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Fashion News | The Influence of Sonia Rykiel

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Anh Pham

Last week on August 25th, iconic French fashion designer Sonia Rykiel passed away at age 86 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. Nicknamed “the queen on knitwear,” Rykiel has had a huge influence on the fashion world, both in trends and attitudes. With her signature red hair and her tendency to push the envelope, she was a driving force in the fashion industry. Here’s a brief look back on her outstanding influence.

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Since the 1960’s, Rykiel’s collections have had many signature looks – stripes, knitwear with unfinished hems and inside out seams, androgynous silhouettes and garments, and bold colour. She made clothing that was carefree, yet put together, and undeniably cool. She helped perpetrate the idea that women do not have to be overtly feminine in the way that they dress, an attitude which fit in perfectly with the ever evolving feminism of the time.

Sonia Rykiel (Fall-Winter 2014) R-T-W collection at Paris Fashion Week

She paid close attention to the youth, to their thoughts on culture and politics, their social justice movements. Her clothing too, was defiant of the current norm. She was a trailblazer in terms of proving and flawlessly showcasing that fashion can reflect real life issues and bring about cultural and social change. How we choose to dress is not only a form of self expression, but it can also help shift current cultural narratives to be more open and accepting of how there is more than one way to be a man or a woman. We do not have to follow outdated stereotypes to be taken seriously or fit in!

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Rykiel’s rebellious spirit and approach to fashion remained over the decades, albeit changing slightly to incorporate current trends and predicting new ones ahead of time. Through her hard-work and creative vision, she helped change fashion for the better, and showed us that women don’t have to dress any one certain way. So to Sonia, thank you. Your contributions to both the fashion world and society will remain forever, and it was an honour to have you share your vision with us.

Which Sonia Rykiel era is your favourite? Let us know in the comments below!

Designer Swap is Canada’s online luxury consignment shop and Toronto-based fashion blog. We sell authentic and pre-loved designer pieces and write about the newest fashion and beauty trends. Make sure to check us out on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest!

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Images courtesy of voici.fr, fredericjoignot.blog.lemonde.fr, celebsvenue.com, fashionpulsedaily.com

Sources:

vogue.com

vogue.co.uk

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