Olympia Le Tan is a true Parisian "coquine," with her quiet knowing smile, red lipstick, and swirly Alaïa skirts. Her embroidered clutch bags patterned after vintage books were an instant success when she began to show them last year. We now carry them at OC Ace exclusively (and very soon online!). Filmmaker Lisa Paclet sent us these shots taken during her video shoot with Olympia at the Luxembourg Gardens, premiering soon on OCTV! To tide you over until the video, here are a few questions with OLT.

Rory Satran: How did the idea for the book bags come about?
Olympia Le Tan: My father has a big collection of old books and lots of them have such great covers that I just knew I had to make something out of them.

RS: How long does it take you to make one bag?
OLT: The embroidery alone can take up to 3 days, depending on how complicated the drawing is. Then the bag gets assembled by a "gaineur" who fixes the fabric onto a metal structure. That takes less than a day.

RS: How do you choose the books on your bags?
OLT: They are my favourite classics or those with the nicest covers.

RS: If you could be one character from fiction,  who would you be?
OLT: Gigi from Colette's novel.

RS: How long have you been singing, and why are you so shy about it? You have a lovely voice!
OLT: I've always liked singing but I think I am too shy to do it professionally. And now with the bags, I wouldn't have the time.

RS: What is your favorite look for a musician?
OLT: Phil Spector with his wig!

RS: Which do you prefer, Paris or New York, and why?
OLT: I love to visit New York, but I prefer living in Paris probably because I always have. It's home. I know it so well and feel really comfortable here.

RS: Do you still spend a lot of time in Tokyo?
OLT: Unfortunately, I haven't been to Tokyo for more than a year. I really miss it.

RS: Has your dad [illustrator Pierre Le Tan] drawn a lot of pictures of you? Where do you keep them? 
OLT: I have loads of them all over my room and also some in boxes.

RS: Tell us about your dream vacation.
OLT: I just came back from a Greek island called Symi, which was very dreamlike.

RS: What is your back-to-school outfit this Fall?
OLT: A navy Brooks Brothers blazer, Kitsuné striped shirt, black Alaïa wool skirt, my own custom JM Weston golf shoes and of course, my On the Road mini briefcase. Almost like a real schoolgirl!




FILED UNDER: olympia le-tan , rory satran , kitsune , ocace , paris , usa vs. france , lisa paclet , octv