Not too haute to handle: Hand fans are a must-have fashion accessory in Spain

This picture shows a hand fan by Olivier Bernoux. The Spanish must-have item has retained its relevance thanks to designer creativity and amid increasingly oppressive summer temperatures. Photo: AFP

As passengers wilted in a packed Madrid metro, one traveller defied the summer heat by snapping open her handheld fan – a quintessential Spanish accessory enjoying undimmed popularity.

The burst of coolness drew envious eyes to a must-have item that has retained its relevance thanks to designer creativity and increasingly oppressive summer temperatures, stoked by climate change.