Alexander Mcqueen Coin Purse

British fashion designer Lee Alexander McQueen, the original creative engine behind the Alexander McQueen label, was beloved for his expert tailoring and theatrical runway shows. After his suicide in 2010, fans left tributes to the man and his talents outside Alexander McQueen boutiques worldwide. Record-breaking crowds visited the posthumous retrospective of the designer’s work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and the Victoria and Albert in London.

The inspirations for vintage Alexander McQueen bags, dresses, jackets and other items came from many quarters — film, music, current events, history, his heritage and fashions of the past. The designer's runway presentations were not just displays of clothing but were personal expressions of the zeitgeist, often touching on our cultural anxieties and concerns. McQueen’s own thoughts and feelings about love, death, gender, genocide, colonialism, global warming and the extinction of species all appear in his pieces.

McQueen certainly shook up fashion; he was a born Rottweiler. His upbringing on a council estate in north London played a part, but his family was close and supportive, not dysfunctional. He was proud of his Scottish heritage: He was a defiant fashion warrior. His historical themes and shows — such as “Highland Rape,” 2002, which was inspired by England’s “rape of Scotland,” as McQueen called it — always invoked powerful reactions from his audience of fashion pros.

“What you see in the work is the person himself. And my heart is in my work,” McQueen told Harper’s Bazaar in 2007.

It is perhaps this heart, and the heart’s exposure, that drew the crowds and made McQueen's creations both popular and emotionally resonant. Because the work was personal and thus layered with feeling, the motifs — decorative embellishments and fabric choices — have meaning. In other words, in McQueen’s oeuvre, plaid is more than simply a pattern.

Find vintage Alexander McQueen fashion and accessories — including the designer's coveted bags and comfortable, stretchy jersey knit dresses and gowns — on 1stDibs.

Vintage and designer wallets and small accessories, such as wristlets, belt bags, clutches and other compact items, can be the perfect accessory for a night out or running everyday errands.

The invention of paper money dates back to the 7th century in China, but, globally, it took a while to catch on. It wasn’t until 1690 in the United States that paper money could finally be printed and used to pay taxes, for example, following the General Court of Massachusetts’s order that a limited batch be produced to pay soldiers owing to a shortage of coins.

As paper money became more common, so too did carrying wallets. Coin purses were no longer the most convenient option for carrying cash.

Today, just as the world’s best-known luxury houses are celebrated for their iconic handbags and purses, brands such as Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Gucci, Chanel and others offer a sweeping array of sophisticated wallets and small accessories for any event. While wallets seem to be getting smaller and the role of cash is dwindling, we simply cannot live without our bags and bag-like accessories. More options have emerged for carrying our essentials, with cardholders, pouches and belt bags made of nylon and leather gaining popularity in recent years.

On 1stDibs, find a collection of vintage and designer wallets and small accessories.