At 60, an icon learns to exhale

There is something delightfully self-assured about an icon that turns 60—not with nostalgia, but with a wink.

For spring-summer 2026, Roger Vivier chooses not to look back too sentimentally on the Belle Vivier’s legacy, but to live in it. Sixty years on, the emblematic square buckle still anchors the conversation, yet the mood feels lighter, brighter—decidedly more playful. This is not heritage under glass; it is heritage in motion.

The Belle Vivier remains the cornerstone of the house. First created in 1965 and immortalized on screen soon after, it owes its legendary status after Catherine Deneuve, who wore it in 1967’s Belle de Jour. Its graphic clarity still defines a certain Parisian allure—clean, composed, and just a touch cinematic.

But under Gherardo Felloni’s direction, the icon loosens up. Pastel tones soften its edges and materials feel almost indulgently tactile. It is recognizable, yes—but no longer precious in the rigid sense. It moves.

And then, there is the U Look.

Arguably the collection’s most charming proposition, the U Look translates archival references into something entirely contemporary. A ballerina and a city pump, it resists neat categorization, which is precisely its appeal. The curved, inward block heel—U-shaped, thus the name—gives it a gentle sculptural quality, while the rubber sole—quietly revolutionary in this context—makes it disarmingly comfortable. One suspects Monsieur Vivier would have approved of the pragmatism.

Rendered in sorbet shades—pistachio, plum, orange, lemon—the U Look feels like summer distilled into footwear. There is a lightness to it, both visually and physically, that speaks to how women actually want to move today: effortlessly, stylishly, without compromise. Chic, but never trying too hard.

Accessories follow suit. The Belle Vivier clutch emerges as a quiet standout, particularly in its woven leather iterations—where texture and craftsmanship take precedence over overt embellishment. Graphic yet soft, these pieces play with contrast and depth, offering a more relaxed counterpoint to the polished precision of the shoes. In a combo of colorways, they feel considered rather than showy—luxury that invites touch rather than attention.

This balance—between polish and ease, structure and spontaneity—runs through the entire collection. The Belle Vivier buckle, still gleaming in chrome, acts as a visual constant, grounding even the more whimsical iterations. It is a reminder that true icons do not need reinvention, only reinterpretation.

What Roger Vivier achieves this season is subtle but significant. Rather than staging a grand anniversary statement, the Maison offers something more intimate: a continuation. A suggestion that elegance, when done right, does not age—it simply adapts.

Sixty years later, the Belle Vivier is not just enduring. It is entirely at ease with itself. And perhaps that is the most Parisian quality of all.

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Roger Vivier is located at Greenbelt 3, Makati City.