Sonia Rykiel, ‘Queen of Knitwear’ Fashion Designer, Dies at 86
— Prominent French fashion designer Sonia Rykiel, who was known for her knitwear designs, died Thursday at 86.
Rykiel, dubbed the “Queen of Knitwear,” had been suffering from Parkinson’s disease since the late 1990s.
She was known for celebrating women’s bodies with knitted striped clothes that clung to the body.
Rykiel often broke unspoken fashion rules, such as by designing clothes for women of all ages rather than catering to a younger audience.
The Paris native was the daughter of a Jewish Polish mother and Romanian father. She married Paris boutique owner Sam Rykiel in 1953. The couple had two children, Jean-Philippe and Nathalie, but divorced in 1968. Nathalie currently serves as the managing and artistic director of her mother’s fashion label.
“It is a sad day but Sonia Rykiel leaves behind her an extraordinary legacy,” said Jean-Marc Loubier, chairman and chief executive of First Heritage Brands, the parent company of Rykiel’s label.
The office of French President Francois Hollande said: “She had invented not only a style but an attitude, a way of life, and gave women freedom of movement.”
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30