Emanuel Ungaro
Emanuel Ungaro was born on February 13, 1933 in Aix-en-Provence, France. From 1951 to 1954, Emanuel Ungaro worked in his father’s tailoring business in Aixen-Provence. From 1955 to 1957 he moved on to work as a stylist for Maison Camps, in Paris, France. In 1958, he landed a job at Balenciaga’s; for whom he worked until 1963 as an assistant. In 1963, he worked for Courreges and left on 1965, when he opened his own couture house with partner Sonia Knapp who later became his wife.
Ungaro launched his first menswear collection, Ungaro Uomo, in 1973. Over the years, Ungaro expanded to include boutiques and numerous licensing deals. At the end of the 20th century Ungaro was a name and brand increasingly recognized worldwide. He specialized in futuristic, angular, tailored coats and suits; short sharp A-line dresses; lace see-through dresses; deeply cut armholes on dresses and coats; shorts and matching blazers; thigh-high boots; over-the-knee socks; and metal garments. During the 1970s, Ungaro's work became softer and less rigid. His clothes are most often made in the rich, boldly printed fabrics that have become his hallmark.
In 1997, Ungaro sold the company to Salvatore Ferragamo Italia SpA; Ferragamo and Bulgari formed Emanuel Ungaro Parfums. The new perfumes launched were Fleur de Diva in 1997, Desnuda in 2001, and Apparition in 2004. In 2002, Ungaro launched a less expensive line, Ungaro Fushia, while he continued to market his sportswear line, Fever, and his ready-to-wear Ungaro collection. Though Ungaro stepped back to design only his couture line, his ready-to-wear line “Fever,” and accessories collections are under the design direction of Italian designer Giambattista Valli.
Emanuel Ungaro’s talent has been recognized with the Neiman Marcus Award, Dallas, 1969; Dallas Fashion Award, 1995, 1996; and has been the first fashion designer asked to address Oxford Union in 2001.
