There is little more romantic than a train ride through the French countryside. The setting's glamour, drama, and whimsy are on full display in the first of a series of short films called Vivier Express "Travelling Icons," produced by the French luxury footwear and accessories brand Roger Vivier.
The brainchild of creative director Gherardo Felloni, the vignette continues the brand's long relationship with film. Academy Award winner Laura Dern, the short film's protagonist, was first introduced to Roger Vivier when she saw Catherine Deneuve wearing the house's shoes in the 1967 classic Belle De Jour.
Dern, who is also an ambassador for the brand, stars as an elegant traveler whose destination is unknown. Aboard a vintage steam train outfitted in shiny brass and pink velvet, she encounters a mysterious stranger. Tension fills the air, accentuated by fleeting glances and the near-touch of their shoes under the table. (Dern is wearing I Love Vivier pumps, an appropriately romantic design whose pointed décolleté and a crimson insole form a heart.)
The stranger begins to sketch intensely and Dern's character is clearly flattered. But as he gets up to disembark, he leaves a piece of paper behind. As it turns out, he was captivated not by her, but by her Viv' Choc handbag. It is an understandable object of affection, crafted with a curve-cornered buckle that nods to the Choc heel introduced by Monsieur Vivier in 1959. Constructed from more than 70 individual components, the bag has a draped silhouette with a chain strap, turnkey lock, and sculptural leather exterior.
"I love Gherardo and Roger Vivier deeply, so as an admirer, I was thrilled to be part of it and to thank a brand that deeply inspired me in considering what a woman is," Dern says in a statement. "When it comes to a great designer like Gherardo, he is a storyteller, and so in some ways, it's the same vocation [as an actor]."
To celebrate the new campaign, the brand held a screening event at Casa Cipriani's jazz club. Notable guests included Isabella Rossellini, Katie Couric, and Beanie Feldstein, accessorized by Roger Vivier.
