H&M and Sonia Rykiel president and artistic director Nathalie Rykiel announced that Sonia Rykiel will be the next guest designer for winter 2009 and spring 2010. The French house founded by the "Queen of Knits" represents the distinctive, modern and impertinent spirit of Paris. This marks the first time that H&M has extended its designer collaboration to the world of lingerie and related accessories for women, with exclusive pieces to be launched in-store on December 5, 2009. The collection will be launched in 1,500 H&M stores worldwide and at the same time, Sonia Rykiel will make this lingerie collection available in Sonia Rykiel's major boutiques around the world - another first for H&M.
"It is a hallmark of Sonia Rykiel to think of all women because fashion is about a certain spirit more than a question of means. This collaboration fits perfectly with our philosophy. The Sonia Rykiel pour H&M lingerie collection is the ideal way to offer the essence of Rykiel to a great number of women around the world, and a beautiful way to close the year. The knitwear collection is perfect for welcoming a colourful new season," says Nathalie Rykiel, president and artistic director of Sonia Rykiel.
"Sonia Rykiel is a true fashion icon who invented a signature style around femininity, Parisian chic and modernity - as well as functional, comfortable, wearable clothes. She has an attitude that inspires admiration among women of all ages around the world. We loved the joyful chic of Sonia Rykiel's 40th anniversary runway show - and in that spirit this collection is all about revelling in great lingerie for its own sake. This is a totally modern, new kind of lingerie look, and when we started to work together with Rykiel on it, we just couldn't stop," said H&M creative advisor Margareta van den Bosch. "It's a wonderful highlight for our main collection."
Sonia Rykiel's singular fashion story began at a revolutionary time in France: the extraordinary spring of May 1968. Since the opening of her first boutique on the rue de Grenelle in that time of social upheaval, Rykiel has become an ambassadress of a very Parisian, deeply Saint Germain style, with its hallmarks of individuality, modernity and a certain impertinence that the designer calls "la demode" ("unfashion"). Rykiel signatures include inside-out stitching, a preponderance of black, lace, strass, colourful stripes and, of course, the knit pullovers that have become synonymous with the brand. A flamboyant redhead, the designer is a national icon who has been decorated with many honours; she is also the author of nine books and has consistently been an influential presence on the French social and cultural scene. Since her daughter, Nathalie Rykiel, joined the company in 1975, the house has expanded to include the lines: Sonia by Sonia Rykiel, Rykiel Woman, Rykiel Enfant, shoes and accessories. Sonia Rykiel is the only French group in the fashion industry to remain family-owned and 100% independent.