Elsy Jane

'In the mirror I see not only my face, but also who I am, who I have always been and hopefully will be for as long as possible. I don't think I'm beautiful, but I do think I'm special' - Sonia Rykiel, 'What I see in the mirror' The Guardian

Yesterday, it was confirmed that the Queen of knitwear Sonia Rykiel died in her home in Paris, aged 86. Rykiel wanted women to look powerful, to give them complete freedom of movement, she embraced and pioneered textile techniques such as exposed seams and created slogan knitwear, although it wasn't new to Paris in the 1960's it was new for knitwear to be so fashionable, which she did so with bold stripes or black and with that, the poor boy sweater was born. It was later spotted by French Elle and featured on the cover of their magazine, notable as at the time couture was the main feature of Elle.



'Everything I do is an expression of myself through colours and shapes, and at the same time, I try to explain what I feel as not only a creator, but also as a woman. I cannot separate one from another.' - Sonia Rykiel 

While in her early 20's she married a boutique owner, and when pregnant could not find any clothes she liked among the unforgiving and thick style of clothing at the time and so started to design and make her own stylish, form-fitting and comfortable garments. Her husband started selling her designs and as demand rose she opened her own fashion house on Paris' Left Bank in 1968. Fans of her early work ranged from Audrey Hepburn to Bridgette Bardot, women who sought for freedom of the restrictive fashion of the time. She proposed her pieces to be for all women of different ages.

"A scarf has to be the most beautiful thing ever invented to wear! It a winding, a continuity, an infinity. I love things that are endless I hate them to stop. It's like order and disorder: I rather love disorder and things that can move, it's a state in which I can get things done." - Sonia Rykiel

She created a fashion house with attitude, that promoted feminism and embraced the beauty of women. But not only did she touch many in the fashion industry, but her individuality and charm touched the likes of Andy Warhol who once painted her "I think he liked my hair" she later commented. Cafe de Flore also named a table and sandwich after her, the cafe can be found on Paris' left bank near the location of her fashion house.


"My favourite feature is my hair. It has always made me look different. It was so red when I was born that my mother thought it was blood on my head" -  Sonia Rykiel, 'What I see in the mirror' The Guardian

Sonia Rykiel has no doubt left her stamp on the fashion industry and will be surely missed by many. Julie de Libran took over as creative director in 2014, for their latest collection de Libran has included some prints of Sonia, her daughter Nathalie and her granddaughter Lola, which will be released in stores in a few weeks and perhaps this is the perfect homage. Rest in Peace Sonia.

It's been rumoured for a while now, however I always hoped it was just a rumour- Raf Simons will be leaving Christian Dior. After three years of working with the luxury brand, Simons won't be renewing his contract and instead will work on his other interests and his own brand. His show which he presented in Paris for S/S 2016 was his last show for the French fashion house, and we will now see more of his work with his own label.

His first show was back in 2012, since his first couture show he has earned himself universal critical acclaim; modernizing Dior and bringing new ambassadors such as Rihanna and Jennifer Lawrence.

Below is a quick guide to a few of his shows, in honor of him leaving.

Debut Show - April 2012

A show many will have stuck in their minds, not only for the couture, but also for the location. He presented the collection amidst walls of flowers, each room a different kind, like something out of Alice in Wonderland. The place looked (and smelt amazing). Then there was the clothes- this was Simons first couture collection he'd ever designed and his debut collection.

The collection kept it's traditional silhouettes, but Simons added his stamp too. The dress above was inspired by a painting which they worked hard on to transfer from canvas to material, the painting had also been transferred to coats. The elegant collection also included cigarette trousers paired with big dresses and strapless embroidered gowns with large pockets - architectural and feminine. 

Other Favourites with Raf Simons

Spring Summer 2014 - Floral print skirts and high-waisted tailored shorts floated down the middle of the decorated tent in Paris, black jackets were paired with bursts of colour and I think it was a collection that the world really saw Raf's visions more that Diors traditions, unlike his Jill Sanders collections, at Dior he had less space to express himself but this collection we saw more of him than ever before.

Autumn/Winter 2015 - 'A garden of earthly delights' was how Raf invisioned this couture collection, another one of my favourites. He mixed this idea of 'pretty' with something darker, I loved the flow of the dresses and scarf necklines the continual use of black with brighter, louder colours. 

The collection was exciting, each look was fresh and new but they all linked to each other, nothing was like anything you'd seen before and that to me is a step towards a perfect collection.

Last Collection - S/S 2016

He's going out on a high note if you're looking at Dior's latest collection, although not my favourite collection, the necklace/chockers (is that what they are?) were a really nice addition to the outfits. The scalloped organdie white two-pieces would be a perfect addition to any wardrobe, and anyone could learn from Simon's scientific layering with knitted jumpers.

As always, Simons accomplished his vision of creating a sense of purity; 'femininity, fragility and sensitivity' makes up his mission statement and I think he did all of these well, not only in this collection but all his collections.

For more on Raf Simons at Dior, I recommend the 'Dior and I' documentary, it's in french so English subtitles are recommended, just like 'McQueen and I' I loved the documentary and seeing the visions of Raf as well as the team that work at Dior, also I feel I know him and the brand more personally now.

After recapping all Raf Simon's achievements at Dior it leads to the question, who will be the next designer at Dior and will they live up to the great line of previous designers?

Photo Credit for all photos

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September is around the corner meaning two things; you may be starting a new year of school, sixth form, college, work meaning you need a new bag and all the new pieces are about to be out for the next season. So why not get ahead with the bag trends and start with some inspiration for a new bag from the A/W runways. Everything's patterned, and coloured this season, nothing plain. There is lots of colour block or pattern, straps are unusual as well as some of the bag shapes.

Miu Miu

Louis Vuitton 

Alexander McQueen

Paul & Joe 

Valentino 

Valentino

Valentino

Chanel

Chanel

Chanel

Acne

Kenzo

Photo Credit for all photos

Here are my favourite bags from this years A/W Paris Fashion Week, for more on next seasons trends I wrote a post here and check back for a post on high-street bag must haves soon.

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