All books by Vincent Meylan about famous jewellers are a feast for the eyes. I have not encountered one mediocre book, and I have them all, checking online regularly in the hope he might have published something new. Some of his books I even bought in French because I could not wait for it being translated, but then I had to fight my way through with a dictionary. Luckily the pictures of the jewels and their wearers need no translation.
Vincent Meylan chooses his subjects with care and seems to have almost unlimited access to the archives of the companies he writes about. Not without reason, nothing better can happen to a jewellery house than having its history written by a friendly connoisseur of the trade.
The book about the company Maison FRED is no difference. On the front cover, you can see the books favourite colour scheme – happy and lively colours are the DNA of the house. The book follows these pastel colour schemes – sunny yellow, tender pink, fresh blue and lively green. There are even full-page colour transitions between the shades to get the reader in the mood for the jewels. The graphic design of the book “FRED – the sunlight jeweller” has been executed extremely well by publishers Editions Flammarion.
Fred Samuel, the founder of Maison FRED, was born to French parents in Argentina in 1908. His parents had left France in the century before and made a living in then thriving Argentina as jewellers. The decision to come back to Europe in the 1920s was partly due to Fred Samuel’s choice to do his military service in France instead of Argentina, and partly to the wish to start his apprenticeship in Paris to learn from the best how to become a fully-fledged jeweller.
Fred Samuel did well, making himself a name as a cultured pearl expert. His best-known pearls had a hue of pink about them, becoming a loved item by his customers. Vincent Meylan explains in his book that Fred Samuel tried to capture the light of his Argentinian home country through his jewels. It is a nice story in any case. He founded Maison FRED in 1936 in Paris.
After the war years the business thrived, as France found his place as a luxury goods producer and the government supported the brands. Henri and Jean Samuel joined their father’s business, later on his grandchild Valerie as well. The second part of the 20th century, from the 1960s to the 1990s were the golden times of Maison FRED. The company grew internationally and one of their necklaces was even shown in the very famous movie “Pretty Woman”. The scene when actor Richard Gere handed the diamond and ruby necklace to actress Julia Roberts, is one that everybody remembers who has seen the film. Maison FRED made a perfect product placement.
Another noteworthy connection started in the 1960s, with the Royal House of Nepal. They choose Fred Samuel’s company to change their private jewels into a more modern design. One of the diadems can be seen in the on the right side, second from bottom picture on the back cover of the book. Directly below, you can see a diamond bracelet placed against a background of one of the pastel colour schemes visible throughout the book. The pink reminds us of the colour of Fred Samuel’s famous pearls.
Whyever the family sold the brand and the business to LVMH in 1995, we do not know. The founder Fred Samuel stayed with his company till he died in 2006. Today his grandchild Valerie does have a high-ranking position in the company Maison FRED – it is a good sign that the character of the house had not been changed by the sale to the big conglomerate.
The expansion continues, especially in Asia. The future of the house is secured through its parent company – that is good news. Many artistic inspired houses died directly after their founder, as no sensible plan for the continuation of the company had been made when there was still time.
Maison FRED is not a household name in jewellery to everybody, but it has reserved for itself a wonderful place on the sunny side of the high jewellery branch. Those who can afford his jewels and want to wear unique pieces, e.g. the whimsical brooches, have an address to go to for the foreseeable future. Few houses tried so skilfully to keep their designs light and playful.
Vincent Meylan’s book is a joy to read and a beautiful manifestation of the art of Fred Samuel, sparkling and capturing summer’s memories.
All rights to the book belong to: Meylan, Vincent, 2022: FRED – the sunlight jeweller, published by Editions Flammarion, S.A., Paris, printed in Italy by Koyro, with the support of Charles Leung and the Maison FRED, ISBN: 978-2-08-028752-6