【New York, US】Jean-Baptiste Fontes and His New York Cap Rings

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Editor’s Note

This profile of Jean-Baptiste Fontes highlights how a young entrepreneur is leveraging 3D printing technology from his internship to build a unique fashion venture, Jean-Louis Casquette, in New York.

Le fondateur contemple son Empire…Le fondateur contemple son Empire…
The Lord of the Rings

At 24, Jean-Baptiste Fontes has already put a ring on the Big Apple’s finger with his Jean-Louis Casquette venture.

“I was finishing my end-of-studies internship at Shapeways, a startup specializing in 3D printing. This allowed me to learn how to print anything on any material: metal, plastic…”

Creative, he offered to print some of the creations for his sister Jessica, who had launched Node, a small jewelry brand… before thinking he could also make something for himself.

“An object that didn’t exist, with the idea of mixing technique and creation.”

One evening, Louis, one of his friends, had a cap in his hands, and a few jokes did the rest: Jean-Louis Casquette was born!

Turning the Joke into a Ring!

One night’s sleep and the first modeling happened immediately.

“I thought about going back to France, but in the end, the Master’s allowed me to get a work visa easily. I put job interviews aside, telling myself I’d have plenty of time to do that later…”

As soon as it came off the printing line, his American colleagues were enthusiastic about this “caskate” and wanted one.

“I improved the model, made it stronger, and sold 150 in the first month.”

The website* launched in September 2014 served as an accelerator. If Louis, in finance in London, didn’t continue the adventure, Jean-Baptiste got noticed, appearing in the French Tech ranking of the 30 most promising startups… Result: 600 orders at Christmas for a total of 720 pieces of jewelry, rings between $20 and $150 with a fixed shipping cost of $6.50, and quickly a pendant with the same “cap” as a precious stone.

“All of a sudden, it wasn’t just a joke anymore, I needed ideas,”

analyzes the young man with hipster hair, who doesn’t worship the cap,

“just a universal object that offers many possible voices. Well, it’s true, a cap on a ring is quite unexpected and could be shocking at first. But at least, it doesn’t leave you indifferent.”

Based in a startup hub in the now-trendy East Village neighborhood since last November, the Parisian sees the hours, weeks, and months fly by, quickly, very quickly…

“Here, it’s easy, I created my company in 15 days. And then, my model made things simpler: no inventory, no financial risk, print-on-demand which required no cash flow. Apart from creating the website and trademark registration, I had no expenses.”
Celebrities Play Along

At the same time, even if you’re fun and on the other side of the Atlantic, you’re still confronted with the doubts of an entrepreneur starting out.

“Being alone with tasks that take forever and are clearly not profitable, I know that. In the startup co-living space, I fortunately benefited from the experience of young entrepreneurs facing the same stages. I learned to organize myself, me who never took any entrepreneurship courses… A first intern just finished taking care of the brand’s community management and securing the object, another will arrive in June.”

He also quickly understood that the adventure was played at the marketing level. And, lacking big resources, he had to be clever. His surgeon father operates on judoka Teddy Riner in Paris? He’s not far from the room and offers him to wear one of his rings…

“My biggest model, size 12… He could only wear it on his little finger!”

Damien Perrinelle, a soccer player for the NY Red Bulls franchise, also between Paris and New York, plays along with his personalized jewelry adorned with the number 55, Caterina Murino, a James Bond Girl, and David Villa, another soccer star, willingly join in… The virality of social networks does its work.

“Everyone agrees to help me. For my part, I created a movement around numbers, played with customization… I’m even going to put a 3D software online so customers can personalize their jewelry live, the color, size, material, with or without a logo.”

The milestone of 1000 pieces was reached in May and the brand is distributed in three Soho stores.

“The French love it… New Yorkers too!”

Jean-Baptiste laughs.

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⏰ Published on: May 28, 2015