Sonia Rykiel Fashion Designer Profile
Female: Legendary French designer Sonia Rykiel dubs the queen of knit wear—
has become a household name epitomizing Parisian style.

Having founder her business in 1968, Rykiel transformed the pul-over
sweater into her signature. She invited inside-out stitching, no hem and
unlined pieces, but reflected a new philosophy she dubbed “unfashion”.
And now she’s widely credited in France with starting a fashion
revolution.

Becoming one of the first designers to create such distinctive features like
putting scenes on the outside of garments using stripes and sequence and
placing lettering on her clothing, she begun a trend that is identified all
across the world.

She showed a classic collection in Paris in the mid-1990’s with wide
loose trousers under curvy wasted jackets; and her favorite cardigan suits
and smooth knits in cream black turban shako.

Dimonte accessories and beading partnered big-belted coats and long
skirts with fur hands. Top of the trouser suits with black voile tunic tops
dominated evening outfits, but Rykiel also included padded jackets in
sharp tapeter, vinyl and fake fur tops with press tags and gold. Colors
were plain except for—

Her show also ended up with something a little out of the ordinary, on the
catwalk anyway, with a surprisingly drunken bride trailing furs and
flowers.

As the fourth day of the Winter Ready to Wear Season went ahead in
Paris in 1997, Rykiel showed some striking new styles, and emphasized
fantast and eccentricity in her collection by mixing nudity, stripes,
squares, fake jewelry and flowers; while at the other end of the spectrum
were classical fabrics and cuts.

A wide variety of colors marked Rykiel’s eccentric collection, completed
with her own designed shoes of lace and patent leather.

By the mid-2000 she was paying homage to Austrian painter Richard
Linda while models paraded down the catwalk in Picasso stripes.

She kicked-off the men’s wear season with a not too rebellious icon with
another collection inspired an artist; this time though the inspirations was
French singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg.

Rykiel discovered gauzy cardigans, belted safari jackets and lightweight
knits with bold color stripes, made for a man who doesn’t mind breaking
the rules.

In 2007, the French Fashion teamed up with her daughter Natalie to
present a strong and colorful spring collection, bringing us closer to what
they think is the Rykiel woman.

The beginning of 2008, Rykiel, for her Winter collection got to what she
does best and opted for classic sweaters that would be favorite season in,
season out.

With models skipping, dancing and smiling down the runway, the
collection was floaty and feminine with knitted doll like dresses and
miniskirts, stripes and bold prints tinned with trilby hats and ankle
breaking platforms.

And to celebrate forty years in fashion, Rykiel held a star-studded party
and catwalk show to prove she was still going strong at the age of
seventy-eight. And like a greatest hits compilation, the display showcased
all the ingredients that have come to symbolize Rykiel—jaunty berets
studded with limestone and Tasha’s fashions with butterfly or leaf motifs;
mannish trouser suits and candy colored ostrich feather coats.

With a lavish floral setting placed on each dinner table, guest included
many well-known designers such as—and Christian Lacroix. These
designers created a tribute collection to close the show with forty outfits
offering their own interpretation of the Rykiel look.

Not only impressing fellow designers, the Sonia Rykiel look has dazzled
many Hollywood stars from the experienced Gwyneth Paltrow to up and
coming young star Jenna Malone.

Having made sweaters and knit wear, sexy and trendy again, while
creating new trends and styles to cater for all taste and season. The
fabulous Sonia Rykiel look is certainly here to stay.