Object: Shoes
Brand:
Christian Dior
(French, founded 1947)
Designer:
Roger Vivier
(1913 - 1998)
Date: 1955-1959
Medium: Taupe lizard and orange silk grosgrain
Country: France
Credit Line: Gift of Arthur Schwartz
Object number: 79.169.3
DescriptionTaupe lizard pumps with elongated narrow square novelty toe, high stiletto heel, and ogival bar with orange silk grosgrain underlay at throat; custom made
Label Text:The shoes of the 1950s, such as this pair of pumps designed by Roger Vivier for Christian Dior, were, with their high, slender heels and pointed toes, designed to complement the exaggerated feminine silhouette. Vivier is credited with popularizing the quintessential stiletto heel of the decade, but he was also lauded for his innovative sculptural heels, such as the comma and the talon choc. He was famous for his exquisitely jeweled and embroidered evening shoes, which earned him the moniker "the Fabergé of shoes."
Exhibitions:
- Shoes: Anatomy, Identity, Magic
- Temptation, Joy & Scandal: Fragrance & Fashion 1900 - 1950
- Paris Refashioned, 1957-1968
- Shoes: A Lexicon of Style
- 50 Years of Fashion, 1947 - 1997
- The Couture Accessory