Kay Unger

Kay Unger is positioned as American eveningwear and occasion dressing, and shoppers reaching for it usually want a gown or cocktail dress that looks considered rather than fast-fashion. Reviewers consistently praise the construction and fabric quality, which is where the investment shows. For a wedding guest, gala or work-formal moment, it is a name worth shortlisting.

Kay Unger is an American fashion designer best known for elegant dresses and occasion wear. After founding her own company she established the line bearing her name, Kay Unger New York, which became a $40 million business whose dresses, suits and eyewear have sold in more than 24 countries including the U.K., Turkey, Brazil, Australia and Spain. The label's reputation rests on polished, occasion-ready womenswear.

The signature line to start with is Kay Unger New York, the namesake collection of dresses and suits. If you want something more youthful and edgier, the house also launched Phoebe Couture in 2007, a younger line of day and evening dresses, alongside the whimsical print pajama brand Kay J's introduced in 2005. Match the line to the occasion: namesake for classic elegance, Phoebe Couture for a more contemporary edge.

Kay Unger was born in Chicago and first studied painting in the Fine Arts Program at the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis before switching to design at Parsons The New School for Design in New York City. After graduating from Parsons in the late 1960s, she worked as one of three apprentices for Geoffrey Beene. That mix of fine-art training and couture-house apprenticeship underpins the construction her dresses are known for.

After a year apprenticing with Geoffrey Beene, Unger decided to develop her own line. In 1972, together with business partners Howard Bloom and Jon Levy, she founded The Gillian Group to produce dinner dresses sold under the Gillian label. That venture grew into one of the largest suppliers of women's apparel in America, reaching $125 million, before she went on to found the company behind her namesake brand.

The brand grew out of decades of experience in American occasion dressing, from the Gillian Group's dinner dresses to the namesake Kay Unger New York line and Phoebe Couture. Kay Unger herself is an active member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), which signals her standing in the industry. The result is a label rooted in considered, occasion-focused American design.

Unger was the creative head and public face of Phoebe Company LLC and its brands until July 2012. After leaving that company she founded Kay Unger Design LLC, a multidimensional company whose products range from clothing and shoes to home products, and as CEO she has lectured on design and entrepreneurship. So the Kay Unger name has continued to evolve beyond the original eveningwear house.

The house is associated with structured, occasion-ready construction designed to flatter the bodice, narrow the waist and skim the hips. Beyond the eveningwear, the brand has extended into adjacent categories — for instance Kay Unger New York Eyewear and Phoebe Couture Eyewear launched in September 2008. The throughline is a polished, built-to-last sensibility rather than throwaway trend pieces.

Yes. Beyond the U.S., the namesake company's dresses, suits and eyewear have been sold in more than 24 countries including the U.K., Turkey, Brazil, Australia and Spain. The brand also opened Kay Unger and Phoebe Couture boutiques in China through a licensing agreement with the JT Group of Hong Kong starting in 2007. That reach reflects its standing as a recognized American occasion label abroad.

Kay Unger is the founder of the Kay Unger Family Foundation, which has raised funds for cancer research and arts education. A cancer survivor herself, she raised over $250,000 for cancer research while serving as president of Fashion Group International and works with Stand Up To Cancer to raise funds and awareness in the fashion industry. She was also recognized by City of Hope as a Spirit of Life Award recipient in 2009.