fbpx

A Parisian designer, Roger Vivier

6 February 2023

A Parisian designer, Roger Vivier

A Parisian designer who created one of the most recognisable shoes: Roger Vivier.

Roger Vivier was born in 1907 and was always passionate about design, which led him to study at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. However, two years later he resigned to pursue his career as a shoemaker. He began by making custom-made shoes and opened his first shop on Rue Royale in Paris in 1937. His reputation for shoe design growing rapidly.

How Roger Vivier became famous?

In 1953, for the coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, he was chosen to create a pair of pumps for this important event. A year later, Roger Vivier launched the Aiguille stiletto. The Aiguille stiletto is a shoe with a long, thin heel. This pair expressed Mr. Vivier’s message of confidence, freedom and femininity for women.

The Belle Vivier

Later, in 1965, Roger Vivier designed a classic black pump with an oversized square buckle at the front. It was part of the Yves Saint Laurent collection. The square buckle is truly recognizable and is one of the signatures of the house. Moreover, this model became famous when the French actress Catherine Deneuve worn  them in the movie “Belle de jour”. And the shoes were later named after this film “Belle Vivier” .

The oversized “Belle Vivier” buckle can now be found in different models designed by the brand: loafers, boots, sandals…

Find iconic models Roger Vivier in second hand

As there are more than a decade of Belle Vivier since the first launch, there are many vintage pieces you can buy in second hand. We, AtelierFH, are curating Roger Vivier shoes because of their timeless style and their iconic design.

Discover our second hand Roger Vivier shoes: for example this pair of boots or the iconic “belle vivier” ballerinas in seconde hand directly in our e-shop.

Credit photo: collage with Pinterest pics

JOIN THE CIRCLE