THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, November 10, 1994 TAG: 9411100023
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MONIQUE WILLIAMS, SPECIAL TO THE DAILY BREAK
LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
EMANUEL UNGARO is a man in love.
So seductive are his clothes, that only a man who passionately loves women is capable of creating fashions that not only improve the female form but elevate it.
``Couture designers,'' he says, ``must follow with obsession the amorous dialogue with women.''
True to his name - Ungaro means gypsy in Italian - his clothes are as spirited as a gypsy's soul and are the stuff dream and fantasies are made of.
For more than 25 years, this quintessential French couturier has excited the world with creations so exquisite that future students of fashion design will be studying his technique and genius for years to come.
Born in France to a family of Italian immigrants who made their living with a tailor shop, he learned his craft under the watchful eye of Spanish master tailor Balenciaga.
Ungaro opened his first couture atelier in 1965, exchanging dresses for services with the model who worked for him.
James Brady, the then publisher of Women's Wear Daily, was present when Ungaro introduced his first collection to the press.
He reportedly said, ``He (Ungaro) had no money and we were all squeezed into this tiny salon. But, when you saw the clothes and talked to Emanuel, you knew something important had happened to fashion.''
Ever since, the world of fashion has witnessed the unsurpassed brilliance in Ungaro's couture collections noted for their heightened drama and his ingenuous skill with fabric.
As the fashion world continues to question its validity in a fast moving society accustomed to disposable ideas and people, Ungaro has little doubt of its place.
``Couture,'' he says, ``isn't dead.
``It is alive and well and going forward. It is a very important laboratory of ideas, and it is essential for the development of creativity.''
Joining his peers from the Old Guard - Dior, Saint Laurent and Givenchy - Ungaro moved beyond couture and has, over the years, created several ready-to-wear collections.
His latest venture into the American market came in 1991 when he collaborated with GTF USA, a subsidiary of a multinational conglomerate who produces and markets men's and women's collections for Giorgio Armani, Calvin Klein and Valentino.
The result is a contemporary sportswear collection that is decidedly alluring and as smooth on the eyes as it is on the wallet.
Soft, flowing separates that offer comfort and ease are combined with exquisitely tailored jackets with no hard edges and no gimmicks.
Long jackets go over short skirts; short jackets over slim pants. Mandarin collar are on shirts and embroidered vests that come in colors such as ecru or plum.
He combines fluid fabrics like silk charmeuse with crocheted knits, silk with crepe and wool with suede and pays attention to detailing.
``My muse,'' he says, ``is a dynamic and strong woman.''
``She is a woman who works and has children - one who is certainly not overwhelmed by clothing choices.''
This designer who sees himself as a craftsman - not an artist - says that his design inspirations come during the moments when his emotions are at their peak.
``When I see a painting,'' he says, ``or a village in the Tuscan countryside.''
Emanuel/Emanuel Ungaro collection can be found at Tyson's Corner in McLean, at Saks, Norstrom's, Neiman Marcus and as well as in selected boutiques. ILLUSTRATION: Photos
Couturier Emanuel Ungaro has excited the world with exquisite
creations for 25 years.
Ungaro's designs are as spirited as a gypsy's soul, the stuff
fantasies are made of.
by CNB