French Fashion House Sonia Rykiel is covering New York ground with opening a boutique on Manhattan’s Upper East Side at 816 Madison Avenue. Although there is a shop-in-shop at Bloomingdales 59th Street, and a growing business in retailers such as Saks Fifth Avenue, this marks the first North American freestanding store for Sonia Rykiel under the new leadership of Artistic Director Julie de Libran. The 2,000 square foot boutique was inspired by Paris’ literary cafes and is wonderfully lined with floor to ceiling bookshelves accommodating volumes upon volumes of French literature. The boutique highlights ready-to-wear, accessories, leather goods and footwear. A bright red lacquer lines the walls, shelves and ceilings and vintage 1960s black leather chairs and sofas fashion a welcoming surrounding. Mirrored display columns and accessories trays accented with a custom carpet featuring playful patterns adorns the boutique as well giving it a charming feel. Sonia Rykiel remains based in Paris and the company’s collection is distributed in more than 60 countries.