ier ▁( 1 3 ▁November ▁ 1 9 0 7 ▁- ▁ 3 ▁October ▁ 1 9 9 8 ) ▁was ▁a ▁French ▁fashion ▁designer ▁who ▁special ized ▁in ▁sho es . ▁His ▁best - known ▁creation ▁was ▁the ▁st ile tto ▁he el . ▁ ▁Career ▁Viv ier ▁has ▁been ▁called ▁the ▁" F rag on ard ▁of ▁the ▁sh oe " ▁and ▁his ▁sho es ▁" the ▁Fab erg é ▁of ▁Foot we ar " ▁by ▁numbers ▁of ▁critics . ▁He ▁designed ▁extra v ag ant , ▁rich ly ▁decor ated ▁sho es ▁that ▁he ▁described ▁as ▁sculpt ures . ▁He ▁is ▁cred ited ▁with ▁the ▁design ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁st ile tto ▁he el ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 4 . ▁St ile tto ▁he els , ▁the ▁very ▁thin ▁high ▁he el , ▁were ▁certainly ▁discovered ▁around ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁as ▁numerous ▁fet ish ▁draw ings ▁att est , ▁but ▁Viv ier ▁is ▁known ▁for ▁rev iving ▁and ▁developing ▁this ▁op ul ent ▁style ▁by ▁using ▁a ▁thin ▁rod ▁of ▁steel . ▁ ▁A va ▁Gard ner , ▁Gl oria ▁Gu in ness ▁and ▁The ▁Beat les ▁were ▁all ▁Viv ier ▁customers , ▁and ▁he ▁designed ▁sho es ▁for ▁Queen ▁Elizabeth ▁II ▁for ▁her ▁coron ation ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 3 . ▁ ▁Viv ier ▁designed ▁sho es ▁for ▁house ▁Christian ▁D ior ▁from ▁ 1 9 5 3 ▁to ▁ 1 9 6 3 . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁the ▁st ile