At its height in the eighties, the house of Emanuel Ungaro was synonymous with exuberant prints and ultra-feminine silhouettes. Today the label s new designer, Fausto Puglisi, opted to explore one of the less-remembered parts of Ungaro s oeuvre: androgyny. "What I used to like most were his masculine suits in all those prints," Puglisi said backstage. There s nothing wrong with going against the grain. Brand revivals don t have to pay obeisance to the founder s legacy to be successful these days: See the upward trajectory of Hedi Slimane s Saint Laurent.
In any case, with their easy attitude, the suits Puglisi opened with were two of the show s strongest pieces—one herringbone, the other in royal blue with "broken" black roses. Other highlights included a black-and-white jacquard sweater tucked into slightly oversize printed black trousers, and a couple of neatly constructed short-sleeve dresses with a fifties flare to the skirts. But the collection did have some problems. At times, Puglisi s innate tendency toward excess resulted in heavy-handed fabric combinations. On other looks, there was a preponderance of embellishments. If Puglisi can find ways to continue to simplify, he ll have better luck next time.
