Sonia Rykiel, French designer, once named the “queen of knitwear” whose relaxed sweaters and eye-popping motifs opened the new era of fashion freedom in the 1960s, died Aug. 25 from complications from Parkinson's disease,at her home in Paris. She was 86.
Rykiel came from an intellectual and upper-class Jewish family. She was born in Paris on 25 May 1930 to a Polish mother and Romanian father. Sonia was the eldest of five sisters. At at the age of 17, she was employed to dress the window displays in a Parisian textile store, the Grande Maison de Blanc. In 1953, Sonia married Sam Rykiel, owner of Laura, a boutique selling elegant clothing in the 14th arrondissement. In that same store, located 104 avenue du General Leclerc, Sonia created and sold her first sweaters.
In 1960, one of her sweaters was on the cover of Elle magazine. Audrey Hepburn visited Sonia's store and buys 14 sweaters designed by Sonial Rykiel (which will later be known as the "poor-boy sweater") in every colour.
President Francois Hollande’s office announced the death in a statement, praising her as “a pioneer” who “offered women freedom of movement.”
The Canadian poet and novelist who abandoned a promising literary career to become one of the foremost songwriters of the contemporary era has died.