Mugler Delivers a Truly Powerful Ad Campaign for Their New Bag Launch

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For his debut leather handbag offering at Mugler, designer Miguel Castro Freitas is spotlighting the house’s rich heritage of body celebration and architectural precision by introducing the Aurora and Lua collections with help from a very ripped female bodybuilder, Tatiana Horslaville.

Photographed in striking black and white by Chris Lensz, the campaign explores the plurality and non-conventional female strength with imagery that references classic portraiture photography, late 19th century sculpture studies, and the work of more contemporary photographers like Robert Mapplethorpe and Helmut Newton.

Echoing the dialogue between structure and fluidity established throughout Mugler’s ready-to-wear collections, the new bag silhouettes are both sculptural and refined.

The Aurora is named in homage to Castro Freitas’ mother and derived from the Latin word for dawn. It is a reinterpretation of a rare design from Manfred Thierry Mugler’s Spring/Summer 2002 “Franges et clous” collection, famously photographed by Helmut Newton.

(Helmut Newton)

The bag features molded construction and a raw-edged interior, and is finished with Castro Freitas’ signature monolith metallic detail. Crafted in Italy, the Aurora is available in signature black, taupe, and roccia python-effect, reinforcing the brand’s long-standing dedication to eschewing furs and exotic skins.

Continuing the interplay between structure and softness, the Lua line takes its name from the Portuguese word for moon, Castro Freitas’ native language. Inspired by the crescent shape, its curved silhouette is meant to balance strength and sensuality with a structured exterior, supple interior, and gold-tone monolith, creating a harmonious composition that reflects the contemporary spirit of the Mugler woman. Crafted in Italy from supple calf leather, the Lua is available in black and roccia python-effect and in the classic shoulder and larger city bag version.

“For me, handbags are our most intimate objects,” said Castro Freitas, via a release. “They become an extension of one’s body and carry memory with time. With Aurora and Lua, I wanted to create pieces that honour Mugler’s extraordinary heritage while introducing my expression for leather goods that is both sculptural and deeply sensual.”

The bags are available now at select retailers and online at mugler.com.