Brigitte Tanaka Palais Royal Pocket Book Pouch

Part book cover, part Paris souvenir, the Brigitte Tanaka Royal Palace Pocket Book recreates an old paperback in sheer embroidered organza. The cover features a faded photograph of the Palais Royal colonnades, with its title embroidered across the top in black and orange.

The slightly washed-out image works brilliantly against the white organza. It has the look of an old photograph or a book that’s been sitting on a shelf for years, while the transparency of the fabric keeps the whole thing incredibly light.

It’s actually a zipped pouch, so beneath the book-cover idea there’s a useful little bag for make-up, pens, chargers, jewellery or whatever else needs containing. I like that it doesn’t immediately look like a pouch either – the shape and printed cover make the reference convincing.

Brigitte Tanaka are very good at taking ordinary, slightly nostalgic objects and remaking them in organza without losing the thing that made the original interesting. This one feels particularly Parisian without resorting to the usual clichés.