Creating 100 Bespoke Fans for The DorchesterBijou11 minutes ago5 min readA bespoke BijouCREATES commission inspired by the newly restored Oliver Messel Suite at The Dorchester, London.Sometimes a project feels special before you even make the first sketch.For me, this was one of those projects.Earlier this year, I received an email from The Dorchester asking whether BijouCREATES could create bespoke hand fans featuring artwork from their newly restored Oliver Messel Suite.The answer was, of course, yes.But what made the commission particularly meaningful was the fact that The Dorchester wasn't a completely unfamiliar place to me. During my final years at university, I spent a lot of time working there — waiting tables, working events and doing night shifts.Years later, I found myself returning to the same hotel, but this time with something I had designed and made myself.That full-circle moment was not lost on me. A fan inspired by Oliver MesselThe brief was to create 100 bespoke hand fans inspired by the Oliver Messel Suite — one of The Dorchester's beautifully theatrical spaces.Oliver Messel was known for his highly decorative and imaginative approach to design, and the suite reflects that beautifully. Rich colour, pattern, ornate details and a sense of fantasy come together to create an interior that feels almost like stepping into another world.The challenge was to translate that atmosphere into something small enough to hold in your hand.Rather than simply placing an image onto an existing fan design, I wanted the fan to feel like a little piece of the suite itself.The artwork was therefore printed across the fan, allowing the imagery to unfold as the fan opens. We paired this with a pale blue leather handle and hand-finished gold stitching, creating a balance between the colourful artwork and the more refined details of the finished piece.The result was a fan that felt decorative, playful and distinctly connected to its surroundings. From one email to a full collaborationWhat started as a simple enquiry quickly became a proper creative collaboration.There were conversations about the artwork, the handle colour, the stitching, the placement of the print and how the finished fans would be presented.And, as with most bespoke projects, it wasn't completely straightforward.Samples were created, reviewed and adjusted. Materials were tested. Details were tweaked. We went back and forth to make sure the finished product reflected the original vision.That part of bespoke design is something I really enjoy.There is a difference between making something from a set specification and working collaboratively to develop something that didn't previously exist.For this project, every detail mattered. Making something beautiful is only half the storyBehind the finished photographs is a lot of work that you don't necessarily see.The 100 fans were produced with my team in Sierra Leone, bringing together the craftsmanship and making processes that sit at the heart of BijouCREATES.The artwork had to be prepared and printed correctly. Materials needed to arrive. Components had to be cut, assembled and finished. Each fan then needed to be checked before making its way to London.There were production logistics, tight timelines, sampling, packaging and plenty of moments where I had to remind myself that everything would eventually come together.There was also a healthy amount of founder panic. 😂But this is one of the things I love about running BijouCREATES.The finished product may look effortless, but there is a whole story of people, skills, decisions and problem-solving behind it.Crafting in Sierra Leone, creating for LondonOne of the most important parts of this commission for me was that the fans were made in Sierra Leone.BijouCREATES has always been about creating a bridge between West African craftsmanship and contemporary design.This project gave me the opportunity to take that philosophy into a completely different setting — from the vibrant, highly decorative interiors of The Dorchester to our making process in Sierra Leone.The finished fan became a meeting point between those worlds.It carried artwork inspired by a historic London hotel suite, was developed through a contemporary design process, and was ultimately handcrafted by our team in Sierra Leone.That connection is at the heart of what I want BijouCREATES to continue doing.100 fans, made by handProducing 100 bespoke pieces is very different from making one.Consistency becomes incredibly important while still retaining the feeling that each piece has been made by hand.Every fan went through the making process individually, from the construction of the fan itself through to the handle, stitching and finishing details.And when you are working on a project like this, you start to see the individual stages differently.A roll of fabric becomes 100 fans.A pile of components becomes 100 finished handles.A printed piece of artwork becomes something that a guest can actually pick up, open and use.That transformation is one of my favourite parts of being a maker.Seeing the finished fans at The DorchesterAnd then came the moment when they finally made it back to where the story began.Seeing the finished fans at The Dorchester was incredibly special.They weren't just products anymore. They were part of an experience — designed specifically for the hotel, its guests and the Oliver Messel Suite.And seeing someone from The Dorchester actually holding one of the finished fans was probably my favourite part.After all the emails, samples, production, problem-solving and late nights, there it was.A little piece of BijouCREATES inside The Dorchester.A very full-circle momentThere is something quite surreal about returning to a place where you once worked and seeing something you created sitting on the table.When I was working at The Dorchester, I never imagined that years later I would be returning as the founder of my own design brand, delivering 100 bespoke pieces that had been created specifically for the hotel.It reminded me that careers — and creative journeys — rarely happen in a straight line.The waitress who once worked events at The Dorchester and the designer behind BijouCREATES might seem like two completely different chapters.But somehow, they met again.And this time, I arrived carrying something I had made.Thank you, The Dorchester !I am incredibly grateful to The Dorchester for trusting BijouCREATES with such a special commission and for allowing me to bring this idea to life.It was one of our biggest bespoke projects to date and taught me so much — particularly about scaling production, allowing enough time for sampling and the importance of every tiny detail when creating something for a luxury environment.Most importantly, it reminded me why I started BijouCREATES in the first place:to take beautiful ideas, work with talented makers, and turn them into objects that people can experience, use and remember.Thank you to everyone involved in bringing this project to life — from the team at The Dorchester to my incredible makers in Sierra Leone.And to The Dorchester, thank you for giving me a very unexpected full-circle moment. 🤎100 fans. One very special project. And a story I'll definitely remember.
