Has Mugler found its new creative director?

The week has just begun, and it's already full of changes, gossip, and news. This Monday morning, we wake up to the sweet sound of the fashion market bell, which has been ringing nonstop in recent months, announcing the departure of Jonathan Anderson from his position as creative director at Loewe after 11 years of loyal service. Before him, it was Demna last week who stirred up the fashion world by not only announcing his departure from Balenciaga after 10 years but also his arrival at Gucci after the departure of Sabato De Sarno. While it's still unclear where Jonathan Anderson will go next (rumors have been circulating about a potential move to Dior) he is not the only one in the spotlight of the fashion gossip mill. Mugler, led by creative director Casey Cadwallader since 2017, is also the source of much chatter.

Although the French brand, owned by L'Oréal since 2029, still has a creative director, which is not the case of a lot of its colleagues in the industry, change is clearly on the horizon. It seems that the paths of Casey Cadwallader, the American designer who has headed the house since 2017 after coming from Acne Studios, and Mugler are set to part ways in the coming months. The successor to David Koma and Nicola Formichetti, after having created successful collections like the SS24 featuring hard corsets and sharp silhouettes in the Mugler style, with a rear veil that created a nearly magical effect as models walked to the rhythm of the music, seems to be at a crossroads. The clues lie in the SS25 collection, less aligned and more chaotic, shall we say, presented last September, and the absence of the house from the subsequent Fashion Week calendars.

But if Cadwallader leaves, who would replace him? Rumor has it it will be Miguel Castro Freitas, a Spanish designer who has so far been almost unknown in the industry. While it is difficult to find information or photos of Castro Freitas' past work, we do know that he has honed his craft with major brands in the industry such as Dior, Dries Van Noten, and Sportmax, where he reportedly held significant roles in creative development according to WWD. This near anonymity might actually work in his favor and the brand’s, bringing in a designer who will not drastically impact the house's aesthetic, heritage, and DNA, as we suspect Demna might do at Gucci, for example. Stay tuned.

To stay informed about creative director changes, check out the All Creative Directors guide from nss magazine, updated in real-time with all the latest news from the fashion world.