Sonia Rykiel
Rykiel's husband helped her to create the Sonia Rykiel Company in 1965.[9] In 1968, Rykiel opened her first boutique store on the Left Bank.[10]
Rykiel invented various fashion techniques. She was the first designer to put seams on the outside of a garment, leave hems unfinished and use slogans on her sweaters.[4] She has also been credited with popularisation of wearing black. In 1972, Rykiel was dubbed "Queen of Knits" by Women's Wear Daily.[8] She was also known as "Coco Rykiel", a comparison to Coco Chanel. In 1977, she became the first designer to create a line of clothes for mail order firm 3 Suisses.[11] The following year, she launched her first fragrance called Septième sens (Seventh Sense).[3]
By the early 1990s, the Sonia Rykiel company had grown into a $75 million business, with two women's wear lines, men's wear, children's wear, accessories and perfume, and was sold by 250 retailers in 40 countries.[12]
Nathalie Rykiel was appointed president of Sonia Rykiel in 2007.[3] In October 2008, at a fashion show celebrating the brand's 40th anniversary, tributes were paid to Rykiel. Thirty fashion designers, including Ralph Lauren, Jean-Paul Gaultier and Giorgio Armani, showcased their visions of the "Rykiel woman".[11] In December 2009, Rykiel and H&M introduced "Sonia Rykiel pour H&M", two masstige operations with the Swedish retailer.[13] An event was held at the Grand Palais in Paris to celebrate the collection.
In January 2012 the Sonia Rykiel company became majority-owned by the Hong Kong-based First Heritage Brands, part of the investment company Fung Brands.[12] Fung Brands acquired 80 percent of Sonia Rykiel, with the Rykiel family retaining a 20 percent stake as well as the company's real estate.[11][14][12]
That same year, Canadian designer Geraldo da Conceição succeeded April Crichton as the artistic director of Rykiel.[15] Julie de Libran took over the role during the following year.[16]
In 2016, Nathalie Rykiel sold the family's remaining 20 percent stake to First Heritage Brands and relinquished her board seat, though the family kept the real estate.[12] Shortly after, the company implemented a major restructuring plan that included closing the Sonia by Sonia Rykiel diffusion line, adding lower-price items to the main Sonia Rykiel collection, and laying off workers.[12]
For its advertising campaigns, Sonya Rykiel has been working with photographers including Dominique Issermann (1979–1993),[17] Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott (2013),[18] Craig McDean (2014)[18] Juergen Teller (2015)[19] and Glen Luchford (2016).[20]
In mid-2019, after years of mismanagement by First Heritage Brands,[21] the Sonia Rykiel brand liquidated its operations, after a Paris commercial court judge rejected Lévy, the only remaining bidder for the company.[22] In late 2019, brothers Eric and Michael Dayan bought the Sonia Rykiel company for a reported sum of 10 million euros.[23]
