14 DAY TRIAL // Aging fashion house Ungaro thought Lindsay Lohan, with the kind of publicity she can generate without even breaking much of a sweat, was the perfect solution for their campaign of revamping the brand. As it turns out, Ungaro bosses have come to the conclusion that having Lohan as a creative advisor was a very bad business move, and are therefore about to terminate the collaboration with her, PageSix has learned.
When CEO Mounir Moufarrige announced the decision to take Lohan on board for the upcoming line back in September, he also expressed some doubts about the success of the collab but was nevertheless hopeful that it would raise the house’s profile in the media. This happened as expected but, unfortunately, it also implied Ungaro had to pay a high price in the resignation of designer Esteban Cortazar because of Lohan’s arrival on the scene.
Now, chairman Asim Abdullah is putting pressure on Moufarrige to kick Lindsay to the curb because Ungaro is starting to lose partners, PageSix says. “Asim wants her out now. Department stores in the States have already told him they won’t be picking up the line if Lohan remains a collaborator, so it’s a serious issue. [But] Mounir wants to keep her on because it was his idea to hire her in the first place. He’s trying to save face.” a well-placed source says for the publication, claiming to have seen e-mails going back and forth between the two on the subject.
“The terms of Lohan’s multiyear contract were not disclosed, though it is said to be worth seven figures. Earlier this month, Ungaro himself, who hasn’t had any contact with the house that bears his name since leaving in 2005, said of Lohan's debut collection, ‘I am furious, but I can’t do anything about it,’ adding that the label ‘is in the process of losing its soul’.” PageSix further writes.
Contacted for comment, a rep for the Ungaro fashion house insists the above report is not only absurd but also downright hilarious. This could mean that either Lindsay Lohan is doing a wonderful job as creative consultant or that trouble lies ahead but no one is yet ready to speak about it. For more on this, keep an eye on this space.