She is tall and graceful, coquettish and swift, elegant and mocking. VERY LIKE LIKE YOUR MOTHER - A FAMOUS FRENCH DESIGNER AND THE “QUEEN OF KNITWEARS” SONIA RICKEL. OR NOT? Rather, they have a lot in common. BUT NATALY RICKEL - OTHER. MYSELF SAYS ABOUT MYSELF THAT IT IS A FULL MOTOR ANTIPODE. AND BECAUSE IN THE WORLD OF CHANGEFULLY CHANGING FASHION, She ALREADY TAKEN OWN PLACE, GIVING START TO ITS STYLE AND VISION OF BRAND DEVELOPMENT. NATALI BROUGHT ITS NEW RESIDENCE OF THE YEAR 2011 IN DUBAI, AND I myself DIRECTED THE DEPHILA AT THE ADDRESS DUBAI MALL. At exactly half an hour, our conversation was arranged with this talented woman with Russian roots, the president and the artistic director of SONIA RYKIEL HOUSE.
Natalie, you started your career as a model, which, in general, is traditional for the fashion world, and then took up your mother’s business on the other hand - created a perfume line, released sports and children's clothing collections, were even the “face” of the company. What for?
I didn’t want to be in the shadow of the famous mother, recognized as the “queen of knitwear”. I love her very much and I am happy that I have the opportunity to continue the work she started, but as a creative person, I like to implement my own ideas aimed at developing the brand in different directions. I don’t want everyone to think that Sonia Rykiel’s things are only for wealthy people. Our collections are for everyone! And it is important for me that everything that I do, first of all, like and suit me. It was comfortable, stylish, and beautiful. After all, women today are not easy - you need to create during the day in several very different images. So I combine in myself the management of the company, and creativity, and care for my large family. This is not easy, so things should help us in this, and not interfere: jackets and sweaters to hide everything unnecessary and emphasize beauty, allow trousers to be crossed over or curled up in a chair with a book, and so on ... Sonia Rykiel's style is easily recognizable: rich black color, seams turned out, lack of lining and shoulder pads, unfinished edges, pullovers with inscriptions unfurled by the fringe, multi-layered clothing.
Both of you and your mom love black, no matter how trite ...
No, that you, black is not at all commonplace. This is a very dramatic color, and if a woman is interesting in itself, then it especially allows you to emphasize this.
Natalie, are you the CEO of Sonia Rykiel House? Is it hard to cope with such a responsible job?
I'm not alone. The company employs more than 350 employees, in addition, my husband helps me a lot, who is engaged in management and finance. My role is more interesting, since I am an artistic director, developing the image of a woman "Riquel" of the 21st century. By the way, in my childhood I dreamed of becoming a doctor or director, but when, helping my mother, I entered the world of high fashion, I realized that it was crazy interesting for me there. It was my chance, and I could either use it or refuse. I decided to stay, and I think that I was not mistaken.
Who is she, a woman choosing clothes from Sonia Rykiel?
It's me, it's you, it's millions of women all over the world. Today, the company owns 400 stores in all corners of the world, and 45 boutiques bear the name of my mother. Our clients are the superstars Anuk Eme, Isabelle Adjani, Jeanne Moreau, Fanny Ardan and other celebrities. However, the point is not in the brand’s popularity, but in the fact that our clothes allow every woman to feel like that. For example, I do not consider myself a beauty, I am rather attractive, but having created a certain style in my clothes, I force people to turn around after me. After all, whenever I do something, I think first of myself about myself, I do it for myself. If this is good for me, others will probably like it.
Are you annoyed by the term "fashion trend"?
It does not exist for me, just as it did not exist for my mother. We never walked along the path already beaten by someone; we liked our own experiments. From year to year, Sonia Rykiel created knitwear with raw edges and seams to the outside, claiming that this way clothes fit better on the figure. None of her collections can do without the famous bright pullovers. But these things are not repeated, they are always different. For example, in clothes I like to mix everything. My manner of wearing things from Sonia Rykiel, in particular, served as a source of inspiration for my mother. I often wear my mother’s clothes with things from other fashion designers. I really like to mix things from new and old mother's collections. I also like to combine Sonia Rykiel clothes with accessories found somewhere in flea markets and antique shops. In general, in clothes I love cashmere and a mixture - wool with cashmere. I love jeans, I wear them with Sonia Rykiel sweaters.
