Emanuel Ungaro takes haute couture seriously—almost sacramentally, in fact. In an emotional letter to the audience, Ungaro wrote that showing outside his headquarters had resulted in "the sacrifice of part of our soul"; the return this season to the avenue Montaigne home base, meanwhile, was a move "to reconnect with its cultural heritage and professional integrity."
Turns out there was nothing in the least bit solemn about the clothes. More a fiesta of color, print, and hot-damn flirtiness than a hushed service at the high altar of fashion, the collection played all out to the sexpot side of Ungaro's sensibility. Of course, the love of draping, bold pattern, and vivid color clash has always been in him, and when the mood strikes Emanuel that way, there’s no holding back the mix of splashy orchids with purple polka dots and leopard spots.