From the Chiasmus archive: Mugler. Spring RTW 2021. (A.Glass. Posted on May 4th, 2021)

Casey Cadwallader’s Mugler, which if studied from a chronologically perspective, since taking the reigns from UK designer David Koma for Cadwallader’s debut Fall 2018 collection.  Has all but re-instilled Thierry Mugler’s avant-garde fetish styles as testament to its legacy of the famed designer, which was Mugler’s ardor of the erotic.   And it has since paid off, with a slew of celebrities wearing and exhibiting his designs on what Cadwallader would decree as his “red carpet” arrays, however even with the pandemic, sans the shutdowns now finally being lifted, designers have shown how runways can be recreated even stylized with more precision via a digital presentation.  Cadwallader like other high profile creative directors have turned to film, with short 10 to 15 minute themed clips, which maybe a sign of a directional change from the runways that may remain in place in a post-pandemic world.  

And in light of Bottega Veneta under Daniel Lee deleting all social media feeds, including Facebook and Twitter, a truly admirable move that either reinstates Lee’s disdain for the over inundation of so called social media and its hype or it could indicate that the exclusivity of luxury brand names may indeed begin to retreat back into its exclusivity.  Markets could be changing for ever in this new world, despite the old guard reassuring that the ‘normal’ will return, it makes sense, global viral pandemics do indeed change society and us, yet in oracle vision it is hard to know what the societal change will be.  So I feel Cadwallader, a relatively unknown designer who came on board for Mugler three years ago, could be instigating a similar angle, maybe not as dramatic as Lee, but the sentiment feels renewed.  Particularly the latest collection utilizing the combination of a film clip imprinted onto a fashion shoot.

Leaving off from Cadwallader’s impressive experimental photo shoot for the Resort 2021 showing, his Spring 2021 styles once again have up the ante of the lingerie outwear trend of 2019 and 2020, yet there is, only slightly, a dichotomy of styles – to which Cadwallader, who as also included the boxy oversized blazer and jacket looks as a counter balance to the stripped back bare ensembles, however in its curious visual, some of the styles appear out of place.   From skin tight to loose fitting styles, unless combined can struggle to hold a consistency, which I feel detracts from the looks on display.  Yet, Cadwallader’s sexual allure remains as the ultimate show stopper, with asymmetrical cocktail dresses, sheer bodysuits, its sophisticated and cultivated dominatrix styles hold a cue of  defining the Eros without it becoming overly kitsch.  In turn, representing Mugler’s exclusive entourage, more so its client list, which in its purpose, whatever the viewer desires to attain or emulate from this collection becomes, due to its price tags, unattainable if one is not part of Mugler’s celebrity world. 

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(A.Glass 2021)

Fall 2024 review soon.