H&M x Mugler Is The Next Hot Ticket Designer Collaboration

Swedish-based clothing company H&M has become known for some pretty iconic collaborations over the years, including Karl Lagerfeld in 2004, Comme des Garçons in 2008, Balmain in 2015, and Moschino in 2018. In February, H&M announced that its next designer collaboration will be with none other than the house of Mugler. Today, they set a release day for the upcoming collection, which will launch in select stores and online beginning May 11th. The collection, which includes menswear and womenswear, was created under the direction of Mugler’s creative director Casey Cadwallader and designed to “encapsulate the unique and vibrant spirit of Mugler”.

“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,” Casey Cadwallader, Creative Director at Mugler said in a press release. “It is a showcase of our icons.” The silhouette of the collection will be the fit that Mugler’s become known for — strong, big shoulders, a tight focus on the waist, an ode to the lines of the body. Alongside new designs, there will be a series of limited-edition archive Mugler remakes, honoring moments in fashion history.

To celebrate the announcement, Mugler and H&M released a music video today, starring Amaarae, Shygirl, Eartheater, and Arca. Together, they recorded their own take on Stardust’s 1998 dance hit Music Sounds Better With You, a nod to the sense of community that defines Cadwallader’s vision for Mugler today. The news had also already been hinted online earlier this year, with fashion writer @brendahashtag Tweeting “h&m designer collaborations are coming back” on January 2. While some people have credited H&M’s previous collaborations with making “great progress in removing barriers between high-end and mainstream markets”, others are concerned with how Mugler’s multi-panel body suits will translate over to H&M. “Isn't Mugler x H&M just fashion nova?” one person Tweeted today.

With the collection set to hit the shelves in May, there’s no denying that Mugler has been recently branching out to new audiences. Since November last year, the “Thierry Mugler: Couturissime” at the Brooklyn Museum has showcased the career of the house founder, Manfred Thierry Mugler (open until May 7). The news of this latest collaboration with H&M proves the fashion house is intent on taking over, and bringing in new customers at lower price points.