On the occasion of the Autumn Winter 2024-25 Haute Couture collections in Paris, France, the House of Roger Vivier presents the third chapter of Pièce Unique: a rarified showcase of haute maroquinerie designed by creative director Gherardo Felloni. Entitled “Petites Merveilles”, a presentation of one-of-a-kind Viv’ Choc handbags and silk gilets is unveiled within the Salle d’Argent of the Maison’s Parisian boutique on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, inviting guests to discover an ephemeral natural museum where miniature wild creatures are revered as jewels of nature.
Delving into Monsieur Vivier and Gherardo Felloni’s shared passion for the natural world, “Petites Merveilles” intertwines the ethereal beauty of insects and their flora with the exquisite craftsmanship of couture. Incredibly small yet essential to life, as such, these beings deserve to be majestically glorified, a quest each piece of the collection unapologetically pursues. Evoking natural ecosystems as well as mythic interpretations throughout history, Gherardo Felloni imbues each creation with talismans and gestures that recall their namesake creature. From butterflies and bees to scorpions and spiders, scarabs, lady beetles and fireflies: all are transformed into shimmering Viv’ Choc handbag and gilet designs through the deft sublimation of rich colours, sparkling textures and figurative forms. Together, the collection forms a harmonious gesamtkunstwerk of artistic expressions that flow from one design to another, oscillating between diaphanous lightness and a darker sense of beauty.
Reimagined as a cabinet of curiosities, the walls of the Salle d’Argent reveal each precious gilet on mannequins and each handbag housed within pink velvet walls, framed by constellations of gilded insects. This architectural metamorphosis continues onto every Pièce Unique design, fusing the draped, feminine lines of the Viv’ Choc and its signature Roger Vivier buckle with some of the most meticulous techniques of embroidery, feather quilting, metalwork and jewellery making.
Embodying the qualities of a distinct species or exploring more abstract notions of an insect’s habitat, appearance, or symbolic significance, 15 one-of-a-kind handbags and 4 encrusted gilets become canvases for opulence. From micro to macro, from day to night, and from the lush green forest to the arid desert, landscapes of crystals and bugle beading intertwine. Femininity abounds, in clusters of iridescent scarab beetles, peacock blue butterfly wings embellished with rhinestones, or a pearlescent patchwork of snowy white feathers.
Representing good fortune as well as the masterful skill of the Roger Vivier ateliers, ruby red lady beetles shiver ‘en tremblant’ across scarlet satin or hidden amongst floating organza leaves, and the subtle glint of gold and crystal fireflies peek out from the shadows of a feathery night sky. Metallic spiderwebs twinkle with crystal dewdrops, whilst a scorpion trilogy flirts with danger: from the smoky gradient of a pavé buckle to a carapace of pyramid rhinestones and scorpion totems hidden within textural folds. Elsewhere, the bee and its hive springs to life in a matrix of gilded latticework on black organza buzzing with topaz jewels.
Giving rise to a whimsical journey through couture craftsmanship, “Petites Merveilles” ebbs and flows from lyrical humour to a near sinister elegance, where the atelier’s prowess teases a mystical symbiosis from humankind’s ancient links with the world around us. Dancing between light and dark, nocturnal monochromes and ebullient bursts of color, each Pièce Unique is a sublime homage to the marvels of the entomological world.
“I found inspiration in small creatures for this third Pièce Unique collection. The artistry of their forms, the precision of their work—they remind us that beauty lies in details. Like our Maison’s artisans, who weave stunning couture, insects create masterpieces. They are nature’s unsung heroes, pollinating fields, balancing ecosystems, and teaching us interconnectedness. At Roger Vivier, we are fortunate to have a legacy that preserves couture savoir-faire. This collection celebrates the harmony and beauty of craftsmanship, both human and natural.” - Gherardo Felloni
ICARUS
On a black organza base, the wings of a Common Blue Butterfly (Polyommatus icarus) have been meticulously detailed through shades of hand-embroidered black and blue rhinestone beads. The wing patterns, padded, are rendered in three dimensions, giving the piece a moving sensual aspect, as if it were alive. The front reveals a buckle encrusted with blue and black rhinestones, which also adorn the platinum metal chain. The specific placement of each rhinestone, drapery and pattern has been planned by creative director, Gherardo Felloni, with careful consideration for the overall balance of volume, as well as functionality. The creation of this Pièce Unique took approximately 36 hours.
