mugler Couture Fall 1995 collection, Casey Cadwallader must have been exhilarated, joyful, and preparing something even more spectacular for the upcoming Fall 2024 show. And as predicted, Mugler Fall 2024 did not disappoint, continuing to be one of the most talked-about shows in Casey’s career at the French fashion house. This presentation was a perfect fusion of art, stagecraft, music, and fashion. “When I attend other people’s shows, the audience and the atmosphere are usually very quiet. And when the show ends, I think… I would die if it’s this quiet!” he shared backstage. “I want everyone to smile, my audience should cheer and laugh out loud.”

This is why a Mugler show is not simply a 5-10 minute runway with a dull presentation sequence but rather a play, a top-tier music stage, or a film set filled with machinery.

Since officially taking over the unfinished fashion legacy of Thierry Mugler, Casey Cadwallader has often been doubted by the fashion world, especially by those who cannot escape the grandeur of the founder’s fashion context, even though Casey has contributed to many magnificent shows. Perhaps the fashion world is still too nostalgic for Mugler’s “masterpiece” clothing from the past, requiring master craftsmanship, rare materials, and the “dare to think, dare to do” mentality of a true artist.

Under Casey’s leadership, Mugler has been revitalized in a more modern, youthful, and streetwise manner, while also reaching a broader range of customers, especially the younger generation. While Casey may have retained the stage and cinematic flair for Mugler, a trademark that the founder himself created from the early days, at least “the king” has preserved the theatricality and cinematography for Mugler – a characteristic signature that the founder created from the beginning. Not only did Casey maintain it, but he also tried to enhance this DNA throughout his collections.

Among the brands that offer everyday clothing today, Mugler certainly stands at the top. Mugler is in a class of its own, but the times are changing too. We must accept that fashion today is gradually becoming more commercialized, even facing the “depletion” of creativity. In the era of fashion dominated by corporations, conglomerates, for example, according to Casey Cadwallader, will he be able to stage a grand fashion show reflecting the times, competing with a commemorative show like Mugler Couture Fall 1995? Held at Paris’s Cirque d’Hiver, that legendary show lasted an hour, with the participation of Jerry Hall, Naomi Campbell, and Kate Moss, ending with a performance by James Brown. It took six months just to make the robot outfit.

Running a legendary fashion house like Mugler in an era where creativity is constrained, but Casey remains determined to disrupt by creating countless shows that keep the fashion world buzzing. The physical stage has never been a barrier for Casey, as he decides to bring Mugler back after a series of elaborately staged videos. The “stage” of Mugler Fall 2024 will be a credible testament to that.

In a chilly gymnasium of a school, Casey created a perfect “play” consisting of three parts transitioned by large curtains, with a spooky shadow dance section behind. The magnificent machinery from flycams to mist sprayers, working at full capacity, makes viewers feel like they are invited to a TV show backstage, rather than a fashion show. Through distinct high points, Casey seamlessly integrates individual liberation through the characteristic Mugler design language. “It’s a gift, a dream,” Casey shared about the process of creating this show. “You get joy, you can add drama from the stage lights to what you’re doing. It’s harder, more challenging, but it enhances your imagination and creativity.”

Mugler Fall 2024 was initiated when Casey consulted Mugler’s collections from the 1980s in the archive. Perhaps Mugler’s unparalleled luxury and sophistication in the past prompted Casey to remove the street-style fashion language from this collection. Mugler Fall 2024 no longer features everyday outfits, no denim, much less Lycra fabric; instead, it showcases the parade of seductive, powerful, daring, yet feminine looks. “Although I’ve been associated with sportswear throughout my career, even before coming to Mugler, now is the time I really want my work to look more glamorous, sophisticated, and provide a sense of presence.”

The audience’s view is shielded by a giant black curtain, illuminated by bright lights for Casey to present an intriguing shadow dance. Suddenly, the curtain is violently pulled down, artificial mist is sprayed from the wings, and the eerie atmosphere on the elaborately crafted evening gowns with surreal proportions, found in Mugler’s 80s, is once again recreated on the runway.

The creative director unleashes onto the runway sheer dresses, secured by sturdy corset straps. Adorning these transparent tops are pieces of fabric cut-offs flying outward, as if slipping off the shoulder or bursting out at any moment. The glossy leather breastplates exude the power and strength of women. Meanwhile, the ruffled dresses bring out the feminine softness as they move gracefully with the models’ strides.

“The moving body is always the foundation of fashion, but it’s more about the hidden power within individuals,” Casey shared. “Clothes give us confidence, a desire for liberation. It’s wonderful if you can turn fashion into such a tool. If clothes can help you achieve that, then I really want to be the one to help.” Thus, Casey assists by bringing down onto the runway provocative cut-out garments and figure-hugging catsuits that have shaped Casey Cadwallader’s name at Mugler.

The theme of the body continues to be dissected further in the second part of the show. The creative director turns sharp metal pieces into spiral structures, wrapping around the body’s curves. “There are many things ‘wrapping’ around the body, such as a scarf or a figure-hugging curve, extended from a thigh,” Casey shared backstage. Here, viewers can also witness a seamless blend of various materials from velvet to taffeta. The stretchy mesh fabric hugs the body perfectly, combined with deep cuts at the chest, once again boldly addressing allure and sensuality.

The second part of Mugler 2024 particularly introduces a rare breakthrough of Casey at Mugler, as he welcomes the collaboration with Ambera Wellmann in the prints of the collection. Ambera Wellmann is a Canadian painter with hyper-realistic, seductive paintings. “She’s a New York-based artist whom I greatly admire. When I look at her works, I had to exclaim: ‘Oh my God, it’s so sensual and wicked – just like this collection,'” Cadwallader shared about the collaboration with Ambera. “It’s an honor to work with such beautiful prints.” Her artworks have become focal points on vibrant dresses, velvet gowns, silk trousers, lace-up ankle boots, crop tops, wrap dresses, and tight pants. Ambera’s paintings have brought a splash of color to Casey’s all-black landing, not only heating up the atmosphere but also adding more provocation as the creative director desires for his show.

Cadwallader continues to bend, twist to create pieces that honor the beauty of the body, until the final part of the show begins. The last moments of Mugler Fall 2024 are pushed to a climax when a “feast” of impressive leather treatments is unleashed onto the runway with masterful craftsmanship. On short cocktail dresses, leather is cut into strips, mixed with ruffled fabric resembling sleek hair. The plongé nappa leather material has been meticulously pleated and pressed to create an ultra-soft bomber jacket silhouette. It’s a jacket for men. From there, one can also easily notice the freshness in the entire collection, which is the men’s wear category – a category that helps increase revenue for the brand. Unlike Mugler’s men in the past, Casey dresses them in sheer tops, accented with deeply revealing neckline that’s incredibly sensual.

To honor the founder’s pioneering use of faux fur, Casey developed a new material, a fluffy effect like soft fur made from embroidered nylon fibers along with thin strips of leather. They are turned into a red dress, or used to accentuate the hem of a dress or one side of a coat. Mugler Fall 2024 ends with dresses with classic Mugler-style padded hips as a reminder of this fashion house’s timeless presence in the world of high fashion.

As the models start the final part of the show, the curtain is lifted to reveal the backstage area and the bustling production team behind – the ones tirelessly working for the success of the show. Immediately, the audience is reminded of George Michael’s “Too Funky” music video from 1992 – with Mugler’s 90s fashion show as the backdrop. The scene clearly contrasts the “heaven” on the catwalk and the “hell” backstage, helping viewers gain a more objective view and reduce the “sanctification” of the fashion world.