Sonia Rykiel

Published in conjunction with an exhibition at the Musée des Arts Dé coratifs in Paris, this handsome volume presents fashions by noted designer Sonia Rykiel who celebrated her 40th anniversary in fashion in October 2008 and was famously anointed the fashion world's “Queen of knitwear” by Women's Wear Daily

This sumptuous book is a celebration of the iconic designer's lifetime in fashion. Included are photographs from 80 seasonal collections spanning 40 years and interlaced with remarkable personal anecdotes and reminiscences alongside candid photos of the designer by acclaimed photographers Dominique Issermann and Sarah Moon. Also included are images from the official campaigns that originally appeared in such leading fashion publications as Vogure, Elle, Marie-Claire, and many others.

Though designing since 1962, Sonia Rykiel achieved instant acclaim when she founded her own label in 1968. She is celebrated for creating several transformative decorative features that transformed knitwear into fashion. These include inside-out stitching, no-hem and “unlined” pieces, bold stripes, lace, rhinestones and sweaters with written messages. She is also known for several signature looks including long clinging sweaters, small cropped pullovers, large rolled-back cuffs, and long shawls usually in a spectrum of key colours (beige, grey, dark blue and charcoal). These looks all reflected her philosophy of la dé mode, or “un-fashion” which abolished total-look diktats in favour of a wardrobe adapted to expressing a woman's individual personality.