Cooper Hewitt says...
1968 Sonia Rykiel founded the company bearing her name and opened her first boutique, in Paris, in Saint-Germain-des-Pres, on the left bank. Women's Wear Daily acknowledged her as the "Queen of Knits".
1986-2000 Opened additional boutiques, in several other Paris locations, featuring her fashions for women, as well as for men, children and the home.
1991 Introduced the Sonia Rykiel Parfums Beaute subsidiary for perfumes and cosmetics.
Publications: "Et Je la Voudrais Nue" (1979)
"Celebration" (twenty years of fashion) (1988)
"La Collection" (1989)
"Tatiana, Acacia" (fairy tales for children), illustrated by Charles Matton
(1993)
"Les Levres Rouges" (novel) (1996)
"Paris sur les Pas de Sonia Rykiel" (1999)
"Colette et la Mode", Illustrator
About her: Patrick Mauries, "Sonia Rykiel" ("Memory of Fashion" series)
Carmen Castillo and Evelyne Pisier, "Sonia Rykiel - Quand elle n'a pas de
rouge et elle met du noir". (biography)
Source: Sonia Rykiel official biography, Paris Press Office, December 2001.
1982 Redesigned interior of the Hotel de Crillon, Paris.
1985 Redecorated the Hotel Lutetia, Paris
1998 Designed, with the architect Maxime d'Angeac, new rooms for the American Hospital,
Paris.
1994 Appeared as herself in Robert Altman's film, "Pret a Porter", in which Anouk Aimee played the role of the inernational designer based on Sonia Rykiel.
1997 Designed costumes for the play "Amok", from the book by Stephan Zweig.
1999 Designed costumes for Marianne Denicourt in the play "La Chambre Bleue", adapted
from "Reigen" By Arthur Schnitzler.
2000 Designed costumes for the musical The Ten Commandments" (music by Pascal Obispo).
Awards include: Fashion Group International, New York -Oscar (1986); French Ministry of Culture-Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (1993) and Officier de l'Ordre National de la Legion d'Honeur (1996); Chicago Historical Society-Costume Committee Award for Design Excellence; Fashion Group International Award to Sonia Rykiel and daughter Nathalie Rykiel (2001); French Ministry of Economy, Finances and Industry-Commandeur de l'Ordre National du Merite.
