Sonia Rykiel is a self-taught red-headed Parisian designer who has always imagined her’s to be a very personal fashion. She works with elegant women’s clothing, accessories, cosmetics, and perfumes. The history of her brand starts in 1962. When pregnant, future “Queen of Knit,” Sonia couldn’t find any sweaters that fit her. Today, Sonia Rykiel`s headquarters is in Paris. This is where the brand began: at 175 boulevard Saint-Germain 75006, France.
Sonia Rykiel sells its products in more than 30 countries. Sonia Rykiel employs over 200 people, including family members. According to financial reports, Sonia Rykiel’s average revenue is over 90 million euros ($119 million) per year.
Russian/Romanian designer Sonia Flis was 18 when she started working as a window dresser at the Grande Maison de Blanc. There she learned much from Fauvist Henri Matisse. In 1951 Sonia married Sam Rykiel and eventually began making clothes for his boutique “Laura.” By 1968 the queen of the Laura boutique, ravishing red-headed Sonia Rykiel, opened her Paris flagship. She was called one of the “12 top designers in Europe”. In 1990 Sonia Rykiel introduced her cosmetic line in Japan, then shoe and accessories collections in Paris.
In 2012 Sonia Rykiel became a real symbol of international luxury. Fung Brands, a luxury investment firm backed by Hong Kong billionaires, acquired 80% of Sonia Rykiel. The Rykiel family now holds the remaining 20% of the company.
Its lineup includes the high-end ready-to-wear Sonia Rykiel brand, a contemporary line called Sonia by Sonia Rykiel, a children’s line called Rykiel Enfant and a home furnishings line called Sonia Rykiel Maison.
