Emanuel Ungaro: RTW Spring/Summer 2010
Posted on October 4, 2009
Estrella Archs and Lindsay Lohan showed their Spring/Summer 2010 collection for Ungaro at Paris Fashion Week. The paparazzi went crazy and there was a mob at the door to get in. The crowd of fashion insiders and journalists had their knives out, just hoping for a disaster. Unfortunately, they got what they wanted.
We were worried when we saw the backstage video of Lindsay looking at clothes that featured lots of sequined hearts, but hoped that the rest of the collection was going to be more chic. It wasn't. The palette was an 80s throwback of fuschia, Pepto Bismal pink and orange, with accents of white and black, which could have worked quite well in the hands of a more skilled design team.
Many of the clothes looked cheap and didn't appear well-made. The MC Hammer pants with the wide waistband, green bandeau top (with the ubiquitous sequined heart) and fuschia bolero jacket was especially unfortunate. The models wore sequined heart pasties and even had hearts stuck to their foreheads. When Estrella left the hearts behind, she did better. The bright, bandage-style mini-dresses were very L.A. and will sell to a certain market. The chiffon peach numbers didn't work and looked like a last-minute addition to the lineup. There were a couple of classic Ungaro suits in white and black that were quite wearable -- so long as you accessorize with an actual blouse and leave the sequined heart pasties at home.
We think that the entire collection was rushed and Estrella Archs didn't have time to really think out what she was going to do, much less find a way to collaborate smoothly with a celebrity. Rumors say the whole thing was thrown together in three weeks, which is one quarter of the time that the Project Runway finalists get before showing at Bryant Park.
Ungaro shouldn't have pushed to show in Paris for Spring 2010; the goal should have been to show a Fall 2010 collection. The mastermind of this entire venture, Ungaro's CEO Mounir Moufarrige, said afterwards that he was "happy" and that he has "a really positive impression." If buyers place orders, he'll be even happier. If they don't, well, look for more changes at Ungaro. When Estrella and Lindsay came out to take a bow, they didn't look happy at all, most likely because of the audience's tepid applause.
Here's a video of the show: