When the world gets closer.

We help you see farther.

Sign up to our expressly international daily newsletter.

Already a subscriber? Log in .

You've reached your limit of one free article.

Get unlimited access to Worldcrunch

You can cancel anytime .

SUBSCRIBERS BENEFITS

Exclusive International news coverage

Ad-free experience NEW

Weekly digital Magazine NEW

9 daily & weekly Newsletters

Access to Worldcrunch archives

Free trial

30-days free access, then $2.90
per month.

Annual Access BEST VALUE

$19.90 per year, save $14.90 compared to monthly billing. save $14.90.

Subscribe to Worldcrunch
Switzerland

Looking Smart! The Latest Fashionista's Must-Have Accessory Is A *Book Bag*

The newest trend on the red carpet: Why are it-girls and stars carrying a book under their arm, heading to a movie premiere with Nabokov's Lolita or Albert Camus's La Peste? Well, look inside.

Feeling bookish? (Olympia Le-Tan)
Feeling bookish? (Olympia Le-Tan)

* NEWSBITES

That's Sartre, not Prada: the newest must-have accessory for fashionistas is – a book.

The idea is to look intellectual, but horn-rimmed glasses perched on your nose are so, well, yesterday . What you need is a clutch bag that looks exactly like a book -- giving new meaning to the word "pocketbook."

Some people might think that anybody who spends their time flipping through ad-filled glossy fashion magazines has probably forgotten how to read and definitely has no idea who Thomas Mann or Emily Dickinson are. But American actress Chloë Sevigny, French model and actress Clémence Poésy, and other high-brows, are trying to prove the contrary by carrying clutch bags embroidered with the covers of literary masterpieces by the likes of Nabokov, Salinger or Fitzgerald.

The bags, which have gold frames and clasps, are the brainchild of London-born French designer Olympia Le-Tan who is part of the clique surrounding Purple Fashion Magazine founder Olivier Zahm in Paris. It was just a question of time before the daughter of renowned French illustrator Pierre Le-Tan came up with her own creative pursuit. Three years ago, armed with a love of literature and a penchant for embroidery ("I inherited a talent for it from my grandmother"), she launched her first accessories.

A brief look at all the "sold out's on www.net-a-porter.com is enough to see that Le-Tan's clutches are very sought-after. That they cost more than €1,153 (over $1,500) each doesn't seem to deter those in search of just the right literary fashion statement.

Read the full original article in German by Olivia Muller

Photo – Olympia Le-Tan

*Newsbites are digest items, not direct translations

You've reached your limit of free articles.

To read the full story, start your free trial today.

Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.

Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.

Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.

Society

Is Disney's "Wish" Spreading A Subtle Anti-Christian Message To Kids?

Disney's new movie "Wish" is being touted as a new children's blockbuster to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary. But some Christians may see the portrayal of the villain as God-like and turning wishes into prayers as the ultimate denial of the true message of Christmas.

For the Christmas holiday season?

Joseph Holmes

Christians have always had a love-hate relationship with Disney since I can remember. Growing up in the Christian culture of the 1990s and early 2000s, all the Christian parents I knew loved watching Disney movies with their kids – but have always had an uncomfortable relationship with some of its messages. It was due to the constant Disney tropes of “follow your heart philosophy” and “junior knows best” disdain for authority figures like parents that angered so many. Even so, most Christians felt the benefits had outweighed the costs.

That all seems to have changed as of late, with Disney being hit more and more by claims from conservatives (including Christian conservatives) that Disney is pushing more and more radical progressive social agendas , This has coincided with a steep drop at the box office for Disney.

Keep reading... Show less

The latest