Three pairs of Alexander McQueen’s most iconic shoes were auctioned at Christie’s in New York from July 14- 23 in support of UNICEF’s relief efforts in Nepal. According to Alexander McQueen’s Instagram account, the shoes brought a combined total of $295,000 to the auction house, far exceeding Christie’s estimates.

Lady Gaga, a close friend of the late Alexander McQueen, is the proud owner of the striking heels, she revealed during the weekend over Instagram. According to the pop star, her fiancé Taylor Kinney won the bid for the three armour-like pairs of shoes as a present for the singer.

The Armadillo boots, handcrafted in Italy from wood and python skin, made their first appearance on the runway on McQueen’s Spring/Summer 2010 collection, “Plato’s Atlantis”. Since then, they have become an iconic piece of the designer’s career, often being used to convey his outstanding creativity.

Several other samples of the shoes are on display in the Savage Beauty exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, together with other designs and pieces created by the designer throughout his career.

All $295,000 raised by Christie’s will be donated by the British fashion brand to the U.S Fund for UNICEF to support the Nepal relief efforts.    

Written by Barbara Santamaria