Sonia Rykiel

“I wasn't interested in fashion originally. Fashion was for other people.”

“To me, the biggest revolution of the 20th century was the pill.”

“My mother knitted a lot, but I never did; it was no fun.”

“The lead of a film that wove around me, I played all the roles. I traveled the world; I loved life, pleasure. I adored to write, create.”

“A dress will never make a woman sexy, fatale, magnificent, mysterious. It's a way of walking, of standing, or existing, the way you give your hand or your regard. That's what makes the dress.”

“I care a lot about my looks, although I'm not too adventurous. Every day I dress the same way in a kind of 'uniform' of black, although in varying fabrics - it's always black.”

“First I made a dress because I was pregnant and I wanted to be the most beautiful pregnant woman. Then I made a sweater because I wanted to have one that wasn't like anyone else's.”

“Wherever I go, I buy shoes.”

“Everything I do is really an expression of myself, through colors and shapes and, at the same time, I try to explain what I feel not only as a creator but also as a woman. I cannot separate one from the other.”

“I wanted a maternity dress, but I couldn't find anything I liked. Everything was abominable. So I made one. Then I made a pullover. 'Elle' put it on the cover. Then WWD elected me the Queen of Knitwear.”

“You can have a conversation with your eyes.”

“I'm not brave, I'm not fantastic. I'm like any other woman. I'm unhappy. I'm difficult. I'm sad. Am I strong, too? Maybe, but not always. There are days when I don't want to see anyone. The most important thing you learn? You can live with it.”

“The Rykiel woman? She doesn't have time to stop time. She's too busy running. In her hands she's carrying a tote, a baby, a book, a camera.”

“I think in the darkest moments, we need a break.”

“I don't want to show my pain. I resisted; I hesitated. I tried to be invisible, to pretend that nothing was wrong. It's impossible; it's not like me.”

“The pill was the liberation of the spirit of women.”

“The key to my collections is sensuality.”

“Like Picasso, I go through blue periods, green periods, or grey periods.”

“Artifice is art.”

“For me, luxury isn't just the real thing. It's also fake. Swarovski crystals or real diamonds? It's a game.”