URANIE
This multi-hued interpretation of the Nocturnal Butterfly (Urania) focuses on its darker qualities. Instead of capturing the light, this Pièce Unique shines in obscurity: discreet, yet deeply infatuating once noticed. To convey this subtlety, special attention has been directed to the multi-layered embroidery work. On an organza base, the abysmal dark eye pattern of the wings is stitched with black stones. Over it, an adorning net of smaller rhinestones and strass has been added. This net is complemented by blue organza, reminiscent of 19th century dresses, fringing the edges of the bag, giving it sensuous movement. The central buckle is ornamented of dark blue, sapphire light blue, and amber coloured crystals inspired by Art Nouveau jewellery. The creation of this Pièce Unique took approximately 40 hours.
APOLLO
This interpretation of the Apollo butterfly (Parnassius apollo) honours the ‘plumassier’, or precious art of feather-making. This Pièce Unique was designed in an instant, following the awakening of a dream of an immaculate butterfly. Despite this fleeting chimerical essence, the material construction took planning and constancy with different types of feathers hand applied one by one, each carefully studied in shape, size and colour before being affixed, like in a mosaic. The bag took form over time, overlapping on past volume and feather compositions. The buckle, made following high jewellery techniques, features a pearl finish hand-encrusted with crystal rhinestones. The creative director envisions this one-of-a-kind piece to be part of a woman’s special day. The creation of this Pièce Unique took approximately 40 hours.
LUCK BE A LADY
This Pièce Unique celebrates the ladybug, a symbol of good luck, and notably the natural ambient in which it thrives: an opulent foliage of greenery. On a green satin base, a myriad of organza threads of leaves, each featuring distinct hand embroidery work of green-hued beads and strass, result in eclectic wild fringes contouring the bag. The buckle, gilded of golden topaz-coloured crystals in accordance with high-jewellery techniques, features enamelled red ladybug figurines encrusted with crystal rhinestones. These figurines also adorn the light gold finished chain of the shoulder strap. The creation of this Pièce Unique took approximately 40 hours.
LADY RUBY
This artistic interpretation of the ladybug focuses on the beliefs of prosperity held around the creature by playing on notions of multiplicity and excess. The red satin base of the bag is draped of hand-stitched rhinestones of varying sizes and shades of red, then complemented by fringes of translucent red beaded cords tipped with red satin spheres. These luxurious orbs are themselves embroidered in red and black beads, embodying the creature of good fortune. The central closure and shoulder strap chain, composed of ultra-black platinum metal, are each hand encrusted with Siam red, ruby-like, rhinestones in accordance with high-jewellery techniques. The creation of this Pièce Unique took approximately 40 hours.
LA CHANCEUSE
Roger Vivier, the designer, took inspiration wherever he found it: sculpture, cabarets, millinery and more. He even went as far as creating shoes designed as masks. To pay tribute to these surprising archival creations, this Pièce Unique uses feathers in a playful and unexpected way reminiscent of 12th century Italian papier-mâché masks and French burlesque shows from La Belle Epoque. To make this unique creation, different types of feathers were attached one by one on a red satin base. Each feather has been hand-worked using heat to give it a particular shape and volume. They’ve subsequently each been hand dyed and painted with every shade and dot typical of the creature of good luck. The creation of this Pièce Unique took approximately 40 hours.
