In Roger Vivier, you’re the star in your own K-drama
French inventor of stiletto heels opens in Greenbelt 3—and also does high fashion athleisure shoes
Anton T. Huang has plenty of reasons to smile these days. The president of SSI Group said sales figures in 2022 for his company have topped that of 2019, “which was our best year,” he hastened to add.
This piece of good news he shared at a lunch with an intimate group of editors last week, to mark the opening of the first boutique of Roger Vivier in Makati.
With so-called revenge shopping already in full swing and just a few weeks left before Christmas, even the supply chain is improving, Huang added.
Roger Vivier is one of the newest additions to SSI’s diverse portfolio of about 100 brands, and bolsters SSI’s presence in the revamped Greenbelt 3’s so-called luxury row. It’s under the astute management of luxury retail vet Mario Katigbak.
The French luxury accessories maison founded in 1937 is best known for the Belle Vivier pumps, the shoe with a distinct pilgrim buckle accent, worn by French actress Catherine Deneuve in the 1967 Buñuel classic “Belle de Jour,” thus the name. It’s the brand’s most iconic style, and the buckle motif has been reinterpreted in countless iterations, including in handbags and other accessories.
Filipino K-drama fans had a preview of the beauty of Roger Vivier in the series “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha,” in which the lead Shin Min-a’s favorite shoe was a pair of silver Flower Strass Buckle pumps from the brand. Her character buys the pair as a treat for herself, after parting ways with a contentious boss. The shoe plays a pivotal part in the script—it would lead to her first meeting with the male lead, played by Kim Seon-ho.
As brand ambassador, Shin would wear other Roger Vivier looks in the same series, which has become the modern cultural reference for the brand. (The influence of K-dramaland is so far reaching, so better believe that.)
Contemporary vibe
After the slowdown of retail in China as a result of the pandemic, many brands are shifting their sights on Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, as new areas for growth. Roger Vivier, which is owned by the Tods Group, is among those brands. Bangkok is the fastest growing market for Roger Vivier, according to Estelle HuPirot, regional head of sales at Tods Group.
Gherardo Felloni was the Italian creative hired in 2018 to bring a contemporary vibe to the classicism of the brand. His Viv’ Run collection of high fashion sneakers, some with crystal-studded buckles, resonated with women who wanted both comfort and high style in their athleisure shoes. Fans swear by the comfort of wearing Roger Vivier shoes—and that’s including the heeled versions.
Felloni would also reinterpret the Belle Vivier into Très Vivier, new classics that include ballerina flats, buckled pumps and booties.
Roger Vivier was an artist dubbed the “Faberge of footwear,” who set his workshop in 1937 in Paris’ rue Royale. In 1953 he would commence a long history of making shoes for celebrities when he made the Boule Heel, a bejeweled ball accent on the heel, for actress Marlene Dietrich. Felloni creates new versions of the Boule Heel in the season’s collections.
In 1953, Vivier would also design shoes for Christian Dior, the only time the eminent couturier collaborated with a shoe designer. The following year, Vivier invented the Aiguille or stiletto heel, touted to be his biggest gift to fashion—it was said to complement the regal bearing of Dior’s haute couture models.
The Greenbelt 3 boutique is a grownup’s candy shop, with a motley of crystal-encrusted shoes and purses sitting like jewels on bright pink risers, the walls lined with covetable pieces you’d want to gift yourself with—to be your own Cinderella or K-drama heroine. Your choice.
On our visit, the store was abuzz with afternoon shoppers. They’re still on soft opening, but they’ve sold out on many styles and sizes.
After two years of retail lull, no wonder Huang is smiling. INQ