L.A. Designer Clare Vivier On Creating Hollywood’s Favorite Wrap Gifts and Her Silver Lake Flagship’s Chic Makeover

The talent behind accessories label Clare V. shares the stories behind her most star-loved bags and more of her favorite things.

By Lindzi Scharf

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Lindzi Scharf

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Lake Bell, Lily Rabe and Nora Zehetner were among the stars who attended a private dinner party at her newly reopened Silver Lake store. “It’s a real gift to develop relationships,” said Vivier, who often collaborates with notable friends and clientele, from designing a limited-edition charitable “airport dad wallet” with Jimmy Kimmel to creating custom pieces for Jon Hamm.

Inside Clare V.’s flagship boutique in Silver Lake. Clare V.

“Jon Hamm got card cases when he wrapped Mad Men for his the whole cast and crew,” Vivier shared. “I just came across this piece in some magazine, and it was Kiernan Shipka showing the Clare V. things that Jon Hamm had given her. I was like, ‘Oh my god, I remember that.’”

Clare V. also makes the occasional cameo on hit series. Shrinking costume designer Allyson Fanger often outfits the show’s characters in the brand’s locally made pieces.

“It’s fun when I get calls from my family in Minnesota or texts from old friends,” said Vivier, who grew up in the Midwest but pulls design inspiration from her time in Paris, where she met and married French television producer Thierry Vivier. “They’re like, ‘Oh my God, I just saw your stuff in Shrinking. It’s always exciting.”

With stores across the country, the brand has grown considerably since its humble beginnings. But Clare V.’s signature quirky yet classic, California-meets-Parisian chic style remains the same. “I’m seeped in this idea of color, brightness and wanting things to feel timeless, but at the same time modern and not very serious,” Vivier said. “There are a lot of other bag companies who do serious well, and I don’t think we need to be that for people. We have grown, but I think we have [also] remained true to our core ethos and aesthetic.”

Clare V.’s newly expanded 1,100-square-foot Silver Lake store (3339 W Sunset Blvd.) houses the label’s newest and most beloved bags, wallets, small leather goods, clothing, hats and fashion jewelry. “It’s a great location in Silver Lake,” said Vivier of the space. “There’s tons of sunlight. The only problem was it was always a pretty small footprint. It was under 500 square feet. We started to think about how we could expand it.” She teamed up with interior designer Lucie Klimes to bring the project to life. “She used to work with Pam Shamshiri, who’s a friend of mine,” Vivier recalled. “I sat next to Lucie on an airplane a couple of years ago. We struck up a conversation and exchanged phone numbers. Then, when we were thinking of who we wanted to design this space, I [said], ‘Oh, I sat next to this woman. She was really cool, and I liked her taste.’ She’s been a great partner for us, and it’s been a pleasure to work with her every step of the way. We’re excited for the opening.”

In celebration of her new store, we had Vivier discuss Clare V.’s hottest celebrity bags. “The Pot de Miel, Grande Fanny and the Moyen Messenger are the big fan and celebrity favorites,” Vivier shared. She also divulged what bags and accessories she’s most excited about for fall in addition to her other favorite fall items, which include Shani Darden skincare, Heather Taylor Home linens and jewelry from BEN.

Clare V. Pot de Miel with Bamboo Handle

$245 at Clare V.

“That is such a celebrity favorite and general fan favorite,” she said of the Pot de Miel, which has been worn by Reese Witherspoon, Jessica Alba, Katherine Schwarzenegger and Cameron Diaz. “When I go out, I see it so many times around L.A. because it’s a great summer bag. We’ve had it in the collection for quite a while. I wanted to do a daily basket bag. In the summertime, I personally don’t want to carry a leather tote or a leather handbag. Sometimes I just want a basket, or I want a canvas bag. So I wanted to do a classic basket bag, something that could be used every day. I thought the idea of it being round like a ball would be so cute. We started talking with our artisans that make baskets for us, and I came up with this shape that’s not quite fully round. It looked like a little honey pot. So, we called it that [in French]. It started off with a little leather braided handle. We’ve been updating it in different colors, in different handles but the shape and the idea largely stays the same.”

Clare V. Petite Pot de Miel

$195 at Clare V.

“We also introduced a baby Pot de Miel this year,” she said. “[The original] can be a little large for evening. But we knew people were wanting to carry them on vacation. So, we wanted to make something that just had your phone, your lipstick, or your sunscreen in it. It’s really cute.”

Clare V. Moyen Messenger Bag

$495 at Clare V.

