"We don t need no education" was spelled out on a chalkboard at the back of Olympia Le-Tan s runway. The show was held at the Left Bank s Lycée Henri IV. Lycée, for those of you who studied Spanish, is French for "high school." We knew what we were in for then, more or less—schoolgirls in uniform. A certain kind of bold dresser will like the sequined skirt with pencils all in a row, lead at the waist, erasers at the hem. And a composition-book print designed by her father, Pierre Le-Tan, had an undeniable charm; it seemed like a logical extension from her trademark embroidered book-cover clutches. Many of the looks were accented with a new monogram. It appeared on belt buckles, caps, the chest of shirtdresses and coats. Le-Tan should consider launching a bespoke business needlepointing initials on her famous bags. It d do gangbusters, we bet.
But back to the schoolgirls. Grown women in knee socks may be too cutesy for some tastes, but it was all in good fun for Le-Tan. Still, the work was strongest when it wasn t too literal. A tweed jacket, sweater, and miniskirt woven with neon thread was cheeky in all the right ways.
