For the launch of the range, Mugler and H&M made a music video and recorded their own take on Stardust’s 1996 dance hit “Music Sounds Better With You”.

Here, we chat with Cadwallader and Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M’s creative adviser, about the upcoming collection.

How did the collaboration come about?

Ann-Sofie Johansson: It’s been a long process, because we started off [by] talking to Mr Mugler himself. I was thrilled and honoured to meet him as he was always a hero of mine. We always hoped to include, within this collaboration, a blend of the old Mugler and the new Mugler. Obviously, we were all shocked and devastated by his passing, and truly sad not to be able to bring his vision to life as he’d been so enthusiastic about the collaboration.

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Casey Cadwallader: I knew it was a great partnership as soon as H&M approached me. I was thrilled by the process of offering a wider audience access to the pieces that Mugler has been known and loved for. But of course, one of the joys of Mugler is the archive, and how broad it is, so of course we wanted to celebrate that within this collection.

My own journey with the house is very tied to the archive, and using key elements from it as starting points for new ideas. For example, early on in my time at Mugler, I learnt that when Lycra was invented, Mugler did almost a whole collection in it, and I drew a lot of inspiration from that – you can see that in the many stretchy pieces in the collaboration, such as the catsuits and dresses.

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He also did a lot in denim – which is something we continue now. With this collection, it’s naturally about the past, present and future of the house all combined, because that’s how I work as a designer – it’s always about a mingling of influences.

Tell us about some of the inspirations behind the collection, and in turn, the music video.

Cadwallader: A lot of my inspiration came from the idea of the Mugler family, and about celebrating the relevance of the house across genres and media. Mugler has always been a house with a lot of cultural soul – and that’s why it’s so interesting for me as a designer. It taps into so many worlds that I’m engaged with and [inspirations] in my own life, whether music or club culture.

This collaboration has been a very positive experience for me, and I think you sense that – it’s about community and about people who are really important to me, and who are truly themselves. Mugler has always been about celebrating so many different types of beauty and this collaboration continues that.

For the campaign, the idea of making a music video and a new track – a remake of a 90s tune – is to nod to the fact that the collection is full of these great references to the 90s. It felt really fitting. It’s nice to do something pioneering and different, with film and image. It’s a testimony to the cultural resonance of Mugler – across music, dance, performance, subculture and even technology.

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Talk us through the collection and tell us about some of the pieces that you like the most.

Cadwallader: I was really inspired by the ethos of the H&M designer collaborations – which is about offering people something to collect, something that stands up in the history of fashion. I looked at past collaborations, like the one Alber Elbaz did, which was so true to Lanvin, in terms of the design of the pieces. And I looked to the Versace and Margiela ones, which I actually bought pieces from at the time, and which, again, were really about offering people signature pieces. I drew a lot of inspiration from that idea.

I was adamant that this had to be true Mugler – nothing compromised or watered down. In our mainline high fashion collections Mugler is always a mix – there’s the darkness, the edge, then the sexy side, then the lightness, the happiness. What I wanted to do here was keep that blend, to keep the diversity and complexity, while also offering pieces that are the most useful and interesting to people for their personal wardrobes. There are so many great Mugler staples and signatures in the collection – the catsuits, the dresses, the denim. On top of that, there are casual sweats, T-shirts, accessories.

I would say one way [the H&M collection] is different to typical Mugler is that we used more colour than usual, just to reflect the fact we wanted this to feel universal and playful. I really love the palette, and the fact that so many of the pieces are available in a great range of tones. I love the breadth of the collection, across men’s and women’s – it really offers people a lot of choice. And it feels truly elevated – you see that in the details, the star embellishments, the special fastenings, the sparkles and the quality of the leathers.

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There are just so many iconic pieces within the range. Personally, I love the leather pieces, like the petrol-green long leather coat – you’d treasure that forever. I also love the denim spiral jeans, just because they really are a Casey signature – something he invented. They are so beautifully made and meticulous when it comes to shape and angle – you can tell he studied architecture as they totally enhance and empower the body, lifting, shaping and making it super sculptural.

Talking of architecture, the jewellery is also very special and very sculptural – really bold and unapologetic. For the archive pieces, I am obsessed with the archive skirt suit, which is a remake. I think it’s just fantastic, especially with the little piercing buttons. It’s a very special piece.

Casey, tell us more about choosing pieces from the archive to remake within this collection.

Cadwallader: I spent time thinking about what people would really covet, and what would really encapsulate the heritage of the brand. I knew, for example, that I wanted the 80s black velvet dress, because the original vintage version has had its own new modern life recently, having been worn by so many young icons, whether in shows or on the red carpet.

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I love the skirt suit also, because it’s punk but also feminine, and it encapsulates the dualities of Mugler – how it could be very considered and cerebral and couture, and then also, on another side, quite sexy and daring – and I love those juxtapositions. All the archive pieces show the richness of the house, but also my own journey with Mugler – the starting points and references that have inspired the house today.