Just last week we told you that Giles Deacon was spotted having dinner with Ungaro executives in Paris, fueling rumours that he'll take over the reigns at the brand after the announcement of Estrella Archs departure. It looks like it wasn't simply rumours. Today Jason Campbell of JC Report tweeted:
"Giles marks the fifth designer for the troubled house in as many years, following Giambattista Valli, Peter Dundas, Vincent Darre, Esteban Cortazar and then Lindsay and Estrella. Asim Abdullah, Ungaro’s owner, hopes to make the label sustainable (and profitable) by 2011."
Life hasn't be plain sailing at the Emanuel Ungaro camp. First there was Esteban Cortazar's big departure from the brand on the announcement that Lindsay Lohan was joining the design team; followed by the dramatic failure of LiLo's collection for the brand. Since then, Estrella Archs has gained full creative control and earlier this year, produced her first independent collection which sadly produced lukewarm reviews.
With that in mind, many were not suprised when recent rumours circulated that rather instead of looking to sell the business, Ungaro owner Asim Abdullah is actually looking for a replacement at the house. This week he was spotted having lunch with Giles Deacon in Paris sparking rumours that Deacon is line to take over.
You have to give Lindsay Lohan some credit. After facing harsh - and some would say deserved - criticism following her stint at high fashion label Emanuel Ungaro, the Hollywood actress has defied the haters and continued to press through with her own line, 6126. The collection, which originally started off as a leggings only range has now expanded into a full line of clothing, to include leather jackets, bombers, mini dresses and of course leggings ("Lindsay really started the legging trend," her sales rep boasts).
The latest additions to the collection may not be able to take you from day to night, as they claim, but the mini dresses, leggings and glam rock jackets fit in perfectly for partying the night away in Hollywood. According to another rep for Lohan at her showroom, the collection has gone down well, with Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Ron Herman all buying into the collection. Let's hope this crack at the fashion industry goes far better than her last attempt.
Last week rumours circulated that Asim Abdullah, Emanuel Ungaro owner, was in talks to sell the company after investors allegedly pulled their financial backing after the failure of the brand's collaboration with Lindsay Lohan.
However, Abdullah has since been quick to set the record straight, calling the rumours "absolutely not true". According to The Cut he added, "We are not entertaining any conversations with anyone about the sale of the company."
Not to let the failure of her Emanuel Ungaro line stop her, it looks like Lindsay Lohan is actually set to expand her growing fashion empire. This week rumours circulated that the actress was set to work with Ed Hardy on a line of handbags. However, you can take a sigh of relief. Last night she took to her Twitter account to squash the rumours saying, 'fyi..... i am NOT designing for Ed Hardy... JUST 6126 (my line)'.
But don't get excited just yet. She also confirmed that "6126 inked a licensing deal w The California Bag Co. European designer Paz Shaked Wolf (from D&G) to head up design team w Lindsay Lohan". So although she's taken a break from acting, it looks like we can expect to see a lot more fashion from her in the near future.
It looks like the powers that be at Emmanuel Ungaro were not willing to putting the label at risk for another season. This week it was announced, with a sigh of relief, that Lindsay Lohan and Emanuel Ungaro have parted ways. Lohan did not attend the brand's fall 2010 show and Asim Abdullah confirmed the separation backstage after the show.
Despite the backlash and criticism that came with her collection for the brand, Karl Lagerfeld has quickly defended her. "It's not doing her justice because she's the sweetest girl in the world," he told WWD.
Unfortunately not every one shares his sentiments. Nylon pointed out that Net-a-Porter have only stocked pieces from the resort collection before Lohan came on board. It was widely reported that the e-retailer and Neiman Marcus dropped the line last season.
