New Paris Street Named after Designer Sonia Rykiel hosts Fashion Show
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Legendary Parisian designer Sonia Rykiel passed away in 2016, but her legacy lives on, and not just in fashion.
Allée Sonia Rykiel in the 6th arrondissement is the first Paris street to ever be named after a designer, reports The Guardian. The Allée, which now bares her name, is where Rykiel did her food shopping; it is the site of an organic market in the Saint Germain area. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo was on site for the official opening of the street over the weekend. Mayor Hidalgo said: “Sonia Rykiel gave us a taste for freedom; she was the most Parisian of Parisians.”
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Of the new street naming, Sonia’s daughter, Nathalie Rykiel, was pleased with it, saying, “…in a way, avenues are the runways of the streets and it is from the streets that everything originates,” reports French Vogue.
Quite fittingly, Rykiel’s label, which lives on, staged its Spring-Summer 2019 fashion show on Allée Sonia Rykiel for Paris Fashion Week. Julie de Libran, who now heads the famous fashion house, wove in the street in other ways, too. Models carried food items, like those that can be bought along the Allée. Of Libran’s inspiration, Vogue reports, “Her idea was to re-create the atmosphere, from the kids and dogs she put on the runway—her son and his new Labrador retriever puppy made cameos—to the vibes of the clothes.”
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Widely noted about the collection was its use of eco-conscious fabrics. On those fabrics, were bold, seasonally-appropriate colors, like bright blues, sunny yellows, strawberry reds, and more. Blacks and whites were standard fare, too. As were comfortable, wearable, roomy cuts, the kind of cuts that made Rykiel such a favorite among Parisian women (and women all over the world). Black and white platform sandals, swinging black bags, and dangly, dramatic earrings were the accessories of note. Kids wearing Converse sneakers and toting dogs on leashes were a sweet addition to the show as well. Summery dresses in red, and blue and white stripes, and cut-out designs in varying shades made for an exciting, new-ish look.
Rykiel’s house yet again pleased the masses, and her name will now affirmatively live on– as people – models and pedestrians – stroll down the Allée that bears her name, for many years to come.
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Lead photo credit : French fashion designers Sonia Rykiel. Photo: nicogenin, Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 2.0)
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