The ultra luxurious Roger Vivier boutique held a grand opening celebration at it's new Bal Harbour Shops location earlier this week. This is only the second location in the United States and South Florida couldn't wait to check out the store. The French House of Roger Vivier did not disappoint. It is chocked full of elegant shoes, handbags and accessories(SEE SLIDESHOW BELOW).
Roger Vivier, who passed away in 1998, was one of very first icons in the modern world of shoe design. He designed shoes for both Dior and Yves Saint Laurent, before striking out on his own. After Vivier's death, Diego Della Valle aquired the brand and has brought a modern twist to the very classic designs.
Brand Ambassador, Ines de la Fressange was happy to chat with this Examiner:
Examiner: Roger Vivier has some of the most amazingly creative designs that I've ever seen. Where does your creative team get it's inspiration?
Six years ago the question would have been : "Who is Roger Vivier?!" Now this famous name in the fashion world is known by a large number of people. Roger Vivier was such a visionary and his work during all 2Oth century was so creative, strong and diverse that it is a huge source of inspiration for many shoe designers . However the important thing is to work with the spirit of the brand: creative but always elegant, traditional with no convention and products with a twist of vintage style.
Examiner: Roger Vivier is credited with inventing the stiletto heel in the 50's. He also introduced other creative heel styles to us. Just when we thought that the "heel" was the brand's signature, we're now seeing the same creativity in other parts of the shoe. Can you walk us through the creative process from sketch to production?
Vivier invented a lot of things for shoes (high boots ,coma heels, heels inside the shoe, etc.) Today there is still research done in our factories to make new shapes and technical progress but the main target is to produce a sophisticated yet rare shoe, impossible to find elsewhere, with a lot of frivolity and elegance in order to revert back to real definition of luxury and provoke desire for women. We would like to show that luxury is not just a name with a heavy price. The result is a dream and giving all the secrets wouldn't keep it has a dream!
Examiner: Which celebrity trendsetters are amongst your favorites, and why?
Suri Cruise! When she saw the red ballerinas with a buckle she grabbed them and didn't want to put them down before her mother bought them! A strong taste early and the dream of a little girl (which is what all the customers are finally after). At least this baby star doesn't need a fashion coach and has personality! We had a pair done after that specially for her. Personally, I like our anonymous customer: they have style, they recognize good products and they understand even if they don't work in fashion their accessories can help change/enhance their outfit.
Examiner: You are now carrying purses, sunglasses and other accessories. What's next? Any plans for even further expansion of the brand--like perhaps a fragrance?
Hey you should come and work with me! Listen, any kind of products we will do in the future will contain a lot of quality, personality and will be impossible to find elsewhere. But we do things slowly and properly because already the company had a quick and huge development but we don't want to loose the soul . crazy isn't it ?!
Examiner: Why should today's fashionista focus more on shoes?
Nowadays you can dress up nicely everywhere in the world and even with quite inexpensive clothes but accessories like shoes and bags have to be special and made with great quality. Poor quality shoes are rarely nice except sneakers, sandals or espadrilles it's a little like perfume, sad to say but usually the great ones are expensive. However it can really transform a look and it’s worth it. But not only "fashionistas" : all the women!
Examiner: What fashion trends should we look for in shoes and accessories for Spring 2010?
Susy Menkes, the great fashion journalist of the "Herald Tribune", announced few months ago high heels are out . I think women have to understand they can be sexy even without high heels. like they understood few years ago they wouldn't seem to have blue eyes wearing blue eye shadow on their eyes . At Roger Vivier we know how to do flats but sophisticated but also flats for the evening. All these girls suffering with enormous heels with difficulties to walk can't go on. The big revolution is going to be flats I think.
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