Before there was a Vivier woman, there was Roger Vivier himself—a shoemaker whose sculptural designs reshaped the language of footwear. Founded in Paris in 1937, the house has since become synonymous with architectural heels, whimsical silhouettes and the women who wore them, from Josephine Baker and Marlene Dietrich to Queen Elizabeth II. Now, that legacy takes centre stage in Roger Vivier’s fall/winter 2026 campaign, with global brand ambassador Xin Zhilei moving through the maison’s Paris salons in a cinematic interplay of light, architecture and movement.
Conceived by creative director Gherardo Felloni, the campaign turns Maison Vivier into a world suspended between reality and imagination. Xin moves through its elegant interiors, encountering reflections, fleeting moments and shifting perspectives as the boundaries between past and present begin to blur. Her performance, described by the house as one of “restraint and expressive strength”, brings a contemporary interpretation to the Vivier woman: confident, perceptive, multifaceted and assured.
At the centre of the campaign is the Choc heel, one of Roger Vivier’s most recognisable archival designs. First created in 1959, its sculptural silhouette curves inward beneath the foot, creating the illusion of imbalance while maintaining its structural support. For fall/winter 2026, the Choc returns in new pumps with clean proportions and crystal-embellished metallic bows that catch the light with every step.
The collection’s other signatures take similarly sculptural turns. The Roseling bag is assembled from individually hand-cut and shaped leather petals, while the new Rose Vivier pumps transform voluminous satin into blooming three-dimensional flowers. A matching Rose Vivier clutch continues the motif with layers of sculpted satin petals. Elsewhere, the Belle Vivier lace-up is reworked in woven leather and supple suede, accompanied by matching clutches that reinterpret its signature buckle. The Efflorescence collection also gets a new finish: its crystal floral buckle, inspired by the blooms of the Gardens of Versailles, is recast in antique gold for the first time.
There is plenty of playfulness in the mix, too. Viv’ Rangers loafers are finished with miniature Efflorescence buckles and styled with the Pilgrim jewellery buckle bag, while Viv’ Skate sneakers are paired with a metallic-bow clutch. Tailcoat-inspired gilets extend the maison’s visual language beyond footwear, finished with crystal-embellished rose buttons.
For Xin, the campaign marks another chapter in her relationship with the maison. First named a Roger Vivier brand ambassador in 2024, the Chinese actress was appointed global brand ambassador in 2025. Her screen career has since continued to gather momentum, including a Best Actress win at the 2025 Venice Film Festival for Sun Hanging at Noon.
In Felloni’s latest campaign, however, the focus returns to where Roger Vivier’s story began: its shoes, its Parisian home and the enduring tension between structure and fantasy. As Xin moves through Maison Vivier, its archival signatures meet a distinctly contemporary sensibility, bringing the house’s past into motion once again.
