The Bite Magazine - Summer 2019 - Issue 25

bite book review Elizabeth goes on to give a biography account of both men before and after they met which formed a working relationship that lasted al- most a decade. Of course, the author could not talk about Dior with- out mentioning the ‘New Look’ that revolutionised women’s fashion after the conclusion of the Second World War and brought back high heels that had hidden under the shadow of flats and wedges for years. Although Dior had worked with a number of shoe designers and al- most collaborated with Salvatore Ferragamo, it was the shy, elegant and extremely talented Roger Vivier who eventually made the cut. Interestedly, as well as making shoes for Parisian clients, Vivier also made a pair of shoes for Queen Consort Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (the Queen Mother) to wear when her husband King George VI ascended to the British throne in 1937. The shoe designer spent some time in New York working under shoe manufacturer Herman Delman after the war broke out in Europe but upon the United States entering the war and with rationing affecting his working hours, Vivier was led to do other things including millinery. He returned to Paris in 1947 which was perfect timing as this was the year that the New Look had launched. Giving an insight into the two designers’ haute couture gowns and shoes that went so well together, we discover that in order to secure Vivier, Dior had to negotiate a deal with Herman Delman, with whom the shoe designer was still in contract, despite coming back to France after the war had ended. This was done in a remarkably clever way, benefitting all parties. Having an interest in expanding his presence in the American market, the partnership with Delman would mean Dior would be able to sell his shoes in the United States and thus bring Vivier into the house of Dior in France. Before this was set in stone, another interesting factor reared its head, the mysterious commission of Roger Vivier designing shoes for Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in June 1953. As they were not part of the official royal wardrobe and did not appear in any photo- graphs of the coronation, any indication of the shoes being made was a "drawing featured in the French magazine Elle and a very poor pho- tograph of a replica pair made by Delman featured in the New York Times a few days prior to the coronation, identifying Roger Vivier as the designer.” The question of why the new British Queen would wear shoes de- signed by a Frenchman for an event of such national importance was answered by the longstanding partnership between Delman and Rayne, the British luxury shoemakers and holders of a royal warrant. “The two companies had worked together since the 1930s and sought to strengthen ties after the war. The coronation provided the perfect opportunity; Delman would supply the shoemaker, Roger Vivier, and Rayne would provide the warrant.” Whilst Vivier wanted to keep the design secret until the event, Delman decided to advertise it. Could the fact that Delman had let ‘the cat out of the bag’ to the world through the New York Times before the big reveal jeopardised the deal that ended up with the shoes not being worn by the Queen or even shown? Whatever the outcome of this scenario was, I guess we will never find out. But this didn’t stop the Delman-Dior part- nership from going ahead which made its debut at the showing of Dior’s Autumn/Winter collection on 28th July 1953. Whilst French magazine L’Art et la Mode acknowledged Vivier as a shoemaker of great talent, the article focused mostly on the business deal and not the designer. The book goes on to describe the first collection of shoes for Dior