Sonia Rykiel's 7 Most Memorable Fashion Trends, In Honor of her Death
French designer Sonia Rykiel, having lost her long battle with Parkinson’s disease, has died in Paris at the age of 86. Known as the Queen of Knitwear, her whimsical designs reached well beyond the classic sweater and were a true reflection of both her bold personality as well as fiery red hair. Rykiel was a pioneer in the world of fashion, taking a feminist stance through clothing and design, believing that fashion should be empowering and liberating, not restrictive and conforming. Rykiel will forever be honored as an icon in the fashion industry. Here are just a few of the many reasons why.
Getty Images1/14Sonia Rykiel, née Sonia Flis, was born in Paris on May 25, 1930. She is the eldest of five girls. She was raised in Neuilly-sur-Seine, northwest of Paris, by her Romanian watchmaker father and Russian housewife mother.
Getty Images2/14Rykiel’s legend is forever: Her design house has already begun to surround the current youth, evidenced by models such as Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid walking in her Paris Fashion Week shows.
Getty Images3/14Her first job was as a window dresser in a Paris dry goods store, though she caught the eye of the artistic community fairly quickly. Artist Henri Matisse reportedly was so struck by a display she had created with colorful scarves that he bought them all.
4/14Her design career began when she was pregnant and couldn’t find anything to wear, eventually creating one herself. And so the spark was lit. Rykiel then designed a single pullover sweater, put it on a magazine cover, and the rest is history.
Getty Images5/14Audrey Hepburn was an early—and forever—fan of the designer, not only photographed for magazines in Rykiel’s designs, but also stocking her own wardrobe full of pieces from the Paris boutique. She reportedly visited the store when it first opened and bought 14 knits (one in each color), in one fell swoop.
WireImage6/14Rykiel has left her indelible mark on the fashion world with countless trends for which we have her to thank. First, of course, is slim ribbed knits, but there are so many styles that are oh-so Rykiel. Her designs constantly feature bright and bold lip prints, or some similar form of whimsy; runway looks have been known to include a rainbow of hosiery, scarves, and hats; and—always—stripes reign supreme. Think: Paris in the ‘70s, and you’re well on your way to becoming the ultimate Sonia Rykiel girl. The designer herself is quoted as saying, “I invented everything in the Seventies. Sweaters without shoulders; quilted jackets; showing inside seams outside.”
Getty Images7/14Having started her career with a sweater, it became what she was known for. Shrunken and ribbed was her signature style and she was named the Queen of Knitwear by WWD. Beyond her initial solid and stripes, she quickly began—literally—using her knits to make a statement, as one of the first designers to cover her pieces in words like “mode” and “amour”.
WireImage8/14Rykiel was a pioneer for modern women’s fashion. She once told WWD, “Since I didn’t know anything, I did everything I wanted. I didn’t listen to anyone. I was so violent, so authoritarian, only listening to what I wanted and myself. People loved me or hated me. Those who loved me, loved me a lot. The others, I didn’t bother with them very much.”
Getty Images9/14Rykiel’s pieces were made with wear-ability in mind. She designed many garments to be reversible, getting rid of seams that would prevent them to work double-duty. Additionally, she often produced pieces like culottes that gave the feminine illusion of a skirt, but the ease of movement that pants provide.
Getty Images10/14To make a statement about wearable fashion, Rykiel staged a show in 1978, in which she styled her own clothing along with those pieces from other designers on the runway. In 1987, she told The New York Times, ‘[My typical patron] is fragile, but strong. We are working women. Also, we have the problem of children, of men, to take care of our houses, so many things. I try to explain that in my clothes. They are clothes for everyday life.”
AFP/Getty Images11/14Rykiel has been honored by two French presidents: In 1985, President François Mitterrand named her a chevalier of the Legion of Honor. In 2008, President Nicolas Sarkozy honored her a grand commander of the legion for lifetime service to fashion.
WireImage12/14Rykiel’s shows are a social event, on-and-off the runway. Models gleefully walk the runway, often chatting with one another, laughing, and generally having just as good of a time in the show as the front row viewers do while watching.
Getty Images13/14In addition to a famed career in fashion, Rykiel was also a writer, penning novels, a children’s book, large-format pieces on art and fashion, as well as shorter magazine and newspaper columns.
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