Roger Vivier

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Shoes by Roger Vivier for Christian Dior

Roger Vivier was a French fashion designer born in 1913, who specialized in shoes. He died in 1998. His best know creation was the Stiletto heel.^[1]

He designed extravagant richly-decorated shoes that he described as sculptures. He is credited with the invention of the stiletto heel by using a thin rod of steel encased in wood or plastic to support the wearer's weight. He has been called the "Fragonard of the shoe" and his shoes "the Faberge of footwear" by critics.

Ava Gardner, Queen Elizabeth II and The Beatles were all Vivier customers.

Vivier designed shoes for 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. His most iconic design, the Pilgrim pumps with silver buckles (worn by Catherine Deneuve in the film Belle de Jour) received international publicity and many imitations.

Vivier's shoes are on display at the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Musée du Costume et de la Mode at the Louvre.