DEBORA HUISMAN READER: “WE WILL ALL GO THROUGH FIRE FOR GASSAN”

Her background as a member of a jeweler's family and the out-of-the-box training at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute resulted in a unique combination of knowledge and creativity. This forms the basis for the success of her own jewelry line, Choices by DL. In addition to being a designer, Debora Huisman-Leeser is now also a member of the management of GASSAN.

Text: Bart-Jan Brouwer | Online editor: Natasha Hendriks
Image: John van Helvert

You had your first job in the clothing store of your grandfather, Rolf Leeser. It was even planned that you would take over his store. What made you switch?

“The age difference between my grandfather and I was so great that I could not take over his business when he stopped - I had just finished high school and was still going to college. His deputy director then took over the business. I first obtained my propaedeutic diploma in Law, but because I found the study too difficult and still had the idea that I wanted to go into fashion, I went to the Amsterdam Fashion Institute. A super fun course, where you learn to think out of the box. However, I did wonder what benefit this would have for me in business. In the last year I thought that I would still like to work in my parents' company, but then have my own company within their company. Exactly that happened with Choices by DL: 18-karat gold interchangeable jewelry that you can adapt to your outfit or mood at any time of the day. It started twelve years ago as a graduation project and has now grown into a successful jewelry line.”

How did your parents react when you showed your graduation project?

“At first they were quite skeptical about it. My mother asked: 'Will it stay in place and not fall off?' Indeed, I had to perfect it further. When I tested my jewelry at MASTERS EXPO in December 2008 - I had not yet graduated - people responded very enthusiastically. They were really like: wow, what is this? That was confirmation for me that I had to continue with it. Then I started developing the jewelry further in collaboration with the goldsmiths from GASSAN.”

Did you immediately know that you had gold in your hands?

"Not that. The idea really arose from practice. I would not buy a ring with a colored stone, because that color is so decisive. And if the stone is set in gold, the ring costs a lot. Quite a shame if you can only wear it with the color you are wearing. The value is mainly in the gold and not in the colored stone. So I thought: by separating the ring and the stone, you make 18-karat gold jewelry more accessible. That's how the idea came about. But you can't patent an idea. On the system we came up with: a bayonet closure with a magnet. This combination had never been done before and that makes the system unique in our industry. This concept with different jewels that are all interchangeable and also fit together is not available in the higher segment. I sometimes see a copy here and there, but only with two parts: ring and stone. At Choices by DL there are three: ring, edge and stone. The success is evident from the fact that Choices by DL is in the top 10 of best-selling items within GASSAN. And that, like Rolex, we remain afloat despite the Covid situation.”

Give an example of mixing and matching with a ring.

“If you wear a black dress in the evening, put a black stone in the ring with a diamond edge around it to make it a bit more chic. If you are wearing a cashmere sweater in the school yard in the afternoon, you put a beige stone in it with a smooth edge around it. The customers of Choices by DL are women who really enjoy adapting their jewelry to the moment. These are jewels that are never in a safe, but are always worn.”

What have been the most important choices you have made in your life?

“At one point I received requests to also make the jewelry in silver. In the end I didn't. Partly because silver does not appear to be suitable for this system, but above all because I believe that as a brand in the highest segment you should not make products that are foreign to the industry. I also received offers to make a perfume and sell it at Douglas. Once you are a successful brand, those kinds of parties come to you. I'm very happy that I always said no to that. With a perfume you quickly end up on sale and then your brand is automatically associated with it.”

Have you ever made a wrong choice?

“Of course I have sometimes developed things for collections that were less successful than I expected. But the longer I have been in the business, the better I know what the customer needs. Now, for example, people want less striking jewelry, so we respond to that. I apply what I hear from the customer to my own jewelry.”

What is it like to be part of a family business?

“Extremely fun, but it is also a challenge. If you disagree about something, you take that home with you, which is quite difficult. But so far I have experienced it as very positive. GASSAN is our baby, we will all fight for it. You also see that family businesses can survive a crisis relatively better than some listed companies.”

Your husband, Dustin Huisman, also works at GASSAN. How do you keep business and private life separate?

“We also talk about the case a lot at home, but only to a certain extent. I'm always the one who says: 'Now it's done, I want a moment now Emily in Paris to look.'"

As Chief Creative Officer, you will take a seat on the management at GASSAN. How do you like that role?

"Very good. In fact, I like that role more and more. I also find it a real challenge because it is something to do together. And to help each other through this time of crisis. I really enjoy working with people, managing teams and making people better.”

Is the energy at the boardroom table very different than it used to be at the dining table at home?

“Yes, at that moment the matter comes first. It's not just me and my father and brother who sit at the boardroom table, there are at least eight other board members. The nice thing is that with my father the glass is always half full. In times of crisis we learn the most from him. That is no different now. No tourists in Amsterdam due to corona? Then we focus more on the Dutch market. That's how he keeps the spirit going.”

Choices by DL has grown into a well-known brand in the Netherlands. What are the main factors that contributed to this?

“Firstly, the interchangeability of the jewelry, that is what makes us unique. Secondly, the quality of the system: you can really make unlimited changes. Third, the returning customer. We build a personal relationship with our customers. No matter how beautiful our new website is, a piece of jewelry is an emotional product that you still want to see and feel for yourself. This gives you the old-fashioned way to get customers into your store, which also gives you the opportunity to point out other products to them.”

You look back on twelve years of Choices, but also on twelve years of DL. How did you develop yourself during that time?

“I was quite young when I started my own brand. And because it was an immediate success, I had to learn to make choices quickly. What I notice is that as you get older, you make your choices much more deliberate. In the past I could sometimes make a decision and then think 'oh no, not at all'. While now I think longer and am more prepared, so that I know much better why I make a certain choice.”

75 years of Gassan. What does that mean to you?

"Very special. It's a shame that the anniversary coincides exactly with the year in which you can do nothing at all. Hopefully we can catch up on that next year. However, I am proud that we have managed to keep our heads above water despite these bad times. Proud also of what my parents have achieved. Of course, I look back more often in a year like this. I find it very special that we still do certain things that my great-grandfather set up, such as giving guided tours.”

What is your biggest business dream on the way to the next anniversary?

“That we make GASSAN and Choices by DL brands that are also known internationally. I personally believe very much in creating my own content. The moment you can produce yourself and deliver to the end user, you have something unique in your hands. And we can do that, with our own studio, our own goldsmith's shop and our own cutters.”

Masters #44

MASTERS #44