Aged 57, Sarah Fabergé still wonders what father Theo Fabergé would say if he were with her. As Director of Special Projects, Founding Member of Fabergé Heritage Council, and most importantly, as the brand’s ambassador, Sarah ponders whether her father would approve of the new directions the brand has taken in the 21st Century under her leadership.
This Monday morning at Fabergé Boutique Grafton Street, London, Sarah enjoyed a flat white with me while she explained her role in the long-standing family business. Not far away, quite a few luxury brand stores on New Bond Street were preparing to open their doors just like every other day. Despite the high-end location and discerning customers, Sarah doesn’t want the store to seem intimidating or unapproachable.
Sarah’s great grandfather Peter Carl Fabergé was never a snob despite having been very successful: “He was very down to earth. There are some very funny tales about him turning up at a hotel in South France. He didn’t take any luggage, he just said ‘I’ll buy what I want if I need it’. He turned up and the concierge wouldn’t let him in! Luckily a member of the Russian royal family recognised him and called out ‘Hello Mr. Fabergé!’. Of course he was then allowed in!”, how amusing! Sarah then shared another family anecdote: One day, Peter Carl had a business man coming to see him who was apparently very nervous about coming to Russia because he had heard about the wild bears there. So Peter Carl asked a friend who owned a circus to bring a trained bear on a lead to the train station, and as the man got off the train he told him, “Don’t worry, we caught this one!”. Storytelling is always something family members can hold on to.
Sarah was brought back on board when specialist investment firm Pallinghurst Resources bought the portfolio of trademarks from Unilever in January 2007, with the aim of restoring Fabergé as one of the most desirable names in luxury.
So what’s so unique about Fabergé? The House of Fabergé is a jewellery firm, founded in 1842 in St. Petersburg, Imperial Russia, by Gustav Fabergé. Gustav was then succeeded by his son Peter Carl Fabergé, until the firm was nationalised in 1918. It was Peter Carl Fabergé, then Master Goldsmith, who led the brand to the current level of prominence and laid out the keystone. Their primary royal clients were Tsar Alexander III who gave his wife, the Tsarina, a surprise Fabergé Easter Egg. Alexander’s son Tsar Nicholas II also followed this tradition. Highly decorated Easter eggs by Fabergé became popular. Later, various Fabergé eggs, big or small, were well received among the likes of Rothschild family and other reputable business people of the day. Fondness for the Fabergé eggs continues till the modern day; for instance in the 1983 James Bond movie, Octopussy, a Fabergé Egg becomes the central object of the plot; a Fabergé egg also features in the film Oceans Twelve.
Sarah Fabergé sees the egg as a symbol of new life, yet she emphasised that there were many other playful and beautifully crafted pieces made by Fabergé over the history such as jewellery, cigarette boxes and umbrella handles. Her personal favourite is a large and very life-like crab, in silver and chalcedony: “If you turn him upside down you see all his moving parts. And his eyes, you know that bell on your desk when you want attention? His eyes pop out and when you push them back in, it makes a noise!”
From Sarah’s perspective, all the wonderful designs, ideas and craftsmanship that represented the ethos and spirit of what Fabergé was about, were the cutting edge of that time. But it was also about making bespoke designs for customers, “We love it when people come in and they like an item but they’d prefer it like this. We can then sit down together and help them to create something individual for themselves or their family. With Fabergé it’s our history but your legacy, so we are always very happy to receive bespoke requests.”
The relaunch of Fabergé in 2009 did not start with eggs because Sarah and her colleagues decided it would be a bit too much of a cliché. Instead they relaunched the brand with a fine jewellery collection, and the determination to reassert the name of Fabergé back at the top where it belongs. Of course however, eggs are synonymous with Fabergé and so in 2011 during Couture week in Paris, when they felt the time was right, Fabergé launched a collection of 21st Century style high-end jewellery, egg-shaped pendants. Since then, they have gone on to create a variety of intricately-designed Fabergé egg pendants, as well as many other items of fine jewellery and jewelled objects. Of course primarily as a jewellery brand, Fabergé mainly offers rings, necklaces, bangles, cuff-links and watches.