SCORPION À L’AUBE
This creation takes inspiration from the polarising and stinging scorpion. A small being that conceals great power, this creature symbolises at once attraction and repulsion, destruction and protection, death and revival. To express these paradoxes, the black satin-based bag is covered of mirroring crystals shaped like pyramids. They draw in with their reflective power while keeping away with their pointy beaded edge. These pyramids also reference the creature’s natural habitat, the desert. The sides of the Pièce Unique feature a composition of ‘baguette’ rhinestone embroideries reminiscent of the creature’s sturdy back. Fringes of crystal beads surround the edges of the bag. Two scorpion sculptures are stitched onto this one-of-a-kind piece, hidden…One must find them. The creation of this Pièce Unique took approximately 36 hours.
SCORPION DE NUIT
This Pièce Unique honours the scorpion creature in its most tenebrous form thanks to its distinctive jet-black hues. In this creation, the pointy black cylindrical pyramids armouring the satin bag absorb the light instead of reflecting it, evoking a dark mystifying feeling. The sides feature black ‘baguette’ rhinestone embroidery work akin to the rugged back of the creature, while fringes of black crystal beads surround the bag’s edges. Following the techniques of high-jewellery, the buckle is adorned of individual rhinestones and the shoulder chain is encrusted with coated rings, giving the bag a unique allure. Two scorpions occupy their space on this one-of-a-kind bag... Will you find them? The creation of this Pièce Unique took approximately 36 hours.
C’EST DANS MA NATURE
Diverting the tale of The Scorpion and the Frog, this bag reveres the natural and instinctual particularities of the former creature. The scorpion’s anatomy as well as the sand dunes it inhabits are cleverly interpreted through texture, draping, and volume to create an organic and singular Pièce Unique. Meticulous hand-embroideries of long cylindric beads punctuated by round silver rhinestones, come together to adorn the front flap of the piece. A piping of squared strass borders the bag’s edges, while the two sides of the bag overflow with curvaceously draped organza, resulting in a voluptuous look. The chain and buckle feature a bicolour finish combining a platinum metal silver half hand encrusted with crystal rhinestones, and a shaded black half hand encrusted with jet black rhinestones. The creation of this Pièce Unique took approximately 40 hours.
TOILE PERLÉE
This spider-inspired Pièce Unique draws from the revered creature’s engineered ambient, its web. To create the spider’s home, the designers worked with the same diligence and meticulousness as the creature. Affixed on immaculate white satin, the web materializes as a metal net, made-to-measure like a dress pinned and fitted directly onto the bag. The structure’s adorning crystal and pearl details resemble water droplets dressing the fine silky threads, as one would naturally find them amidst the brumes of dawn. There are two nets, one on the front, another on the flap, under which the embroidered pristine satin is visible. The ingenious weaver inhabits the piece. Can you find it? The creation of this Pièce Unique took approximately 36 hours.
TOILE DE NUIT
This unique piece gives reverence to the spider’s ingenious threaded ambient. Indeed, the creature’s web stands as a universal symbol of creativity, interconnectedness and meticulousness. To create this structure that is at once an enticing home and a deadly trap, the designers worked with the same diligence as the creature. The web is embodied by a metal net, made-to-measure like a dress pinned and fitted directly onto the bag. The bespoke crystal details resemble the weave’s fine silky strings adorned of droplets, as it would appear when emerging from the dusk’s haze. There are two nets, one attached to the front, another onto its flap, under them the bag’s embroidered black satin base is visible. Look closely... Will you spot the weaver onto this piece of refined jewellery work? The creation of this Pièce Unique took approximately 36 hours.
ROYAL BEE
This Pièce Unique honours not only the pollinating creature but also its home, the beehive, a unique kingdom that testifies to nature’s harmony and industry. Over a black organza fabric embroidered of elongated black beads, a metal shield hovers over the piece like a hive’s matrix. The metal structure grows from the central buckle, taking over the entire bag. This originating central closure is encrusted with light yellow topaz-coloured crystals akin to the amber hues found in honeycomb. The golden and light grey metal shoulder metal strap features encrusted topaz, grey, and light black strass. Two embroidered bee sculptures inhabit the bag. Will you find them? The creation of this Pièce Unique took approximately 35 hours.
