Just as one woman looks fantastically erotic naked, another can seem the same in a polo-neck sweater.
-Sonia Rykiel
The queen of knit was a French designer belonging to the movement pret-a-pòrter (70´s). Known for its comfortable and free designs that promote women’s movement, started to work as window dresser at Le Grand Maison de Blanc.
In 1953 she married Sam Rykiel, owner of a clothing store. In 1962 she entered by chance in the world of design, designing garments that later put on sale in the boutique of her husband.Rykiels´s style of elegant yet easy “lounge” dressing is typically French. She called her clothes “le nouveau classicism”, their slim line owing much to the 1930´s. Fluid jersey, wide trousers and raglan-sleeve sweaters in muted colors are her trademarks.
The designer became really famous with a knitted sweater that was published in the magazine ELLE, and later Women’s Wear Daily baptized her as the “Queen of Knits”.Her clothes were made even more famous by Audrey Hepburn and Brigitte Bardot.
In 1970 she began building his own empire and gradually her daughter, Natalie Rykiel, was introduced in the company with the same line of his mother. In 2009 she made a small collaboration with H & M lingerie and later, in 2010, she´ll do with clothing.
Unfortunately the famous designer died last August 25 at her home in Paris with 86 years due to Parkinson’s disease. We´ll always remember her because of the striped pattern, lace, black and straws.
I love knit, because it is very magical. You can do many things with just a thread
-Sonia Rykiel
