Emanuel Ungaro’s best career moments

Emanuel Ungaro, French fashion designer dies aged 86 on Saturday after two years in a weakened state of health. Ungaro’s career started in 1965 with the assistance of Swiss artist Sonja Knapp and Elena Bruna Fassio with opening his own fashion house in Paris. He launched his first menswear collection, Ungaro Uomo, in 1973, and his first perfume, Diva, 10 years later in 1983. Ungaro was a participant in The Battle of Versailles Fashion Show held on November 28, 1973. Later followed the perfumes Senso (1987), Ungaro (1991) and Emanuel Ungaro For Men (1991). In 1996, he formed a partnership with Salvatore Ferragamo. In 1997, Ungaro, Ferragamo and Bulgari created a new company: Emanuel Ungaro Parfums. The new perfumes to follow were Fleur de Diva (1997), Desnuda (2001) and Apparition (2004). In 2001, Ungaro was the first fashion designer to be invited to address the Oxford Union.

Emanuel grew up with six siblings in a happy household saying: “I think in French, but I laugh in Italian.” He designed while listening to classical music and has credited his love of the countryside for his liberal use of color. In 1998, Giambattista Valli left his position as creative director at Krizia to work side-by-side with Ungaro and they worked together until 2004 when Valli left after a disagreement with Ungaro’s wife, the company’s global communications director.

In 2005, Ungaro retired and sold the label to internet entrepreneur Asim Abdullah for US$84 million. After the sale, the label languished with a revolving door of designers, the last of which, Esteban Cortazar, who was appointed in 2007, was fired two years later after his refusal to work with actress Lindsay Lohan. Subsequently, Lohan was appointed Artistic Director, working with new head designer Estrella Archs, who was hired hastily to replace Cortazar. The introduction of Lohan, which was meant to give the label publicity, was received with shock and dismay in Paris Fashion Week 2009. In 2010, during Paris Fashion Week, Lindsay Lohan announced that she was no longer working for or with Ungaro, and that she could not comment on the matter because of legal issues. Her work was heavily criticized and soon after the fashion house was looking for a buyer. In 2009, the label had sales of about $200 million from fragrance and less-expensive lines sold in Asia, but the runway collection has been losing money for years. In April 2010, it was announced that Archs had been dismissed and British designer Giles Deacon would be taking over as creative director. In 2012, the Italian company Aeffe took over the production and distribution of Ungaro products. In September 2012, Fausto Puglisi was named creative director of Ungaro, and the brand announced its comeback to the Paris Fashion Week. In 2015, Ungaro launched a smart ring that, connected to a phone, dimly lights up when a selected few contacts call. In March 2017, Fausto Puglisi was replaced by Marco Colagrossi (formerly women’s wear at Giorgio Armani) as creative director of Ungaro.

In 2008, Avon and Emanuel Ungaro collaborated to launch a new duo of fragrances, U by Ungaro for Her and U by Ungaro for Him. Actress Reese Witherspoon served as the scents’ spokewoman.

He leaves a wife and a daughter. His life story and work will remain as one big stamp in the fashion industry from which new generations will learn.

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