Go Girls - How to DIY a Charlotte Olympia 'Neon Sign Girls' Clutch

Charlotte Olympia 'Neon Sign Girls' Clutch (see more colorful clutches)

Among the first of the lucky people to get a hold of Charlotte Olympia's 'Girls'  clutch was Lena Dunham from the TV series of the same name - after it was sent to her in bespoke freebie form, as you do! Novelty merchandise and neon nostalgia a-la-80s mightn't appear to say 'high fashion' in the serious if slightly snobbish sense that we know and love and yet this irresistibly fabulous piece would become more than just a bespoke one-off after Lena sported it via Instagram. It can still be yours for a tidy £950, and could have been mine, I suppose, but that plastic chocolate box and set of nail files I had lying around weren't going to upcycle themselves, were they?

You will need...

NB: You will need at least two bottles of black nail polish to cover the box - possibly more, depending on its size.

You will need about 11 nail files.

I used duct tape to make a 'hinge' for the back but that's completely optional.

Difficulty

Very easy

This project requires a reasonably careful hand... and that's about it.

Time

About an hour.

Clutch a load of this!

Cover the inside of the box completely with black nail polish. You might want to use a wide paint brush to speed up the process. Leave it to dry and apply at least one coat of clear lacquer as a fixative.

 

Cut the nail files up to form the word, 'Girls' and glue the pieces together at the ends. I find that if you're using nail files with curved ends, they can be really helpful to use on the corners, for an authentic digital-style typeface.

Using your nail polishes, paint each letter in a different colour and coat them in clear lacquer.

Glue them onto the outside of the clutch and use a thin strip of duct tape to make a 'hinge at the back (optional).