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.
