Duvelleroy, Treasures of the Parisian hand-fan Book

This volume depicts the saga of the Parisian fan house Duvelleroy, born in 1827 with of a dream: to bring fans back into women’s hands.
Official supplier to the Queens, Duvelleroy accompanied Parisian women at the turn of the XIXth century, providing them with sophisticated hand-fans but also binoculars or evening purses. Art Nouveau was a major influence and profoundly marked the aesthetics of the creations.
Several recognizable ‘savoir-faire’ flourished at that time: the work of fabric for “frou-frou” hand-fans, often embroidered and perfect emblems of the Parisian Couture spirit; the work of feathers in marquetery or as ‘trophy’ hand-fans. In addition to the grammar of gestures and the vocabulary of shapes, a style settled: the style of a Parisian maison, with a taste for lightness and a certain elegance. After World War II, Jules Maignan, new owner of the house, enabled Duvelleroy to flourish in an era where hand-fans were replaced by air conditioning.
This book also testifies of the rebirth of the brand Duvelleroy in 2010, thanks to the enthusiasm of two young women in love with heritage and savoir-faire. Associated with a descendant of Jules Maignan, they had the dream of reviving the spirit of the original house while making it completely relevant in our era through Couture hand-fans, but also Ready-to-wear fans, produced in small series.
Today, Duvelleroy takes on the mission to establish hand-fans as the symbol of a certain art de vivre, where the accessory is essential.
Author Marie-Clémence Barbé-Conti studied history at La Sorbonne. She is a journalist who specializes in analyzing the luxury and creative sectors, and the history of luxury brands and companies. After working for eleven years at “Le Figaro Group”, she was a contributor to numerous magazines and subsequently became Editor-in-chief of the women’s society magazine DS and the magazine AD (Architectural Digest, published by the Condé Nast group).  
Preface by Christian Lacroix