Roger Vivier

Roger Vivier has just released its third Rendez-Vous collection, to coincide with Paris haute couture shows in late January. The ultra-limited edition of luxury shoes and bags appears twice a year and is the crowning jewel in the Paris-based label’s prestigious output, designed by artistic director Bruno Frisoni. The current batch has 17 models of bags and shoes, produced in no more than 10 copies of each—some fewer than five—including a clutch of woven gold metal with a turquoise clasp, and stilettos sporting a large pink “cotton candy” blossom. Although less expensive than Frisoni’s now-defunct couture line, a top-of-the-line Rendez-Vous clutch is about the price of a mid-size Lexus; the bags range from about $2,525 to $33,050 and the shoes between $1,725 and $12,950.

The collection made its debut in Paris and will travel to each of Vivier’s twelve boutiques worldwide, to be displayed like works of art in a private salon open only to VIP clients or by appointment. What happens if, say, an edition of five bags sells out before it reaches your city? The model will still travel for the exhibit, says a Vivier spokesperson, but once the edition is gone, that’s it. Vivier will take advance orders from clients who’ve seen photos of the collection in magazines, or from past buyers who received VIP invites.

website

Originally published in the February 2012 issue of France Today