ADELE
The Maison wanted to revere the beetle by sublimating it like in a Klimt painting, this Pièce Unique is thus named after the painter’s most famous model. This clustered metallic bag, carefully hand-embroidered with golden and crystal stones, smoked amber rhinestones, light coloured topaz and sequins on a beige satin base, has been created specifically to resemble a precious scarab. Particularly, the encrusted gleaming metal beads emulate the creature’s anatomy. This unique handbag stands as a piece of designer jewellery on its own. 150 of these grain-like beads carefully compose this unique handbag. The creation of this Pièce Unique took approximately 40 hours.
NEFERTITI
In Ancient Egypt, scarab shaped jewels were often inscribed with the names of pharaohs and queens. Indeed, the creature was a symbol of the eternal cycles of life and death, guiding royalty even in the afterlife. Still today, the creature’s unique ability to transform and navigate through darkness is seen as a biological prowess. A loyal tribute to the scarab’s natural appearance, this creation is designed using polychromatic crystals, rhinestones, and sequins, akin to the creature’s reflections of deep hues of black, indigo, blue and green. These beads and rhinestones of varying sizes, hand encrusted on black satin, make this colourful and joyful handbag an accessory but also a designer piece of jewellery on its own. The creation of this Pièce Unique took approximately 40 hours.
LUCIOLE
A warm summer night sparked the impetus to realise this Pièce Unique, which arguably, is made of dreams. To create the night that ignites the firefly’s lantern, deep navy-blue satin embroidered with fringe of blue beads and blue-coloured ostrich feathers compose the creation. They are adorned with delicate spheres made of golden filaments. Each of these sculptural bubbles enrobe a crystal stone, with its point of reflecting light, representing the wandering creature. Together, they illuminate the entire bag like a constellation of shining stars. To imbue a feeling of grandeur to the firefly’s nocturnal exploration, the designers experimented and chose to place all ornaments with precise symmetry to enhance the impression of volume. The creation of this Pièce Unique took approximately 40 hours.
LADY RUBY GILET
This artistic interpretation of the ladybug focuses on the beliefs of prosperity held around the creature by playing on notions of multiplicity and excess. The red satin base of this unique gilet is draped of hand-stitched rhinestones of varying sizes and shades of red. It is complemented by fringes of red beaded cords tipped with red satin spheres embroidered with black beads. These luxurious tipping orbs represent the creature of good fortune.
GILET SCORPION À L’AUBE
This creation takes inspiration from the polarising and stinging scorpion. A small being that conceals great power, this creature symbolizes at once attraction and repulsion, destruction and protection, death and revival. To express these paradoxes, this satin gilet is covered of embroidered mirroring crystals shaped like pyramids. They draw in with their reflective power while keeping away with their pointy edge. These pyramids also reference the creature’s natural habitat, the desert. Fringes of crystal beads surround the edges of the gilet.
GILET LUCIOLE
A warm summer night sparked the impetus to realise this pièce unique, which arguably, is made of dreams. To create the night that ignites the firefly’s lantern, sky-blue satin with deep blue beaded fringes were chosen to compose the gilet. It is also adorned with dark blue Galeotti feathers. To imbue a feeling of grandeur to the firefly’s nocturnal exploration, the designers experimented with composition and chose to embroider all adorning elements with acute symmetry to enhance the impression of volume.
GILET APOLLO
This interpretation of the Apollo butterfly (Parnassius apollo) honours the ‘plumassier’, or precious art of feather-making. This Pièce Unique was inspired by the dream of an immaculate butterfly. The material construction of this one-of-a-kind gilet took planning and constancy with different types of feathers hand applied one by one, each carefully studied in shape, size and colour before being affixed, like in a mosaic. The gilet took form over time, overlapping on past volume and feather compositions.
