Lindsay Lohan Debuts Emanuel Ungaro Collection, Critics Roll Their Eyes
One of many models wearing her heart on her, um, you get the point. Photo: Pascal Le Segretain, Getty Images
"Call the fashion police!" famed art director Fabien Baron exclaimed to The New York Times' Eric Wilson upon watching the runway presentation of Ungaro's Spring 2010 collection at Paris Fashion Week yesterday. (Both Lohan and Archs took post-show bows.)
According to Wilson, the other high-profile editors were speechless, left so "aghast" at the sight of models in too-tight dresses and wearing heart-shaped sequined pasties over their breasts, that many gave only minimal applause before running for the exits.
Hemlines were sky-high and there were draped harem pants paired with skimpy bandeau tops, tuxedo jackets paired with the aforementioned pasties, and, naturally for anything associated with LiLo, second-skin leggings. A couple pretty asymmetrical dresses filled out the collection.
While there were shots of Ungaro's signature fuchsia, references to the house's rich history ended there.
Emanuel Ungaro Spring 2010
Ungaro's new dream team: "chief designer" Estrella Archs and platinum blonde "artistic advisor" Lindsay Lohan (in some of her freebie Ungaro duds).
Dominique Charriau, WireImage.com
We can totally picture Lindsay in this itsy-bitsy bandeau top paired with '80s print white leggings.
Karl Prouse, Catwalking/Getty Images
A bubble gum pink and fuchsia bandage dress worn with slicked-back hair and bright red lips that recall those guitar-strumming "Addicted to Love" chicks.
Karl Prouse, Catwalking/Getty Images
Heart-shaped sequined pasties run amok for Ungaro Spring 2010, stuck on model's foreheads and breasts.
Karl Prouse, Catwalking/Getty Images
Hello, spring! A neon pink tuxedo jacket worn with heavily ruched carrot-colored leggings and a cut-off ponytail worn as a clutch?
Pierre Verdy, AFP / Getty Images
A conservative "I Dream of Jeanie" getup that we're not sure we'll ever see Lohan stepping out in.
Pierre Verdy, AFP / Getty Images
Is it fall or is it spring? Can't really tell. This one-armed dress was actually one of the most elegant in the collection.
Karl Prouse, Catwalking/Getty Images
All she needs is a bottle of Pepto-Bismol as an accessory.
Pascal Le Segretain, Getty Images
The baggy skirt-pants (skants?), two-tone jacket and gathered bandeau complete with heart detail, an obvious nod to Moschino with a dash of Giorgio Armani.
Pierre Verdy, AFP / Getty Images
Sarong-looking bottoms paired with a heavily-sequined Sonia Rykiel-inspired jacket.
Karl Prouse, Catwalking/Getty Images
So, just what did Miss Lohan end up "advising" on exactly?
"It's incredible. Estrella and I are doing amazing things," a confident Lohan told The Sunday Telegraph pre-show. "Working with Estrella and the team at Ungaro is a dream come true. Fashion is one of my favorite things in the world and this is the best week of my life."
Despite Lohan being billed as an "advisor" only, and confirmed that role to The Telegraph, there have been mixed messages that she's designing.
She told the paper that she and her sister were sewing the headbands that the models were going to be wearing in the show (we didn't see any headbands, just more sequined pasties stuck to foreheads), and on September 29 she reportedly Tweeted to Miley Cyrus: "Will you be in Paris this week? Would you like to come to the Emanuel Ungaro show for the new collection I've designed...? Xo."
It's this faux-designer status, along with Lohan's questionable fashion abilities overall, that's really getting fashion editors' pants in a knot.
But Ungaro CEO Mounir Moufarrige, who appointed Lohan to the post, doesn't seem to care about the bad press, telling The Times that he was surprised that the press wasn't even more negative.
He also readily admits that he hired Lohan to drum up publicity and to give the fading brand a sort of "electric shock treatment" of relevance.
Apparently, part of this treatment includes letting the actress have her pick of Ungaro's inventory to hopefully don during one of her many Starbucks runs, club appearances or red carpet outings.
"It's part of the deal," Moufarrige told WWD after confirming that Lohan had scooped up $150,000 worth of clothing from Ungaro's Parisian flagship store. "What do you want, for her to be naked? I'm just so glad she likes Ungaro."
Tags: Emanuel Ungaro, Emanuel Ungaro Spring 2010, EmanuelUngaro, EmanuelUngaroSpring2010, estrella archs, EstrellaArchs, Lindsay Lohan Artistic Advisor, Lindsay Lohan Designer, Lindsay Lohan Designer Emanuel Ungaro, Lindsay Lohan Emanuel Ungaro, LindsayLohanArtisticAdvisor, LindsayLohanDesigner, LindsayLohanDesignerEmanuelUngaro, LindsayLohanEmanuelUngaro, Paris Fashion Week, ParisFashionWeek
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Carie Albers, 10-05-2009, 8:10PM
I would never be caught dead in any of those clothes! I don't know how its called fashion. Its all ugly as hell!! Who even wears that stuff? Give me a break & walk right to the dumpster with all of it cause that is where it belongs!
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