At the end of your hand, the fan moves to refresh you in the heart of summer. From Spain to Japan, via China and France, it has crossed the centuries to become, even today, a practical and refined fashion accessory. First decorative object, combat weapon, traditional costume and advocacy tool, today shaking a fan is not just a way to cool off in hot weather, but rather to show off your style.
One culture, one range
Made for thousands of years, if the fan has stood the test of time, it is because it has always had different uses. In China, it was made of silk or paper around the 2nd century BC. AD for religious rituals. In Japan, Tessen-jutsu is a martial art using a war fan. On the European side, during the Renaissance, it was a popular fashion accessory among the nobility and the bourgeoisie, becoming a symbol of social status. At the same time, it also took on the air of a coded means of communication, allowing people to send discreet messages to each other through subtle gestures. In Spain, he has always accompanied flamenco dancers to amplify the movements of their performances and represent femininity.
In France, in the 1980s and 1990s, the fan was a self-affirmation accessory for the LGBTQ+ community, before becoming a staple in Karl Lagerfeld’s wardrobe in the early 2000s. Although it has come and gone in trends since then, it has never ceased to be the ally of major events such as festivals, which adorn it with an advertising design and offer it as a gift. A practical object, which moves in all hands, from in front of the stage of a festival to the queue to buy an ice cream in the middle of summer. Today, the Y2K revival, the spring of the drawers, but also fashion personalities from all over the world.
“It has always been perceived as an elegant and refined fashion accessory,” begins Inès, co-creator of the Abani & Co brand, which specializes in fans. Singer Rosalia waves it when she brings Catalan songs up to date, and Beyoncé made it a fashion accessory on stage during her Renaissance tour. During Fashion Week, the fan refreshed the fashion world, and took its place directly on the catwalks, in a wooden, lace or feather version at Dior, Palomo Spain or Givenchy.
Freshen up in style
While the month of June was the hottest since 2003, the end of the hand, the range is displayed. A work of art that continues to travel through the ages, an essential fashion accessory in our grandmothers’ handbags, it appeals today to all generations since it meets a practical need.
To cool off, its usefulness is undeniable: it allows you to face the heat while remaining elegant. And the signs have understood this. Relaunched in 2010, the Parisian house Duvelleroy, created in 1827, once again anchors the fan in fashion with collaborations “with artists, designers, and fashionable brands such as Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, José Lévy, Iris de Moüy, MV de Bascher, The Frankie Shop, Diptyque…”, comments Éloïse Gilles, director of the Duvelleroy fan house. She transforms the range according to the seasons and trends, offering models that will accompany all women, but not only since men are also tempted by this accessory.
The brands are rethinking the stereotypes of this object and breaking the traditions, which associate them mainly with Hispanic or Japanese designs. “At Abani & Co, the designs seduce lovers of the traditional fan, but also those looking for unique fashion accessories adapted to their personal style. »
With a wrist strap, the fan can easily be held in all hands. Some theories say that for it to actually work, you have to fan your wrist, without moving your arm, in order to limit the energy expended. With a wave of the hand, a delicate breeze envelops us and allows us to withstand the degrees in style, throughout this period of high temperatures.