H&M has given us our first look at its latest high fashion collaboration with French brand Mugler.
The two brands have released an elaborate music video to unveil the new collection, featuring musicians Amaarae, Shygirl, Eartheater and Arca recording a new version of Stardust’s 1998 dance song Music Sounds Better With You.
The video is full of classic Mugler visuals: top models strutting toward the camera, illusion bodysuits and a surreal feel to things.
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It also features a guest appearance from a fashion legend, American supermodel Jerry Hall.
Hall, 66, appears on a fake talk show in a black velvet minidress, saying: “Ooh baby, I feel so good.”
She stars alongside fellow supermodel Connie Fleming – both of whom were muses to original designer Manfred Thierry Mugler in the Nineties.
Hall’s outfit bears resemblance to Diana, Princess of Wales’ so-called ‘revenge dress’ – perhaps not a coincidence, as her ex-husband – media mogul Rupert Murdoch, who she divorced last year – announced his new engagement this week.
French designer Manfred Thierry Mugler launched his brand in the early 1970s, and became known for avant-garde designs with a sexy and architectural aesthetic. He died in January 2022, aged 73.
American designer Casey Cadwallader has been the creative director of Mugler since 2018, and has made illusion bodysuits and catsuits the signature look of the brand. They have been a major hit for Mugler, worn by celebrities including Cardi B, Beyonce, Dua Lipa and Lizzo.
An ‘iconic catsuit’ from the brand will set you back €1,890 (£1,660), but the H&M collaboration will make Mugler designs more accessible.
“My idea of Mugler has always been democratic, and this was a way of making it clear that it’s always been about bringing everyone in,” Cadwallader told Vogue.
The video is full of classic black bodysuits, along with jeans with black panels, minidresses and denim jackets. As with all of Mugler’s designs, there’s an emphasis on extreme silhouettes – with big shoulders and cinched waists.
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Discussions to do an H&M x Mugler collaboration began before Manfred Thierry Mugler’s death, and the collection is a tribute to him.
“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,” said Ann-Sofie Johansson, creative advisor at H&M.
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.”
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Hall isn’t the only recognisable face in the promotional video, which brings together some of the biggest models in the industry – including Imaan Hammam, Mariacarla Boscono and Anna Ewers.
The collection features womenswear, menswear and accessories, and will launch in select stores and online on May 11.
Mugler is the latest designer to collaborate with H&M, bringing its high fashion aesthetic to a high street price point.
Past H&M collaborations have included Karl Lagerfeld, Balmain, Versace, Giambattista Valli and Simone Rocha, and are notorious for selling out extremely quickly.
