Rykiel Forever

From the entraceway of the venue (Paris’s illustrious École des Beaux-Arts), full of screens showing vintage footage of Sonia Rykiel herself, to the finale where the models spelled out RYKIEL FOREVER in her iconic sweaters and silver paillettes rained down from the ceiling, the SS17 show was a celebration of the life and work of Sonia Rykiel and the mark she made on fashion. Full of her trademark design signatures and hints to previous collections, SS17 brought together all the things we love about Sonia Rykiel.

Blue Is The Warmest Colour

While khaki, olive, white and patchwork multi-colour made appearances, it was blue that was the reigned. Starting the show with four all-blue looks, including oversized belted shirts and a slinky striped tunic and trouser, the blues made an impact with a navy leather jacket with a matching popper-front skirt and navy halterneck dress with colourful stripes. Shades from royal blues and navy to almost teal made their way into garments through block colours, stitching details and as the base for a white floral print.

Working Girl

For a collection inspired by workwear and uniforms, Sonia Rykiel gave easy, hard-wearing sophistication without looking 9-to-5. The supersized garments stood away from the body, and were brought in by belts and loose ties to give a strong silhouette, reflecting creative director Julie de Libran’s influence of the idea of freedom. It was strong, and it was feminine: everything Sonia Rykiel was.