Nathalie and Jean-Philippe Rykiel
Nathalie and Jean-Philippe Rykiel are the children of French fashion designer, Sonia Rykiel. Their iconic fashion designer mother has passed at age 86. She had been diagnosed with Parkinsons more than 15 years ago.
It was Nathalie Rykiel who broke the news to media saying: “My mother died at 05:00 this morning at her home in Paris from the effects of Parkinsons.”
Sonia Flis was born in Neuilly, Paris May 25, 1930; to a Romanian father and Russian mother.
Rykiel’s design career started in 1962, when she created her own jumpers to wear during her pregnancy. Her eponymous first store opened in 1968 on Paris’s Left Bank. Early clients included Brigitte Bardot, Catherine Deneuve and Audrey Hepburn.
Though her career started in knitwear, Rykiel has gone on to create numerous ready-to-wear collections, as well as branching in to menswear, childrenswear, accessories, fragrances, and interiors. Her brand now has more than 1,000 outlets worldwide.
In 2009, she was awarded The Order of Légion d’Honneur in recognition of her 40 years of service in the French fashion industry. Sonia was married to boutique owner, Sam Rykiel. The couple remained married from 1953–1968. You can
