I'm obsessing over Olympia Le-Tan and I can't get enough of her! I had seen her clutch books before but then forgotten them just as quickly- fortunately I keep this blog so I remember the names of all the fantastic, cool, trendy things I can't possible afford and Olympia Le-Tan's range of Minaudières fits into that category neatly. I shamefully keep lying to myself that I will earn some money by running advertising space on my blog and I'll put the money back into buying the things that earned me that money. I haven't wanted something so expensive and unnecessary in my life but that hasn't dampened the flames on my burning urge to earn the money to buy a clutch masquerading as a book.
Who could resist the charms of this lady really? I'm not made of stone and I can appreciate a good Parisian woman who doubles as a DJ as well as accomplished creator of books and is a master of that craft. These photographs are of Olympia Le-Tan's show at the Galerie Véro-Dodat, part of her presentation for Paris Fashion week. I've included the celebrity snaps in which the book clutches also star as well, but I for the life of me cannot recall the names of the people she poises with. Notably, the only person I did recognise was Lily Cole but I didn't include her photograph amongst my pick- it was missing a book clutch.
I've yet to find any images, let alone an online listing for a store of this book cover of 'The Pure and Impure', I have to hand it to Ms. Le-Tan, she sure does know how to fabricate a mean book cover. There's an exquisite amount of detail into her covers with embroidered stitching as well as felt pieces and the lining inside is superb and smooth. The French seams hide away every folding and meeting between fabrics, making it seem as it it's unnatural for unsightly linings and extra pieces.
The lovely Galerie Véro-Dodat in the flesh; if I were more of an uncouth and hot-blooded lass I would love to ransack the entire place and carry away all the books slung in a hefty black sack but that would mean robbing the lovely Olympia and her sister Cleo who work tirelessly in their studio to craft such bags and clutches. I would never dream of hurting them in such a cruel manner but I do have a rather monstrous lust for book clutches. I blame them without a seconds thought and I also thank them for bringing such wondrous creations into the world.
One can't help but get infected by the mad grimace of one Gaspar Noé and his messy handle bar mustache clutching a clutch disguised as a book: Maurice Dekobra's 'Satan refuse du monde'.
I was an avid reader when I was a child but I've shamefully let myself get lazy when it comes to reading fine literature and appreciating the craft of stringing words together beautifully. I've never read a book by the title 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' but I have listened to the Metallica track by the same name; surely that has to count for something in a very small and uncultured way? It's refreshing to feel ashamed that I don't read as much as I used to, there are many books I have meant to tear into but I'm reading soppy love stories that are cliche instead. I wish my mother would give me a good old-fashioned scolding about the values of improving myself and the lessons learned through literature- and not about the potatoes on the verge of turning green.
Moby Dick is a story about a monstrous white whale as much as it is a monstrous and large beast of a book. My brother bought himself a copy years ago when he had been in the throng of university study but hadn't been able to get through the dense language. It is a classic and something I would want to try for myself but I might need some weaning of works that aren't quite contemporary before tackling Moby Dick for myself. The cover crafted by Olympia Le-Tan is simply lovely though and I was surprised about the amount of shading and detail to illustrate the water flowing from the whale as it emerges from the ocean.
