About Us
A passion for vintage fans
Denise Frankel and Janis Sher, two sisters from London have a long held passion for antique and vintage hand fans. Over the years, they would accessorise their outfits for special occasions with one of their many vintage hand fans, which always attracted a lot of compliments, and enquiries as to where they could be purchased. This left them wondering why such luxury hand fans were no longer available, especially since up until the 1930s, there were dedicated fan boutiques lining London’s main shopping streets.
Fashion is very much in Denise and Janis’s blood, indeed their grandfather established a millinery company in London in 1936, supplying ladies’ millinery to boutiques and department stores across the UK and Europe. Their father followed in his footsteps joining the business in the 1940s, and Janis was brought on board in the 1980s, making it truly a family affair.
Fast forward to 2014, and after much research, Denise and Janis decided to turn their passion into a business, and Rockcoco Fine Fans was born, the first bespoke hand fan makers in London for over 100 years!
In 2017, Denise received recognition from The Worshipful Company of Fan Makers, one of the City of London’s original livery companies which received a Royal Charter by Queen Anne in 1709. Denise was honoured to be made a liveryman of the company and was awarded the Freedom of the City of London.
Creating works of art
Each and every Rockcoco fan is characterized by the attention to fine detailing, luxury materials and a signature elegance and grace.
Denise explains, “We see our hand fans as unique works of art and strive to make each and every area of it special. From the carving to the gilding, to the stone settings in the fan. At each step of the process no attention to detail is spared.”
In homage to the traditions of fan making, Rockcoco Fine Fans work with expert artisans, involved at each stage of the creative process. The fans are handmade in Valencia, Spain, by artisans who have passed down the art of fan making through the generations. Much of the detailed work then takes place here in England. It’s hugely important to Denise and Janis to collaborate with UK based artisans to support the revival of fan making in this country. From the engraver of the mother-of-pearl, to the goldsmith that creates the gem setting and the rivet which holds the fan together, to the gilder that finely applies real gold leaf into the engraving, and the bespoke tassel makers - each of these elements are carried out by British artisans. All of these highly skilled craftspeople work in harmony to bring each fan to life.
The fabrics for the bespoke designs are obtained from royal warrant holders Joel and Son, and all of the precious stones for the fans are ethically sourced, every aspect of each fan is of the highest possible standard.
Fit for a Duchess
Rockcoco Fine Fans were truly honoured to be commissioned by the Worshipful Company of Fan Makers to create a bespoke hand fan for HRH Megan, Duchess of Sussex. It has been a long held tradition of The Worshipful Company of Fan makers to present senior royal brides with a hand fan on the occasion of their marriage. This exquisite fan features ethically sourced mother-of-pearl, 9ct rose and yellow gold and a stunning pink sapphire, was presented to the duchess at Kensington Palace on the 19th of March 2019.
Take a peek at the royal fan here:
Their bespoke service is of course not just reserved for royalty, Denise and Janis combine their expertise, creativity and fine attention to detail to create the perfect fan for each client’s dreams.
Rockcoco Fine Fans also offer a ready-to-wear collection which still maintains their high standards of craftsmanship and materials, at a more accessible price. This eclectic collection showcases beautiful classical designs as well as bold modern prints, an elegant and functional accessory for cocktail wear, weddings, or day wear.