Ungaro was born in Aix-en-Provence to Italian parents. He learnt taloring by working for his father, then set off for Paris to start up on his own. Here he became friends with Courrèges, who introduced him to Balenciaga. Ungaro worked for Balenciaga for six years, then quit to join Courrèges. They collaborated for just two seasons before Ungaro set up his own Paris studio in 1965 with the textile designer Sonja Knapp.
His first collection was notable for its hard-edged clothes in heavy fabrics. Like Courrèges, Ungaro favoured geometric shift dresses worn with short jackets or coats. In 1966 his Spring collection attracted attention for its vibrant fabrics. These were designed by Sonja Knapp and manufactured by the Italian firm Nattier. By 1968 Ungaro was producing a ready-to-wear line called 'Parallèle' which he sold from the ground floor of his couture showroom on the Avenue Montaigne.