At this point in Bella Hadid’s Mugler career, she is basically part Lara Croft, part model. “What are you gonna make me do this time?” she asked Casey Cadwallader, as she slithered into his latest second-skin illusion wear for the autumn/winter 2021 show film, dropping today in line with the brand’s see-now, buy-now model.
The final fun Torso Solutions production – all wild camera angles and morph suits – belies the sheer volume of work that went into it. Hadid, along with Amber Valletta, Jill Kortleve and Lola Leon, walked on treadmills, jumped off plinths and threw themselves into the arms of stage hands to create the runway spectacle that breaks the fourth wall. Its premise? To harness the power of the models’ gaze to connect with customers and draw them into the Mugler world. Mission accomplished.
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While runway shows are an eight-minute celebration of fashion fantasia, Cadwallader’s now- seasonal films offer a microscopic look at Mugler; from the illusion tulle spliced with panels of bonded recycled Lycra to the new half-toe legging boots created in collaboration with Jimmy Choo. Never have you been closer to Bella’s torso, as the new snake chain jewellery jangles tantalisingly close to the screen. This level of intimacy is a smart move in an industry based on exclusivity, and chimes with Cadwallader’s mission to give his customers the clothes they want when they want them, as opposed to the traditional fashion model.
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“The power comes from the [casting],” says Casey of his (growing) Mugler family. “These people are self-confident, self-realised and brave; when you ask everyone to jump off a box, they have to be pretty fearless.” His bold looks surely inspire courageousness. “I have created a completely opaque catsuit; everyone should be very proud of me,” he smiles of his latest shapewear triumph. But, if the bodycon pieces have become the bread-and-butter of Casey’s world, this season sees more denim and tailoring, with an added emphasis on fluidity thanks to scarf-like drapery. “I was searching for movement and dynamism,” he asserts.
The highlights are the corsets made, in part, from a new fabric Cadwallader calls “techno jersey”. “It’s this weird sort of part velvet, part vinyl, amazingly shiny, stretchy fabric,” says Casey of “ultrasonically bonding” the waist-cinchers to make them wearable. “It’s like a total science class,” he says, gleefully.
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The jewellery, however, is pure high-octane glamour. Inspired by an ’80s Mugler earring sourced in a vintage shop, Cadwallader was taken with the silky, liquid-like quality of the gold strands. His gilded body charms are cold to put on, but warm up and almost dance on the skin. “It’s like the jewellery is tickling you and moving with your body,” he says, adding that it’s “really fun” to work with.
To sum up, “Sexy is officially back,” quips Casey who sees the growing number of young brands entering his sphere as a thrilling challenge to push himself further. In terms of deliverability, Mugler is miles ahead of the pack. “I just want to connect the client to that moment of desire,” he says of the immediacy of his work (the autumn/winter 2021 collection is available to purchase now at Mugler.com.) Stunts aside, that’s impressive.
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Alice NewboldCredit
Lead Image: Courtesy of Mugler