Roger Vivier presents “VIVIER OP-TICAL”
Fall Winter 2024/2025
Within the neoclassical splendour of the Maison de l’Amérique Latine on the Left Bank in Paris, Roger Vivier presents VIVIER OP-TICAL: an immersive ‘shoe-scape’ designed by creative director Gherardo Felloni. Inspired by the psychedelic geometries of the Op Art movement that rose to prominence in France in the 1960s, a graphic wonderland of patterns unfolds room by room, taking visitors on a journey through the Fall Winter 2024/2025 shoe, handbag, jewellery and accessories collections. Contemporary allusions to Monsieur Vivier’s most graphic mid-century designs and his practice of paper collages manifest throughout, mingled with the Maison’s modern sense of romantic fantasia. “The 1960s marked a pivotal period for Roger Vivier, when his aesthetic shifted towards a more sleek, graphic, and pioneering design approach. Reimagining the timeless creations of this era has long been my aspiration, and I sensed that the moment was right to reintroduce them in fresh, contemporary renditions this season,” reveals Felloni.
Upon entering from the grand paved courtyard of the 18th century hôtel particulier, guests of the House are immediately plunged into a two-tone world, where checkerboard marble floors lead into rooms of floor-to-ceiling optical illusions with dazzling perspectives, spiral vortexes and the theatrical opulence of Monsieur Vivier’s brightly coloured artworks brought to life. From its first Black and White salon, the VIVIER OP-TICAL presentation is a mind-bending mix of possibilities from head-to-toe, exemplifying Roger Vivier’s evolution into a Maison of accessories: of handbags, millinery, waistcoats, and jewellery. The Viv’ Choc handbag, a new icon imagined by Gherardo Felloni, returns in black and white monochrome gestures as block-coloured, smooth leather and check tweed designs are adorned with patchwork styles, soft fringe, and bedazzled optical stripes, all transforming this elegant design with modern panache against a layered chamber of radial stripes in concentric circles. Also returning in monochrome versions are the Viv’Canard kitten-heels, decorated for the first time with the Maison’s classic buckle.
Celebrating the alchemical powers of gold, the topsy-turvy Black and Gold salon acts like a Hall of Mirrors, featuring a gilded central column and cylindrical podiums reflecting black striped walls and the all-over sparkle of knit cuissardes boots, Flower Strass Jewel bags in shiny leather, and backless Belle Vivier pumps decorated with the Maison’s iconic Pilgrim buckle. In a cool palate cleanser before ascending the stairs, an optic-white draped passage punctuated by white podiums sweeps around in an arching showcase for new beaded velvet Viv’ Podium ballerinas with a modern ankle strap and metal heel.
On the first floor, the Optical Zebra salon pays homage to Monsieur Vivier’s love of animalia, in particular the zebra pattern that appears in his paper collages and on archival designs from the 1960s. Resplendent in scarlet and royal purple with layered archways and off- kilter stacked cylindrical columns, a monumental zebra sculpture is the focal point of this colourful salon, echoing with joie de vivre the season’s soft suede and calf hair creations, from I Love Vivier pumps and high-heeled booties with metal platforms inspired by the Viv’Choc buckle, to fringed and maxi Viv’ Choc handbags. The waistcoat remains a central adornment in Roger Vivier’s repertoire, gracing the Fall Winter 2024/2025 collection with an abundance of beautiful renditions. Each creation is interpreted and embellished in diverse styles, from ornate metal studs to fringe accents.
The final VIVIER OP-TICAL salons are a playful homage to the iconic Belle Vivier shoe design, famously worn by Catherine Deneuve in Belle de Jour (1965). In one room, a theatrical designer’s studio is revealed — showcasing artistic interpretations of the Belle Vivier in patchworked geometric colourways that combine black with white, pastel green, rose pink, watermelon and lemon yellow. The spirit of the atelier is felt through live demonstrations of craft ‘know-how’ inherent to the House - unveiling the behind-the-scenes magic of true luxury and the expertise of its cherished artisans. In the adjacent space, in choreographed moments of live performance, ‘artisan’ dancers spring to life onstage, miming the savoir faire of Roger Vivier’s craftspeople as they produce the Belle Vivier shoe.
