Dear Shaded Viewers,
I discovered the work of Samuel Gassmann yesterday when I visited Private Choice in Paris. The brand was founded in 2009 by Samuel Gassmann who at that time knew nothing about cufflinks. It was only when he was working on a film about the very last mother of pearl factory operating in France that the idea of making cufflinks took hold. He fell in love with the idea and that idea took possesion of his artistic imagination. He discovered that he had a talent for craftsmanship and went on to master every step in the manufacturing process. His partner, Donatienne, joined him on his quest. I had the pleasure of sitting down at Private Choice with them and discussing their dreams to reality and how they broke into the French market and are slowly but steadily conquering the globe. We laughed about how some vendors showed the cufflinks with price tages that were bigger than the cufflinks which were pristinely shown in a beautiful vintage case.
The cufflinks come in two forms, Archetype or Cabochon, the Archetype is a nod to the origins of the sew-on buttons. This button is the basis for all Gassmann's creations. Men's models are 11 mm in diameter with four holes and the women's models are slightly smaller at 10 mm and with two holes. The Cabochon is a variation on the theme with no holes in the cufflink and the same diameter. There are cufflinks for all occassions, Neglige, Day, Evening, Sport and Ceremony.
All models are entirely made in France and by hand. Mother of pearl will always have a place in his collections he also relies on bronze and silver links, all designed and produced in France as well as bisque porcelain, all flawlessly finished.
In addition to the cufflinks he produces the Double or an entwined wedding ring. The special ring is available exclusively at Colette.
Later,
Diane
http://www.samuelgassmann.com/
