Fan or Eventail, accessory or art object...

A brief History of Fans

Few art forms combine functional, ceremonial and decorative uses as elegantly as the fan. Fewer still can match such diversity with a history stretching back at least 3,000 years.

Today, in Europe, only in Spain is the fan part of everyday life, as it still remains in most hot countries, particularly in the Far East, and especially in Japan.

Antique fans

from Louis the 14th

Details from an eighteen century fan

Dès la plus Haute Antiquité, l'éventail fut un objet de convoitise. Intégré à la mode au début du XXème siècle, Paul Poiré et d'autres couturiers par la suite lui donneront une place indispensable dans les défilés. Mais la mode change...

Karl Lagerfeld le remettra au goût du jour dans les années 80.

From the eighties, designed for Karl Lagerfeld

From the Hand Fan Museum-CA

From Sylvain Le Guen
A touch of elegance

Black silk with Swarovski crystals

Taffetas with Swarovski crystals

Peacock feathers

From Fan d'eventails
Advertising fan for Champagne Perrier-Jouet, circa 1925

Made for les Galeries Lafayette, circa 1913

Ostrich colored feather fans

Anything to cool down is much appreciated today !!

The latest design

Eventails Vuitton by Rossy de Palma

and my favorite from Lanvin

Links to Fan museums, future exhibitions, atelier/workshop and more...

Stephen Jones and the Accent of Fashion

From September 8/ 2010 until February 13/ 2011, the MoMU - Fashion Museum in Antwerp will present a retrospective exhibition of the work of British milliner Stephen Jones. The exhibition guides you through the unique world of a hatmaker who has worked with many of the greatest names in the fashion scene for three decades: Jean Paul Gaultier, John Galliano, Christian Dior, Marc Jacobs, and many more.
A look at some of his fabulous hats.

Himself

John Galliano 2004-05

Comme des Garcons, 2006-07

Dior, 2007-08

Gilles Deacon, 2009

Jason Wu

Issa

Kinder

Mainbocher

John Galliano

Laissez Faire

LWren Scott

John Galliano 

Images courtesy of MoMU and Stephen Jones

Vincent Olinet and his extravagant sculptures

At first glance, Vincent Olinet's mixed-media sculptures of pretty things like layer cakes, four-poster fairy beds and glossy lipsticks are seductive, but upon closer look they reveal a subversive side. The cakes have collapsed in a gooey mess, the beds have been left outside to rot in the rain, and the lipsticks are sloppoly varnished. "I like to make shiny, colorful art pieces that appeal to our dreams and urges but actually deal with decay or disillusion", says the Brussels-based artist.

A fairy tale with

Not yet my story, Wanderland, Tilburg 2008

Decadent with these non-edible pieces

Petit Gateau, 2003

Yaourt grec fruit du Japon, 2007

La vitrine, 2007

Flowery

Je vous aime tous, Fiac, Paris 2007

Unusual

Twice Upon A Time, Gallery Laurent Godin, Paris 2010

Passion

Rouge Santa Barbara, 2009

To see more, click on Galerie Laurent Godin, Paris

Ad Campaigns

Recently some ad campaigns got my attention for being very original, and I would like to share a few.
The first one is quite unique and made to promote the Zoo in Copenhagen, the" Wildest Place in Town".

The Zoobus

The second one is for Target. The corporation has debuted an ad campaign in the New York City subway, wrapping an entire train in its red-and-white bullseye motif. Pretty cool !

The third one is for the World Wildlife Fund, a campaign through pictures of animals with painted tags,  to stress the importance of respecting the planet. What will it take before we respect the planet ?

The fourth one is for Sherwin-Williams. The paint stores created a campaign that's brand-focused storytelling through art, a colorful ad made of paint chips.

The fifth one is a global campaign that New York City has launched to persuade people to visit the city.

The last one is Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2010-11 ad campaign. Featuring three models, the campaign was shot in a NY studio by Steven Meisel, and made to look like a Hollywood star's old-fashioned dressing room.

To conclude this topic, here is a beautiful video shot in Madrid, to promote skateboard.

To see, click on Surfing the city