Marc Jacobs sporting one of his Louis Vuitton fans  |  Philip Treacy for Armani Privé.

Duvelleroy fans

With the movie Snow Flower and the Secret Fan premiering last Friday, and the weather in New York hitting scorching highs, folding fans are having a moment.  This morning, I was inspired by the fan story on Style.com and in my research, came upon a fascinating Parisian fan house called Duvelleroy. The couture brand was founded in 1827 by Jean-Pierre Duvelleroy who had a simple dream: “to bring fans back into women’s hands.”  Most fascinating is the booklet published by the house, “…explaining the coded gestures used by women since centuries to say “I love you”, “follow me” or “you are cruel”, with a simple manipulation of their fan.  Another interesting tidbit is, “DUVELLEROY specialized itself in “trophy” fans, intricate artworks of feathers assembled from a single bird, sometimes even integrating a bird’s head on the guard. A sublimated still-life…made to flutter in the hands of the beautiful.”

In the 1980s, the house was rescued from financial collapse by Eloïse Gilles et Raphaëlle de Panafieu, who continue the legacy of craftsmanship and couture, but with contemporary designs.  The house also creates custom fans.