the insole embossed in silver ’Roger Vivier, Paris’, the beading probably by Rébé, the upper entirely covered with a ground of seed pearl beads interspersed with pastel-toned glass seed beads forming floral trails and dark silver beaded tendrils, a single floral sprig defines the rear heal, lined in tan kid, the pointed toe with slightly chiselled tip, low court heel, 27cm, 10 1/2in long
Personal gift from Monsieur Vivier to the vendor.This exquisitely beaded shoe was a personal gift from Roger Vivier to the vendor in the late 1980s. As he presented the shoe he admired the extraordinary beadwork and commented, ’Look how magnificent...This was made when there were 30 embroidery houses in Paris. Now it’s only Lesage’.
The shoe’s matching partner is part of the Musée de la Mode et du Textile collection in Paris. That shoe was featured in Pierre Provoyeur’s monograph on Vivier, published by Editions du Regard in 1991, with a full page illustration of the beading on the toe.
The pair (before dispersal) were photographed together in the catalogue ‘Pour Saluer Roger Vivier’, 1979.
Exhibited: this shoe was presented in ‘Roger Vivier: Process to Perfection’, the Bata Shoe Museum, 2012-13.
Roger Vivier (1907-1998) is widely considered to be the most influential shoe designer of the twentieth century. His designs were known for their elegance and craftsmanship; his shoes beautifully completing any couture outfit. The shoes he created were often works of art in their own right - masterpieces of mid-century elegance. He is renowned for his collaboration with Maison Christian Dior (1953-63). At Dior his imagination was given full range and he was able to experiment with innovative shapes, and given access to the finest fabrics and embroiderers that Paris could offer. His shoes were not just a means of finishing off an ensemble but miniature works of art in their own right.
However, by 1963 Vivier decided to strike out on his own and opened his own boutique on 24 rue François 1er and he continued to design innovative and beautiful footwear over the next decades.
This is a rare opportunity to acquire a shoe creation that Vivier admired and held in his personal collection for decades.