Ungaro AW23
Situated on the famed Avenue Montaigne, the Ungaro showroom was nestled on the second floor of a beautifully traditional Parisian building. The stylish showroom featured large doors with hidden entryways and a traditional fashion salon that has been updated through the decades. A full spread of desserts and canapes and free-flowing coffee was warmly awaiting visitors. Upon arrival the staff was beautifully accommodating and so welcoming, this visit was my magic moment number 7.
Designer Kobi Halperin could not have been more gracious. The showroom displayed racks upon racks of the new Autumn Winter 2023 collection. At first glance it just looked like a simple color transition from blues into purples, some pinks followed by the neutrals black and cream. Upon closer inspection, the fabrications were a sophisticated mix of wispy silk chiffon, glossy silk charmeuse and exuberant sequins. The silhouettes seemed romantic yet somehow displaced in time. Like a romantic disco. As I was flipping through the racks and admiring the attention to detail, such as a lace backing on the inside so the clothing looks just as beautiful on a hanger as worn, models came in and out of the room in different garments off of the rack. Each garment more spectacular than its predecessor, I decided I was going to spend a lot more time in the showroom than I had initially thought.
Kobi Halperin entered the room and I overheard him explaining the collection to two others. I curiously joined the conversation and was so surprised at how approachable he was. He was obviously passionate about his work and excited to share his thoughts on this season. Autumn Winter '23 was inspired by impressionist Claude Monet. This instantaneously answered so many questions I had. It all made sense. The dreamy silhouettes and emotive textiles. Different layers mixed in to form what seems to be a mishmash of ideas but are instead just different colors on an artist's palette, each with a distinctive purpose.
Halperin pulled out an evening coat and places it next to a model who was already wearing a seqins caplet with matching sequins pants and had her put the coat on exclaiming, "More is more!" In a season that was so full of minimalistic styling and clean lines, it was refreshing to see a collection that just enjoyed being itself. It was Ungaro being just Ungaro, regardless of what was happening in the world around. Ungaro managed to stay true to the creativity and innovation of its house through all of the passing trends such as the dystopian earth, Y2K and functional minimalism. The timeless unapologetic celebration of fashion still thrives in the House of Ungaro.