Roger Vivier (brand)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Roger Vivier is a French fashion accessories label founded by Roger Vivier in 1937 that specializes in shoes.[1][2] In the early 1950s, the brand's namesake designer produced the first modern stiletto heel.[3][4] Another signature design associated with the brand is the Belle Vivier, an elegant pump with a large chrome-plated buckle.[5] The pump made its debut at the Yves Saint Laurent's fashion show in 1965 and it became one of the most in-demand styles of the decade.[6] In 1967, the shoes were forever immortalized in Luis Buñel’s film Belle de Jour when Catherine Deneuve wore them.

Brand History[edit]

A Roger Vivier boutique in Beijing, China.

Vivier created the label in 1937 and gained immediate popularity for the creation of wedge soles, notably worn by Marlene Dietrich, and later with the modern creation of the stiletto heel in 1954. Along with Marlene Dietrich, the label was worn by a number of mid-century celebrities and socialites including Gloria Guinness, Cary Grant, Jackie Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor, and The Beatles. Lavish stitching, distinctive architectural forms, glistening crystal details, embellished fastenings, striking hues, and glossy textiles like satin are among the signature motifs found in the brand's collection.[7]

In 1942, the label filed a patent for a shoe that had a large buckle-like clasp at the shoe's throat.[8] It became one of most iconic shoe designs of the decade. Later, the label launched an updated version of the shoe, a low-heeled Pilgrim pumps with silver buckles, that was produced for Yves Saint Laurent's 1965 Mondrian collection.[9] The hoe received international publicity.

Vivier has an historical boutique on the Rue Faubourg Saint-Honoré, whose design is inspired by Vivier's apartment. The Maison’s collections are designed by creative director Gherardo Felloni. Exclusivity and craftsmanship are hallmarks of the brand, with many shoes made to order, some with hand-embroidered gold thread. There are three shops in the United States, the latest one opening in May 2012.[10]

Vivier's shoes are on display at the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto and the Musée de la mode et du textile at the Louvre.

The brand has been owned by Diego Della Valle's company, Tod's, from 2006.[11]

A Roger Vivier boutique.

In 2018, Gherardo Felloni became creative director of Roger Vivier.[12][13]

Upon his arrival, Felloni created new renditions of the designer's classic styles while still maintaining the brand's signature flamboyance and vibrancy.[14][15] These styles included a buckled shoe with a longer buckle and thicker heel as well as the Maharaja slipper which was made slimmer, covered in stones, and accessorized with a single feather.[16][17] Roger Vivier handbags have also gathered significant interest in the past 15 years with new models like the Viv’ Choc becoming instant icons. Felloni produces two ready-to-wear collections per year for the label which are shown in parallel to short films co-signed with Andrea Danese, starring celebrity guests such as Catherine Deneuve, Virginie Ledoyen, and Isabelle Huppert.

Permanent Collections[edit]

Vivier's creations are exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in the United States, at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London in the United Kingdom and at the Musée du Costume et de la Mode at the Louvre in France, a museum which has a Roger Vivier collection since 1987, among many other renowned institutions.[18] In 2013, an exhibition bringing together 140 models created by Roger Vivier was held from November 2 to November 18 at the Palais de Tokyo, under the name "Virgule etc. in the footsteps of Roger Vivier."[19][20][21]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Roger Vivier's Gherardo Felloni on his hands-on approach to footwear". South China Morning Post. 2023-12-23. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  2. ^ Enid Nemy (8 October 1998). "Roger Vivier Is Dead at 90; Raised Heels to New Heights". The New York Times. p. B 11. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  3. ^ Amazon.com: Roger Vivier (Memoire): Books: Colombe Pringle
  4. ^ Evans, Jennifer V., "The Long 1950s as Radical In-Between", Queer 1950s, Palgrave Macmillan, retrieved 2024-03-14
  5. ^ "Roger Vivier: Behind The Chrome Buckle". BAGAHOLICBOY. 2016-11-25. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  6. ^ "The Ultimate French Girl Shoe Turns 55". British Vogue. 2020-05-05. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  7. ^ "Roger Vivier's Gherardo Felloni on his hands-on approach to footwear". South China Morning Post. 2023-12-23. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  8. ^ "The Ultimate French Girl Shoe Turns 55". British Vogue. 2020-05-05. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  9. ^ "Homage to Piet Mondrian". Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris. Retrieved 2022-01-11. For this [1965 Mondrian] collection, Saint Laurent sketched a series of shoes that were made by the designer Roger Vivier: black pumps decorated with a large square buckle in gold or silver metal.
  10. ^ "Sutton's Law: Viva Vivier!". 7 May 2012.
  11. ^ "Tod's splashes out $440 million on Roger Vivier shoes". Reuters. 23 November 2015.
  12. ^ "Tank Magazine". Tank Magazine. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  13. ^ "Roger Vivier's Gherardo Felloni Goes Optical for Fall '24 With Black and White Patterns and Psychedelic Geometries". Yahoo Life. 2024-03-01. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  14. ^ Holt, Bethan (2018-12-11). "Roger Vivier's new designer Gherardo Felloni on being inspired by Catherine Deneuve and making trainers glamorous". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  15. ^ "Inside Roger Vivier's Parisian Op-Art Fantasy". Vogue. 2024-03-01. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  16. ^ "Gherardo Felloni". The World's Best Events. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  17. ^ "Giant Shoes, Cher, and Laura Dern All Made an Appearance at Roger Vivier's Paris Presentation". Vogue. 2023-09-29. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  18. ^ "100 Shoes:The Costume Institute / the Metropolitan Museum of Art | Seminary Co-op Bookstores". www.semcoop.com. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  19. ^ "In His Shoes: Roger Vivier Retrospective Opens Tomorrow at the Palais de Tokyo". Vogue. 2013-09-30. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  20. ^ updated, Ellen Himelfarb last (2013-09-30). "'Virgule etc': Roger Vivier's storied shoes go on show at Paris' Palais de Tokyo". wallpaper.com. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  21. ^ Museum, FIDM (2015-07-14). "Vivier's "Virgule"". FIDM Museum. Retrieved 2024-03-14.