On the occasion of the Autumn Winter 2024-25 Haute Couture collections in Paris, France, the House of Roger Vivier presents the third chapter of Pièce Unique: a rarified showcase of haute maroquinerie designed by creative director Gherardo Felloni. Entitled “Petites Merveilles”, a presentation of one-of-a-kind Viv’ Choc handbags and silk gilets is unveiled within the Salle d’Argent of the Maison’s Parisian boutique on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, inviting guests to discover an ephemeral natural museum where miniature wild creatures are revered as jewels of nature. Delving into Monsieur Vivier and Gherardo Felloni’s shared passion for the natural world, “Petites Merveilles” intertwines the ethereal beauty of insects and their flora with the exquisite craftsmanship of couture. Incredibly small yet essential to life, as such, these beings deserve to be majestically glorified, a quest each piece of the collection unapologetically pursues. Evoking natural ecosystems as well as mythic interpretations throughout history, Gherardo Felloni imbues each creation with talismans and gestures that recall their namesake creature. From butterflies and bees to scorpions and spiders, scarabs, lady beetles and fireflies: all are transformed into shimmering Viv’ Choc handbag and gilet designs through the deft sublimation of rich colours, sparkling textures and figurative forms. Together, the collection forms a harmonious gesamtkunstwerk of artistic expressions that flow from one design to another, oscillating between diaphanous lightness and a darker sense of beauty.

Reimagined as a cabinet of curiosities, the walls of the Salle d’Argent reveal each precious gilet on mannequins and each handbag housed within pink velvet walls, framed by constellations of gilded insects. This architectural metamorphosis continues onto every Pièce Unique design, fusing the draped, feminine lines of the Viv’ Choc and its signature Roger Vivier buckle with some of the most meticulous techniques of embroidery, feather quilting, metalwork and jewellery making.
Embodying the qualities of a distinct species or exploring more abstract notions of an insect’s habitat, appearance, or symbolic significance, 15 one-of-a-kind handbags and 4 encrusted gilets become canvases for opulence. From micro to macro, from day to night, and from the lush green forest to the arid desert, landscapes of crystals and bugle beading intertwine. Femininity abounds, in clusters of iridescent scarab beetles, peacock blue butterfly wings embellished with rhinestones, or a pearlescent patchwork of snowy white feathers.
Representing good fortune as well as the masterful skill of the Roger Vivier ateliers, ruby red lady beetles shiver ‘en tremblant’ across scarlet satin or hidden amongst floating organza leaves, and the subtle glint of gold and crystal fireflies peek out from the shadows of a feathery night sky. Metallic spiderwebs twinkle with crystal dewdrops, whilst a scorpion trilogy flirts with danger: from the smoky gradient of a pavé buckle to a carapace of pyramid rhinestones and scorpion totems hidden within textural folds. Elsewhere, the bee and its hive springs to life in a matrix of gilded latticework on black organza buzzing with topaz jewels.
Giving rise to a whimsical journey through couture craftsmanship, “Petites Merveilles” ebbs and flows from lyrical humour to a near sinister elegance, where the atelier’s prowess teases a mystical symbiosis from humankind’s ancient links with the world around us. Dancing between light and dark, nocturnal monochromes and ebullient bursts of color, each Pièce Unique is a sublime homage to the marvels of the entomological world.