For the Mugler Pre-Fall 2024 collection, Creative Director Casey Cadwallader was consumed by darkness, focusing the sinister side of the brand.

The designer kept things juicy here was fabrication. A slouchy suit in Japanese moire velvet, an alluringly slinky mesh dress with flocked velvet tiles, a sexy sheath with laser cut leather feathering, and an extremely cool and very slick coat in ultrasonic welded rubber were all in the mix.

The focus this seaosn was the tailoring, which retains Cadwallader’s trademark razor-blade sharpness with a newfound sense of elegance. Pre-collections, he explained, are an opportunity to explore the minimalist side of Mugler. The extra-broad shoulders are supported by boning to avoid collapsing, the buttons have been wiped out, and every line has been meticulously placed. His treatment of belting comes across as elevated rather than gratuitous. And there are no swirly catsuits to be found here, only lacing and corsetry that nod to the original Mugler vixens.