Roger Vivier was a French fashion designer who revolutionized the shoe industry by introducing the Stiletto heel. One of his most dazzling creations was recently sold at an auction for the staggering sum of €19,750 (over $26,600). The pair was created in 1962 for Princess Soraya, the second wife of the late Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
His luxury accessory house was revived eight years ago by Diego della Valle, the same man who bought the precious shoes on November 30. The record-braking pumps were part of a vast personal collection of Vivier, and they were skillfully embroidered with silver thread, and decorated with topaz.
Della Valle, together with the rest of the Roger Vivier team, wanted to keep the collection as close to intact as possible, so they made an alliance with the French State and the French Shoe Federation to keep it from being torn apart and sold to many different bidders. Now almost the entire collection is safe in the possession of the French State.