Sarah is particularly proud that Fabergé can successfully combine tradition with innovation. Peter Carl Fabergé described himself as ‘an artist-jeweller’ painting with colourful precious stones, and today the company continues with his mentality. Precious stones feature highly in designs, as does Guilloche Enamel which has always been a specialty of Fabergé. These techniques are often combined in a complex and delicate process. Fabergé also invested in new line of watches and in November 2015, won a coveted Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève award: Ladies’ High Mechanical prize for its Lady Compliquée Peacock watch design, which is an homage to Fabergé’s famous Peacock Egg of 1908.
In the following Q&A, Sarah shares her thoughts regarding her business and non-business roles at the Fabergé family business, her personal experiences with family members, and her reflections on leadership and communication, plus some bonus funky facts!
Q&A
Q: So how do you view your role in the business at Fabergé?
A: On the business side, it’s quite interesting to join the company from the point of view of heritage. That was my starting point, so of course I was there from day one when we reclaimed the trademark in 2007, having lost the rights in 1917. All we had to begin with was an epic brand history and a blank page, so we held a meeting to decide how to relaunch the name. My role therefore was initially looking at heritage, however it continues to evolve.
There are three of us on the heritage council: myself; family friend, very knowledgeable Fabergé collector and journalist John Andrew; and then my cousin Tatiana Fabergé who, like me is a great grand-daughter to Peter Carl Fabergé. She is now in her 80s but still, as a Fabergé scholar, her interest in the brand exceeds her age. I see my role as very much about representing Fabergé in the 21st century. I try to think about how if my great grandfather were with us now, what would he say? What direction would he take the business in today?
I work closely with the Creative Team. I interfere at every level of the business—in a good way I hope! I believe that I have been given this responsibility because yes, it is a job, and it is a vocation, but it is also more than that—I have a duty. So if I suspect that something isn’t quite right then I get involved; I try to keep a very close eye on things.
As with all business teams, it is important for us all to get together regularly. Communication is key. I chair a six-weekly full team meeting and the only excuse for not attending or dialling in is if you are off sick or on holiday! I am always physically at the London office, but team members may dial or Skype in from wherever they are. This means that I get to hear about what everybody has been doing, at least once every 6 weeks. Some might describe me as a control freak but it is so important to know what’s going on.
Q: At what time do you believe it is best to relinquish control?
A: When things are uncertain, it is best to keep a tight rein; but when you are sure about the direction things are going and comfortable with the outcome, then you can loosen the grip. It’s about experience and clear communication. Of course my colleagues are experts in their field, but no one can be a master of everything. This is why it’s so important to keep track of everything and speak openly.
A new member of staff has just arrived at the Boutique, she is going to be working at our Harrods counter. It’s her second day today. She is just downstairs for training and then she will return to the office. I told her “It’s lovely to meet you! The most important thing is that if you have a question, don’t hold back. You can ask any of us. You can ask me—that pathway is clear.”. So whether it is a customer coming into the Boutique or a colleague, we aim to maintain an open and welcoming experience.
Q: What did you do before you entered into the business?
A: I did two things. I worked in leadership and management. I’m particularly interested in the psychology of management and the behavioural side, and this background has been incredibly useful during my current role. Since my 30s, I followed in the footsteps of my late father, Theo Fabergé, by working for a smaller company (unrelated to Fabergé) that created pieces in the style of Fabergé. I am not a trained designer but I did take a course in silver-smithing a while back to gain an insight into that side of the business. I left that company in 2007 when we reopened Fabergé.
My father Theo was a gifted and award winning craftsman in his own right. Sadly he suffered from dementia for the last few years of his life and was rendered unable to work. Luckily I was able to explain to him that the long lost trademark was to be reunited with the family. I signed my contract in June 2007, and he passed away just a few weeks later the following August. It was a very sad, strange and emotional time with one chapter closing and another opening. I’m his only daughter and naturally he always wanted to protect me and my son Joshua. It was as if he wanted to make sure everything was OK before he let go.
Q: That’s the power of family identity indeed. So at first your work was about family brand heritage, how did your role evolve from there?
