Miguel Castro Freitas Is the New Creative Director of Mugler

Mugler is the latest fashion house to announce a leadership shake up. After seven years, Casey Cadwallader has stepped down as creative director. Miguel Castro Freitas is now stepping into the role.

Freitas is a bit of an unexpected choice, as the designer has remained under the radar up until this appointment. That said, his resume speaks for itself. The Portuguese native graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2004 and was soon after “handpicked”—according to Vogue Business—by John Galliano to work at Dior. He later held jobs at Yves Saint Laurent under Stefano Pilati and Lanvin under Alber Elbaz. He was the head of tailoring at Christian Dior when it was led by Raf Simons, head of womenswear at Dries Van Noten, and most recently, creative director of Sportmax.

“It is an honor to join the spectacular house of Mugler,” Freitas said in a statement. “As one of the twentieth century’s great couturiers, Mr Mugler reimagined the power and limits of fashion. Alongside the teams, I am thrilled to bring my own vision, story, and emotion to this monumental heritage.”

In addition, Freitas, like Manfred Thierry Mugler, was a dancer in his youth. Perhaps not as immediately relevant as the 20 years of designer experience, but something that could further connect him to the theatrical heritage of the brand.

“Miguel lives and breathes the Mugler spirit,” added Danièle Lahana-Aidenbaum, global brand president of Mugler fashion and fragrances. “His deep understanding of Mugler’s DNA and his vast creativity and talent made him a natural choice.”

As for Cadwallader, he made quite the impression during his time at Mugler. The American designer brought the brand into a new era, with inclusive casting and the introduction of new house codes. These were epitomized by skin-tight bodysuits of nylon panels with cutouts that employed the use of negative space. The creations were heavily favored by pop stars, and worn by music’s biggest names, including Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa, Cardi B, and even Beyoncé.

During the pandemic, Cadwallader opted for runway films as opposed to live presentations, a format that felt natural considering the adoption of his designs as performancewear. Mugler also adopted a see-now, buy-now template, allowing shoppers to purchase pieces from the collection immediately following the premiere of the films. In 2023, a collaboration with H&M brought back the return of original Mugler muse Connie Fleming, and allowed another opportunity for accessibility to much success.

Speculation of Cadwallader’s future at the brand began to rise when Mugler was absent from the Paris Fashion Week calendar earlier this month. Rumors were confirmed on Tuesday when a separate statement revealed that Cadwallader would be stepping down at the end of March. Where he will go next is unclear.

“Mugler is like no other, and it was exciting to lean into all that it could mean in today’s culture,” he said. “I am forever grateful to my team, collaborators, and friends, whose support and talents made this vision come to life.”

Freitas, meanwhile, will begin work on April 1 and will show his first collection this fall during Paris Fashion Week as part of the spring/summer 2026 shows.