Sad news today, career woman and ultimate fashion designer Sonia Rykiel has passed away. She was 89 and suffering from Parkinson’s disease.
Her daughter Nathalie, managing and artistic director of the Sonia Rykiel fashion label, released a statement saying: “My mother died at 05:00 this morning at her home in Paris from the effects of Parkinson’s.” While the French president Francois Hollande called her “a pioneer.”
It’s a sad loss for fashion, The Queen of Knitwear is no longer with us, but she leaves behind an extraordinary legacy. Her career actually started as a window dresser in 1948, knitting herself maternity dresses in her spare time.
Her first breakthrough came twenty years later with the ‘poor boy sweater’, and then she went on to expand her empire into menswear, children’s clothing, and accessories and had fans including Audrey Hepburn and Brigitte Bardot. Pretty amazing.
Her collections encouraged women to be themselves. According to SoniaRykiel.com, “Rykielism is a sociological and stylistic movement founded in 1968 by Sonia Rykiel in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Paris’ Left Bank. Rykielism extols the liberation of women through sensuality, intelligence and irreverence. Rykielism is about having the freedom to be oneself. It’s a way of life that’s chic and offbeat.”
We’ll miss your liberated way of life, Sonia.
Remembering this rule-breaking pioneer, one of the first designers I ever walked for. Grateful to have known the legendary #SoniaRykiel ❤️
— Karlie Kloss (@karliekloss) August 25, 2016
Au reviour and merci #soniarykiel your spirit will live on #rip https://t.co/XqUdCD4esL
— Lisa Eldridge (@Lisa_Eldridge) August 25, 2016
R.I.P to the queen of Parisienne style, pullovers and stripes and casual fun #SoniaRykiel
— san (@cheapnovel) August 25, 2016
A very sad day for fashion. #SoniaRykiel the queen of knits passed away pic.twitter.com/6AYPQh7Scp
— Lafemmemerveilleuse (@larsvong) August 25, 2016
RIP Sonia Rykiel. I loved your ideas and your creativity. Will treasure my coat and dress from you forever x
— Tanya Burr (@TanyaBurr) August 25, 2016
“It’s not true that clothes look better on skinny girls; what counts is the attitude”
R.I.P Sonia Rykiel pic.twitter.com/CXK4RVJ8xK
— ️️ (@yvesaintlove) August 25, 2016
Featured image: Vogue
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