Sarah Andelman's Printed Stuff

As long as I can remember, I’ve always been a fan of printed stuff. As a child, of course, I would read comics and favorites like Le Petit Nicolas by Sempé and Goscinny, but I would also collect them, organize them on the shelf and look at their covers for hours. Later, I remember buying books for school and again, it was less about reading them than having them.

If I liked a collection, like “Que sais-je?” or “Mille et Une Nuits,” which published classics for a very cheap price for people to buy at the train station without thinking, I wouldn’t be happy with just one or two—I needed them all. I know Japanese call this phenomenon “tsundoku,” and I like that it sounds like a sport activity. I think it definitely feeds your eyes and brain, even if they just stack in a ­corner.

Later, when I was lucky enough to travel, I would spend hours at Printed Matter in NYC, fascinated by artist zines, with a ­passion for the most absurd ones. I realized they have a power. As when you watch a ­movie or visit a museum, they inspire you. They make you think. They make you see the world in a different way.

So, when we opened colette in March 1997, we had a books and magazines section from day one. They were as important to me as the ­music, the beauty, the fashion and T-shirts, the sneakers, the water bar in the basement, the gallery, the design.