Presented as a metafictional commentary on the fashion show construct, Part 02 of the Spring Summer 2021 collection designed by Casey Cadwallader is a no-holds-barred expression of electric Mugler energy. Directed by Torso in Long Island City, New York, a 6.5-minute film questions the linear continuum of a runway presentation, as hyper-charged Mugler characters exhibit feats of near superhuman strength through stunt doubles, POV cameras and a satirical use of the infinite void.

Applying the tropes of the comic book heroine in the fashion space, Cadwallader gathers personalities from the worlds of cinema, television, music and the arts in an unprecedented casting that challenges traditional expectations of beauty: seen backwards, in fast forward, and upside-down in a collective exploration of the ‘glitch’. From Euphoria’s Hunter Schaefer and Pose star Dominique Jackson to the performance artist Kembra Pfahler, electronic musician Eartheater, cultural commentator Patia Borja and models including Alek Wek, Bella Hadid, Omahyra Mota and Irina Shayk, an armada of unique personas embody the multiplicities of the Mugler woman in all her power and glory.

Evolving the illusory proposition of Part 01, the second chapter of the Mugler Spring Summer 2021 collection continues to elevate the structural and proportional play of transparency inherent to the Mugler legacy. Shape and comfort rise to the fore, as the evolution of fashion technology and materiality expand the possibilities of suspended architectures for trompe l’oeil fabrications that accentuate anatomical curves and erogenous zones with unprecedented ease. Block colours and a pulsing stratum of light wave prints contrast natural skin tones with black, white, sky blue, acid yellow, vermillion and cherry red.