A: I’ve been lucky—perhaps dynamically lucky. Obviously I could sit there on a dusty sofa and wait to be asked questions, but when I joined the company I was already 50—not young but also not ready to go and sit in my armchair yet. So I agreed to come on board but with a high level of authority, it was a case of seeing what was needed. I am mostly involved with the Creative Team but I also look for opportunities for Fabergé. Looking for the right connections is important for the business, we need to find smart ways of spreading our story. One way I do this is by giving informal talks at events we sometimes host in the London Boutique and as well as other venues.
We are quite a small team, but growing steadily. A lot of people know about the Fabergé brand but many still don’t. There is confusion about our status: “Is it a new company?”, “Is it a real company?”. This is largely due to the fact that the trademark has been in so many different places, all legitimate but not with the family. A significant part of my role therefore is confirming that “Yes, we are back, the family is involved and yes you’ve come to the right place.”.
Q: Would you say it’s a more about ‘psychological ownership’ compared to ‘business ownership’?
A: Yes, I have shares in the business but it is a psychological mission in the company for me. From a plain business perspective, my cousin and I were brought on board for authenticity. But for me that wasn’t enough, I had to be involved, otherwise what is the point?
Jewels and fine craftsmanship resonate with people, especially in times of world uncertainty, people like familiarity and tradition. Our customers would like to invest in something to keep in the pocket, to bring on their travels through life and holds a value that can be passed on to the next generation. Our collections tell a story, those diamond pieces for example, reflect old Russian balls and fine dancing. You can see the story behind each piece.
Q: How do you cultivate and engage with your creative team?
We are fortunate to have the most amazing creative team and also a specialist watch department. Creativity was and remains at the heart of everything we do at Fabergé and so my role is about nurturing the Creative Team. We often go out for the day, a visit to an art gallery for example. We are currently talking about going to the Chelsea Flower Show this year because Fabergé is particularly inspired by nature. It is important that the team doesn’t just work every day in the office, but also gets the chance to free their minds in other environments. It’s great that all departments sit quite closely together so that everyone can communicate freely, but we also have the space to concentrate on individual goals.
Q: How do you view the roles of men and women in general nowadays? For instance men who tend to choose floral prints and women who go for a plain and more masculine style?
A: For me I would never want to lose my femininity, but it’s about being taken seriously. I think that’s where women are. We should celebrate the fact that we are equal and able bring another perspective to the table.
Women have found their voice in many ways, but it’s a lot less certain for men now than ever before. I don’t want men to be too overpowering, but I don’t want them to be too weak or vulnerable. Do I open the door for the lady or does she not want me to? You know, can she do it herself? I think it’s very lovely if someone has those manners, it doesn’t mean I’m not equal, it’s just being polite. But there’s a fine balance isn’t there? I believe it is harder in some ways for men nowadays.
Young men today aren’t quite sure because there are these wonderful, powerful young women in the world which is great, but somehow it’s almost left the men wondering. It’s hard for them and we have to be mindful of that. We need to protect our natural instincts, we mustn’t lose that. I believe men and women are equal but different. A lecturer at a luxury conference commented that the natural instinct for men is to win, and that women are comfortable with compromise. Women want fairness. That’s a very general statement, I know some women who like to win! But I think in general it’s true; women are more naturally ready to compromise and can function better in teams, and men always need to win. If you can understand that and be emotionally intelligent about it when dealing with people, then you are halfway there!
Q: Do you support any charity or take other social roles?
A: Like my father before me, I’m a member of the Worshipful Company of Turners of London, which is a city guild. It was granted its charter in 1604. The guild is about preserving the craft of Turning on a lathe and its connections with The City of London and charity. The company provides bursaries for those who show talent in this craft and also provides lathes for schools. I am involved with a few charities but those closest to my heart are those dedicated to finding a cure for cancer, particularly breast cancer, as both my mother and aunt died at a young age from breast cancer.
Q: Finally, what do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
A: Like many people I like eating! Of course spending time with my 26 year old son is very important to me. I also like collecting, not high-end antiques but more vintage pieces. I love to travel, particularly to Eastern European countries. I plan to travel to China and the Far East in the future. I like to listen to music, everything from rock music to classical. I actually went to my first Reading Festival at the age of 40, although I did stay in a hotel rather than a tent, does that still count?!
Chinese language version published in the March issue of China Family Business Magazine