Goossens Women

Bronze, gold brass, rock crystal, wood, amber, shells, stones... since first founded in the '50s, the Goossens label has worked with almost every type of material, transforming them into exceptional jewellery. Trained with the goldsmith Bauer, Robert Goossens offers his talent to some of the biggest names in fashion. Friends with Gabrielle Chanel, it's she who the craftsman owed his reputation. After working on her Byzantine style collection in 1954, he gained recognition from several design houses. Balenciaga, Grès, Rochas and Yves Saint Laurent were eager to collaborate with him on their jewellery collections. Far from creating a simple design concept, Robert Goossens perfected a new way of working during his meetings with Coco Chanel. While jewellery for fashion shows initially used reproductions of designer pieces, under the demanding eye of the designer, the goldsmith was able to express his creativity freely. For the first time, thanks to this duo, designs were created in line with garments, at the same time as the ready-to-wear collection. At the end of the ‘70s, the founder's son, Patrick Goossens, took the helm. Under his leadership, the house continued to work for the most influential labels as it always had, while developing its own creations in its atelier in Pantin. The brand's strength also lied in its independence. Equipped with a foundry, the premises located in the Parisian suburbs enabled craftsmen to work metals on site, at any time. In 2005, the design house was bought by Paraffection, the subsidiary of the Chanel Group's Maisons d'Art. In 2018 the label worked once more with the camellia, the first time in several decades. The object of this collaboration? A scarab, designed by Robert Goossens himself during his career, reinterpreted for the Metiers d'Arts show held in New York. A wonderful tribute.