How to Wear Mugler (According to a Queer Icon)
David Hoyle is the face of the label's deeply intentional return to its roots.
Mugler has gone back to its roots for its latest digital campaign, and I couldn’t be happier.
Last week, the house released a series of advertisements starring David Hoyle — legendary British avant-garde performance artist and queer icon. The campaign consists of six witty videos explaining “How To Wear Mugler” in both everyday and completely ridiculous scenarios. It also doubles as the debut campaign for new creative director Miguel Castro Freitas’s SS26 pre-collection.
And instead of following the usual “model + garments + logo” ad formula, Mugler is staging a performance. They aren’t just selling clothes. They’re selling energy. And in doing so, they’re embracing what made Mugler, Mugler.
The message feels intentional. Castro Freitas, appointed in April 2025, seems to be making something clear early on: the gay energy isn’t going anywhere. This campaign reads like a statement — about community, about outcasts, about identity. They’re reminding us where it all came from.
Theatre has always been at the forefront of Mugler’s image. Since its founding in 1973 under Thierry Mugler, the label has embraced vintage glamour, fetishwear, sci-fi references, and hyper-femininity, creating a universe of its own that fashion lovers couldn’t look away from. And with clothes so theatrical, they were never meant to be shown in a standard runway format.
Mugler became known for shows that felt more like rock concerts or full theatre productions — stacked with hundreds of looks, celebrity appearances, and elaborate sets. The brand helped define the high-camp aesthetics we now adore about ’80s and ’90s couture.
And queer people have always been central to that world.
At the height of the AIDS crisis, under an openly gay designer, the brand didn’t shrink itself — it amplified queerness on its runways. Mugler was one of the first major designers to cast drag queens, trans women, porn stars, and other “non-traditional” models, creating some of the most unforgettable moments in fashion history. Think Lypsinka’s strip-tease and Connie Fleming as the bejeweled red cowgirl in SS92. Lady Gaga’s cigarette-smoking “Government Hooker” in FW2011. Arca snatching a bag from the audience in FW2023. All legendary. All incredibly gay.
That’s why David Hoyle feels so perfect here.
Instead of simply showing the garments, Hoyle presents viewers with specific scenarios — “Drinking Champagne,” “Public Transport,” “Foraging” — using humor to talk about glamour, identity, and living as an outsider. It’s theatrical. It’s camp. It’s slightly absurd.
And in an era where so many brands are leaning into minimalism and restraint, Mugler is going full performance. Not just in the clothes, but in how they’re delivered to
It feels like another queer-representation moment for the fashion history books — a reminder that Mugler was never about subtlety. It was always about spectacle.
And honestly? I couldn’t be happier.