“Being one step ahead of fashion is not so important to me. What matters to me is to always forge ahead.”
– Sonia Rykiel
Legendary French fashion designer Sonia Rykiel has passed at the age of 86. Our co-founder Jesse Garza began his career in fashion at her Chicago boutique, he credits the experience as one of the catalysts responsible for his love affair with luxury fashion.
A pioneer for her time, Rykiel began her career as a designer in the 1960’s in Paris. She created clothes that were feminine, yet daring and effortless—think comfy sweater dresses with exposed seams and raw hems and easy knits with colorful stripes and touches of lurex. She continued to design clothing late into life before officially passing off the reigns to her daughter Nathalie Rykiel in 1995.
Sonia Rykiel Fall ’16
A force to be reckoned with, Rykiel’s vibrant energy will surely be missed in the fashion community.