Olympia Le-Tan Pre-Fall 2012 Part 2

Just as I think the flow of previews of the new collection are coming to a stop, she just keeps the lovely little sneak previews coming. I had previously written a post collaborating the Pre-Fall pieces released on the Olympia Le-Tan Tumblr but since then there have been even more additions and I think it's only fair I admire and adore them as well. I've noticed the change within her online store and website so it's only a matter of time before her Pre-Fall 2012 will be released but then again for a born and bred Parisian maybe her Pre-Fall collection will probably come in the midst of my Southern Hemisphere Winter and closer to my birthday...

It's the purple/pink coloured book clutches with medieval embroidered detail and designs that I'm most eager to see, this being the second best of that specific genre I've created. They're all wonderful and I'm eager to get any of her collection at a good price but since her new collection holds such promise as well as mystery about it I'm willing to go with the flow at this point. With that said though, I've already let a few get away from me at 75% off and I will not let such an opportunity pass me by again.

There wonderful thing about viewing the minaudières created by Olympia Le-Tan with help from her sister Cleo made in their studio in Paris is that there's such a great variety of colours and techniques- the strength of their label is that they recreate designs from other artists and transport it into a different type of media. So sometimes the book covers are wordy as well as scrolled with embroidery thread and then there's the artistic and bold impressionist view of the human body show above. There's a great variety too of fonts and the way their blended in to the book cover design in order to attract readers, or in the case of this medium those eyeballing and ogling the Le-Tan collection.

This lovely cover has had the gracious honour of being my computer background for the last week or so and I think I was most appreciative of the fine speckled detail in black felt for the beast, as well as the large sewn title of Il Gattopardo. I find writing beautifully to be laborious enough but to be able to create felted letters or stitch the title of a book in another language must be extraordinarily difficult. Red was my favourite childhood colour and the shade used for this particular book cover and minaudière matches the detail of the eyes and mouth of the feline beast- beige and red is a favourite contrasting and classic pair for the Le-Tan range of clutches it seems.

Amongst all the finely threaded and embroidered details as well as meticulously cut pieces of felt ringlets for a leopard-like beast, it's nice to be able to also see a relatively plain book cover amongst the collection. 'La Storia' written by Elsa Morante and recreated by the skilled hands of Olympia Le-Tan and sister Cleo features well cut block letters in bright green felt on a bright blue background. One of my favourite things about watching the released of the book clutches is the variety of colour and also technique in creating each and every one of the minaudières by hand.

 

Admiring the finely stitched shapes as well as neat letters and multiple fonts makes me wish I had pursued my love of textiles and taken on further study in my final years of high school but I was already ambitious enough and juggling many projects. I remember carefully doing needlework in front of the television mindlessly toiling away but to create something of such fine detail shown above a cleanly kept studio space would be necessary. I'll never be crafty enough to produce something as elegant and seamless as the Olympia Le-Tan minaudières which are a thing of beauty but it's still fun to admire her handiwork and her collection releases.

Olympia Le-Tan at DN'A

All of the book clutches made by Olympia Le-Tan each with their brass edges as well as print lining by British label Liberty have already been sold, so I suppose I don't mind sharing the images with you as a means of cataloguing what may well be some of Olympia Le-Tan's earlier works but there's still the fine detail and crafty kitsch about them. If I had all the money I needed, I'd buy them all and have a little library of them where I can touch their covers and also collect a list of great classic books to read as well. I loved the contrast of shapes for the yellow hats and their little red ribbon brims as well as the white stitching to create lines and flows of crease along the red dresses for the above book clutch, 'CES DAMES AUX CHAPEAUX VERTS'.

There's more detail for some design than others and the simplistic silhouette shapes in felt of a hand here, a face there as well as hair and a chef's hat on a red background can be enough to keep some people happy. I've worked with felt before, on the most basic and simple of levels and at times I struggled to cut out the perfect shapes and also manipulate my dull scissors in such a way to manufacture the perfect shape and sharp edges of the material. I wonder how much practice Olympia and her sister Cleo have had with felt and how many pieces they throw out if they don't succeed at first attempt.

Ironically I had the chance to buy an Olympia Le-Tan book clutch for about $400 online of the title of 'Ex-Husband' but it sold before I was able to scrape together the funds and a means of paying for it online. 'Ex-Wife' seems to have more meticulous detail and shading, especially about the neckline and the expression captured in here eyes is simply wonderful, in an unhappy sort of way. I do hope that Olympia Le-Tan continues to make her book clutches in the time it will take to me to graduate from university as well as settle into a high-paying job. I couldn't die a happy woman if I didn't have a Olympia Le-Tan clutch as well as some Charlotte Olympia kitty flats in my possession.

