Cradled in the gold-laced earth of Johannesburg, among the echoes of ancient bones and the beginnings of humankind, VIVIERS is quietly redefining what it means to be a modern fashion house. Founded by Lezanne Viviers in 2019, the brand occupies a distinct position in the local and global fashion landscape—fusing slow, Earth-conscious craft with bold, conceptual design.
VIVIERS is not merely a clothing label; it’s a living, breathing studio of ideas. Each piece is a tactile reflection of the land from which it came—South Africa’s raw materials spun into luxurious, limited-edition experiments by local artisans. The brand’s Johannesburg-based atelier and flagship, Glasshouse, is more than a showroom. It’s the operational heart of VIVIERS: part gallery, part sanctuary, part workshop—accessible by appointment only, where visitors are invited to engage with the brand in deeply personal ways.
Here, fashion becomes a sensual, collaborative experience. Clients are not just passive consumers; they are active co-creators. Through fittings, fabric selections and ongoing dialogue, they build wardrobes that mirror their inner dualities—radical, tender, fluid. Each garment becomes a future fossil, a wearable artefact of personal history and cultural consciousness.
This spirit of co-responsibility extends to every stage of the creative process. At VIVIERS, questions are not just welcomed—they are essential. Who made this? Where did the material come from? What was the environmental impact? The studio’s approach to transparency is a quiet act of rebellion in an industry still steeped in opacity. Whether it’s advising on garment care (sometimes, all it takes is sunlight) or introducing clients to the makers behind the seams, VIVIERS believes that true luxury lies in knowing—and caring—about what you wear.
Material provenance forms the backbone of the VIVIERS ecosystem. From Mohair and Cape Wool to ostrich feathers and leather, the label favours natural resources drawn from South Africa’s abundant landscapes. This isn’t a nostalgic return to nature; it’s a commitment to redefining luxury with sustainability and ethical sourcing at the core. A barcode or blockchain tracking system is in the works to further ensure that every step of the supply chain is documented, traceable, and aligned with the brand’s ethos.
But there’s innovation too—cutting-edge, forward-thinking techniques such as 3D printing, digital printing, and laser cutting. These tools are used not to replace human craftsmanship but to elevate it. In collaboration with Bunnycorp, VIVIERS creates recyclable, near zero-waste prototypes that blend tech with tactile. “Craft infused through the human hand,” the brand believes, “is the highest form of luxury.”
This tension between heritage and futurism, Earth and ether, is most vividly expressed in the studio’s 2023/24 Autumn-Winter collection, Karroo—Land of Thirsts. Presented at Milan Fashion Week, the collection draws from the barren beauty of the Karoo desert. Working with Cape Wools SA and Mohair SA, VIVIERS transformed natural fibres and textures of the arid landscape into a tactile love letter to South African soil. Ostrich feathers, mohair, wool, and leather—all reimagined into elegant silhouettes that whisper of wind, sun, and solitude.
What results is not only clothing but an expression of vibration. The brand’s community of collectors—drawn to garments that match their inner rhythm—wear VIVIERS not for the sake of spectacle but for alignment. Each piece radiates intention, a quiet magnetism shaped by the hands, hearts, and histories of its makers.
VIVIERS is, above all, about connection. Between self and garment, artisan and collector, heritage and future. It is a rare kind of luxury—rooted, radical, and made with care. In a world overwhelmed by noise, fast fashion and disposability, VIVIERS offers something else entirely: a reason to pause, ask questions, and invest in meaning.