Cities are the natural habitat for a woman who wears Sonia Rykiel; whether in Saint Germain, the West Village, Notting Hill, or Aoyama, her style reflects her cosmopolitan environs. For this Pre-Fall collection Julie de Libran remained true to this standard with new versions of the brand’s beloved boilersuits, knitwear statement pieces, and some chic day-to-night dresses. But she also proposed clothes that introduced a more outdoorsy spirit. From a showroom staged with giant screens displaying digitally enhanced landscapes on loop (the work of Frédéric Sanchez, normally known for his runway show music production), the designer explained that she had been thinking about the necessity of travel to clear the mind—or, if nothing more, to allow the mind to travel. “It’s not about being safe; it’s about exploring and trying new things,” she said.
With the full wardrobe on view, the strongest pieces were those that either had an adaptable aspect or that offered a signature point of differentiation to the elevated sportswear found elsewhere. A striped knit parka, for instance, had high impact; but it was also a natural fit for an evolving Rykiel ethos. Another nifty design split the construction of a sweater or jacket so that one sleeve was tailored while the other was loose and cape-like. Should this sound awkward or imbalanced, each version proved otherwise on the models, with the silhouette interestingly distributed between structure and flow. Versatility was the byword for a leather perfecto with an integrated yet removable shawl and a denim jacket with snaps up the sleeves; certainly, they made more sense than a safari-type suit with cargo pockets positioned down toward the ankles (for what it’s worth, these were working pockets).
The creative knitwear that is expected from Sonia Rykiel delivered the added component of sustainability this season. The studio made use of its extensive yarn inventory to develop upcycled trompe l’oeil twinsets; only here, the striped top piece was tied around the shoulders as a “half sweater.”
Meanwhile, the cognitive dissonance of seeing a T-shirt with Sonia Rykiel Paris framing the image of cacti seemed less pronounced in the form of a stylized desert boot. Though chunky, they offered a fun foil for one of the season’s graphic skirts, if not the knit-paneled sweatpants—and a break from Rykiel’s city gal platforms.