“The Moyen Messenger is a classic style for me,” Vivier said of the bag, which has been spotted on the likes of Kristen Bell. “Moyen means middle or medium in French, and it’s a derivation of one of my earliest designs. The Messenger Tote was a bigger version of that bag. I wanted to make it more of a shoulder bag instead of a crossbody, so I shrunk the design down, I made a chunkier shoulder strap, something that would be comfortable on your shoulder. It’s a sizable bag, and you can fit a lot in it, which can get heavy. I wanted to make sure it was comfortable, classic and chic.”

Clare V. The Grande Fanny Bag

$385 at Clare V.

“The Grande Fanny came from [the fact that] I’ve always loved a belt bag,” she said, referencing a newfangled take on a classic style as seen on Emma Roberts and Lucy Hale. “Our regular fanny pack has been part of our collection for a long time. I wanted to make a something that’s a belt bag, but it’s also something that can be worn on your chest. So many women and people want to be hands-free, and they want to have it close to their body and [have] easy access. We created the Grande Fanny for that missing item that wasn’t in our collection.”

Clare V. Carry All Clutch with Tabs

$445 at Clare V.

“Something I’m really looking forward to this fall is this new [take on an] old style for us,” she said, explaining the patchwork leather design is a larger version of their beloved Foldover Clutch in black leather with chocolate brown suede. “This bag is versatile because you can carry it as a big, oversized clutch or you could put a strap on it [to wear it as a tote].”

Clare V. Lune Bag

$395 at Clare V.

Clare V. Carry All Clutch with Tabs

$275 at Clare V.

“I’m so in love with blue right now,” she said of Flat Clutch’s bold aesthetic. “I love mixing it with browns and blacks. It’s really beautiful.”

Clare V. Volie Tote

$495 at Clare V.

“We all need a good tote for the fall,” Vivier said, explaining her Volie tote now comes in a new vegetable tan leather colorway called Zucca. “It’s a bright orange leather. I’m excited to carry that as this nice pop of color. I can picture it with a trench coat. It’s going to be so chic.”

Clare V. Le Beaded Tassel

$115 at Clare V.

Of the bag charm obsession right now, Vivier shares, “It’s such a cute trend right now and something that I really love. It [adds] a fun expression and a little bit of happiness. I started to make them myself out of beads that I have in my office and little things that I had. This is a replica of the tassel that I was making in my office with my own little things. Thankfully, our vendor was able to recreate this because I would not be able to make them for everyone. And they make them a lot better than I made them. So, that’s still my favorite one.”

Clare V. Barrel Chain Necklace

$145 at Clare V.

“We have so much good fall jewelry. We have this long chain called the Barrel Chain Necklace. I love putting charms on that and changing that out daily.”

“I don’t use a lot of face products, but I have a lot of faith in Shani Darden‘s products,” Vivier said. “I use the face wash, acidic acid, and her hydrating cream every day, twice a day. The cleansing wash and the cream are pure and efficient, but they don’t feel like they’re stripping my skin. With the hydrating cream, I don’t feel like I have a ton on my face, but my face does feel like it’s moisturized.

The Azelaic Acid is the other thing that I do. I’ve [also] been using her Retinol Cream for a long time. I go back and forth between using the Retinol or the Azelaic acid, or the Lactic acid. I use those three things and switch off every couple of months.”

Shani Darden Hydration Peptide Cream

$60 at Shani Darden

$60 at Sephora

Shani Darden Rescue Serum with Azelaic Complex

$68 at Shani Darden

$68 at Sephora

Sephora

Shani Darden Retinol Reform

$75 at Shani Darden

$68 at Sephora

Ben Fine Jewelry The Endeavor Vault with The Reason Rope

$3,950 at Ben

“I’ve been wearing it nonstop,” Vivier said of the recycled 14-karat gold locket, which was designed by BEN founder Charlotte Macaulay. “She is a friend of mine, and she was our head [jewelry] designer for a few years. I love what she’s doing with her fine jewelry collection. A lot of [her pieces] are reversible, [too], and there are always little Easter egg situations [within her designs]. It’s really sweet.”

Heather Taylor Home Gingham Lime Table Cloth

$198 and up at Heather Taylor Home

“I recommend the Lime Gingham Tablecloth,” she said of the Heather Taylor Home design, which recently made a cameo at her grand reopening dinner party. “I love it so much. It’s adds this bit of brightness and happiness to your table.”

Gabriela Artigas Triple Linked Double Beam Cuff

$790 at Gabriela Artigas

“I’ve always been a fan of her collections,” Vivier said of jewelry designer Gabriela Artigas. “I’ve been wearing this sterling silver cuff bracelet for months. It never bugs me. It never gets caught on anything. It’s beautiful. I’m really loving sterling silver right now, but I also mix it with gold and different metals.”

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L.A. Designer Clare Vivier On Creating Hollywood’s Favorite Wrap Gifts and Her Silver Lake Flagship’s Chic Makeover

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