Book Clutches

Is it a book?  Is it a bag?  Yes it's a bag.

I first spotted this curious creation when I saw Michelle Williams sporting one at the Baftas...

Michelle Williams arriving at the Baftas

A custom-made tribute to Arthur Miller's 'The Misfits' 

...however, after a little research I realised that they've been in circulation for decades and you can pick up your own vintage version, like these ones below, on sites such as etsy.com.

Vintage Bag Clutch - about £28

Vintage Bag Clutch - about £41

If you're after la crème de la crème then it has to be an Olympia Le Tan clutch, which will set you back about £900.  Le Tan's creations have been seen in the hands of stars such as Tilda Swinton and Natalie Portman, though in the designer's words, 'I rather like to see someone I don’t know wearing my bag in the street and I have no idea how they got it'.  Take a look at her blog here.  As for actually getting your hands on one - good luck! Every single book design (of which there are a good 20) is already sold out on her site.

Book clutch by Le Tan - perfect for this season's 20's trend
(read about it here)

I'm really struggling to find a high-street version of the bag.  Asos did attempt it, but failed miserably in my opinion with the bag being made from plastic-y leather, and being stamped with 'Book Club' rather than with the name of a much loved classic or author.  (That said the bag has sold out so clearly some thought was put into it).

If you're really crafty, then why not make one yourself?  There's a fantastic tutorial on DIY blog runwaydiy, which just makes it look so easy!

The finished item, from runwaydiy.com