Hennes & Mauritz’s next designer collaboration is with the house of Mugler, with its New Zealand launch at Commercial Bay, Auckland, in May.

Discussions between H&M and the house began before Thierry Mugler’s death in January 2022, and that he had been personally involved at its earliest stages.

The work of Mugler’s US-born, Cornell-educated creative director Casey Cadwallader, who joined the house in 2018, the collection revisits the house’s archive with limited-edition remakes and adds contemporary designs, interpreted in womenswear, menswear and accessories. The Swedish retailer is also launching the collection with a music video featuring a cover version of Stardust’s 1998 hit ‘Music Sounds Better with You’, performed by Amaarae, Shygirl, Eartheater and Arca, which is said to encapsulate the Mugler H&M spirit.

H&M notes that the Mugler house ‘pre-empted the themes of body positivity, gender fluidity, transformation and confidence that dominates fashion now,’ and that its story is about transcending limits, ‘embracing the otherworldly, the non-binary and the technological.’ The collection is gender-fluid although menswear and womenswear are offered.

Certainly Mugler’s heyday was the 1980s and 1990s with its suits and tailoring, and its high-impact collections; even non-fashion audiences of a certain age will know of his work in Demi Moore’s black dress in 1993’s Indecent Proposal. Mugler also ventured into music, directing George Michael’s ‘Too Funky’. He also directed the first advertising film for his Alien fragrance.

The collaboration recalls the 1980s and 1990s and H&M says that every piece ‘is a moment of fashion history—a chance for a global community of fans to own a piece of the brand’s legacy.’

‘Casey has done such an incredible job at paying homage to history, and to the archive, while making the collection totally contemporary. Under him, Mugler has become one of the most innovative and exciting houses on today’s fashion landscape,’ said Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M’s creative adviser.

Cadwallader added, ‘It is truly an honour to collaborate with H&M. 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.’

Behind-the-scenes pics show Jerry Hall, 66, among the models.