Alaïa Bracelet Black Leather Silver Snails Cuff
About the Item
- Creator:Azzedine Alaïa
- Dimensions:Length: 7.88 in (200 mm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:2020 circa
- Condition:
- Seller Location:PARIS, FR
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU3632222090082
Azzedine Alaïa
Master Couturier, King of Cling: legendary fashion designer Azzedine Alaïa (1935–2017) is known by many names, each referring to his unparalleled ability to mold fabric onto the female form in unexpected and radical ways. The Tunisian-born designer spent his entire life in relentless pursuit of a wholly distinctive and most-flattering fit.
“For me, fashion is the body,” said Alaïa. “I make clothes; women make fashion.”
Alaïa is credited with inventing the supermodel through his exclusive fashion shows, the body-con dress — which, quite literally, hugs the body and emphasizes and embraces every curve — and pioneering what industry professionals have taken to calling “slow fashion.” The designer openly rejected empty, of-the-moment fads as well as the structure of biannual seasons and instead took his time, unhurried by press and releasing collections at his own pace. Most importantly, Alaïa was a visionary when it came to traditional notions of femininity and sexuality. At a time when loose, soft silhouettes were the norm, Alaïa’s sexy, waist-cinching hourglass and body-con outfits were shocking.
Alaïa’s “body-conscious clothes,” wrote fashion critic Suzy Menkes, “seemed a deliberate challenge — throwing down a sexist gauntlet in a feminist world.”
While powerful women such as Madonna, Michelle Obama, Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington wear Alaïa’s creations today, his origins were remarkably humble.
Born to a farming family, Alaïa always had a creative streak. As a young boy, he would flip through women’s fashion magazines and quickly became interested in the design of women's clothing. He went on to study sculpture at the School of Fine Arts in Tunis and later worked as a tailor for a dressmaker before he found work creating garments based on Parisian haute couture designs. The combination of his classical training in sculpture and practical experience as a tailor convinced Alaïa that fashion was his calling. In 1957, he moved to Paris and worked for Christian Dior for less than a week before being fired. From there, Alaïa secured a job with Guy Laroche and opened his own maison in the 1970s.
At his core, Alaïa was a couturier who cut and sewed his samples himself. He also experimented with zips, seams, unexpected materials, textures, animal prints and floral patterns like an artist. Today, Alaïa’s clothes look untouched by the passage of time and the various trends that have materialized since their debut; they are as fresh, stylish and stunning as ever. His garments are pop-culture icons in their own right: Cher Horowitz, played by Alicia Silverstone in 1995’s Clueless, exasperated with a perpetrator holding her at gunpoint, declares, “But this is an Alaïa!”
Vintage Alaïa evening dresses, skirts and other attire continue to influence contemporary designers such as Nicolas Ghesquière and Hervé Léger. Not only are his clothes timeless in their glamour, but they also represent the groundbreaking vision of an artist, one who was known to proclaim, “I am not a designer. I am a couturier.”
Find a collection of Azzedine Alaïa day dresses, suits, jackets and more on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: PARIS, France
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Yves Saint Laurent YSL vintage Golden Coins CuffBy Yves Saint LaurentLocated in PARIS, FRYves Saint Laurent open cuff bracelet with gold metal coin motif. The cuff is (delicately) adjustable. Total length (excluding opening) 16.5 cm, width 3.6 cm. The bracelet is probabl...Category
1990s French Cuff Bracelets
- Hermès Bracelet Cuff Medor Collier de chien Leather blueBy HermèsLocated in PARIS, FRHermès Médor model bracelet in lustrous oil-colored lizard adorned with a diamond-point stud in gold metal, fitted to the wrist with a saddle nail-style snap closure. Length 17.2 cm,...Category
1990s French Cuff Bracelets
- Chanel Haute Couture Bracelet Cuff glass camelia, fancy pearls and diamondsBy ChanelLocated in PARIS, FRChanel cuff bracelet in aged silver metal covered with sparkling black enamel with brown reflections topped with a large CC logo in tweed-style metal dotted with rhinestones and cabo...Category
2010s French Cuff Bracelets
- Resort 2019 La Pausa Chanel Blue Pearl CC Cuff BraceletBy ChanelLocated in PARIS, FRChanel "ribbon" bracelet Cruise 2019 collection "La Pausa" (by Karl Lagerfeld, his latest) in gold metal mesh embellished with large and small pearls, blue cabochons inlaid with CC o...Category
2010s French Cuff Bracelets
- Chanel Haute Couture Bracelet Cuff glass camelia, fancy pearls and diamondsBy ChanelLocated in PARIS, FRChanel cuff bracelet in gold metal covered with brown enamel decorated with a large CC in enameled metal on one side and a large floral pattern in glass paste decorated with white rh...Category
2010s French Cuff Bracelets
- Chanel FW2003 Letters Chain BraceletBy ChanelLocated in PARIS, FRChanel Collection FW2003 bracelet in matte gold metal, composed of a chain with round links and tassels with Chanel letters, fastening with a carabiner on a chain ending with a sewin...Category
Early 2000s French Chain Bracelets
- 0.01ct Gold And Diamond Fish NecklaceLocated in Fatih, 34Product Details : • Made to Order • Gold Kt: 14kt • Available Gold Colors: Rose Gold, Yellow Gold, White Gold • 0.01ct Natural Round Diamond • Diamonds VS/SI Clarity • Comes ...Category
2010s European Modern Cuff Bracelets
MaterialsDiamond, 14k Gold
- Van Cleef & Arpels Five Row Diamond Bracelet, Platinum and 18kBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in New York, NYA Van Cleef & Arpels Five Row Diamond Bracelet made in Platinum and 18k white gold. The length of the bracelet is 7 inches long and 0.72 inches wide, weighing 78.90 grams. Signed and...Category
20th Century Cuff Bracelets
MaterialsDiamond, Platinum
- Sistema Bracelet v2 (0.4 CT, Diamond Slab, 9mm, KA+DIA)By Parts of FourLocated in PARIS, FRBracelet in oxydized sterling silver and a slab of rough diamond. This slab is removed from a larger chunk of diamond. The Sistema series expresses the core principle of P/4 which is...Category
2010s Cuff Bracelets
MaterialsDiamond, Sterling Silver
- 1980s Van Cleef & Arpels Ruby and Diamond Bracelet, 18k YellowBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in New York, NY"A Van Cleef & Arpels Ruby and Diamond Bracelet made in 18k Yellow and Pink Gold. Signed Van Cleef Arpels, Numbered, French assay marks for gold. The Certificate of Authenticity by V...Category
Vintage 1980s Cuff Bracelets
MaterialsDiamond, Ruby, 18k Gold
- French Sculptor Henri Nogaret Bronze and Brass Brutalist Cuff Bracelet, 1960sBy Henri NogaretLocated in Atlanta, GAFrench sculptor and painter Henri Nogaret (1927 -) created this sculptural brutalist bronze and brass cuff bracelet in the 1960s. The large brass band is topped with a gilded bronze ...Category
Vintage 1960s French Modernist Cuff Bracelets
MaterialsBronze, Brass
- Claude Montana for Marie Paris Gilt Metal Lace Cuff BraceletBy Claude MontanaLocated in Atlanta, GASuperb romantic cuff bracelet designed by Claude Montana for Marie Paris. An oversized Hellenistic-inspired intricate carved and see-thru shape with textured gilt metal featuring lac...Category
1990s French Modernist Cuff Bracelets
MaterialsGilt Metal