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On Thursday in Paris, Miguel Castro Freitas made his Mugler debut in a basement car park in Paris’s 11th arrondissement, with plush fabrics covering the runway and seats. The intention was to create contrast between the harshness of the concrete and the glamour of a boudoir, shared Mugler president of fashion and fragrances Danièle Lahana-Aidenbaum pre-show. It also meant attendees could focus on the clothes and take in Castro Freitas’s new vision for the house, which is in opposition to the work of his predecessor.
“The concept of the collection was very much to rescue or recover the craft, the tailoring and the showmanship of [Mugler] in the time and age that we are living in,” Castro Freitas said backstage post-show. “I think that one of the most disruptive things you can do is to bring glamour back, maybe contrary to what happened in other moments [of Mugler]. What people don’t understand is that what Mugler did back in the ’80s was an answer to the culture of fashion. That’s what I want to do.”
With hourglass suiting, heavy use of latex and suggestive, transgressive accents, the collection in many ways harked back to the work of Manfred Thierry Mugler, known for his exaggerated proportions and theatrical, daring clothes. But the show itself diverged from the typical performance-based shows Mugler was known for under both its founder and former creative director. The collection, for all its latex, was less sexy than the Mugler we’ve come to know (save for one gown that hung from the nipples). The silhouettes were largely more buttoned up, with skirt suits and high-neck dresses replacing the brand’s previous signature cutouts, plunging necklines and mesh. In fact, Castro Freitas banned the word ‘sexy’ from the atelier while making the collection, he told Vogue’s Mark Holgate during a preview.
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“When I arrived at the house, I went into the archives, I looked into the elements of the shows people normally recognise, but I wanted to dig deeper,” Castro Freitas said. “I did an archeological dig into the essence and the ethos of Mugler. Most people associate Mugler with the ’80s and power dressing, which is a big part of the culture of the house — but there’s so much more to it. It evolved a lot from the ’70s to the ’90s.”
Castro Freitas succeeds Casey Cadwallader, who spent seven years at Mugler from 2018 to 2025, and continued the founder’s legacy of diversity, with his sexy, high-energy campaigns and shows featuring a broad range of talents. Cadwallader established the label’s widely successful cutout and sheer bodysuits, which became a viral item in 2019. But the label’s high-octane, sexy eveningwear perhaps felt incongruous with the quiet luxury trend that’s dominated fashion in recent times.
This new iteration, while still pretty bold, is intended to be worn outside of the club. “There are beautiful clothes, technical feats, feathers, headdresses; but it’s also fashion for the daytime,” Lahana-Aidenbaum said.
The collection was heavy on beige and pink, contrasting the dark palettes we’ve come to expect from the house. “We intentionally didn’t want black to be the starting point of this collection,” Castro Freitas said. “In fact, it forms only a small part. The designer also reimagined different categories for Mugler, with new bag silhouettes including snake print clutches and nude baguette bags; statement costume jewellery in the form of heavy-duty diamanté ear cuffs and bracelets; and square-toe high heels in snakeskin print and nude, which Lahana-Aidenbaum feels are strong additions.
Castro Freitas graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2004, before working at Dior under both John Galliano and Raf Simons, at Yves Saint Laurent under Stefano Pilati, and Lanvin under Alber Elbaz. Most recently, Castro Freitas was head of womenswear at Dries Van Noten and creative director of Sportmax from SS21 to SS24, in an under-the-radar role heading up a house that perhaps prepared him for the challenge of taking the Mugler helm.
“We met him first for his CV. He really learnt from the greatest couturiers and what was true, what really attracted us to Miguel is his extremely sincere love for the brand. He had an extremely clear and precise vision of everything that Mugler is and he is capable of exploring all the facets of the brand from ‘game show’ to glamorous and powerful,” Lahana-Aidenbaum said. “Even behind the scenes, he showed a lot of kindness and desire, always with an extremely clear vision of what he wanted to do.”
The designer is tasked with paying homage to Mugler’s heritage while updating it for today’s consumer. The brand curated its casting and front row to reflect who the Mugler woman is today. “You’ll see there’s like supermodels [in the show] that really are referencing Manfred’s past, and then you’ll see the celebrities that we have — Pamela Anderson, Naomi Watts, Elizabeth Berkley. They’re part of the story that we’re telling. And so it’s almost a screen test, as if they were characters in what we’re going to present,” Mugler fashion managing director Adrian Corsin said backstage.
L’Oréal Group acquired Mugler from former owner Clarins in 2020, and remains the only wholly owned fashion brand in its stable. (L’Oréal made a minority stake investment in Jacquemus in February, but only as part of a deal to launch the brand’s beauty line. The beauty group has said it will not increase its stake.) L’Oréal doesn’t break out revenues of individual brands, but Corsin told Vogue Business in September 2024 that Mugler fashion grew by the high double digits in 2023, driven by Asia, a strong denim business and the launch of leather goods like the Spiral Curve bag. However, fragrance is still believed to be the cash cow of the Mugler brand, with popular scents including Angel and Alien.
The expectation is that Castro Freitas will allow us to “rediscover the extraordinary magic of Mugler”, said Lahana-Aidenbaum. “In the times we’re living in, we want to see beauty and poetry [from fashion].”
Here’s what industry insiders had to say.
Lauren Amos, founder of Wish ATL and Ant/dote
Gone is the Mugler party girl of the last eight years: these are the clothes of a grown woman. The collection felt more restrained than the demi-couture exuberance of Casey Cadwallader’s runways, but Miguel Castro Freitas maintained an edge with little injections of kink. The latex leggings and suit felt like a blink-twice moment, but it hit home when the nipple piercing dress walked in look 36.
Judd Crane, executive director of brand and buying at Selfridges
I thought it was a very confident re-establishment of the brand’s codes. The possibilities for evolution from here are really exciting.
Law Roach, celebrity stylist
I thought it was a very beautiful debut. I thought the way he referenced Mr Mugler’s work was incredible. He gave us what we expected from this house, which is great tailoring and tailored latex. There’s a lot for my clients. I’m starting to think of the things that I’ll do when it’s time to promote Dune: Part Three, [maybe] those sandy colours.
Hetty Mahlich, editor of Show Studio
The emphasis on tailoring felt like a continuation of the brand’s focus on situating the fantasy associated with Mugler in reality, taking the signature hourglass shape from more classic tailoring fabrics into latex and satin. It felt like a collection covering all bases, without getting bogged down by archive references. But I do feel, perhaps due to commercial pressures, this played it a bit safe for a Mugler debut.
Edward Buchanan, designer and journalist
I thought the collection was really chic. I thought that the codes of Mugler were there. I think we have to give time for creatives to develop. It was the first show — we have to give him time to understand what the future of Mugler will be for him. I’m willing to give him that time, because I think this was a good start.
Tiffany Hsu, Mytheresa chief buying officer and LuxExperience group venture officer
It was a quintessential Mugler collection, one that truly captured the essence of the house. We witnessed the iconic silhouettes, the sharp shoulder pads, and the sculptural hip accents that have defined the brand for decades. What made it particularly compelling was the way these signatures were reinterpreted through a fresh and modern lens. The colour palette felt bold yet refined, bringing a contemporary vibrancy to the archival codes. There was a strong sense of empowerment throughout, a celebration of form and structure that resonates deeply with today’s audience. Overall, the show reaffirmed Mugler’s ability to honour its heritage while continuing to push boundaries in a way that feels utterly relevant.
Hamish Bowles, global editor at large for Vogue
It was an interesting slant on what Mugler did.
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