© 2014 AFP – The French designer Julie de Libran, who worked from 2008 to 2014 at Louis Vuitton, has been appointed artistic director of Sonia Rykiel, replacing the Canadian Geraldo da Conceicao, said the house in a statement on Wednesday.

Julie de Libran’s first collection will be presented in September in Paris during the spring/summer 2015 shows. Her predecessor, Geraldo da Conceicao, had taken up his role in September 2012.

The appointment of Julie de Libran fits with “the relaunch strategy and accelerated international development" of Sonia Rykiel, according to the statement.

The brand, synonymous with Parisian irreverence and founded in 1968, is majority owned by the investment company First heritage brands, which took an 80% stake in 2012, the family holding the remaining 20%. Besides the ready-to-wear range Sonia Rykiel, the company has developed a second line for younger customers: Sonia By.

From 2008 to 2014, Julie de Libran was creative director of women’s ready-to-wear and studio director at Louis Vuitton. Before that she had worked at Prada as design director of ready-to-wear from 1998 to 2008.

"I join Sonia Rykiel with so much pride and respect,” said the designer in a statement. "I value the confident, chic, and smart woman that Madame Rykiel has always referred to, with her radical and yet very easy way," she says.

"We are at a stage where we can accelerate the development of the house," said the president of First heritage brands Jean-Marc Loubier.