Paris –– Anyone who knows me will know that I have a penchant for all things vintage and kitsch, pin-up and handmade –– I mean, I’m only the girl who wears a corset every day, takes lindy hop classes and is obsessed with crafting despite never actually having the time to do it. So it’s really no surprise that I adored Olympia Le-Tan’s spring/summer 2013 show –– and I don’t just mean the bags or the clothes.
I remember when I first laid eyes on her now-famous book clutch at a Browns press day. I thought it was the most adorable thing I had ever seen in my life, but being perpetually clueless about designers (I rarely look at who made what and am only capable of recognizing Westwood –– shame on me, really) I didn’t really know much about it, and a few weeks later the BFF Leslie came home with “the book bag.”
But Olympia Le-Tan is much more than just her beautiful trademark book bags. To call her second ready-to-wear collection shown at the Theatre de la Madeleine charming is an understatement. Taking inspiration from ‘60s doo-wop, Olympia presented super cute ‘60s girl band looks complete with ankle socks on curvy girls who danced and lip-synched to the era’s classic tunes. Olympia’s father, illustrator Pierre Le-Tan created four original prints: an amazing hand drawn tartan, a swirly stripe, the vegetable filled “Secret Garden” and my absolute favorite, the über-kitsch “Magic Box” print with scissors, hat shoots and cards. They were on crop tops and capri pants, twin sets and both poofy and pencil dresses, while the solids were accented with embroidered buttons and scalloped edges.
And then, of course, there were the bags. Using jazz and blues as her inspiration, she had the usual book shapes lined with Liberty print fabric with felt music book covers of that era, but also introduced three new shapes: the little round Macaroon bag with embroidered vinyl tags: the 7” box for storing 7” records, and the Little 45 that had embroidered record covers.
I was smitten from the minute it started, but I can’t tell you how much my heart jumped at Ronnie Spector singing Be My Baby live as the finale of her show. This was literally my anthem when I was spending my summer in Australia when I was 13 (don’t ask why) and I screamed like an idiot when she came onstage. It was completely magical, and my friend Diane Pernet said it was the most delightful show she’d seen this season.
As someone who regularly nitpicks at “era” looks, I thought it was accurate yet current, and am desperately longing for a Secret Garden printed pencil skirt, and a Magic Box printed pencil dress with the scalloped collar and sleeves. Throw in the Why Marry? or the Paris Blues book clutch (both way too relevant) and I’m set for life.
Until of course she makes a fetish-themed collection –– too much of a perfect fit on my bookshelf. That would basically mean beg, borrow and steal just to get one.
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With thanks to Gregory Bernard for having me. For more on Olympia Le-Tan visit www.olympialetan.com.