[Portrait] Samuel Gassmann, luxury cufflink creator in Paris

There are callings that cannot be invented, like that of Samuel Gassmann. While it's easy to imagine becoming a jeweler, hairdresser, ceramist, or baker, it's a little less common to become a creator of cufflinks. Yet, that has been the daily life of this Parisian artisan for almost 15 years. After years studying art history at university, Samuel became a freelancer for various media outlets like Arte and Journal de la culture. At 27 years old, while working on a report about clothing buttons, he discovered a world he describes as "totally crazy": "I realized that there were day buttons, evening buttons, special buttons"... Neglected buttons, sports buttons, decorative buttons... And all of this follows sumptuary laws," he explains. A whole world that he will quickly become passionate about.

One day, he meets Diane Nédélec-Bellevenue, curator and director of the Mother-of-Pearl Museum, who suggests filming the production of several buttons. Fascinated by the beauty of these small pearls of nacre, he takes several dozen home, which he turns into cufflinks using a little elbow grease and some silk threads as ties. The story could have ended there, but Samuel meets a famous custom shirt house, located on Place Vendôme. Its manager is interested in the freelancer's cufflinks and starts selling them in his shop.

The ball is rolling: a few days later, ELLE magazine dedicates an article to Samuel's creations, while an international purchasing office offers to help him launch his brand to sell cufflinks around the world."It's crazy, I had no passion for arts or cufflinks before," he admits.

Cufflinks sold worldwide

15 years later, after a few years working in his salon and then at the National Institute of Arts,

Institute of Crafts, Samuel has turned this discovery into his profession and now creates cufflinks in his workshop-boutique on Charlemagne street. With two collections per year based on specific themes, clients from around the world (including the United States and Japan) and custom orders, it's safe to say that the artisan is busy.

Today, Samuel mainly works on his buttons with mother-of-pearl, his favorite material, but also enjoys discovering new materials and working methods with each new collection: " Every year, I have fun - or I struggle - trying to learn a new technique. This year, with gold leaf, I worked with one of the specialists in gold leaf who gave me a one-week course here," he explains."The result is truly amazing. For his first collection of the year, presented in January 2024, the creator decided to work on light inspired by rainbows, mirrors, constellations, stained glass windows, eclipses, etc. He has, for example, created several series of cufflinks using the cyanotype technique, a method of photographic printing that uses sunlight to produce images with characteristic blue colors. Samuel Gassmann has also ventured into creating some jewelry - such as bracelets, rings, wedding bands, and even some keychains - always with the idea of working with new techniques.

Here is a beautiful image for you to enjoy! Just look at those stylish cufflinks in all their glory. Aren't they simply stunning? Feel free to admire them in all their detailed perfection.

Starting at €160, you can treat yourself to one of his creations, with prices usually below €300 and some pieces reaching over €1000 or even €2000. While this may not fit everyone's budget, it seems fair considering the skill and dedication put into each piece. Samuel uses only high-quality materials like gold, silver, bronze, platinum, and sometimes includes diamonds or other precious stones. These are truly luxurious pieces, yet without any flashy elements: Samuel prefers "discreet luxury" - a very French concept in his opinion - and has a deep appreciation for the traditions of button craftsmanship, possibly influenced by his background in art history.

To meet him, you can go to his workshop-boutique on Charlemagne Street, but not for long: in a few weeks, the artisan should bid farewell to the Village Saint Paul and move right across from Le Bon Marché, in the 6th arrondissement.

Samuel Gassmann
1, rue Charlemagne - 4th arrondissement
Open from Tuesday to Friday from 11am to 7pm and on Saturdays from 3:30pm to 7pm
Phone: 01 77 32 63 27
Insta: @samuelgassmannparis
samuelgassmann.com