I know in my heart of hearts that the visual design of this book is very simple and there's nothing extraordinary about it, but seeing those bright and wonderful squares contrasted on this black background set my heart a flame- as it were. I love seeing photographs of the Le-Tan studio space almost as much as her book clutches long since sold- there's bookcases full of the original classic novels that have inspired a book clutch of their own and an untold story about them a younger generation now has access to.

What's interesting about the Le-Tan book clutches is the variety in book covers they assimilate and recreate- there's boundless energy about them whether they focus on the title of a cover or an illustration of a woman, Her latest designs seem even bigger and better than before some featuring an entire tableau of a city and background and finely stitched cities and renaissance scenes about them. I can't wait till the whole lot is released in her online store, and there's also been rumours of a few pieces of clothing too!

Everything about any book clutch designed and produced in the Le-Tan workshop of dreams is perfect in every single way- I never think that certain elements can be done better or that the title isn't stitched quite right. Nope, nothing is wrong about any clutch and they are all reach their artistic limit and greatness at the hands of their skilled makers, Olympia and Cleo. There's so many elements of design for the above book clutch including the hand wrapped around the clock, the roman numerals as well as the author's name and in between clock hands and the title of the book. Although all these different things are very close to one another, there's nothing crammed in and everything seems relatively spaced out.

A 1920s drawn woman with black lipstick, black hair and eyes with a well placed white thread to create shadow as well as shine? Coupled with the fur coat created around her petite face and the combination of dark green and light pink in neatly stitched words? It seems an impossible task to pick a favourite cover and book clutch from the nineteen shown in this post, but this particular clutch would make the top nine easily.

There's no real preference for me when it comes to the colour of a Le-Tan clutch made be the wonderful sisters Olympia and Charlotte but it's how the cover looks as a whole and I wouldn't even bother to coordinate the minaudière with an outfit. You can be sure that if I had one in my possession I would use it at every opportunity and love the thing to pieces- which may end up being a dangerous pursuit really since they are quite expensive. I suppose I'm drawn to this clutch above for the looping and scrolling thread used to write in such a small font for French and the decorating loops around and in between the two borders.

I've always wanted to read George Orwell and when I finally finish my university enrollment and suss out all the buildings I will be making a trip to the library to borrow, one book at a time, a classic novel and pray that my studies don't swamp me with too much study. However I will be in the science faculty and there's a lot of lectures and tutorials to attend so we'll just see how my social and online life fair when scholastic pursuits once again threaten to take over my life.

 minaudière. Although there are mini-cases available in this colour combination of pink and light blue, there's something irresistible about the allure of the book clutches made with brass on the edges as well as Liberty material lining. Of course beggars can't really be choosers when it comes to the fabulous allure of Olympia Le-Tan and I'll take anything at a low price from this collection. I just hope that the new Pre-Fall 2012 collection is a kind price for my poor wallet... 

Another of my favourite book clutches from the selection that was available at DN'A is this book clutch of Daphne du Maurier's play, 'The Years Between'. It must be the contrast of the grey and beige as well as the red stitched roses and ribboning effect at the top and bottom of the border that seems quite feminine as well as minimalist. I wish that all these lovely clutches were still available for purchase on the online store... instead of having to see the images of purchases I could have made myself.  

Olympia Le-Tan at Net-A-Porter

While I was innocently and happily scrolling through my dashboard on Tumblr it hit me. I had followed Olympia Le-Tan's Tumblr in the hope that I would get some juicy news as to who stocks her books and where for the best prices online and she posted a teasing photograph of four new book cover clutches all sold out. When I went to the Net-a-Porter website I had a look where they had been listed; since the books are usually sold in numbers less than ten (it seems a copy of each in this instance) that even when listed as new products all of the books had sold out in minutes. Harrumph.

 

The detail and close up pictures of the book covers recreated in embroidered stitching as well as felt was even more teasing and rubbing my face in defeat. I'm utterly obsessed and made about the chic little clutches and am searching high and low to find them and found a few good websites and online stores last night as well, I may be even to afford something made by Olympia Le-Tan! While I was a little sore about the loss, it means I've saved myself a few hundred dollars and since I've never read 'To Kill a Mockingbird' I can't really be too annoyed. I just get excited whenever I see more books by Olympia Le-Tan and with help from her sister Cleo released somewhere in an online store.

