A look at the multi-layered designs of late Emanuel Ungaro

Sunday the news came out that fashion designer Emanuel Ungaro passed away at the age of 86. Ungaro was known for his sometimes incoherent prints and different materials on top of each other. He mixed flowers and polka dots, stripes and squares often with bright colors and brought a lot of effect on the haute couture catwalk.

One of his first designs to be seen on the catwalk consisted of many layers on top of each other. The model wears trousers with a long tunic dress, on top of that a chasuble dress and another jacket. According to AFP 'the garments run smoothly into each other, without appearing heavy. The models must be able to move freely'. Take a look at some of Ungaro's designs over the years.

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Emanuel Ungaro mixes prints and materials in collections

In addition to haute couture, Ungaro launched ready-to-wear collections for women in 1968. A few years later followed by a line for men. Over the years, Ungaro built an empire. In addition to fashion, he launched perfumes, shoes and glasses. Until the fashion house was bought by the Ferragamo family in 1996.

From 2001, Emanuel Ungaro, married and father of a daughter, began to distance himself from fashion, leaving the artistic direction of ready-to-wear and accessories to his most important collaborator, Giambattista Valli.

Ungaro himself then designed a few more collections, but in 2004 he definitively withdrew from the world of haute couture, believing that it no longer corresponded to "the expectations of women today".

This article was originally published on FashionUnited.NL, edited and translated by Kelly Press

Images: Gerard Julien / AFP, Pierre Verdy / AFP, Thomas Coex / AFP