International Designer And Brand --Sonia Rykiel (Fifteen)

After 40 years of opening her first flagship store, Sonia Rykiel has been listed as one of the most important designers of her time, a pioneer of contemporary fashion. From November 20, 2008 to April 19, 2009, Rykiel's life and works retrospective exhibition was held at the Paris Museum of decorative arts. The ruffled Pullover and the undisguised seam of the redhead have opened the curtain on a new era. Today, her striped sweater, printed slogan sweater and elegant knitted sweater continue to be loved by the younger generation. "Age is not a problem." 80 of the year, Rykiel still maintains well.

  
"The exhibition was set up for a fashion pioneer." Olivier Saillard, curator of Sonia Rykiel retrospective exhibition, said, "she worked on conceptions before conceptions, made Japanese styles before Japanese designers, and made minimalist designs before minimalism. In a sense, she paved the way for the advancement of contemporary fashions.

　　
From the light pink evening dress to the little black dress, all the classic designs of Rykiel were exhibited at the Museum of decorative arts. Visitors can see shining jackets, colorful short knitted sweaters, and many jumpers - round neckties, V collar, pure black, printed with pop patterns. The woman designer, who was famous for her reputation as "poor boy sweater", never forgot her original love.

　　
And let her win the love of women all over the world, in the 40 years of design career uninterrupted personality charm. It can be said that she was the Coco Chanel of her time, a spiritual idol who changed people's attitude through clothing. Although she had promised to the public that she would not do revolution in the early 1970s, she had designed trousers that did not need to wear underwear, let women sit like men, and fitted the body curves, allowing the wearers to act arbitrarily. By this way, Rykiel expressed a strange and cynical aesthetic attitude, making women's lives more comfortable and sexier.

　　
At the end of the exhibition, curators found a large number of celebrities in fashion, political and art circles to talk about what "Rykiel women" mean to them. The most common word is "a free woman". No more revolutionary description can be found.

 

{page_break}

　　
"I hate simplicity."

　　
Nearly 80 of Sonia Rykiel still has a well maintained look. Her beautiful legs, which are not compatible with her age, fully show her charming charm. At work, she also maintained the same young creativity. The designers of her peers, such as Yves Saint Laurent and KENZO, have handed over their design rights to the garment line early, while Rykiel is still in control of their brand design as in the prime of life.

　　
In France, she is a living fashion legend. She has been one of the most important fashion designers in the country for 40 years. However, "fashion designer" can only be said to be one of her many titles. This lady is also a well received writer. Her famous works are Les LevresRouges and Je L a VoudraisNus, which she called "pornographic novels". She is also a fairy tale illustrator and interior decorator (she has renovated two hotels in Paris). She is the character archetype in Robert Altman's movie Pret-a-Porter (her friend Anouk Aimee plays her), and she herself played the role of the French art film Riches, Belles et Jolies. In 1994, she also recorded a duet with him at the invitation of Malcolm McClaren. "My name is Malcolm McClaren. How about you?" McClaren asked in the song. "SoniaRykiel.," she replied in a soft, soft voice.

　　
Rykiel has thin skinny facial contours and white marble skin. She always painted dark circles, and still insisted on dyeing her hair into the orange jam of her youth. She kept her curly and humorous wave hair. Her special image has been painted many times by her designer friends such as Karl Lagerfeld and Christian Lacroix, and countless photographers and artists have taken pictures for her, including Jean Cocteau, Giacometti and AndyWarhol..

　　
"Untie the button of your coat." He said to me, "how many more! How many more! " At last the dress fell off me. " She recalled the situation in Andy Warhol's factory in New York. "I think they like to paint me because I have a special attitude. I like to look a little bit special and like to put myself in an interesting position.

　　
"You know, we are not at all plain. "Suddenly she declared," we are all very sophisticated people. We have a clear idea of what we are. I hate simple form. My mother used to be afraid of putting so much makeup on my face. But I think a woman should spend a lot of time in front of the mirror to decide what they want to show and hide.

 

{page_break}

　　
Knitting queen is born

　　
As the eldest daughter of a Jewish family in Russia, the symbolic appearance of Rykiel always made her the five daughter. "When I was little, adults thought I wanted to be a witch. My hair is naturally red, and people should take a look at it when they walk on the road. My four sisters have curly blonde hair. I am so ugly. It's terrible, but it's also good -- it makes me want to be the best in everything and make me strong and optimistic.

　　
At the same time, at Rykeil's house, fashion is considered a frivolous topic, so it is not allowed to talk about it. "I was born in the bourgeoisie family, and we can not talk about fashion. We talk about literature, talk about architecture, talk about politics, drama and medicine, but never talk about fashion. That's the restricted area. "

　　
Once upon a time, her only ambition was to get married and have 10 children. In 1960, she was able to get married and give birth to two sons, living a life of real need to earn money without going to work. Her husband, who runs a small boutique shop in tailored clothing and tailored clothing, started designing her sweater out of interest. She asked a supplier to make a woolen sweater for herself. This very close grey grey sweater had undergone a series of modifications before it was finished. It was too long at first, then became too short, and then the sleeves were too wide. Finally, it finally called Ms. Rykiel's heart. That's the way it is! "I made a pullover, which was on the cover of Elle magazine, and suddenly I became the queen of knitted sweater." She spoke of the past as if she could not believe her luck. "I know nothing about fashion," she recalls. "I only know what I like." Luckily, women all over the world like what she likes.

