In Pictures: Roger Vivier stages immersive exhibition in Paris

Legendary French footwear brand Roger Vivier, best known for its distinctive buckle designs, staged an immersive and magical exhibition in Paris to showcase its latest creations.

Entitled ‘Les Éléments Vivier’, the exhibition was staged in a private hôtel particulier in the 8th district of Paris, where Creative Director Gherardo Felloni imagined a theatrical installation within the opulent French architecture in collaboration with the Italian set designer Leila Maria Fteita.

A veteran of La Scala in Milan, Fteita has created some of the world’s greatest opera and dance set designs in collaboration with names such as Dante Ferretti, Gae Aulenti, Werner Herzog and Bob Wilson.

The presentation was set across four levels, each representing the key design pillars of Roger Vivier’s universe: the natural work of The Craft of Colour; The Heart of Passion; The Shape of Lightness; and An Air of Preciousness.

The Craft of Colour

Tbe Craft of Colour was an homage to Claude Monet’s gardens in Giverny. In this room artisanal designs crafted in an explosion of watercolour tie-dye were showcased, including the romantic architecture of the multicoloured Viv Choc draped shoulder bag in ripples of ocean blue, butter yellow, and candy pink leather. The Viv Choc bag was first launched for AW23 season and combines sculptural fabric with a sensual buckle with curved corners reminiscent of Monsieur Vivier’s iconic ‘Choc’ heel designed in 1959.

Viv Choc

In The Heart of Passion rooms, which were saturated in pink and red, the colours of love so often present in Monsieur Vivier’s historical designs, one found beaded court shoes and velvet mules The ‘I Love Vivier’ pump described as the ultimate House expression of this ideal, in a slender pump with a heart-shaped front.

The Heart of Passion

I Love Vivier pump

Ascending further towards the heavens, the third element expressed the youthful joie de vivre of Roger Vivier through The Shape of Lightness, an airy chamber filled with fluffy clouds and the Pop Art palette of the Swinging 60s.

Celebrating the absolute finesse of construction and streamlined architectures of Roger Vivier’s visual language, this fantasy land features larger-than-life replicas of the ‘Viv Canard’ shoe (main image), an archival fluted toe-shape designed by Monsieur Vivier and revived by Gherardo Felloni.

Finally In An Air of Preciousness, where a chandelier lay smashed on the ballroom floor, ruffled organza evening bags featuring glittering flowers and spiral handles, and satin minaudière box clutches are covered with sparkling strass were in the spotlight. The evolving Roger Vivier jewelry collection took notes from Gherardo’s own private collection, with baroque pearl collars, graphic sequined drop earrings and bracelets, and enameled floral hairclips and matching headbands.

An Air of Lightness