Alex Consani Haunts The Halls of Mugler

Since Casey Cadwallader took the helm as creative director of Mugler in 2018, the brand's cinematic legacy has reached new heights. The iconic video vixens and dominatrices that once defined the runways of Thierry Mugler have been reimagined for a new era through Cadwallader’s boundary-pushing runway presentations and fashion films. For A/W 25, the Canadian designer honours tradition with a campaign starring his Mugler muses.

Directed by the legendary duo Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, the campaign invites viewers into Mugler’s haunted mansion. Alex Consani, Gabriette, and models Amar Akway and Frankie Rayder play the roles of phantoms who haunt the halls, drawing onlookers into their ghastly realm. As the green mist clears, it becomes apparent that these figures are far from sinister—they are, in fact, quite sophisticated, even brilliantly alluring.

Drawing inspiration from classical portraiture and Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, the models embody two distinct personalities: both possessed and divine. It’s an approach to femininity that is distinctly Mugler—fiercely frightening, bold, and dangerous. The campaign is not just about beauty; it’s about the power and mystery that comes with it, embracing the darkness while exuding an intoxicating allure.

For Cadwallader, fashion film is a place to tell stories—not just display clothes. The films become an extension of the garments, where the fabric isn’t merely a physical object, but a character in its own right, with its own role in the narrative. It pushes the boundaries of what a fashion campaign can achieve, making it an experience rather than just a visual display.

'I learned something: the people in a film can be more than they can be on the runway,' Cadwallader shared with us in 2021 ahead of his A/W 21 show. This philosophy encapsulates his visionary approach to fashion, where the model’s character and the emotion they convey are as integral to the collection as the clothes themselves.

With muses like Amber Valletta, Bella Hadid, and Hunter Schafer, Cadwallader has demonstrated that fashion films can go beyond traditional boundaries, using the cinematic language to create a world defined by movement, attitude, and emotional depth. In his latest campaign for the brand, Cadwallader has firmly established himself as a visionary pushing the boundaries of storytelling.