Sonia Rykiel, Designer Known as the ‘Queen of Knitwear’ Dies at 86

Sonia Rykiel, a French designer dubbed the “queen of knitwear” whose relaxed sweaters in berry-colored stripes and eye-popping motifs helped liberate women from stuffy suits, has died at 86. President Francois Hollande’s office announced her death in a statement Thursday, praising her as “a pioneer” who “offered women freedom of movement.” His office didn’t provide further details, and the Sonia Rykiel fashion house in Paris wouldn’t immediately comment. For the generation of women who came of age in the heady 1960s and ‘70s, Rykiel, with her hallmark bright orange hair, came to symbolize the new era of freedom.