Roger Henri Vivier (13 November 1907 – 2 October 1998)^[1] was a French fashion designer who specialized in shoes. His best-known creating the modern day stiletto heeland the chrome-plated buckle on black pump, which become a must-have fashion statement for many celebrities and stars in the 50s and 60s.^[2][3][4] His namesake label is Roger Vivier (brand).

Early Life and Education

Orphaned at the age of nine, Vivier studied sculpture at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and his compositions exhibit a concern for form and texture characteristic of a sculptor.^[5]

Career

Vivier has been called the "Fragonard of the shoe" and his shoes "the Fabergé of Footwear"^[6] by numbers of critics. He designed extravagant, richly decorated shoes that he described as sculptures.

The designer became widely known in 1937 thanks to the creation of wedge soles, notably worn by Marlene Dietrich. During the Second World War, while was exiled in New York, he made hats. IN1954, after he had returned to France he created what we now think of as the modern stiletto heel.^[7][8] Stiletto heels, the very thin high heel, were certainly discovered around in the late 19th century, as numerous fetish drawings attest, but Vivier is known for reviving and developing this opulent style by using a thin rod of steel.

Ava Gardner, Gloria Guinness and The Beatles were all Vivier customers, and he designed shoes for Queen Elizabeth II for Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II her coronation in 1953.^[9]

Vivier designed shoes for house Christian Dior from 1953 to 1963. In addition to the stiletto heel, he also experimented with other shapes, including the comma. He used silk, pearls, beads, lace, appliqué and jewels to create unique decorations for his shoes.

In the 1960s, Vivier also designed silk-satin knee boots outlined in jewels, and thigh-high evening boots in a black elastic knit with beads. Perhaps his best known boot design of the decade was the low-heeled, thigh-high, black crocodile boot he produced for Yves Saint Laurent's fall 1963 collection, paired with a Space Age-looking, all-black Saint Laurent ensemble of tights, suede jerkin, short ciré jacket, and helmet-like visored cap and hood,^[10] the boots a variation of a pair Vivier had designed for a Rudolph Nureyev performance of Swan Lake.^[11]

Vivier mentored the French fashion designer, Christian Louboutin, also known for his high-end, red soled heels.[1] He interned for the brand in 1988, said of the designer “He became my mentor. He represented the incarnation of the elegant, distinguished, courteous Parisian.”