PARIS – Roger Vivier has doubled its presence in Paris with the opening of a new brand that offers exclusive products and services, including a tailor-made process that allows customers to create signature shoe styles such as Belle Vivier.
The boutique at 20 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré is only 100 meters from its first store, which opened in 2004. But the main retail area – a stone’s throw from Hermès and across the street from the one-year-old Alaïa – is expected to bring a rate of visibility and foot traffic.
Covering 2,900 square meters, it is the largest store in the world and offers a wide range of shoes and accessories – including handbags, jewelry, hats, belts and waistcoats – designed to differentiate Vivier from its competitors and diversify revenue streams.
It comes after the last fall of Maison Vivier, a luxurious 18th-century house in Saint-Germain-des-Prés that houses a showroom, reception rooms and archives, as well as the offices of creative director Gherardo Felloni and former model representative Inès de la Fressange.
Although the new residence is slightly larger than the previous one down the street, its layout is more spacious, with an atrium-style entrance dominated by a mobile sculpture by Christel Sadde. From its branches are images of Choc heels inspired by Roger Vivier’s original collages, dotted throughout.
Portrait of Roger Vivier in Paris.
Courtesy of Roger Vivier
The interior design of the in-house team of Tod’s Group, the Italian group led by Diego Della Valle who owns the brand, is informed by the taste of the founder and his connection to history and the environment. Cream walls and mother-of-pearl stucco, created by a Tuscan artist, are combined with a painting by Pierre Frey and carpets made by CC-Tapis.
Vivier opened his first studio in the nearby Rue Royale in 1937 and is said to have been the first to display original works of art in his shop, including the two lithographs by Pablo Picasso and Serge Poliakoff shown in the new painting, as well as a painting of the dancer Jacques Chazot by René Gruau, and a metal wall by Ranacul Begup.
The decor is based on Vivier’s original apartment, with a mix of Mies van der Rohe and B&B Italia chairs, Hervé van der Straeten mirrors, lamps and consoles, and antique furniture including a large Louis XVI-style chest.
“Roger Vivier had an amazing and insightful eye. He approached everything naturally, from lining the studio walls with silver paper to surrounding himself with objects that reflect his imagination,” de la Fressange said in a statement shared exclusively with WWD.
“That elegant but highly thought-out style has defined the style of the maison, something that I began to explore with the opening of the store in 2004. Today, this new address reflects the evolution of Monsieur Vivier’s taste, which always respects his vision while responding to the present,” he added.
The interior of the new Roger Vivier store in Paris.
Courtesy of Roger Vivier
De la Fressange helped organize the cabinet of curiosities that line the back wall of the stone staircase that connects the two floors. Items on display include corals and shells, shoes, coffee table books and marble sculptures of shoes by Australian artist Mark Stuart.
A large example of Maison Vivier’s headquarters on the Left Bank sits in a window facing the street, next to three one-of-a-kind Efflorescence bags decorated with roses, which sell for around 5,000 euros.
The store plans to offer a special capsule collection in the spring, as well as the Atelier Vivier service, which allows customers to choose from 28 styles for shoes and seven styles for bags, to choose their fabrics, leathers and buckles for more than 1,000 possible styles. Shoe insoles and backpacks can be personalized with a name, initials, date or lucky number.
Atelier Vivier customers are welcomed in a dedicated area, the Salle d’Argent, finished in real silver leaf. The room, which can be closed, is also designed to host VIP appointments, exclusive presentations and tailor-made experiences, while an artisan will make regular appearances to promote the tailored offer.
The Salle d’Argent VIP area in the new Roger Vivier store in Paris.
Courtesy of Roger Vivier
With up to 20 percent off, bespoke shoes, bags, evening pieces and bridal creations will be delivered within three months. The service will eventually be rolled out to a selection of 104 Vivier points of sale worldwide, including 85 direct-operated stores.
Located in Paris department stores Galeries Lafayatte and Le Bon Marché, the company recently opened another corner in Printemps.
While the brand has a strong red carpet presence, having dressed Anne Hathaway, Mia Goth and Rose Byrne on Oscars night, the Faubourg store’s offering is 60 percent daywear, including sneakers, and 40 percent evening, a spokeswoman said.
Vivier hopes that within three to five years, shoes will make up 80 percent of revenue and accessories 20 percent, without providing comparable figures.
When the Faubourg store opened to the public on Friday, Felloni was in South Korea presenting his latest Pièce Unique collection of heavy-duty handbags for spring, based on animals tested by the house’s founder. After a stop in Japan on Sunday, the presentation moved to China.
The Efflorescence bag is only available at the Roger Vivier store in Paris.
Courtesy of Roger Vivier
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