Emmanuel Ungaro

French couturiere, a fashion designer whose avant-garde designs are noted for his print patterns, wild flowers, abstracts and sizzling use of color.

Ungaro was the son of an emigrated Italian tailor who had six other children. At the age of five, he learned to use a sewing machine. His dream was to work at the House of Balenciaga under the tutelage of the man known as the "couturier of the couturiers," a dream he fulfilled when he became an assistant there. He worked at Balenciaga from 1958 to 1964, and following in the master’s footsteps, he learned to create a garment from design to completion. Eventually he became a director of the studio, and in that capacity, he dressed the Spanish royal family and other members of the Spanish aristocracy.

In 1964, he went to work for Couregges as an assistant, but in 1965, he opened his own company, "Emmanuel Ungaro Haute Couture." Soon thereafter he showed his first collection in Paris, and over the next few years, he gained a reputation for dressing notables like Marie-Helene de Rothschild and Jackie Kennedy Onassis.

In 1973, Ungaro branched out into haute couture for men, and he launched a line of perfume in 1983. He was awarded the Golden Thimble Award in both 1980 and 1981.

In 2008, Avon and Emanuel Ungaro collaborated to launch a new duo of fragrances, "U by Ungaro for Her" and "U by Ungaro for Him." Actress Reese Witherspoon served as the scents' spokewoman.

Emanuel Ungaro died on 21 December 2019 at age 86 in Paris, France.