Among the most innovative fashion designers with whom Roger Vivier worked, his ten-year collaboration with Christian Dior can be considered as a golden era for shoe design, highlighting the importance of ‘dressing’ the ankle and foot to create a look.

Black pumps, Roger Vivier for Christian Dior, 1955, Courtesy Les Arts Décoratifs, Paris, All Rights Reserved

Born in Paris in 1913, Roger Vivier studied sculpture at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, until he interrupted his studies to design a collection for a shoe factory. This first appointment opened his eyes on his true vocation, shoe design, which led him to work for many major shoe manufacturers in Paris, UK and USA. In the early days of his career, his talent was especially appreciated by Elsa Schiaparelli, who included his designs in her 1938 collection.

Red pumps, Roger Vivier for Christian Dior, 1955, Courtesy Les Arts Décoratifs, Paris, All Rights Reserved

Back from WWII, Roger Vivier was working freelance in Paris, when Christian Dior opened a shoe department in his salon. In 1953 Monsieur Dior appointed Vivier as designer of the department. From 1953 to 1963 Roger Vivier designed all the shoe collections of Christian Dior, reaching the impressive result of creations with an avant-garde look destined to become classics. Inspired by the history of fashion and looking at the innovations in disciplines of engineering and science, he created a number of new heel shapes and designed some of the most iconic shoes of the period. The designs were lavish and adorned with unique jewels decorations, revealing a sophisticated eye for line, form and decoration.

Pumps in pink crepe and laminated silver, Courtesy Rossimoda Shoe Museum CC BY NC ND

The most relevant innovation introduced by Roger Vivier for Dior was probably the stiletto heel, obtained by increasing the height of the heel from 6 to 8 cm. The stiletto was first presented within the 1954 collection. In 1957 Christian Dior died and Vivier began collaborating with his successor Yves Saint Laurent. This collaboration produced the new square-point toe box, appeared on the pages of Vogue in 1958, where it was described as “one of the Paris details that may make fashion history.” In 1959 Vivier introduced the inward-curving schock-heel and in 1960 he was honoured with the Neiman-Marcus Fashion Award, after launching a streamlined update of the nineteenth-century d’Orsay pump, which is probably one of the most copied footwear styles ever.

Roger Vivier’s shoes may looked shocking at first, but had definitely redefined the contemporary notions of shoe design, captivating some of the most stylish and prestigious people, who became affectionate ambassadors of his style. Amongst them: Queen Elizabeth II, who wore a pair of gold kidskin studded shoes for her coronation ceremony in 1953; Marlene Dietrich, for whom Vivier designed a pair embellished with Boules; Ava Gardner, who in 1961 wore  bright green highly polished cabochon and rhinestones created especially for her.