Knit-maven Sonia Rykiel's influence has been felt on runways all over town this season, and in London, Milan and New York too. Think of all those skinny '70s knit sweaters, the glitter stripes and accessories, the jewel-dotted berets, those fluorescent-bright accents on black. So it was great to see La Rykiel, flame-haired grandmother to all these trends, in such glittering good form.
Rykiel delved into her archives for great '70s and '80s references that look as hip today as they ever did. The '70s looks ran the gamut from Annie Hall layers (spiced up with cone-heeled colored metallic disco shoes) to a black-jersey tabard over lipstick-red sequin leggings. Deco sunburst intarsias on plum and cyclamen knits; a chocolate-and-red overscale plaid with a Burberry feel; a striped fur Flashdance sweater over skintight pants; and a sheared black fur sweatshirt and mini were also upbeat takes on current fashion hits.
Even Rykiel's archaic way of presenting clothes is so out that it's in again, from the opening lineup with a row of girls (hair frizzed à la Rykiel) in different color-spectrum versions of the same wide jersey Oxford "bag" pants and stole, to the Old World tradition of sending out a bride. Especially when the bride is the hot young British model Liberty Ross, and her knit twinset, beret and full taffeta skirts are in tones of the season's must-have orchid purple with a playfully overscaled ruby-red mink daisy tucked at the waist.
