Estrella Archs

>> "Estrella Archs announces that she has left her job as chief designer of Emanuel Ungaro due to irreconcilable differences related to the creative direction of the brand," a spokesperson for the designer confirmed today.  Archs's departure corroborates news that Ungaro is looking for a new designer.

Giles Deacon, who was spotted having lunch on Friday with Ungaro owner Asim Abdullah, has emerged as a likely possibility, although Ungaro declined comment. As of yesterday, sources told WWD a contract with a new designer had yet to be signed.

The brand is reportedly looking to have a more solid design direction and aims to achieve sustainability by 2011; a new designer would mark the fifth creative director for the brand in as many years.

>> Lindsay Lohan Confirms She Is No Longer with Ungaro —Yesterday, when Lindsay Lohan was a no-show at Emanuel Ungaro, the label's owner noted backstage it was because she wasn't involved at all with the Fall 2010 collection.  According to reports, Lohan was dismissed sometime this week, and yesterday in Kenzo's front row, she confirmed that she wasn't invited to the show “because I don’t work for them anymore.” When asked for more specifics, she replied: “There’s legal things going on; I can’t really discuss it.” [WWD]

>> After making front row appearances at John Galliano, Viktor & Rolf, and Christian Dior over the weekend, Lindsay Lohan failed to turn up at the Emanuel Ungaro show in Paris this morning.

It was expected beforehand, according to WWD's sources in Paris, that Lohan, who was named artistic advisor at Ungaro last year, would pull a no-show, leaving Ungaro chief designer Estrella Archs to take her bow alone this season. And backstage before the show, Ungaro owner Asim Abdullah noted of Lohan's absence: "She's not involved in this collection." He declined further comment.

Fashion Week Daily is reporting that Lohan was dismissed from Ungaro sometime this week, and wasn't invited to the show.

>> There's been plenty of chatter about how long Lindsay Lohan would be staying on in her post as artistic advisor at Emanuel Ungaro, but it turns out she's not the first major casualty, after all. Instead, in a turn of events, Mounir Moufarrige, CEO and president of Ungaro since 2006 and the man who brought Lohan and design partner Estrella Archs on board at the brand, has resigned.  Lohan, meanwhile, WWD reports, is staying on.

Replacing Moufarrige is Marie Fournier, the new general manager overseeing all operations, who is an 18-year Ungaro veteran and most recently VP of business development and licensing. Moufarrige will continue to advise Ungaro as a part of a strategic committee, according to the company's statement, but is "withdrawing" to devote more time to his other businesses.

>> Despite her critically panned debut collection for Ungaro Spring 2010 — which caused the label to be dropped from Neiman Marcus and Net-a-Porter (Barneys and Saks haven't carried it for a few seasons) — Lindsay Lohan will be continuing as artistic advisor, Ungaro president and CEO Mounir Moufarrige said earlier today. "Yes (she's staying on), she has a job to do."

Moufarrige told Reuters that the collection is selling well but not as much as expected: "There is more buzz definitely but we are in a recession." He added of the media snipes: "The criticism was harsh. I am sure we can do better in the collection to be honest but I think it was harsh . . .  But it did sell well."

As for future collections from Lohan and design partner Estrella Archs, he needs them to "more tight, more identity driven."  And of Emanuel Ungaro, who was recently quoted calling Lohan's collaboration "a disaster," Moufarrige quipped: "Mr. Ungaro has his views, he can keep them. I have no comment.".

You weren't the only one hating Lindsay Lohan and Estrella Arch's heart pasties: Emanuel Ungaro despised them, too. The designer, who parted ways with his namesake label back in 2005, has kept mum about the collaboration — until now. In a recent press conference, Ungaro stated, "Lindsay Lohan's collaboration was a disaster. I am furious but I can't do anything about it."

Ungaro continues, stating that the Paris fashion house "is in the process of losing its soul. That happens to a lot of designers. We were the creators and patrons, responsible for the creation and destiny of our houses. But when we gave up our houses, we gave up our souls," said the designer. Sad.

>> Unsurprisingly, Designer Emanuel Ungaro Unhappy with Current State of His Namesake Label — On Monday night, Emanuel Ungaro, who hasn't had any contact with his eponymous label since he left in 2005, told French press: "Lindsay Lohan's collaboration was a disaster. I am furious but I can't do anything about it." He also regrets that the fashion house he started "is in the process of losing its soul. That happens to a lot of designers. We were the creators and patrons, responsible for the creation and destiny of our houses. But when we gave up our houses, we gave up our souls." [Independent UK]

>> Ungaro to Reinstate Couture? —Lindsay Lohan gave an interview last week about her experience with Ungaro, in which she said she was "learning" and headed back to Paris to work on the next collection: “It’s already in January. I thought it was in March." The last comment left some wondering if it meant Ungaro's couture division, which was shuttered in 2004, might be reinstated — since Spring 2010 couture is shown in January — but Lohan was likely just referring to Ungaro's Pre-Fall 2010 collection — the brand's Pre-Fall 2009 collection was shown this past January. [People, Jezebel]