Roger Vivier pumps spotted during Paris Fashion Week spring 2014
the epic Roger Vivier sample sale kicked off this morning at Soiffer Haskin with a massive line of shoppers eager to get their hands on discounted shoes, bags, and accessories. We joined the line just before 8:45am, and when doors opened more than an hour later, it would still be another hour and a half before we were able to make it inside. Pictures were prohibited, but we’ll do our best to describe what we saw.After checking coats, bags, and phones, we entered the sale to find a room full of shoes that range in size from 5 to 11 1/2, with a selection that runs the gamut from simple black satin slingbacks ($250) and calf hair smoking flats ($350) to extravagant jeweled buckled platform sandals ($1,450).
There are plenty of the brand’s signature shoes, like Belle Vivier Trompette pumps ($375) and ballerinas ($275) in a variety of colors. We also saw art-y shoes like smoking flats with a makeup brush on top ($550) and bedazzled buckles. Overall, pricing for the majority of what we saw fell between $275 and $375, and each shopper is allowed to purchase a maximum of 10 pairs of shoes.
We also saw wallets for $100, clutches and crossbody bags for $350, larger satchels for $1,200, and totes for $1,400 (bags are limited to three per customer). In terms of jewelry, we saw bracelets and brooches for $75 pins, plus a few necklaces.
Consider this a fair warning: We heard a security guard tell a woman as we were leaving just after 12pm that it would be at least two hours from the time she got in line until she would be able to shop the sale. Check out the Dealfeed below for more details, and if you decide to shop, let us know how you fare in the comments.
Camille Seydoux, Alexia Niedzielski and Arizona Muse
DENIM DINNER: Camille Seydoux joined Alexia Niedzielski at an intimate dinner hosted by Roger Vivier at Casa Cruz in West London on Thursday night. The brand teamed up with the celebrity stylist on a collection where she reworked accessories into a lineup of patchwork denim styles that took cues from Vivier’s 2012 Prismick line.
When the dress code called for “denim inspired,” the London crowd came through. Guests, including Quentin Jonesand Jasmine Guinness, donned a range of blue-hued ensembles. Some draped dungaree jackets over shoulders while others did a double dose in denim. Relaxed fits, tapered and skinny styles were faded or frayed, in tones of deep indigos or stonewash.
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Jones, who paired a vintage denim jacket and blouse over a long red Gucci skirt with floral embellishments and Roger Vivier shoes, said: “It’s about what you’ve had the longest and love the most. [That] would be my oldest pair of jeans.”
The British illustrator, model and filmmaker is working on a project with beauty brand Sisley and a short film, though she kept mum about the details.
Model Arizona Muse, a denim aficionado, noted a memorable denim item as a pair of classic Levi’s she owned when she was 10 years old. “I love denim,” she said. “Especially the crucial black jean, and I’m also loving a blue denim flare leg,” though she would end up wearing a black tux for the night.
This is the first commercial collection for Seydoux who hopes to collaborate again in the future. “I want to do many more,” she said. “I love the creative process. I have ideas all the time, I want to do so many things.”
The Prismick Denim collection is a four-piece capsule range, which includes a shoulder bag, an evening bag, platform sandals and ankle boots.
“I was very inspired by Jane Birkin,” she explained. “I have a picture of her at home, she’s wearing patchwork and she looks so effortless — both, so British and French. I was inspired by the platforms.”
Working with denim was not an issue for the stylist. “I love it because it’s classic,” she said. “It’s universally a type of fabric that you can use for accessories and clothes, and you can even wear it no matter if you’re a man or woman. It’s basic but it can also be haute couture.”
Seydoux’s fashion sense stems from familial ties: Both her sister Léa, who starred in James Bond’s “Spectre” and the “Grand Budapest Hotel,” and her mother-in-law, model Farida Khelfa, are front-row regulars. “I’m very inspired by my family,” she said. “I have one sister who is a photographer and another who is an actress. My mother used to have a shop and my mother-in-law was a muse of Alaïa and Jean Paul Gaultier. I was completely in awe. I learned so much from her. I knew who Azzedine Alaïa was when I was 8 years old.”
The stylist is about to shoot for Vanity Fair Italia — this time as a model. “When they called me I thought they were joking. They had a stylist for me. Can you imagine that?”
On Tuesday, the ladies who lunched were not uptown doyennes at the now-defunct Swifty’s but rather a cooler, chicer crowd of young women slipping their cutlery out of detached denim pockets that acted as place settings at Maman Tribeca, the recently opened, larger, airier sibling of the beloved Soho bakery. The francophone location was appropriate for the occasion: a celebration of stylist Camille Seydoux’s collaboration Prismick Denim collection with Roger Vivier co-hosted by Garance Doré. The idea for the collection of shoes and bags outfitted in pyramid patchwork denim came naturally to Seydoux, who is responsible for the red carpet looks of her bombshell sister, Lea. “Jean, it’s a material you always feel good in. And with the bag, it’s nice because it’s not boring, but it’s a neutral. It goes with so many things, but it’s fun. I hate boring bags, les Hermès me fatiguent!” And indeed, the ladies in the room proved that the collection was versatile enough to supplement a variety of ensembles, from Cleo Wade’s folk-embroidered chambray popover to Kate Foley’s floral-print frock. Seydoux was outfitted thematically, pairing a Sonia Rykiel embellished denim blouse and tweed shorts with her Prismick platforms and backpack. As guests left to creep back to offices, they were offered petite straw baskets and invited to shop the Maman marché and pick from a delectable variety of baked goods, as well as an assortment of bouquets bundled up, naturally, in Roger Vivier wrapping.
monday is already starting off with a bang. Sale venue Soiffer Haskin just announced that the Roger Vivier sample sale will kick off its four-day event on Friday, March 18th at 10am with discounts on shoes, bags, and accessories.
