Cat Ladies and French Maids Filled Roger Vivier’s Paris Fashion Week Fête

For the past few seasons, Roger Vivier’s Paris Fashion Week presentations have become one of the most talked-about events. The historic accessories brand typically stages an interactive cocktail presentation with multiple rooms and cheerleaders, Jackie O. impersonators and roving models are not off-limits.

Creative director Gherardo Felloni lead guests on a wild journey, dubbed Sensorama, that addressed the five senses and also revealed the new fall 2020 collection at the same time. Editors, buyers, and celebrities, such as Christina Ricci, Jourdan Dunn, and Dianna Agron, were guided through the different rooms that explored touch, sight, smell, sound, and even taste.

“For me, Sensorama is the idea that sensation can make something click in your brain,” said Felloni. “Sensorama is all about the senses and how these are what connect imagination to the mind.” Actors filled the venue and wore some of the most extravagant costumes—there were women wearing fantastically realistic cat heads, while others were wearing classic French cocktail waitress uniforms and couture-inspired dresses. In one room a woman sat atop a giant cake surrounded by Miss Vivier bags, and another room, coated entirely in pink fluff, begged to be touched. In yet another room, characters were recording ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) sounds. One of the most spectacular activations was the smell-themed room, where guests took a scented trip through Roger Vivier shoes placed under glass cloches.

As for the collection itself, here Felloni took inspiration from the original house codes that reflect back to the 18th century. He reimagined classic silhouettes of jewelry and shoes with new colors and embroidery—creating 12 different, new cuissarde boots that were all embroidered by hand. Before leaving the venue, almost everyone snapped a photo with the gigantic legs wearing the Vivier Queen sandals. It’s clear that Vivier has a knack for creating a world of imaginative fantasy, and with Sensorama, the brand just may have outdone itself.