The mood board in the Ungaro showroom was collaged with images from the brand’s golden years, including fabulous cocktail frocks covered in polka dots and the designer surrounded by a bevy of diverse beauties. This latest collection, realized by the Paris studio, attempted to reincarnate such joie de vivre as bodycon knit dresses à la Alaïa, cozy faux-fur hoodies, and sporty printed-silk ensembles. Translation: a deliberate pivot towards low-risk criteria—wearable and price sensitive—while maintaining a superficial connection to the archive. You could imagine this type of offering coming from an outside consultant, not a creative director with something to say.
In the lookbook, Cindy Bruna happens to carry off the collection with aplomb, whether wearing an ivory angora sweater dress, a jewel-embellished LBD, or a slinky red number. Chances are, wherever the line sells, women will appreciate the flattering fits, travel-friendly fabrics, and toned-down ’80s panache. But for anyone with even a cursory sense of the brand’s original vision and heritage, it will be hard to accept yet another Ungaro iteration that falls short of its potential.
