DAMN and Twikit Partner with Café Costume to Create 3D Printed Cufflinks, Tie Bars, and Money Clips

It is quite possible that you did not realize you needed cufflinks, but if you possess anything cuffed, you will undoubtedly be interested in adorning it with 3D printed ornaments from the jewelry collection for men by DAMN x Café Costume. For those without cuffs, the collection also includes tiepins and money clips. As they are created using 3D printing technologies, they do, of course, embrace of the possibilities for endless customization. Using an online tool, you can place your initials (or any of your favorite 5 letters) in a shape of your choosing on a print made of either sterling silver or brass.

The simple form made up of horizontal bars is reminiscent of Art Deco energy rendered in the simplicity of a single material. These are, after all, luxury items and are aimed at those longing for the elegance of formal occasions combined with the new cachet held by advanced technologies. While the image of the money clip shows it holding a solitary one dollar bill, with a price tag of €230 (about $285 US), it’s most likely meant for those who have significantly more cash needing to be held together. The advertising is positively dripping with high contrast black and white photos, like those taken by Brassai, in an effort to connect luxury, intrigue, and noir. 

It’s really quite appealing.

Café Costume, with locations in Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent, and Courtrai provides individual sartorial attention in the creation of a custom wardrobe. They work in the service of “ushering in a new era of well dressed man.” Where better to look for inspiration than in the strikingly male dominated era of mid-century architecture, beyond the furniture and into the structure itself? The spokesman for Café Costume identified the high-end products of this collaboration in 3D printing:

“We found common ground in our shared passion for customized male fashion. Inspired by Kunstwerkstede De Coene, which is renowned for its love of and expertise in the traditional manufacture of laminated wooden trusses, we have created a collection of customizable 3D printed cufflinks, tie bars, and money clips. The collaboration ties in perfectly with the world of new craftsmanship, in which 3D printing makes it possible to give each item a unique character.”

It was for this reason that designers DAMN and Café Costume looked to Twikit, a company that offers core customization technology. Twikit is a startup company, comprised largely of hirsute young men if the website is any indication, based in Antwerp that built its own 3D customization engine and a bevvy of associated apps that let people interact with 3D customization without needing to be experts in 3D software.

This type of partnership is becoming increasingly common as more people realize that aesthetics and technology are inexorably intertwined. Maybe we should look more closely at James Bond’s cuff links in the next film; surely he’s a man who would appreciate this kind of artful technology. Let us know if you’re interested in these accessories in the 3D Printed Cufflinks forum thread over at 3DPB.com.