L’Oréal is changing creative direction at its Mugler label.
The company today confirmed the departure of Casey Cadwallader and named a new designer: Miguel Castro Freitas, a behind-the-scenes figure who has worked at Dior, Dries Van Noten and Sportmax, will become Mugler’s creative director effective April 1.
Over a 7-year tenure, Cadwallader revitalised Mugler’s image by infusing the Paris-based brand with an ultra-inclusive, New York sensibility focused on fierce, futuristic glamour.
His drag-ball-meets-Marvel-movie aesthetic was catnip for performers and social media stars during the pandemic, driving buzz for the brand with special projects like costuming Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B for their “W.A.P.” music video.
While many brands struggled to adapt to new formats for promoting collections during coronavirus lockdowns, Mugler produced a spate of viral fashion films working with creative director duo Torso Solutions, positioning the brand as a hot ticket once in-person runway shows resumed.
A nude illusion catsuit that flattered a broad variety of body shapes became Mugler’s signature design, while spiral cut jeans offered a more practical way for customers to buy into the brand.
Parent company L’Oréal, which acquired the label from Clarins in 2019, was initially enthusiastic about Mugler’s trajectory as increased brand awareness lifted sales of key fragrances like Angel and Alien. “The Mugler moment is now,” brand president Danièle Lahana-Aidenbaum urged commercial partners in a 2023 presentation.
Still, L’Oréal remained hesitant to pour investment into the brand’s fashion arm: the world’s biggest cosmetics group hadn’t been involved in apparel since it owned Lanvin in the 1990s. The label also found itself on the back foot as tastes veered to a more timeless, polished aesthetic and the broader fashion market slowed.
Managing director Pascal Conté-Jodra exited the label in 2023, succeeded by Adrian Corsin.
Mugler shifted to a less pop, more sophisticated look last September for what turned out to be Cadwallader’s final show at the brand. The label sat out this spring’s Paris Fashion Week.
Cadwallader’s successor Freitas has had little public profile prior to today’s nomination. The Portuguese national, who graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2004, got his start working under John Galliano at Dior before going on to roles at Yves Saint Laurent, Lanvin and Dries Van Noten. More recently, he helmed Max Mara’s Sportmax label from 2021 to 2024.
“Miguel lives and breathes the Mugler spirit,” Lahana-Aidenbaum said in a statement.
