French designer Sonia Rykiel has died, her daughter Nathalie confirmed today.
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Within the French fashion industry, Rykiel will be remembered as an original who helped cement Paris and, in particular, the Left Bank, as the capital of couture.
Rykiel, nicknamed the Queen of Knitwear, had been suffering from Parkinson’s disease for some time before her death on August 25.
Rykiel made her breakthrough in 1962 with the so-called poor boy sweater, which had long sleeves and a fitted shape.
French President Francois Hollande praised her as “a pioneer”.
In 1954, she married a clothing store owner, Sam Rykiel, with whom she had two children and whom she later divorced.
Brigitte Bardot was later photographed in a Rykiel creation, with Audrey Hepburn among her other famous fans.
Born in 1930, Rykiel was one of the first designers to create tightly fitting sweater dresses that revealed women’s body contours.
Sonia Rykiel pieces were unpretentious and made to be worn anywhere, without the feeling that the woman was restricted.
Despite suffering with the disease for nearly two decades Sonia still remained as the honorary president of the company, although she was forced to stop designing luxury garments and highly popular clothing lines for the brand. Under her management the brand launched a diffusion line Sonia by Sonia Rykiel and childrenswear.
In honour of her incredible career and influence, her birthday was celebrated that year with 30 of the world’s top designers paying tribute to her by offering their own take on the Sonia Rykiel look, the designs were then put on display at the Musee Les Arts Décoratifs as part of a retrospective of her career.
Sonia had previously kept her condition private from her peers and her fans but opened up about her diagnosis in a book when she couldn’t hide it any longer.
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Rykiel wrote about her life and her illness in a book she published in 2012 in collaboration with journalist Judith Perrignon called “Don’t forget that I am acting”. Julie de Libran now heads up the ready-to-wear label which shows on the Paris Fashion Week schedule.
