Sonia Rykiel’s 40 years at the fashion forefront is being celebrated at The Musee des Arts Decoratifs with her first retrospective – a collection of clothes, fashion images and catwalk videos. The exhibition opens in Paris on November 20th and runs until April 19th, 2009.
Known for her bright colours, stripes, embellishment, and cheeky pop art prints, Rykiel started designing clothes after she failed to find comfortable knits whilst pregnant and opened her first boutique in May 1968, on the left bank in Paris. Deemed “Queen of Knitwear by WWD in 1970, the label stuck and she became synonymous with knits, adopting the pullover sweater as her signature piece.
An independent label, Sonia Rykiel is family owned and family run. Her daughter Nathalie is Artistic Director and President of the company and her granddaughter Lola is the label’s U.S. ambassador, promoting the line to a younger generation.
Ending Rykiel’s SS09 show, designers from across the globe celebrated her Ruby Anniversary with one-off creations honouring and inspired by the flame-haired fashion genius. However, nothing came close to her own collection; a sea of sparkles and colour, Rykiel’s show girl models smiled and danced their way down the catwalk in top hats and party dresses, proving Rykiel not only worthy of celebrating but the perfect label to celebrate in!
Images: Style, Bitch, Please.
