Sonia Rykiel… No Ordinary Woman…

“I’m not… brave…

I’m not… fantastic…

I’m like… any other woman…

I’m… unhappy…

I’m… difficult… I’m sad…

Am I… strong too…??

Maybe…

But… not always“…

Of course… she’s fantastically brave…

Of course… she is… amazing…

Talented… inspiring… magical…

Sonia Rykiel… was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease… fifteen years ago when she was sixty six… and continued working as president of her company until she was seventy seven in 2007.  Nathalie… her daughter… to whom she’s very close… took over the helm on the 40th anniversary of the company.

The Sonya Rykiel boutique on rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré… was a regular destination for our shopping sprees whenever we visited Paris… before we became permanent citizens of… the city we adore…

Sonia Rykiel… along with Coco Chanel and YSL… my other favourite designers… invariably made the wearer express themselves… allowing their character and personality to come through rather than the garment… ease and style are a powerful combination which they had in buckets…

That is… talent…

That is… genius…

Rykiel has written several books about fashion… but the response to her latest book about her disease Parkinson’s… “N’oubliez Pas Que Je Joue“… (Don’t Forget that I’m Acting)… has been phenomenal… incredible…

“It has helped me on a personal level“…

Sonia Rykiel began designing when she couldn’t find anything to wear while pregnant with her child in 1962.  She was looking for a style which was glamorous for a woman coming home from work… continuing to the theatre… then going out for dinner… “voila”…

She started with her legendary sweater… which was made in Italy… it was called the “poor boy sweater”… which was displayed on the cover of the French magazine ELLE… having been spotted by one of it’s editors…

The rest as we know… is history…

One of her first clients was the beauteous Brigitte Bardot… as well as the lovely Catherine Deneuve… also the gamin Audrey Hepburn… who bought the sweater in fourteen shades.

She was crowned… “Queen of Knits”… by Women’s Wear Daily in 1972.

Sonia… was the first to print words on sweaters… I remember them well… we were fascinated… and the first to film catwalk shows…

“My friend Karl Lagerfeld filmed the first, in 1975“…

I always felt so glamorous… stylish… beautiful… wearing the magical Sonia Rykiel.  I could go from a luncheon with friends… into a lavish dinner wearing the same outfit… and look and feel fabulous.  Her stunning… dramatic… leopard print coat I bought several years back… is still the epitome of great style… I still adore wearing it.

Total… admiration…

Sonia Rykiel… in her own words… puts it brilliantly…

“It’s important to keep on keeping on… to feel good about yourself and be happy with who you are.“…

She… continues…

“My ambition…?? For everything to go on like it is right now… I have no regrets in life“…

She… impishly adds…

“And you know what…?? If I could… I’d go back and do it all again“…

Spoken… like…

“Une vraie femme“…

With… her…

Signature… red hair…

Great… style…

In her… favourite black…

We… declare…

Sonia… Rykiel…

No… ordinary…

Woman…

She‘s… a…

Star…

a.

* As recounted to Viv Groskop