3G Discussion: Marissa Lepor and Chloe Cassens

Chloë Cassens is the granddaughter of Severin Wunderman, a child hidden in Belgium who later became the Founder of Gucci Timepieces and the world’s largest collector of Jean Cocteau. She is currently the representative of his collection, which makes up the contents of the Musée Jean Cocteau in Menton, France. As the Collection’s representative, she works to educate others about Wunderman’s legacy and popularize Cocteau’s work around the globe.

Severin Wunderman (1938-2008) was the Chairman of Corum Timepieces. A survivor of the Holocaust, his extraordinary trajectory saw him go from a child hidden from Nazis to striking gold as the Founder of Gucci Timepieces. Born in Belgium, he later became an American citizen who lived in La-colle-sur-loup, France; Laguna Beach, CA; and London, England. He dedicated his life to philanthropy, and anonymously gave his fortune away to those who needed it most. Married seven times – to six women – the love of his life was his art collection. He amassed the world’s largest collection of works by Jean Cocteau, starting from when he was nineteen years old until his death. On December 31, 2004, he was named Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by President Jacques Chirac. The Musée Jean Cocteau-collection Severin Wunderman opened in 2011, and contains over 1200 pieces donated by Wunderman to Menton, France. He is survived by four children and six grandchildren.

Join Chloë and 3G Board Member Marissa Lepor as they discuss the Wunderman legacy; how she is pushing the Musée to evolve after it closed its doors following a devastating storm; Jewish resilience; and more.

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