Simon Ungless

With his best friend and collaborator Lee Alexander McQueen, Simon Ungless created "Taxi Driver," an important collection that gave rise to the brand Alexander McQueen. Ungless continued to collaborate with McQueen on numerous collections showcased in London and New York, with unforgettable titles including Nihilism, Banshee, The Birds, The Highland Rape, The Hunger, and Dante. In 1996, Ungless introduced the late designer to Sarah Burton, who would later become the creative director of Alexander McQueen. That same year, Ungless ventured to California to establish the Fashion School at Academy of Art University, initiating a remarkable journey in education at global institutions. Ungless furthered his career in 2002 as the creative director of Member Holiday, a Korean-based contemporary brand, launching both men's and women's collections and expanding to 37 freestanding stores. His return to Alexander McQueen in 2020, under Burton's direction, saw him contributing to McQueen Creatives and leading the print direction for women's Pre-Spring 2021 and Men's Summer 2022 collections. In 2023, Ungless took on the role of consultant for REBEL: 30 Years of London Fashion, an exhibition celebrating British garments with New Generation's support. With a 35-year tenure in the fashion industry, his expertise spans fashion and textile design, forecasting, brand development, marketing, show production, and publishing, with collaborations extending to brands like Tory Burch, Givenchy, Paul Smith, Versace, The Burton Group, Nigel French, Selfridges, Nike, Levi's, and Calvin Klein. Today, Ungless, along with his husband and business partner, Jody Niederkohr, operate two artisanal and sustainably centered design companies under the U.N. Real Production banner: When Simon Met Ralph, focusing on apparel and textiles, and Blackened, which centers on accessories and home. His collection is sold in New York at Atelier Jolie, where he also serves as design consultant; Church Boutique, Los Angeles and Palm Springs; and his atelier in Sausalito, Calif.