Vogue Arabia reveals that art director and perpetual globetrotter Sofia Sanchez de Betak is the face of Roger Vivier’s Spring 2017 campaign. Starring in a shoot by Quentin Jones, the images emphasize her Argentinian sartorial flare. The brand is a perennial favorite amongst the A-list, with Blake Lively being the latest star to tap into its effortless elegance in the form of the Crystal Bird Boite Clutch on the red carpet at the People’s Choice Awards 2017. The Spring 2017 collection is forward-thinking, ushering in the next generation of Vivier enthusiasts with its bold look-at-me colors and its instalment of street style darling De Betak.
Roger Vivier, the brand’s late founding designer, is credited by some as the man who created the stiletto heel, with his designs hailed as the “Fabergé of footwear”––Vivier created shoes for Christian Dior’s collections; his customers included Ava Gardner and HRH Queen Elizabeth II (he created the shoes for her coronation in 1953, no less). De Betak recalls: “My grandmother, the most elegant woman I’ve ever met, had dozens of pairs of Vivier [shoes]. I like seeing [them] reinterpreted and worn by a new generation.”
Bruno Frisoni, creative director of Roger Vivier, designed the Viv’Tango––a limited edition handbag in a vibrant chilli pepper red, with a leather guipure body and laser-cut florals, inspired by the Instagram star’s South American heritage. The Viv’Tango is a new offering to the stable of handbag shapes that capture Vivier’s signature classic-with-a-twist approach. “It is like a little piece of my land that I can take with me everywhere,” De Betak notes.
The holiday party season sees the leather frill pump taking center stage in fashion aficionado wardrobes the world over. Photo: @rogervivier/Instagram
“Roger Vivier…has made its mark on fashion history,” De Betak states boldly. “Lots of images stick in my mind. The Vogue cover in 1965 by David Bailey, Brigitte Bardot in thigh-high boots for a video in 1967, and all of those fabulous women who have worn Roger Vivier on their feet: Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren, Grace Kelly, Marlene Dietrich, and so on.”
@chufy/Instagram
Frisoni likens De Betak to Inès de la Fressange’s “little sister” in the style stakes. “Sofia is like Inès; she has that joie de vivre and energy, and they share the idea that life is above all a game,” notes the creative director. “Sofia has amazing fashion sense, precisely because she doesn’t take fashion seriously. In short, the perfect match for Roger Vivier!” House ambassador Inès de la Fressange adds: “She’s not an ‘It girl’, she’s a woman who wears Vivier.”
Roger Vivier Spring 2017 is available at Level Shoes at The Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, and The Galleria in Abu Dhabi.
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