subscribe to style file blog via RSSSonia Rykiel, So Much More Than Stripey Sweaters
April 13, 2009 1:40 pm
Sonia Rykiel celebrated the 40th anniversary of her brand with a blowout party at her show last October, which may make the publication of the new book SONIA RYKIEL (Rizzoli) seem a little less than timely. Not so, for not only has Fall ‘09 fashion found itself in a Gallic mood, urging a re-look at this most Parisienne of designers, but as this doorstopper, edited by fashion historian Olivier Saillard, attests, Rykiel helped to invent the practice now faddishly known as “shopping your closet.” While other designers of her generation stuck to the practice of showing a new round of head-to-toe looks each season, Rykiel followed on the sportswear logic pioneered by Coco Chanel and began designing easy-to-wear knits and jersey separates made to be mixed and matched from collection to collection. Add a new piece here, put another one on wardrobe hold; for 40 years, this has made for an approach to dressing both practical and elegant. Liz Goldwyn, art critic Gerard-Georges Lemaire, and Kyoto Costume Institute curator Akiko Fukai all contribute essays to the book, but the bulk of the pages in SONIA RYKIEL are filled by shots of the designer’s runway looks—four decades of collections, year by year—and nothing more is needed to commend her significance. This is one coffee-table book worth the weight, to vintage fanatics and students and enthusiasts of fashion alike.
tags: Sonia Rykiel
Sonia Rykiel is on my top 5 designer list. She captures the fun and chick of Paris in her clothing. Her October fashion show, which I watched on her website, was fantastic. She let the models dance, smile, and even sing along to the music. That is quite different than most of the fashion shows which feature the usual downcast eyes and frowning look. Ms.Rykiel has such a smart, and colorful sense of style, that it is a pleasure and fun to look at. This is my dream book!
By Emma59 on 04/13/09 at 8:57 pmMy fashion blog: http://madamecouture.blogspot.com