Sonia Rykiel Back to Madison Avenue

Sonia Rykiel is pleased to announce the opening of its new Madison Avenue boutique, marking the French fashion brand’s first free-standing store in North America under ownership of First Heritage Brands and the creative leadership of Artistic Director Julie de Libran.

Sonia Rykiel Madison Avenue covers approximately 2,000 square feet (185 square meters) of a single floor and houses the brand’s ready-to-wear, accessories, leather goods, and footwear collections. The store design concept –conceived by de Libran in collaboration with artist André Saraiva and publisher Thomas Lenthal –is a continuation of the retail story brought to life in Paris,London and Tokyo this past year.

Inspired by Paris’ literary cafés, Sonia Rykiel Madison is lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, housing more than 15,000 volumes of French literature. Vibrant red lacquer covers the walls, shelves, and ceilings, punctuated by mirrored display columns and accessories trays. Vintage 1960s black leather sofas and chairs create a welcoming environment, while custom carpet designed by Saraiva, featuring a playful pattern of eyes, lips, pencils, cigarettes and books, adds a charming touch.

The store is scented with a custom infusion of rosewater, mandarin, vetiver and jasmine – a perfume developed by Danielle Andrieuxfor the Sonia Rykiel flagship in Saint-Germain. Two large display windows face the street: one is dedicated to the brand’s new «Le Copain» handbag, the other with vintage furniture and reclining red lacquered mannequins.

«We are thrilled to bring Sonia Rykiel back to Madison Avenue,» said Eric Langon, CEO of Sonia Rykiel. «This is a key step in the brand’s global development. We look forward to growing our footprint in the United States and to our continued acceleration – underJulie de Libran’s creative direction – for the years to come.»

With over 33 free-standing retail locations around the world, the Madison Avenue store opening is key to Sonia Rykiel’s strategic expansion in the United States, which includes the launch of shop-in-shops at Bloomingdales this past year, a growing wholesale business with leading retailers and major department stores, such as Saks Fifth Avenue.