And lately, more and more I love skin and fur. But clothing should by no means become a central element. It is important every time that you can remember about the person himself. Not about clothes, not about perfumes, not about cosmetics, but about a person. It also seems to me that each person should decide for himself what to wear, what to paint or strangle. You can not trust either fashion designers or perfumers.
What are you trying to teach your daughters?
First of all, I want to convey to them the feeling that everything is possible in this life, that you can do such things that you could not even think about. You take on something - and actually comes out. I remember that I was a lonely child. My brother is five years younger than me, and I was more likely to be close with my parents. They said about me that I am a calm, well-mannered girl who walks in white gloves and is engaged in dancing. By the way, my eldest daughter Tatyana was professionally engaged in dancing, the middle Lola will be a bachelor of philosophy, and the youngest Solomeya also loves to dance.
What are the Russian names of women in your family ...
No wonder my grandmother was from Russia. Therefore, my mother grew up in a bourgeois family, in which it was not customary to talk about fashion. There everyone was talking about literature, about painting, about classics in all its manifestations, and not even a word was said about Art Nouveau. Therefore, my mother's name is Sonya, and my name is Natalya, and my daughter Tatyana ... And we are all strong women. I’ll tell you honestly, being a daughter of Sonya Riquel is both simple and difficult. I have been working with her for over 30 years, and all this time she was the star. She remains her now. I completely do not suffer from this and do not experience any complexes. Otherwise, I would have long ago found a way to make myself known and achieve fame. My mother is an amazing woman, seductive and attractive. This is a man with tremendous charisma, very talented. I love her very much, and we are very close to her. We are girlfriends.
Natalie, is Sonia Rykiel a 100% family business?
Yes, that's why we are mobile in making decisions, we have more creativity and less dependence on someone from outside. On the other hand, a small family business does not have so many opportunities to buy expensive models or actresses, “persons” for their advertising campaigns. Therefore, when we released the perfumes of Rykiel Rose, I became the “face” of the campaign. When I saw my portrait, I realized that I had the perfect argument in my hands to explain my presence next to my mother, to show that we are a family. We could find thousands of women, more beautiful and talented than me, younger and more sexy ...
But not one of them could bring this message like I did, because I present my brand just like that, by the very fact of my existence. And I am very prone to provocations. I must admit that there are not many women who are over forty and who appear in advertising cosmetics or perfumes. As a rule, these are still young models. I believe that a woman in her forties is filled with inner peace: she knows herself and her own worth, she understands what she wants. Therefore, she is more than an 18-year-old girl who has not yet solved her own problems, is able to make other women dream and inspire them with a desire to purchase a particular product.
Natalie, in the Emirates it is difficult to wear warm knitwear all year round. What can help her look fashionable and modern in the style of Sonia Rykiel?
Today and always accessories are the main thing in clothes. Shoes, a handbag, a scarf or some terrible hat that does not fit the dress can completely ruin the appearance. And vice versa, even the most classic and academic clothes can be given an acutely fashionable, vibrant look with the help of accessories. I like the noticeable shoes, with humor, bright, striking. For today's meetings only, I took with me four pairs of shoes and bags suitable for them, so as not to look the same in all the photographs (laughs). For a woman with limited means, accessories are a godsend. She can only have trousers, a black sweater and a jacket in her wardrobe, but at the same time she can change her appearance thanks to scarves of different colors, shoes and multi-colored belts. She can combine them at her discretion and always be different.
Is it true that you are very amorous? What does falling in love mean for you?
It’s good for creative people to fall in love. Love carries us through life, but it can also bring us quite far from reality. And when even strong women who have already achieved everything and manage their own lives suddenly have problems in love, then they become childishly helpless. Be strong and believe in yourself!
