Daily Front Row

2009 February 9

Vivier's French Connection

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(NEW YORK) Roger Vivier’s Madison Avenue store was a flurry of French-speakers this afternoon, with bevies of the chic ladies sipping champagne and snacking on mini croque-monsieurs while trying on Bruno Frisoni’s buckled creations. Heaven on earth? Don’t we wish. Guests were in attendance for Roger Vivier’s shopping event, benefitting the French Institute Alliance Française. Host (and gorgeous model—did you catch her walking the runway at Jean Paul Gaultier’s couture show just weeks ago?) Ines de la Fressange greeted her friends and guests (en français) like Giles Bensimon, curator of Paris’ Musee de La Mode et du Textile Pamela Golbin, and French Institute Alliance Francaise president Marie-Monique Stecke before gushing about the subject at hand: les chaussures.

“What is nice is that it shows, obviously, that one can be eccentric and not conventional but elegant, however,” she said. “And then that’s interesting about luxury--you’re able to do eccentric things but elegant, however! It’s also a solution, because if you have a boring outfit and you put on Vivier shoes, it’s better! It’s like the final touch, the finishing touch.” The model picked a subject from the shoppers. “Like, look at this lady. The jacket is fine, the skirt is fine, the stockings…not really. And after you see the shoes? No way. Imagine her with Vivier shoes? Not to be mean!” She laughed. “But we judge a lot, when you work in fashion, by the shoes!”

Désolé, catwalk watchers: but de la Fressange will not be walking during New York’s Fashion Week. She did, however, reminisce about her walk at Gaultier couture. “Jean Paul asked me, and it was fun, just once,” she said. “I was clapped, people were screaming! Especially in couture, no one claps, they don’t scream. I was so amazed. I have a picture of the people all turning their heads and smiling. There are tons of pictures of me, but I don’t care so much. The picture of all the people is so sweet.”
EMILY GYBEN