Mugler, Wolford Partner on Skinwear Capsule
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MILAN —”We wanted to do something quite sensual,” said Mugler creative director Casey Cadwallader.
The result is the collaboration between Mugler and Wolford, which are launching a capsule collection of 12 styles of bodysuits, dresses, gloves, legging and cycling shorts with a special shape lift construction starting Friday.
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“This is a bold collection, in sync with Casey’s unique sensitivity and personal vision, which have revitalized Mugler’s artistic and experimental heritage,” said Silvia Azzali, chief commercial officer of Wolford. Azzali praised the designer’s talent, which paired with the Austrian company’s innovative techniques, resulted in couture-level products. “Together we will set Wolford’s leadership bar in skinwear ever higher.”
“Before I even set foot in Mugler’s office, working with Wolford was on my to-do list,” said the designer, admitting his admiration went “up and up” after seeing the expertise, “amazing machinery” and techniques of the Austrian company. “It’s a dream for me to work with Wolford and it was critical, critical for me to go to their factory.” Cadwallader was not disappointed. He touted the velvet flocking Wolford has perfected and used for the capsule.
Azzali also highlighted Wolford’s special flocked patterns in high-quality sheer and high-precision knitwear technology and Mugler’s signature shaping hosiery.
Hosiery is a must for Cadwallader, returning in all of his collections. “Everyone looks good with hosiery, it’s a universal lift, they work their magic whatever your size,” he said.
Wolford and Mugler previously worked in the ’80s to launch an exclusive two-set collection, at the time with the late Manfred Thierry Mugler.
“That collection was one of our first and it was extremely successful,” said Azzali. She recalled early conversations during the first wave of the pandemic with Mugler’s chief executive officer Pascal Conte-Jodra, who had just been tapped to lead the fashion company, and how they had started talking about joining forces. A small hosiery collaboration was unveiled for spring 2020, but Azzali enthused about “finally bringing this to light.”
“Wolford and Mugler share the same values of inclusivity and diversity, and the new skinwear capsule collection aims to celebrate ‘the body — all kinds of bodies.’”
A dedicated campaign photographed by Zhong Lin will communicate the collaboration, featuring Lara Stone, Sora Choi and Aj Yel, and styled by Haley Wollens. Azzali underscored how it will “highlight three different women and body types. Wolford and Mugler commit to the empowerment of women who are no wallflowers, wearing what they want without caring about what others think.”
Retail prices range from 120 euros for tights and 400 euros for leggings to 580 euros for bodysuits and 800 euros for a catsuit.
The collection will be available at Wolford boutiques, with special set-ups in Paris, London, New York and Milan; online at Wolford.com and Fashion.mugler.com and at department stores such as Harrods, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks, Selfridges and Harvey Nichols, among others, and multibrand stores including Tiziana Fausti, Base Blu, Modes, Antonioli and The Apartment. It will also be distributed on Net-a-porter, LuisaViaRoma, Ssense, Revolve, Fwrd and Mytheresa, among others.
“The sell-in has been beyond our expectations,” observed Azzali.
In May, Wolford partnered with GCDS for a first athleisure collection of both women’s and men’s styles. This followed previous collaborations with Adidas, Amina Muaddi and Alberta Ferretti.
In July, as reported Wolford parent Lanvin Group filed regulatory documents ahead of its IPO, revealing detailed financials for individual brands for the first time.
The company recorded “52 percent pro forma revenue growth in 2021 to 339 million euros” compared to 2020.
Wolford is the group’s biggest brand in terms of sales, with sales rising 15 percent to 109 million euros on a year-over-year basis in 2021, gaining the best EBITDA results in 2021 after adjusting for real estate sales, according to the company.
