Roger Vivier
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Roger Vivier was a French fashion designer who specialized in women's shoes. He designed extravagant richly-decorated shoes that he described as sculptures. He is credited with the invention of the stiletto spike heel by using a thin rod of steel encased in wood or plastic to support the woman'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 followed the lead of Beth Levine and designed silk-satin knee boots outlined in jewels, and (again inspired by Levine) thigh-high evening boots in a black elastic knit with beads. In turn, his Pilgrim pumps with silver buckles received international publicity and many imitations, including shoes from Beth Levine's company, Herbert Levine.
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.
