Olympia Le Tan's patchwork felt book clutches became popular among Hollywood celebrities, and her name quickly became known.
A former DJ, she's well-known among fashionistas in Tokyo as a resident DJ at Le Baron de Paris, and her cute styling is always a hot topic. She visited Japan to announce her new collection and also made an appearance at the exhibition being held by the French magazine Purple Fashion, enjoying her Tokyo life. We caught up with her to talk about her new collection between exhibitions.
--Please tell us about your Spring/Summer 2013 collection.
The theme is music, and I called it the "7-inch" collection after the 7-inch record and the fact that it's my seventh collection. It draws inspiration from jazz, blues, and 1960s girl bands.
I created my first square "7-inch bag," inspired by record jackets (of vinyl singles). The book clutches also feature jazz books as their motif. They're also handmade, limited to just 16 pieces each, with a Liberty print lining. Each one has an edition number. Being born on October 16th, "16" is my lucky number.

--You held your first official presentation at Paris Fashion Week in October.

The story was set in an old musical theater, and featured a fictional black girl band. They danced to '60s music, and at the end, Ronnie Spector of The Ronettes appeared and sang. It was very exciting, and I think everyone enjoyed it.

--What was the theme of your ready-to-wear collection?

I wanted to create clothes for girls to wear while carrying book clutches. My father, illustrator Pierre Le Tan, created four special patterns for this collection. The fabric features all my favorite things: jack-in-the-boxes, dice, playing cards, snails, rabbits, and shoes. I've incorporated this fabric into a variety of items, including dresses and skirts.
Olympia loves '60s music, especially the graphic design of jazz records. She says, "I love music from that time because it makes me feel relaxed, like I'm at home." When asked where she looks for records, she replied, "Whenever I come to Tokyo, I go to Tower Records in Shibuya and second-hand record shops." She really loves Japan and has visited it many times.
Various projects have already been announced for 2013. In collaboration with Isetan, a collection of handkerchiefs embroidered with cute insects will be released. In addition, in collaboration with the cosmetics brand Lancôme, a special clutch bag featuring nail and lip colors selected by Olympia will be released in a limited edition of 100 worldwide.
[Olympia Le-Tan Profile]
Born in London and raised in Paris. Self-taught in fashion, she built her career at Chanel and Balmain before founding her own accessories brand, Olympia Le-Tan, in 2009. Her handmade book-shaped clutch bags attracted attention and are known to be favorites of eccentric actresses such as Tilda Swinton, Natalie Portman, Clémence Poésy, and Michelle Williams. Furthermore, the stop-motion animation film "Mourir Aupres de Toi," which she produced with the geniuses Spike Jonze and Simon Kahn, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2011 and was also officially screened at the Locarno Film Festival.