Nathalie Rykiel: the next French revolution?

Interview, March, 2005 by Ingrid Sischy

IS: Of course, Rykiel Woman is only one pocket within the whole Rykiel company, right?

NR: That's right, it's its own division, and not every Sonia Rykiel store has it. For instance, in Paris Rykiel Woman has its own shop, whereas in Moscow and London they're within larger Sonia Rykiel stores and are separated from the rest of the shop by a black curtain so minors are protected. The attitude of the stores are different in each city, just as women's attitudes towards pleasure are different around the world. For instance, before we unveiled the new project, my French friends had never seen a sex toy, and these are not naive women--they are actresses, writers, artists, whatever. In New York, on the other hand, many of the women I know have what they like to call a goodie drawer where they keep their sex toys, but which is completely devoid of glamour or sexiness. So for the French women, I'm simply trying to introduce them to the idea of the sex toy itself, whereas for the New York women, my goal is to show that it can have a glamorous, even humorous attitude.

IS: How have people reacted in Moscow?

NR: It's a big love affair, and they can't buy enough. The women are very strong in Russia; they work a lot, and they just go for it.

IS: Any concerns?

NR: I've been very careful with making sure that this is not a concept for children. For instance, in Paris the shop is in the basement, and there's a sign that says no one under 18 is allowed in. In fact, in Paris the Rykiel Woman store is just next door to the children's shop, which, of course, led to questions like, "How can you create both the children's line and the Woman line and have the two boutiques so close to each other?" To which I answered, "Because I am a mother and a woman." Everything can cohabitate, as long as you are responsible. The really wonderful thing about Rykiel Woman is that it's renewed the way people look at Sonia Rykiel. It has reinvigorated the company in the process, making the younger generation more interested in the clothes. For me the most exciting thing about this has been discovering that you can do things no one believes you can.