Roger Vivier SchuhWERKE

The DLM German Leather and Shoe Museum in Offenbach presents for the first time a treasure hidden in it’s Roger Vivier collections until now. It shows 40 prototypes of the master dating from the 1930s, bringing to light the youthful work of Roger Vivier, a period that has not yet really been explored from 22.03. till 02.11.2014.


‘Christian Dior – Shoes Created by Roger Vivier’ – The creator of the New Look would never have allowed anyone other than a legendary shoe designer sign his name next to his. This is proof of the great esteem Christian Dior held in Roger Vivier.

Vivier was a student of fine arts when he found a part-time job in a shoe factory that belonged to someone in the family, which explains the characteristically sculptural style of the shoes he created all throughout his career. He invented the Stiletto heel, the Comma heel, the Shock heel and many others that defied the laws of gravity. He dreamed up delicious little silk shoes decorated with feathers and pearls for Princess Soraya, Marlene Dietrich and many others. And it was Vivier who gave Brigitte Bardot her thigh-high boots to go with her Harley-Davidson…

From the 1930s on, as designer for Miller and Delman in New York, Vivier revolutionized the North American shoe market. All of his creations were realized on behalf of Laboremus, a subsidiary of the tannery Heyl’sche Lederwerke in Worms-Liebenau, the head office of which was at Place Vendôme in Paris, a stone’s throw away from the great Ritz Hôtel.

DLM German Leather and Shoe Museum Offenbach for the first time presents a treasure hidden in its Roger Vivier collections until now: 40 prototypes of the master dating from the 1930s, bringing to light the youthful work of Roger Vivier, a period that has not yet really been explored. The unique shoes from the House of Dior, those created under the label “Roger Vivier for Saks Fifth Avenue” and the exceptional models on loan from Roger Vivier in Paris, the Pierre Bergé-
Yves Saint Laurent Foundation and the Christian Dior Museum in Granville are so many windows opening onto the universe of a great name in fashion of the 20th century.

The exhibition presents over 100 works, including two dresses of Christian Dior, which will be shown in alternation. The curator of the exhibition is Dr. Rosita Nenno.

Roger Vivier – SchuhWERKE
22.03. – 02.11.2014

DLM Deutsches Ledermuseum Schuhmuseum Offenbach
Frankfurter Str. 86
63067 Offenbach/Main

Opening Hours
Tuesday – Sunday
10:00 – 17:00