Photo: Courtesy of Mugler
It’s starting to feel like the musical chairs of high fashion will never end. This morning, L’Oréal, Mugler’s parent company, announced Miguel Castro Freitas will be replacing Casey Cadwallader as the house’s creative director.
The news comes after a tumultuous few weeks in the industry with high-profile designers — like Jonathan Anderson, formerly of Loewe, and Demna, formerly of Balenciaga — exiting their roles at major fashion houses and entering new ones. Earlier this month, Mugler was noticeably absent from the schedule during Paris Fashion Week, churning the rumor mill about a potential shakeup.
Cadwallader was at the helm of Mugler for over seven years, following, in his own way, in founder Manfred Thierry Mugler’s footsteps by making sexy, captivating clothing. His clientele included some of the most alluring celebrities of the moment: Dua Lipa, Beyoncé, Megan Thee Stallion, and Yseult. In a press release from the brand, Cadwallader wrote, “It has been my honour to lead Mugler. Mugler is like no other, and it was exciting to lean into all that it could mean in today’s culture.”
His successor, Freitas, has kept a relatively low profile but boasts an impressive fashion résumé: He holds a degree from Central Saint Martins, was handpicked to work at Dior under John Galliano, later served as head of tailoring at the house under Raf Simmons, had a tenure at Yves Saint Laurent, and spent a brief stint under Alber Elbaz at Lanvin. Most recently, he worked as the head of womenswear at Dries Van Noten and creative director of Sportmax. Freitas is slated to take the reins on April 1 and will present his first collection in the fall alongside his fellow high-profile debuts, Matthieu Blazy at Chanel and Demna at Gucci. Cadwallader hasn’t announced what he’s doing next, but given the way things are going, a chair will be empty soon enough.
