Roger Vivier’s creative director, Bruno Frisoni, on the brand’s legacy, future and the iconic buckle that put the fashion house on the map
Roger Vivier’s creative director opens up about that iconic buckle, social media and more.
“For Vivier, the buckle is our centerpiece, defining what will be a forever classic.” -BRUNO FRISONI
“There’s always the iconic pieces that generate the success of a brand,” says Bruno Frisoni, creative director of shoe, handbag and accessory brand Roger Vivier (rogervivier.com). “For Vivier, the buckle is our centerpiece, defining what will be a forever classic. It’s an element of recognition—it makes you a club member,” he says of the fashion house’s now legendary Strass buckle, which became famous 50 years ago after actress Catherine Deneuve donned a Vivier pump in her film Belle de Jour. When it comes to his inspiration, Frisoni certainly looks to the archives, but he’s consistently trying to reinvent the brand with a fresh perspective. “When you go back to the archives... it gives you new energy,” he explains. “That being said, I am also afraid of the archives—it can be a trap. Fashion is always changing so you need to change too.” Frisoni knows he must be ahead of what people want, while also creating what they want now. Most recently, the “want” is the Roger Vivier’s Sneaky Viv’ sneaker, which is available in a variety of silks and satins, and is crowned with the iconic buckle. Frisoni has scaled down his annual collections to two, rather than four. “Showing four collections a year was a struggle,” he explains. “We need to be more and more efficient, and we have less and less time. No one wants to wait,” says the designer. “To me, waiting generates desire. But if you make me wait for months, I’d be crazy. I’d pass.” The instant desire for the latest and greatest could be connected to the rise of social media, but Frisoni is not affected by the likes of Instagram or Facebook. “Instagram is a tiring system,” he says. “I have to be on Instagram, but it eats a lot of time. You can post, but you only have a fraction of a second to attract attention—there are too many things to look at and that becomes very empty.” That’s why Frisoni’s sentiment of the classic rings so true: “Classics are the center and the soul of every collection. If you don’t have a great classic, then you have to generate one before you can express anything else.”