Casey Cadwallader
{{Short description|American fashion designer (born 1979)}}
{{peacock|date=May 2025}}
Casey Cadwallader (born August 15, 1979) is an American fashion designer who served as the creative director of Mugler from 2018 to 2025.{{Cite web |last=Holgate |first=Mark |date=2018-05-09 |title=Casey Cadwallader, the New Man at Mugler, Talks About Taking On the Legendary French Label |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/mugler-casey-cadwallader |access-date=2025-01-08 |website=Vogue |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2023-05-10 |title=Casey Cadwallader {{!}} BoF 500 {{!}} The People Shaping the Global Fashion Industry |url=https://www.businessoffashion.com/people/casey-cadwallader/ |access-date=2025-01-08 |website=The Business of Fashion |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Trebay |first=Guy |date=2023-04-10 |title=Calling All Bodies |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/10/style/mugler-h-and-m-collaboration.html |access-date=2025-01-11 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} Known for bold, curve-hugging designs made for all body types, Cadwallader has been credited with revitalizing Mugler's image as a top fashion house.{{Cite web |last=Maguire |first=Lucy |date=2024-09-26 |title=Behind the scenes: Mugler steps into the light |url=https://www.voguebusiness.com/story/fashion/behind-the-scenes-mugler-steps-into-the-light |access-date=2025-01-11 |website=Vogue Business |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |last=Testa |first=Jessica |date=2023-05-11 |title=Why Are All Those People Outside H&M, Again? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/11/style/h-and-m-collaborations.html |access-date=2025-01-11 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}
Early life and education
Cadwallader grew up in rural New Hampshire.{{Cite web |title=i-D / i-Dentity Podcast - Casey Cadwallader, the boundary-pushing creative director of Mugler |url=https://podcasts.i-d.co/casey-cadwallader |access-date=2025-01-11 |website=podcasts.i-d.co |language=en}} His early creative inspirations revolved around cars, which he frequently sketched and re-branded with new logos.{{Cite web |title=i-D / i-Dentity Podcast - Casey Cadwallader, the boundary-pushing creative director of Mugler |url=https://podcasts.i-d.co/casey-cadwallader |access-date=2025-01-11 |website=podcasts.i-d.co |language=en}} This fascination with form and function expanded as he pursued an architecture degree at Cornell University.
There, he developed an interest in the interplay of clothing, furniture, and architecture. He was influenced by designers such as Hussein Chalayan, Alexander McQueen, and Charles James. Cadwallader, along with a cohort of architecture students, took additional classes at Cornell's fashion program, which led him to one of his first internships at Marc Jacobs.
Work
Early in his career, Cadwallader worked for Gluckman Mayner to design new Versace stores.
The designer's professional journey has included roles at fashion houses such as Narciso Rodriguez, Loewe, and Acne Studios.{{Cite web |last=Blackmon |first=Christopher |date=2024-01-10 |title=An American in Paris: Casey Cadwallader's Mugler |url=https://www.documentjournal.com/2024/01/casey-cadwallader-mugler-ss24-thierry-meeting/ |access-date=2025-01-08 |website=Document Journal |language=en-US}} In 2018, he was appointed creative director of Mugler, where he quickly gained acclaim for his designs and commitment to inclusivity.{{Cite web |title=Casey Cadwallader on His Creative Vision for Mugler |url=https://www.lovetoallproject.com/interviews/casey |access-date=2025-01-11 |website=Love to All Project |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=TOTAL VISION |url=https://www.harvarddesignmagazine.org/articles/total-vision/ |access-date=2025-01-11 |website=Harvard Design Magazine |language=en-US}} His work aims to celebrate diverse body types and global identities and often features trans models and artists from the contemporary cultural underground.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Cadwallader gained widespread recognition for his innovative approach to presenting collections, specifically transitioning from live runway shows to film. Collaborating with DIS magazine and Torso directors David Toro and Solomon Chase, he created a series of films starring prominent supermodels such as Bella Hadid, Shalom Harlow, Amber Valletta, and Lourdes Leon, as well as actresses, artists, and musicians such as Megan Thee Stallion, Chloë Sevigny, and Dominique Jackson. These projects cemented his reputation for merging high fashion with avant-garde artistry. The fashion and film campaign closed with a performance by ballerina Maria Kochetkova that paid tribute to the late Thierry Mugler.
Cadwallader's Mugler was characterized by avant-garde tailoring, spiral-cut denim, and futuristic bodysuits that combined demi-couture techniques with high-tech materials. His designs frequently emphasized curvilinear forms that were inspired by classical couture and contemporary technology.
Key pieces from his collections include bodysuits with integrated corsetry, garments crafted from vinyl-like jersey, and constructed denim without traditional side seams.
Influence and legacy
Cadwallader's designs have become staples in the wardrobes of global superstars, including Dua Lipa, Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, Yseult, Juliette Binoche, Zendaya, and Beyoncé. His signature graphic jumpsuits and bold silhouettes have garnered both critical and commercial success. Beyond mainstream appeal, Cadwallader has remained deeply connected to underground culture, incorporating collaborators like Ashland Mines (FKA DJ Total Freedom) and casting groundbreaking models on his runway like Raya Martigny and Memphy.
His designs often blur the boundaries between fashion and sculpture, exemplified by signature pieces like spiral-cut pants and structured bodysuits. Notable looks include Bella Hadid's corseted blazer ensemble from the Spring/Summer 2020 collection and Eva Herzigová's mock-neck catsuit from Fall/Winter 2022.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cadwallader, Casey}}
Category:American fashion designers
Category:LGBTQ fashion designers