What better time than Christmas to celebrate the things that bring us together? Style is one of these things. It is something we can all relate and aspire to.
Our unique cufflink designs draw inspiration from a diverse range of cultures and nationalities, and we think this gives them a universal appeal.
Why Does Style Cross Cultural Boundaries?
Different cultures can create different styles of their own, but in a globally connected world, they also provide the creative fuel for expressions of style that transcend national boundaries.
Cultural symbols can be powerful forms of identification, but they can also embody a sense of grace, beauty and even intrigue in their own right.
Our designer cufflinks take various cultural symbols and other forms of inspiration and re-shape them as contemporary designer accessories.
This doesn’t water-down their meaning, but rather amplifies and broadens it, giving it a whole new context.
Cufflinks are a wearable form of style that is subtle yet thought-provoking. Perfect for the modern gentlemen.
Here are some examples of our designs, influenced by different cultures and symbols.
The Shamrock
The word shamrock comes from the Gaelic seamróg, which means little clover. Shamrock is a species of the clover plant.
The shamrock is embedded in the culture of Ireland, and it has close links with Ireland’s patron saint, St Patrick. He is said to have used the three leaves of the shamrock to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity to the pagans he was converting.
But even before his time, the number three was thought to have magical properties.
No wonder, then, that the shamrock has taken root as such a potent Irish symbol. But of course, it is also now very much an internationally-recognised representation of Ireland worldwide.
Our Shamrock cufflinks showcase the shamrock and the global recognition of Gaelic culture.
The American Eagle
Native Americans originally saw the bald eagle as a symbol of great strength, but as a symbol many other cultures have also adopted it.
In ancient Babylon, Egypt and Rome, the eagle was a symbol of both hope and strength. And in modern America, it continues to resonate.
It was first chosen as an emblem of the United States in 1782, and at that time, the belief was that the bald eagle only existed on the American continent.
This was when the country adopted the eagle as the design for its official great seal. The design has since had some modifications over the years, but essentially it is the same design to this day.
The American Eagle cufflink captures the beauty of this bird in a design that is compact but compelling.
The Rose of Notre Dame
The circular rose windows of Notre-Dame de Paris are masterpieces of Gothic architecture and famous as symbols in their own right.
They are known as rose windows because of their outward-radiating, circular patterns.
They are full of meaningful symbolism that relates to the cathedral and Christian iconography.
But their most powerful aspect is simply the mesmerising symmetry and order in their distinctive pattern.
It is this pattern that our Rose of Notre Dame cufflink design evokes, bringing both beauty and a powerful hint of mystery to your shirt cuff.
Liberty
Liberty is an international concept, and the symbol of Lady Liberty herself, while having specific national associations, also transcends these origins.
One potent image of Liberty comes from the famous painting by Delacroix, Liberty Leading The People, which is in the Louvre museum, Paris.
And Lady Liberty is, of course, a neoclassical statue in New York harbour. But the Statue of Liberty’s symbolism reaches way beyond the shores of the Hudson River.
It is a powerful symbol of hope, and we also associate it with the many thousands of immigrants coming to the USA, arriving at the nearby Ellis Island.
In this sense, Liberty is something truly global. Our Liberty cufflinks celebrate both the symbol and the concept itself.
Go Global this Christmas
The inspirations behind our cufflink designs are varied and striking, combining cultural weight with historical associations. They make the perfect gift for someone who wants to subtly signify their own individual style.
Browse our full cufflink collection here.