Sonia Rykiel Paris Unveils Madison Avenue Boutique In NYC

French fashion label Sonia Rykiel Paris just opened its first free-standing store in North America, since it closed its original store a few blocks away in 2011. Under the creative direction of designer Julie de Libran, the store opened up yesterday morning at 816 Madison Avenue in NYC. Belstaff, Max Mara, Jil Sander and Lanvin are also in the same neighborhood.

“We are thrilled to bring Sonia Rykiel back to Madison Avenue. 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 — under Julie de Libran’s creative direction — for the years to come,” Sonia Rykie CEO Eric Langon said in a press release.

The store’s design concept, which was created by de Libran in collaboration with artist André Saraiva and publisher Thomas Lenthal, is a continuation of the story told in the Sonia Rykiel stores in Paris, London and Tokyo. Inspired by Paris‘ literary cafes, the store is lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves filled with 15,000 volumes of French literature.

The store houses the brand’s ready-to-wear, accessories, leather goods and footwear collections.