'It's about creating rare and unique designs that make you dream,' says Bruno Frisoni, creative director at Roger Vivier. 'My job is to deliver dreams - so even if you come to Vivier looking for a ballerina shoe with a buckle, it's going to be your dream pair. People come here for exclusivity, to feel good.'
We are at the brand's new boutique in Harbour City and Frisoni is playing the role of prince, surrounded by a sea of shoes that are worthy of any modern-day Cinderella. The shelves are lined with fantastical creations, from pointy-toe pumps covered in hundreds of crystals to skyscraper heels decorated with a single rose made from gold brocade. On the floor, candy-coloured ballet flats with the brand's signature buckle are lined up in a row, waiting to be devoured by hungry buyers.
'Our style is playful and chic at the same time,' he says. 'It's something that you love. It's timeless - there's a fashion date on it, but it's never extreme so you can only wear it once and throw it away. It's beautiful in the way it's made and looks.'
Roger Vivier made a name for himself as the couturier of shoes, designing for the late Christian Dior and for luminaries such as Queen Elizabeth during the 1950s and 1960s. The young and quirky Frisoni has been at the helm of the brand since it was re-launched by Tod's honcho Diego Della Valle in 2003. At the time, Frisoni was a struggling designer in Paris with a passion for sketching and shoes.
'I studied ready-to-wear, but to me shoes were the element,' says Frisoni. 'It's a key piece of the silhouette. Bags are always surrounding the silhouette, but shoes make the silhouette.'
Having honed his skills with industry stalwarts such as Christian Lacroix and Alber Elbaz, Frisoni was toiling at his eponymous label when Della Valle approached him to take the job at Roger Vivier. At the time, the brand was unheard of outside of France, although the legacy of its founder had always resonated with Frisoni. 'Why I took the job when I was already doing my line, I don't know. But it was an opportunity, and the only one of its kind,' says Frisoni. 'It was the first time anybody proposed to revive an old brand, so I couldn't refuse. I didn't know where it was going to take me, but I wanted to take the risk. I was always inspired by Vivier - he's like Yves Saint Laurent or Chanel. When you study fashion, you know these greats.'