• Ungaro, Emanuel. (1933-2019) Design for a Dress and Turban
  • Ungaro, Emanuel. (1933-2019) Design for a Dress and Turban

Ungaro, Emanuel. (1933-2019) Design for a Dress and Turban

Ungaro, Emanuel. (1933-2019)
Design for a Dress and Turban
Pencil, colored inks and pastel on paper

Original drawing, ca. 1980, from the Italian-born French fashion designer. The design shows an ensemble of a black dress with purple collar, purple gloves and a violet turban, executed in pencil, colored inks and pastel. Ungaro has signed ("Emanuel") at the lower left, with part of the last name covered in correcting fluid. In very fine condition. 8.25 x 13.75 inches (21 x 35 cm).

Ungaro founded the House of Ungaro in 1965 but entered perhaps his most influential period in the 1980s, as he interpreted the era's aggressive, broad-shouldered women's silhouette with Edwardian-style shirring, ruching, draping, and his trademark eye-catching prints to create a voluptuous, very feminine, even coquettish look that was highly popular with the public. “I hate boring clothes,” he told The Washington Post in 1977. “I hate seeing women dressed in a sad way.”  Mr. Ungaro explained his approach to design in 1994, when he opened a boutique in Manhattan.

“If you want to exist in fashion, and in any other manifestation of art, you have to disturb people,” he told The New York Times. “Provocation, in my mouth, means disturbing to the eye. Not disturb just to disturb, but disturb by showing something unexpected.”


From the collection of fashion historian and journalist June Weir-Baron (1928–2015), the first woman Vice President at Fairchild Publications, a major force in her capacity as Fashion Editor and Assistant publisher of Women's Wear Daily and W. She made news as key editor at Vogue, as Executive Fashion Editor at Harper's Bazaar, deputy Style Editor for The New York Times Sunday Magazine and Contributing Editor at Mirabella.