Plain Tiger Spotlight: VIVIERS
‘If It’s Not Sustainable, It’s Not Luxury’
By Renee Fortune
Concept clothing brand, VIVIERS recently became part of the Plain Tiger stable. Its captivating collection of garments, made by artisans in Johannesburg, captures the energy of the City of Gold in what can only be described as “fashionable art.”
Flipping through the VIVIERS catalogue will make it readily apparent that owner Lezanne Viviers is more than just a fashion designer – she is a multi-faceted creative, with experience in a number of art and design disciplines, that culminate in pieces which speak volumes about the distinction of the brand.
Garments by VIVIERS are all limited editions and the brand has established itself as a destination for unique finds. Each piece is designed to become an heirloom investment piece that will outlast the trends and fads of passing generations. The brand in itself is a commentary on sustainable luxury, interrogating essential aspects of fashion production like who made the garment, using which fabrics and by which methods.
As Lezanne explains: “I believe VIVIERS is unique because each individual that forms part of our team is unique. There is a power in collaboration, in unity and in multiple ideas and layers that when combined, becomes unlike anything else. VIVIERS is the sum of our team, the sum of our cultural diversity and upbringing, the sum of our unparalleled, incomparable DNA. As a brand, we are rooted in the fertile soil of Africa; layered colours form texture and attempt to narrate our collective stories that are both individual and beautifully combined.”
The VIVIERS commitment to sustainability is reflected throughout each part of the manufacturing process. The majority of the fabrics used by VIVIERS are sourced from warehouses that store dead-stock from the 70’s. These upcycled fabrics are from a different era – one that predates the fast-paced, consumer-driven fashion industry we know today. Quality is therefore an inherent part of everything that VIVIERS produces.
VIVIERS is transparent in that everything is made in-house and each garment bears the unique signature of the artisan who made it. The working conditions of these artisans are carefully considered and structured to provide for a working experience that makes fashion production an esteemed and enjoyable process.
“VIVIERS was set out to challenge the notion of fast-fashion. Now is the perfect time for slow, conscious and sustainable brands to redefine luxury in the world. Luxury is a personal, sensuous experience of top quality, hand-made items that are made with the utmost care, love, integrity and meaning. Time, or at least the illusion thereof, is always instilled in items and experiences of luxury. Luxury embodies time. Luxury is conscious, considered and ethical towards humanity and the planet and has a very personal service component to its experience. Luxury can only be sustainable. If it is not sustainable, it is not luxury,” says Lezanne.
VIVIERS, a warm welcome to the world of Plain Tiger.