The inner lining of the clutches is as wonderful as ever, and the gold edges which replace pages makes the range of minaudière seem even more wonderful and classy. Despite the amount of stitched detail on the front as well as the lining on the inside, French seams prevent us from seeing any untidy ends and the book is beautiful on the inside and out.

I'm usually the sort of girl who's attracted to satchels and larger bags that are more for day use but with the bookish charms of literature combined with chic fashion how can I possibly resist? I really want to start my own little library full of books from Olympia Le-Tan but another thing on my mind is buying a YSL arty ring from eBay. So many accessories and so little money, at least with Chinese New year and a basketball tournament coming up this week will be my last of being poor and without money. I love getting paid cash in hand.

While I have found more stock coming in online it looks like there won't be anymore complete works of William Shakespeare clutches being produced. I can't help but feel like I've been unjustly cheated somehow- for the past three years I've studied a work by Shakespeare and now so much about the themes of Hamlet as well as wrote one of the best damn essays in my final examination and earned myself an A. There's so much exquisite and finely stitched detail on the ornamental wreaths as well as the scriptures around him and even his little stitched beard! I wish I was able to get my hands on this but I missed my opportunity. God never closes a door without opening a window though and it looks like I may be able to score with another book on different hunting grounds- so to speak. Wish me luck!

Studio of Olympia and Cleo Le-Tan

I've already written about all of the products available in the Olympia Le-Tan online store and with no updates and news of new products I have to find other ways to learn about the upcoming book covers that are yet to be made into clutches or any stores I may not have discovered which stock her wares. It's a bit of a difficult task but I think I'm up for the job- my mother is hampering my efforts with her insistent squawking. At the moment my room is half studio space with large and clean wooden floors and then everything else is piled high against the walls from trying to create a little space. At the moment I need to sort through everything a bit better and by looking at a proper studio where gorgeous things are made I may get into cleaning my room and tidying it a little.

I don't have a sewing machine at my disposal and can barely put together a sewing pattern competently but if I did have both those at my disposal you can believe I would splash out on buying various shades and colours of felt as well as other craft supplies. If I had half a decent brain cell in my head I would have enlisted my name in a knitting group or something and gotten into a more crafty mood but why do that when I know where to buy the best and most expensive creative arts and crafts fashion items?

You don't need to be such a great whizz with material or felt to create your own fabric Polaroid. I love the idea, I wish I had thought of doing it myself sooner- knowing me I would obsess over the most stupid details and the size of the Polaroid sheet and the stitching. It's cute how a book has been included within the image as well as a cat girl, that stitching would be the most difficult to execute well but I really would love to try and make things like this. A sewing machine would come in handy and if I were to buy one I would like it to be of the higher quality. The good thing about these is you just need two sheets of white felt and to sew them together as well as a floral background and you're stitching character goes in over the top. I should borrow some books on calligraphy from the library and try to stitch a few practice names before launching in and trying a Polaroid mock label myself.

I wish I had a bookcase full of chic minaudières from Olympia Le-Tan to display on my bookcase. Throughout the studio space in Paris there are globes of all shapes and sizes but some of their larger ones are on this book case as well as the the recreated book covers disguised as clutches. There's a great variety of book clutches in this one photograph showcasing the extreme detail and craftsmanship as well as the more simple book covers that have been made. I wish there was an archive somewhere, I desperately need to see every book cover ever recreated in material and felt by Olympia and her talented sister Cleo Le-Tan.

I think it's cute that their time and material isn't devoted exclusively to producing bags and clutches- there's also this quite wall of runway photographs of mice in clothes, mock Polaroids and even a newspaper! I really want to try it all and make tiny felt accessories myself. I have discussed previously that while I may not be able to afford buying all the pretty things my heart desires, maybe I could make them in craft form. One blogger made little Prada handbags out of paper but I'm digging the felt and material scene. It would be nice to have canvas boards covered in material as well as cheeky Polaroids of animals wearing clothes I want to buy and then moving them around on checklists. 

This hand made and heavily embroidered pencil case bought from Korea could well have been made by one of the sisters, Cleo or Olympia Le-Tan in their studio. My hand aches a bit just thinking about the amount of thread as well as the detail to stitch everything smoothly. While I did enjoy my own brief stint of embroidery in high school I never played around with different stitches and patterns and indulging in something like that would be a very difficult way to begin. I would first need to sketch out my own scene first or find a suitable photograph to recreate in thread. It is tempting though since I have a ridiculous amount of time on my hands at the moment and not everything has to be super accurate. Just like at the pink deer in this scene, my neighbour Tototoro is  a nice touch to all the animals in this scene though.

