Since arriving at Sonia Rykiel a year ago, Julie de Libran has tapped into the French label's roots, but today she was in New York showing off her Resort collection at Ladurée Soho to a full house that included her pal Sofia Coppola. The Manhattan setting was appropriate; the lineup had a sportif spin that felt distinctly American—American circa Studio 54's glory days, with quilted satin track jackets worn with shorts or culottes and colorful satin platform sandals. A jean jacket embellished with star-shaped pins, teamed with a matching pencil skirt, looked like it owed a little something to the U.S. of A., too.
Rykiel's glam bona fides, of course, are well established, and de Libran delivered on them via the house's signature rainbow stripes, done up in vivid sequins on little dresses. When they appeared on the brand's iconic knits or a trim cardigan jacket and a simple daytime shift, the stripes came off a bit more innocent. There's a good chance we'll be seeing a lot of them out and about in the coming months. In a short time, de Libran has given Rykiel a profile it hasn't enjoyed in years. The key to making her revival stick will be banging out more of those kind of super-recognizable pieces, the things women wear not to the nightclub necessarily but in their everyday lives when they interact with other women. A strong handbag offering, including a bucket bag done up in many different ways, will help things along.
