1990s Emanuel Ungaro Haute Couture Orange Silk Floral Skirt Suit

A striking haute couture skirt suit by Emanuel Ungaro, dating to the late 1980s or, more likely, the early 1990s. The ensemble appears to have come from the house archive and bears what looks to be a show number, suggesting it may have been created for presentation within the couture collection.

Tailored entirely from silk satin, the fabric is striped and overlaid with painterly purple and blue florals and contrasting apple green leaves. The double-breasted jacket closes slightly off-centre with elaborate tangerine and gold enamel buttons, characteristic of Ungaro’s richly decorative work of the period, together with concealed fabric-covered snap fastenings. It has a pointed collar and long sleeves, with three matching enamel buttons at each cuff.

The coordinating high-waisted pencil skirt is cut from the same printed silk. A slit at the front opens to reveal a tightly pleated panel beneath, adding movement to the otherwise narrow silhouette. It fastens at the back with three concealed silver-tone hook-and-eyes and hidden fabric-covered snaps. Both pieces are fully lined in aquamarine silk satin.

The suit is in excellent vintage condition with no issues of any note. As a haute couture suit, it has no size or composition labels, although the fabric and lining are silk throughout. We recommend it for approximately a UK 8–10 or US 4–6. Please refer to the sizing information below to ensure the best fit.

Notes on Designer Emanuel Ungaro founded his Paris fashion house in 1965 after training under Cristóbal Balenciaga and working with André Courrèges. His technical grounding in couture was combined with an increasingly expressive use of colour, print, draping and decoration, reaching a particular crescendo during the 1980s and early 1990s. His glamorous clientele included Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Catherine Deneuve, and his work became closely associated with the confident, highly dressed femininity of the period. Ungaro remained closely involved with the house for four decades before retiring in 2005.

MEASUREMENTS JACKET

BUST - 38 in. (97 cm)

WAIST - 30 in. (76 cm)

HIGH HIP - 33 in. (84 cm)

LENGTH - 22 in. (56 cm)

SHOULDERS - 16 in. (41 cm)

MEASUREMENTS SKIRT

WAIST - 28 in. (71 cm)

HIP - 38 in. (97 cm)

LENGTH - 21.5 in. (55 cm)