ICONIC ITEM
NAME: Le Teckel
BRAND: Alaïa
MATERIALS: 100 percent goatskin
DEBUT: Spring/Summer 2024 Runway
WORN BY: Julianne Moore
THE BRAND DNA
Known for its bold, flattering silhouettes and stunning cutouts, Alaïa has long been a fashion insider favorite. Founded by Tunisian couturier Azzedine Alaïa in 1964, the French house saw its star rise in the '80s, when it became associated with strong shoulders and nipped-in waists that gave off a powerful yet feminine flair, perfectly matched with models Paulina Porizkova and Christy Turlington.
Stars like Greta Garbo and Naomi Campbell counted themselves among Alaïa’s many acolytes, and the maison’s in-crowd status even broke into the mainstream in the cult 1995 film Clueless when Cher famously protested “This is an Alaïa!” when getting mugged.
THE ICON ITSELF
Marrying the house’s ethos of sculptural design with understated appeal is no easy feat, yet Creative Director Pieter Mulier felt that Alaïa’s vision could fit into a handbag. Enter Le Teckel: An understated East-West accessory with an elongated, structured handle. Other houses like Hermès and Louis Vuitton have iterated on the East-West look for decades with the Jean Paul Gaultier Birkin and monogram trunks, respectively.
Le Teckel, however, takes a less flashy approach. The bag’s debut on the Spring/Summer 2024 runway initially didn’t grab much attention as it was styled with the handles folded down, held with a pair of gloves. It was Mulier’s first Dialogue project at the legendary cabaret Crazy Horse that made the bag pop: Each dancer wore an Alaïa dress in a different color with a Le Teckel to match, crafting a bright, vivid world that only the maison could bring to life.
WHY SO ICONIC?
Leading with the brand’s effortless cool and riding the East-West wave, Le Teckel combines a beloved name, a timely trend, and an approachable shape, quickly becoming one of the most coveted bags of the summer. No wonder it keeps flying off the shelves.
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