First Exhibition in North America to Feature Exquisite Footwear by Roger Vivier

TORONTO, February 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

The Bata Shoe Museum is excited to announce that it will unveil the first exhibition in North America dedicated to the work of one of the 20th century's most important master shoemakers, Roger Vivier on May 9, 2012.  Entitled Roger Vivier:  Process to Perfection, the exhibition focuses on the designer who was renowned for the bejewelled and elegantly sculptural shoes that he created throughout his life.  Many of his innovations, such as the needle, choc and comma heels are as important in fashion today as when he first introduced them.

Vivier's career was established in the 1950s when he became the shoe designer for Christian Dior.  During his time with Dior his shoes were the epitome of mid-century glamour and Vivier's early training in scuplture at École des Beaux Arts is evident in the sculptural heels and toes he designed for Dior.  After Dior's death, Vivier continued to produce elegant footwear for the House of Dior but in 1963 he set out on his own. Among his many successes include the refinement of the high heel, the pilgrim buckle shoe popularized by Catherine Deneuve, which sold in the thousands, the thigh high boot popularized by Bridget Bardot and the reintroduction of the platform shoe.

Throughout his career, Vivier proved to be extremely responsive to cultural shifts and he remained devoted exploring the artistic potential of shoe design.  Ever engaged in designing shoes, Vivier worked right up until his death in 1998 at the age of 90.  Throughout his illustrious career Vivier ceaselessly sought to refine his process and continually strove for perfection.

The focus of the Roger Vivier exhibition will be the working process of Roger Vivier and his masterpieces of shoe design.  The Bata Shoe Museum's Vivier holdings will be complemented by loans from world-renowned institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Deutsch Ledermuseum in Germany and the Roger Vivier brand.

Visitors to the exhibition will see never before exhibited drawings by Vivier and pull-overs designed for Christian Dior which illuminate his working process.  Visitors will also be able to see the jewels of his oeuvre----the shoes that his working process wrought into perfection.

An exciting programming and lecture series has been developed to accompany the exhibition.  Roger Vivier:  Process to Perfection will be on view until April 7, 2013.

About the Bata Shoe Museum

The Bata Shoe Museum is dedicated to uncovering the role of footwear in the social and cultural life of humanity. The Museum's growing international collection of over 13,000 objects touches on 4,500 years of history. A varied programme of events and exhibitions lets visitors discover the stories behind footwear from many lands and cultures. Further information is available at http://www.batashoemuseum.ca.

For further information:

For more information, interviews or visuals please contact:

Rosmarie Gadzovski
Marketing & Public Relations Manager, Bata Shoe Museum
+1-416-979-7799 x225 or rosmarie.gadzovski@batashoemuseum.ca