Sonia Rykiel (25 May 1930 – 25 August 2016) was a French fashion designer and writer. She created the Poor Boy Sweater, which was featured on the cover of French "Elle" magazine. She was given the nickname "Queen of Knits" because of her knitwear designs. The Sonia Rykiel label began in 1968 when she opened her first store, making clothing, accessories and perfumes. Rykiel was also a writer and her first book was published in 1979. In 2012, Rykiel said she was suffering from Parkinson's disease. She died from complications of the disease on 25 August 2016.