A silver lining of this past year has been the wellspring of creativity inspired by new sources closer to home. For Gherardo Felloni, Creative Director of Roger Vivier, the storied Paris-based accessories collection, it was quarantine time spent at his lighthouse home on Isola del Giglio, a small island off the coast of Tuscany. During the long spring months he spent there in 2020, he discovered a new passion for gardening and planted more than 2,000 trees and plants.

A passionate artist and opera singer (he’s a tenor), Felloni joined Roger Vivier as Creative Director in 2018. The late Monsieur Vivier created the first stiletto heel in the Fifties. He quickly became known for luxurious embellished footwear that he described as “sculptures”. Felloni has kept Vivier’s creativity and artistic vision alive, and it now extends beyond shoes to handbags, leather goods, and jewellery. The Maison’s signature buckle symbolizes the “eternal cycle of fashion” and shows up in sparkly strass, even on sneakers. 

Felloni’s new green thumb extended to his latest collection, called the Cat Garden - A Tribute to Nature. You’ll find the Deep Vivier shopping tote exclusively at Bal Harbour Shops this spring. The bag is made from a coated canvas similar to the durable fabric used for traditional gardening aprons. It comes in a black and white graphic print, as well as several colour versions, and features hand-painted floral motifs - perfect for shopping at a flower market!

Felloni portrait and product photography, courtesy of Roger Vivier.
Landscape photo, Shutterstock.