You’ll probably want to plot your attack now, because everything about last year’s sale was epic, starting with the lines and ending with the merchandise selection. Once inside the sale — after waiting for two hours — we found that your basic pump with a three-inch heels was $250. From the signature series, flats and low chunky heels were $330, and heels were $360.
Strappy heels, stilettos, and all other open-toe shoes without a buckle (literally labeled “other shoes”) were also $360. Both plain chunky-heeled and plain stiletto booties were $400, but prices went up to $800 for bedazzled or more intricate ones.
There was also a ten-pair purchase limit last time, and restocking never happened — whether either of these policies will return this year is unclear. In short? Clear your calendar on Friday if you’re looking for deeply discounted heels. Check out the Dealfeed below for more information.
French footwear and accessories label Roger Vivier is courting ultra-chic youth with the help of a celebrity stylist.
Camille Seydoux has taken control of the brand’s Prismick line and revealed an all-denim capsule collection of her own. With a clear design principle and a star-powered campaign, the collaboration will likely find dedicated fans drawn to its unique aesthetic.
“Bringing in outside influencers for a capsule poses excellent opportunities for brands, from increased sales, to refreshing brand image, growing demographics, placements and more, said Paul Farkas, Co-Founder and CEO, Athleisure Mag andAccessory2. “While inspired by a je ne sais quoi Jane Birkin moment, Camille Seydoux channels a bit more Katy Perry/Britney Spears, which works in it’s own right.
“Indeed, the capsule is charming and promises lots of fun, whimsical looks, as the premium denim will play well with mixed looks, day to night, and the festival scene,” he said.
Dressed in denim
The collection is made up of six pieces: platform sandals, ankle boots, sneakers, a shoulder bag, a bucket bag and a backpack. All six pieces are made of denim, chosen in part for its resistance.
The collection marks Ms. Seydoux’s first partnership with a brand. She has previously opened an art gallery and currently designs bespoke dresses for actresses, including her sister, Léa Seydoux.
“I began by attentively exploring my own Prismick bag, which is in a melting fade of black and grey,” Ms. Seydoux, who designed the collection, said in a statement. “I wanted to work on the idea of facets that make up grades of shading.
Denim platform boot
“I looked through the maison’s archives and then I thought of denim,” she continued. “It’s a fabric that naturally burnishes. Denim is both classic and modern, and, significant detail, is very resistant.”
The limited-edition collection will go on sale in the brand’s retail outlets this month.
A cocktail party on March 7 at Roger Vivier’s Paris store took place in honor of the collaboration. Attendees included actress Adèle Exarchopoulos and her “Blue is the Warmest Color” co-star Léa Seydoux, also the designer’s sister and most recent “Bond Girl” for her role in “Spectre.” Photos from the event were shared on Roger Vivier’s social media platforms.
Léa Seydoux, Adèle Exarchopoulos and Camille Seydoux
Roger Vivier also created a video, starring actresses Lubna Playoust, Lola Le Lann and the designer herself.
The video begins with the co-stars calling one another on the phone and arranging a get together. These opening moments aside, there is no dialogue, with only a bass vamp and occasional sound effects on the soundtrack.
The three women get together to play a game, with one of them seen in close-up putting on a pair of the Prismick Denim collection’s sneakers. At the table, in a jump cut, the character played by Ms. Le Lann appears to pull the collection’s purse out of thin air.
A server brings dice, which the women take turns rolling. As they do so, more items from the collection materialize.
The server brings the platform sandals, which Ms. Seydoux strikes a match on. The server then blows it out, but upon doing so, the music drops out and everything except the dice disappear.
He rolls them, and a cart featuring the whole collection appears and the music restarts.
Magic Denim – Camille Seydoux for Roger Vivier
“The video short is well produced and correctly showcases the capsule collection as the star of the magic denim theme,” Mr. Farkas said. “The image breakouts aptly features pin-it hot keys for shareable goodness. Posting highlights from the in-store cocktail party launch ties the festivities and celebration with the campaign.”
The distinct aesthetic and quirky video style will likely attract a self-selecting, specific audience. Heavily targeted collections can help a brand build a loyal audience and cultivate a distinct identity, helping it to stand out within the sector.
Careful and consistent Roger Vivier’s recognizable style often extends from its products into its marketing strategy.
For example, last year the brand showed off its new styles through a retro-futuristic comic book-themed spring catalog.
“Super Vivier” told the story of a fashionable woman and her sidekick shoes and handbags who help her defeat boring style. By featuring its products in the context of a narrative, the brand lengthens the time consumers will likely spend engaging with the new collections (see story).
The brand also tends to tap into celebrities with a discernible youth appeal to help it reach its target market.
In June, Roger Vivier embraced a classic French aesthetic with its latest brand ambassador for the fall/winter 2015 collection.
Roger Vivier chose to tap Jeanne Damas for the year’s campaign, emphasizing the young French blogger’s signature style and Parisian sophistication. Working with a popular blogger for the campaign likely helped Roger Vivier connect with a younger audience while still maintaining its classic French appeal (see story).
“Denim cuts across generations and price points, it’s a mainstay and sexy fabrication,” Mr. Farkas said. “The hues, washes and accessory bodies here can elegantly welcome more mass consumers to the brand, while not disrupting bonds with the more traditional shoppers.”
