The publication follows the inauguration of Maison Vivier in Paris and the opening of its archives, marking a pivotal moment in which Roger Vivier chooses to also share its history beyond the walls of the Maison itself. Roger Vivier: Heritage and Imagination is an act of cultural sharing, a gesture of openness transforming memory into a collective resource, accessible to curators, writers, students, designers and generations of readers interested in fashion as a cultural language.
Over the past decades, Roger Vivier’s work has been the subject of important publications that have documented his work and influence. From early monographs such as Roger Vivier by Pierre Provoyeur (1988), to Mémoire de la Mode (1999), Process to Perfection curated by Elizabeth Semmelhack (2012), and landmark volumes published by Rizzoli in connection with major exhibitions at the Palais de Tokyo and beyond. Roger Vivier: Heritage and Imagination builds upon this editorial lineage while moving decisively forward. Rather than focusing solely on biography or object analysis, the book proposes a broader cultural reading of Vivier’s universe, shaped by contemporary voices and interdisciplinary perspectives.
Curated by Elizabeth Semmelhack, Director and Senior Curator of the Bata Shoe Museum, the book is structured around five thematic “Salons”: Le Salon de l’Héritage, Le Salon des Formes, Le Salon de l’Ornement, Le Salon de la Célébrité, and Le Salon de l’Imaginaire. Inspired by the intellectual salons of the eighteenth century, these chapters operate as spaces of conversations rather than chronology, where ideas, images, and reflections intersect freely across time, disciplines, and sensibilities.
Drawing on recently disclosed archival material, from original sketches, prototypes, photographs, and documents the book reveals Monsieur Vivier as both craftsman and thinker: a designer whose radical approach to form, ornament, and proportion forever transformed the language of footwear. These historical materials are placed in dialogue with original contributions by an exceptional constellation of voices from cinema, art, fashion, literature, and design. A mirror demonstrating how Vivier’s ideas continue to inform contemporary luxury and creative authorship.
Among the contributors are Global Brand Ambassador Ines de la Fressange, renowned actresses Catherine Deneuve, Isabella Rossellini, Michelle Yeoh, Eva Green, Laura Dern, Cher, Christina Ricci, alongside writers and cultural commentators such as Suzy Menkes, Carol Woolton, Anne-Sophie von Claer, Violette d’Urso, as well as artists and image-makers including Nicolas Party and Ellen Mirojnick. Each brings an independent perspective, illuminating how Roger Vivier’s work continues to shape ideas of femininity, elegance, performance, and self-expression.
Under the creative direction of Gherardo Felloni, this heritage is shown not as a closed chapter, but as a living grammar, constantly reinterpreted with freedom, emotion, and contemporary relevance. The book reflects the Maison’s ongoing dialogue between past and present, intellect and imagination, discipline and joie de vivre.
Roger Vivier: Heritage and Imagination positions itself as both an intellectual and sensorial object: a work of long-form editorial research that affirms the Maison’s commitment to culture as a form of generosity. By transforming private memory into shared knowledge, Roger Vivier reasserts its belief that heritage gains meaning only when it is transmitted, questioned, and imagined again.
