VIV’ CHOC
PIÈCE UNIQUE
AT PARIS HAUTE COUTURE
Returning to Roger Vivier’s Parisian boutique within the mythical, silvered walls of the Salle d’Argent on the rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Creative Director Gherardo Felloni presents the second installation of the Roger Vivier ‘Pièce Unique’ creations on the occasion of the Haute Couture season for Spring Summer 2024. Venturing into a fairytale world where precious handbags bloom with couture flowers, Roger Vivier expresses an unrelenting dedication to beauty and savoir-faire, transforming this historic room into a joyous celebration of fresh flowers reaching skywards in epic bouquets. Hiding within each densely coloured spray, Pièce Unique evening handbags glint and sparkle in wondrous botanical forms.
The Viv’ Choc handbag, reinterpreted in one-of-a-kind artisanal designs for this Pièce Unique collection, is a draped shoulder bag with a chain strap and turnkey lock: a luxurious design and a feat of romantic architecture. The elegant creation combines sculptural fabric with a sensual buckle, which is a reinterpretation the iconic Roger Vivier buckle, and presents curved corners reminiscent of Monsieur Vivier’s sinuous ‘Choc’ heel designed in 1959.
Inspired by an otherworldly classical garden with flowers gathered from around the globe, for this collection Gherardo Felloni muses on the personalities and particularities of each varietal, anchored by the fluid architecture of the Viv’ Choc handbag with its soft, draped lines central turnkey and bold, signature buckle. Hand embroidery is triumphant, echoing the delicate touch of Monsieur Vivier himself who brought the fantasy of Couture to the world of accessories throughout the second half of the 20th century.
From roses, lilies and daisies to violets, nigellas and cactus dahlias, exquisite hand-crafted replicas and interpretations of these classical flora are executed in vivid colour and 3D forms, demonstrating the extraordinary prowess of the atelier. Roaming through the garden from one Pièce Unique to the next, myriad techniques are applied with the lightest touch: from sky blue nigellas with silk petals and feather pistils, to golden roses encrusted with metallic thread and crystal beads. Spring meadows and gardens of miniature blooms seem to envelop every inch of the Viv’ Choc’s soft volumes, as hand-painted feathers echo petals and blades of grass floating in the breeze amidst iridescent sequins.
Taking cues from Gherardo Felloni’s private jewellery collection, flowers like jewels are mounted ‘en tremblant’ on black velvet with dark silver and giant rhinestone accents, whilst others touch upon the noble mythology of the lily — crafted here in fringed organza, golden metals, and hand-tinted feathers. Complementing the opulent surface treatments of the Pièce Unique collection, artisanal developments transform the Viv’ Choc hardware, pushing 360° embellishment to new heights. At times, the signature Roger Vivier buckle is treated with new antique gold finishing or embedded with crystals, and decorative chain straps are adorned by artisans with dazzling pavé stones. Each one-of-a-kind Pièce Unique handbag is the result of between 30 and 60 human hours of hand craftsmanship in the Roger Vivier atelier.
Sublimating the collection’s floral embroideries onto the body, a romantic series of Pièce Unique waistcoats continues Felloni’s evolution of the Roger Vivier silhouette – honouring Monsieur Vivier’s dedication to the idea of accessorizing from head to toe. A collarless construction in silk satin, silk organza or silk velvet becomes a blank canvas for magnificent craftsmanship, echoing the motifs of several Pièce Unique handbags. Requiring between 60 and 100 hours of hand craftsmanship, the one-of-a-kind exclusive designs are festooned with veritable flights of fancy, from multi-coloured anemones or curled feather petals in blushing shades of pink, to a spring meadow of yellow marigolds and the creamy hues of cactus dahlias in baroque pearls and organza.