The floral squares of material they use as backgrounds and as linings for minaudières is of the best quality patterns you can possibly get- their from the British label Liberty which adds to the price of their clutches and bags but I love the patterns and prints. To add more dizzying charm they add little pink ribboning scripts and a cat sporting a sassy pose and sunglasses? Oh Olympia, you make such fools of us all. I love the black stiletto heels and the red underside on the far left, there's an incredible amount of detail that does into creating such meticulous and small details.

I can relate to the stack of magazines piled high on the left side of this desk- my small bookcase is crammed full of Vogue copies after

There are so many small bits and pieces floating about their studio I wonder when it all starts or what happens within a day in their studio space. We can see a felt Union Jack flag in the corner next to some detached female heads complete with lipstick as well as thick eyelashes and a range of expressions. There's also a book clutch featuring title made of tiny matches and match heads and a tiny matchbook all on black background. I'd love to pilfer her desk for arty crafts and bits of odd ends.

The foreground shows the cover made in material and felt of 'War of the Worlds', I love the black shading on the ground as well as the haze of the sky made in black stitching, the border around the name of the author and the thorough meticulous detail of the title and the alien space ship in the middle. I'd really love to get my grubby little mitts on that title within the Olympia Le-Tan library but I'm afraid to ask about buying it without being able to afford it just yet. In the background are a series of cards received by Cleo and Olympia including a birthday card from their father, celebrated illustrator Pierre Le-Tan.

On the far end on the other side of the desk you'll see more cards stacked up towards the wall as well as another old globe and the cover art of J.D. Salinger's, 'The Catcher in the Rye' and a cute floral headband worn by Olympia in one of the earlier photographs. 'The Catcher in the Rye' is one of the few classic books that I've read that have made it into the Le-Tan library of minaudières, but I can't say I enjoyed reading it. I just didn't like Holden Caulfield very much and hoped that if I continue to read the book that something bad would happen to him or he'd become a nicer person. Neither happened and I was all the more disappointed for it.

This is the most attractive of the Olympia Le-Tan minaudière that I can find online and I love it even more for the letters in all fonts, colours and sizes mashed together as well as the bright red cover. Red was my favourite childhood colour so it seems fitting to try to buy such an expensive item in something that has such a strong nostalgic effect for me. That is, if I ever mysteriously acquired an extra thousand dollars and didn't mind shelling it out over a simple clutch. Oh well, you only live once!

Among the books, memorabilia, bits and pieces as well as kooky collectables in the Le-Tan studio is a signed copy ofthe popular Children's book, 'Where the Wild Things Are.' Now that's a book cover I would love to see made by Cleo and Olympia and since they always do things with such care and craft you can be sure it would be worth the dollars spent to buy a copy. Unfortunately it seems that only classic novels with a rich history and popularity have gotten a look in so far and no Harry Potter covers have been worthy of being crafted yet either.

They may look a little rough now, but the stitched detail of 'Out of the Silent Planet' by C.S. Lewis looks amazing- I can only imagine the great number of half finished covers that lie in wait at the studio of Cleo and Olympia in Paris and the wonderful minaudières they will one day become. Of course pouring my eyes over all of these images is only feeding my addiction of their bags and clutches in their book cover cloths. I just wish their online store was jam-packed of all the wonderful items they have to sell and they weren't all over the place.

As I said before, books aren't the only thing lurking about in their studio. Shown above is proud Olympia holding up a sweater from her youth her mother made for her, it's like a jumper Molly Weasley of the Harry Potter books would know but only cooler by the eclectic name stitched in white on it. It's the same shade of cheery red of the woman who holds it in red nail polish and sporting red and pursed lips. I wish I could knit to make cute little jumpers that are nerdy just like this one but somehow I can't really quite get the hang of knitting.

While all of this has been very inspiring to see, I can't think where to start in terms of doing some DIY stuff myself. I suppose I'm looking for a distraction, I have the very bitter taste of defeat and false promises in my moth and I want to wash it away with lots of pin pricked fingers. Finding a vintage denim jacket wouldn't be so hard, but maybe drawing my own scripted ribbon to put my name on in red or the name of my blog on would be a little more difficult considering my hand-writing looks like rubbish today.