Alfred Sung
- Born: 26 April 1948, in Shanghai, China; immigrated to Paris, 1966; immigrated to Canada, 1972.
- Education: Studied fashion design at Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, Paris; studied one year at Parsons School of Design, New York, 1967-68.
- Career: Worked in New York City Garment District, late 1960s-early 1970s; moved to Toronto, 1972; worked on Spadina Avenue for Lindzon Ltd.; opened own boutique, Moon; partnered with Joseph and Saul Mimran to form Monaco, 1979; first women's fragrance, 1986; licensed with Etac Sales Ltd. to make and market the Alfred Sung line and Sung sportswear, 1991; Etac went bankrupt, 1994; Sung and the Mimran Group formed Alfred Sung Collections Ltd. and bought back licensing agreements from Etac, 1994-95; signed new bridge licensing agreement, 1994; Alfred Sung Collections Ltd. filed for bankruptcy, 1997; fragrances include: Sung, 1986; Forever, 1995; Pure, 1997; Shi, 2000.
- Awards: Named one of the Top Ten New Designers by Saks Fifth Avenue, 1981; HBA International Package Design award, for Shi fragrance, 2000.
Alfred Sung is a Canadian designer with an international following. Based in Toronto, Sung created designs primarily for women, though he has on occasion produced for men. The most recognized of Sung's creations, however, are his fragrances, as well as bridal collections and accessories.
The hallmark of this Shanghai-born designer was simple, chic design created to be worn by women who needed stylish yet wearable clothes for busy lifestyles. Sung's designs evinced a classic feeling for line and detail, and his clothes were made from high-quality fabrics he himself had been known to design. He created separates, dresses, evening clothes, and jeans. His simple shapes were easy to wear and chosen by people in the public eye because they are neither trendy nor outrageous, and because they were somewhat conservative. His designs always complemented rather than overwhelmed their wearer; he worked towards an understated chic for real life, not for the runway.
Sung has long been a perfectionist who lived and breathed the world of fashion design and often eschewed other concerns of life. He has, however, faced more than his share of challenges as his career developed. A native of Shanghai, Sung was originally named Sung Wang Moon, which meant "a door in the cloud." When his family moved to the British colony of Hong Kong, his father changed his son's name to Alfred. From an early age he painted, drew, and wanted to continue study in this field. His father sent him to Paris, though not to study painting but fashion design at the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. Sung soon learned draping, cutting, and sewing garments by hand, obtaining a sound grounding in design and clothing construction basics.
Sung studied at the Parsons School of Design for a year, and worked on Seventh Avenue in New York City for several years, eventually moving to Toronto, Canada, where he worked on Spadina Avenue for Lindzon Ltd. Wanting to be self employed, he opened a boutique named "Moon." For three years, he was responsible for all aspects of the design process, from designing, cutting and sewing, to marketing. He developed a devoted following of young people who delighted in his well-designed clothes.
Fortuitously, in 1979 Sung formed a partnership with Joseph and Saul Mimran. The brothers took over the business end of the operation, allowing Sung to concentrate on designing. Based in Canada, the three men developed an operation that at one point included boutiques under the Alfred Sung name in Boston, Washington D.C., and Short Hills, New Jersey. In 1981 Sung was named one of the top new designers by Saks Fifth Avenue. Sung licensed luggage designs, sunglasses, and created his first fragrance in 1986. Unfortunately, the group licensed to manufacture Sung's clothing designs went bankrupt, creating a void in the production and distribution of his work. In spite of these problems, Sung continued to design and formed a new firm, Alfred Sung Collections Ltd., with the Mimran brothers and Michael Waitzer, formerly of Marks & Spencer.
All seemed bright for the latest Sung enterprise; the designer had new apparel lines, a bridal collection, and eyewear and fragrance deals. His three women's fragrances had been highly successful, especially the original and aptly named Sung (1986). A new scent, Forever, debuted in 1995, followed by Pure in 1997. Yet while Sung fragrances were perennial bestsellers, the designer was not so fortunate. After more lows than highs, Sung was forced once again to confront bankruptcy. His longtime backer and partners, the Mimrans, terminated his licensing agreement in 1996 and Alfred Sung Collections Ltd. had to file for bankruptcy in 1997. Three Sung stores in Toronto were closed and assets liquidated to cover more than $1 million in debt.
Despite his financial woes, Alfred Sung remained an integral part of the fashion industry. His bridal collections and accessories, licensed by the Algo Group, experienced booming sales at the end of the century, as did his stable of six fragrances. Sung's latest women's scent, Shi, was released in 2000 and won an HBA International Package Design award in 2001.
Publications
On Sung:
- Articles
- MacKay, G., "Alfred Sung: The New King of Fashion," in Macleans,
- 22 August 1983.
- Bennett, J., "Designs for an Empire," in Macleans, 15 December 1986.
- Hastings, N.J., "Sung Style: Like His Fashions," in Chatelaine, January 1989.
- Wickens, B., "Sung Also Rises," in Macleans, 12 September 1994.
- Socha, Miles, "Sung Returns to Apparel with Bridge License Deal," in WWD, 3 August 1994.
- Larsen, Soren, "Sung's Forever Slated for Fall," in WWD, 31 March 1995.
- "Sung Staying Pure with Latest Fragrance," in WWD, 27 June 1997.
- "Scents and Senses," in WWD, 18 July 1997.
- Born, Pete, "Alfred Sung's Shi —Balance of Nature," in WWD, 28 July 2000.
- "The HBA Show in New York Claims Another Record," in Cosmetics International, 10 July 2001.
— Nancy House; updated by Nelly Rhodes
