Chance Infinie : Maison Fred unveils a new capsule collection

Break the conventional rules of jewelry to create pieces with a relaxed yet elegant style – this has always been the creative ethos of Maison Fred. Now, the 8°0 collection, originally launched in 2016, is taking a new direction, as it is renamed Chance Infinie and enriched with a capsule collection by designer Annelise Michelson. These sensual, solar pieces transform the Maison’s signature motifs into true works of art.

A cherished idea of Fred Samuel, the founder of Maison Fred, was to regularly invite artists to collaborate on the creation of new jewelry pieces, imbuing them with their singular aesthetic vision. Today, Fred Artistic Director Valérie Samuel is perpetuating the tradition initiated by her grandfather by inviting the jewelry designer Annelise Michelson to create a capsule collection for the Maison. It marks the unveiling of Chance Infinie, the new name of the 8°0 collection, launched in 2016.

Guided by a strong, sensual vision of femininity, Annelise Michelson drew inspiration from the codes of Maison Fred in order to reinterpret them in her own style. “I was thrilled to immerse myself in the glamorous world of Fred Samuel and to revisit the feminine curves of the figure 8 to create a symbol of luck, joy and infinity,” she says. Annelise Michelson thus reworked Fred’s historic lemniscate, a small curved figure within a larger one, to create a capsule collection of four pieces in yellow gold: a ring, a torque necklace, a cuff and an earring.

She takes the Chance Infinie motif down unexpected paths, with distortions and plays on proportion, solid curves and asymmetrical effects transforming the original, delicate lines. This radical design underscores the elegance of a confident, self-assured woman, while the generously rounded volumes exude sensuality.

The result chimes with the vision of Valérie Samuel. “I have long been an admirer of Annelise’s creative approach. Her style, and the strong, assertive femininity conveyed by her sculptural creations, really speak to me. They correspond perfectly with the new design I envisioned for Chance Infinie – rounded, feminine, with daring proportions and generous curves… This capsule of oversized pieces, with their forceful, contemporary lines, restores jewelry to its role as an objet d’art,” comments the Artistic Director of Maison Fred.