Sonia Rykiel -née Flis- (French pronunciation: [sɔn.ja ʁi.kjɛl]; born 25 May 1930 in Paris) is a French fashion designer. She was born in Neuilly, a commune in the western of Paris, France, the eldest of five daughters of a Russian mother and a Romanian father. At the age of 17, she was employed to dress the window displays in a Parisian textile store. In 1953, Sonia married Sam Rykiel, owner of a boutique selling clothing. They had two children but eventually divorced. Rykiel revealed that she has been afflicted with Parkinson's Disease for many years.
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