　　
A few years later, Rykiel separated from her husband and opened her own shop on the left bank. It was 1968, and the St. Germain District became popular. Andy Warhol lives on Cherche Midi Road, David Hockney moved from London to Rohan garden, Roland Barthes became a frequent visitor of Cafe de Flore cafe. Student assembly and women's liberation movement are surging. It's time to design clothes for young people and wandering poets. Rykiel opened the first store in Grenelle Road, located in the center of Saint Germain, and began selling her "poor boy sweater" to Parisians who had minority political views. These clothes were so short and the joints were all exposed.

　　
"Everyone thought I was crazy to do this kind of dress, but Karl (Lagerfeld) looked at it and said," Sonia, you must go on. Everyone will follow you. "It is not enough to say that she has caused a sensation for a while. Grace Mirabella, a veteran British magazine who never moved easily, wrote in a preface to the biography of Rykiel: "fashion editors are lining up to see her new product. The reporters had eaten a lot of bitterness -- the heat was dying in the field, the seats were narrow, and no window was visible. Our butt sat next to the butt, uncomfortable, but absorbed. The enclosed space can not stop our enthusiasm. Once the fashion week is over, we will run back to her shop. "

　　
In 1970s, Rykiel became the first designer to make high-end mail order catalogues for 3 Suisses. It seemed rather inappropriate at that time, but it created a precedent. Yves Saint Laurent saw the significance of the mail order catalogue as a distribution channel.

 

{page_break}

　　
Design for independent women

　　
Today, Rykiel is still insisting on designing clothes that they really want to wear for themselves and other women. This means that you can't see the princess of Mongolia wearing a knee pirate boots in her design. You can't see the dreamy young woman who is wearing Shi Zhubao in Rhine and can't see a theatrical extension. "I look for inspiration from all places and everything, but the most important focus is always women -- my mother, my sister, my friends and myself. We are all talking about the same topic, with similar situations and the same style. We feel the same about life, children, men, houses, the world, politics and happiness.

　　
However, Rykiel admits that women are limited in designing women. "If you think that you are a woman only, you will know more about the body of a woman." Male designers never entered the hall, so their imagination went further. Women restrict themselves. What she did was stitching, and what he did was stitching. She could only see the line, but he could see the stitching pin. With a pin, you can make things open forever, and sew them, so you fix them. "

　　
Perhaps because of this, there are not many surprises in the Rykiel series. Even so, you will never get tired of them. They have so far maintained the refreshing power of that kind of French. Look at these clothes on the platform. You will think of the fashionable Paris women. Every time they go to a party, they don't know which partner they will take and when they will come back. Their appearance is outstanding, their disposition is changeable, and it gives off fatal attraction. In the first quarter of the season, she kept her own format and adjusted the slender, flexible and powerful contour to make the Rainbow Striped Sweater and the artificial diamond Pullover come out with new patterns. Her models look like young Rykeils, almost without mistakes - their hairstyles are the same curly hair with her.

　　
The atmosphere of her press conference is always as light as the pace of the models. They come out with a contagious smile, like a group of foals, which is quite rare in our age.

 

{page_break}

　　
Age is no problem.

　　
For Rykiel, family life is the center of her design work. "I love my home," she said, acting like a pat on the table. "What can I do without them? What am I going to do?

　　
Her sister Daniele designs accessories for the brand. Her daughter, Nathalie, is the creative director of the brand, responsible for advertising, distribution, and children's wear and perfume department. Her son-in-law Simon, whose mother JoanBurstein is the owner of Browns, a famous boutique in London, manages the brand. This mode of operation is very rare in Paris. Most of the fashion houses are owned by luxury goods groups.

　　
Unlike many competitors, Rykiel has never accepted designing for other brands or fashion houses. She has never lent her name to other companies or participated in brand licensing activities. Many designers have gone downhill.

　　
"It is 100% independent and largely a family business." Nathalie Rykiel indicates. Outwardly, she is just the opposite of her mother - black hair and exotic looks. But she had no lack of fire enthusiasm.

　　
In 2000, Nathalie, the mother of three children, aged 42, endorsed Sonia Rykiel's new perfume Rose. "Rykiel's identity is so vivid and special. Once I put my image on the fragrance, people might think that Sonia retired and replaced me. I am very nervous about it because she is still working hard to design everything. But we finally decided to do so because we want to promote the brand to the younger generation of women. It worked, and more interestingly, it pleased Sonia himself. Now she looks more cheerful than ever. "

　　
Nathalie has worked with her mother for nearly 30 years, and saw the process of brand prosperity, as well as the change of customer base. "At the beginning of my mom, women wear Rykiel clothes from head to toe, but what the younger generation least wants is to look exactly like their mothers." "Now our business has spanned a generation. Girls between 15 and 25 years old all like our clothes," she said with a frightened look. They think it's cool to wear grandma's Rykiel sweater.

　　
"Age is not a problem." Ms. Rykiel declared, "as long as you are in good health, until you are 90 years old, you will be able to shine and take care of your soul. This is a matter of vision. We must have a sound mind and a sound soul. This is the view of the happy designer. Wish her a long life.