Evening Shoe
1954 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Roger Vivier (1913-98) was a designer of luxury shoes, and is credited with creating the stiletto heel. He designed for several couturiers, including Elsa Schiaparelli in the 1930s, but notably for Christian Dior from 1953-63. He is the only one of Dior's collaborators permitted to have a credit on the final design - 'Christian Dior crée par Roger Vivier' - which is marked inside every shoe.
He often worked in elaborate and expensive materials including silks, pearls, beads, lace, metal threads and jewels.
This shoe was given to the V&A by Roger Vivier himself as a good example of his work.
He often worked in elaborate and expensive materials including silks, pearls, beads, lace, metal threads and jewels.
This shoe was given to the V&A by Roger Vivier himself as a good example of his work.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silk satin and tulle |
| Brief description | Silk satin evening pump, designed by Roger Vivier for Christian Dior, Paris, 1954 |
| Physical description | Black silk satin evening pump with a tulle rosette on the toe and high stiletto heel. Long squared-off pointed toe. |
| Style | |
| Production type | Haute couture |
| Marks and inscriptions | 'Christian / Dior / crée par / ROGER VIVIER' (Embossed inside shoe lining) |
| Gallery label | Shoes
Roger Vivier (1913-98)
Paris
1950s
Roger Vivier started working for Elsa Schiaparelli in the 1930s, when his designs were considered shocking by major retailers. He went on to collaborate with many couturiers to create shoes for their collections and started collaborating with Dior when the New Look brought emphasis to the ankle and foot. Vivier created a number of innovative heel shapes for Dior, including the comma heel and the stiletto.
1. Shoe, black tulle over satin
Roger Vivier (1913-98)
1954
Given by Roger Vivier
V&A: T.148-1974
2. Shoe, pink satin embroidered with beads and silk and metal thread
Roger Vivier (1913-98)
Late 1950s
Given by Roger Vivier
V&A: T.149-974
3. Shoe, satin embroidered with beads and silk and metal thread
Roger Vivier (1913-98)
Late 1950s
Given by Roger Vivier
V&A: T.154-1974
4. Shoe, camouflage pattern
Roger Vivier (1913-98)
Late 1950s
By courtesy of Roger Vivier
5. Shoe, satin with bows
Roger Vivier (1913-98)
Late 1950s
By courtesy of Roger Vivier
6. Shoe, satin with imitation pearls
Roger Vivier (1913-98)
Late 1950s
By courtesy of Roger Vivier(22/09/2007) |
| Credit line | Given by the designer |
| Object history | Part of the Cecil Beaton collection, no catalogue number but mentioned on the Addenda |
| Production | Attribution note: Possibly a one-off made as a designer sample or model shoe |
| Association | |
| Summary | Roger Vivier (1913-98) was a designer of luxury shoes, and is credited with creating the stiletto heel. He designed for several couturiers, including Elsa Schiaparelli in the 1930s, but notably for Christian Dior from 1953-63. He is the only one of Dior's collaborators permitted to have a credit on the final design - 'Christian Dior crée par Roger Vivier' - which is marked inside every shoe. He often worked in elaborate and expensive materials including silks, pearls, beads, lace, metal threads and jewels. This shoe was given to the V&A by Roger Vivier himself as a good example of his work. |
| Bibliographic reference | Wilcox, C., ed., The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-57 (V&A Publications, 2007), pl.2.14
|
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.148-1974 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | August 3, 2007 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSON
