The brand has a really unique history–in the ‘50s and ‘60s, for example, it was well-known as a beauty brand in the U.S., with Farrah Fawcett and Gary Grant positioned as creative directors and brand partners. Today, the brand is making a major push into fashion with its fine jewelry and timepieces first and foremost positioned in the high-end market. Here, a couple of things to know about one of the world’s most unique luxury heritage brands.
A History of Fabergé Eggs
The exclusivity and luxury associated with the brand all began in 1885, when Peter Carl Fabergé was called upon to create the first Imperial Easter egg for the Russian imperial family. This caused the name to be known in Russia and around the world shortly thereafter. “In more recent times, our biggest brand moments have of course included our relaunch 10 years ago, the Rolls Royce Imperial Egg launch this time last year, the launch of our high jewellery collection with Frédéric Zaavy in 2009, our Harrods store takeover in Easter 2014, and our Fabergé Big Egg Hunt in 2012,” says Josina von dem Bussche-Kessell, Global Sales Director, of the most historical Fabergé egg moments.
Handcrafted Luxury and Bespoke Pieces
We have always strived for the highest level of watchmaking,” explains Aurelie Picaud, the Creative Director of Timepieces of Fabergé. “ We do this by ensuring exclusivity, we don’t operate on large scale production. Essentially, this means that each piece is made with the utmost attention to detail with every component of our watches being produced in Switzerland.”
The brand is also unique in the amount of customization it offers. For example, its Lady Levity model allows each client to choose an image they’d like on the dial. “At Fabergé, we operate on a unique work masters concept, we understand the historical significance of our brand and with all of our products we continue what Fabergé was doing originally and we select the best artisans for partnering on each timepiece model,” she adds.
And while in recent years the brand has become more established for its timepieces, they are a recent addition to the Fabergé family. Timepieces launched in 2015 and consisted of the Compliquée Peacock, Fabergé Visionnaire, Fabergé Flirt, and Summer in Provence. It’s no surprise that the stunning Compliquee Peacock won the revered Fondation du Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève award in the category of Ladies’ Complications.
Celebrity Ambassadors
The list of celebrities involved in the brand is almost so extensive, it’s hard to keep up with. For example, Farrah Fawcett was the face of the hair product and fragrance lines in the 1970s. A few years earlier in 1967, the actor Cary Grant was appointed Creative Consultant.
“Back in the day, our ambassadors were the international royalty and today all royal households proudly have Fabergé in their family collections. Today, Fabergé is fortunate to have many celebrities and dignitaries who are part of the Fabergé family,” explains Bussche-Kessell. Aside from that however, there is also a group of certain celebrities who have become unofficial ambassadors of sorts, for their love of the brand. Elton John, who allegedly has more Fabergé eggs than Russia’s Kremlin, is one of them.
Old Meets New
Through Fabergé’s association with the Imperial Russian royal family and an ongoing focus on the importance of bespoke services, the brand has been able to remain one of the world’s premier luxury brands for over 100 years. Fabergé continues to work with Fabergé artisans using extremely high-quality gemstones, craftsmanship and more specifically, the dying art of enamelling.
According to Bussche-Kessell, the future of the brand lies in “continued evolution of the spirit of Peter Carl Fabergé where we look to continue the element of surprise, for which we are renowned with new partnerships and collaborations.” That, and, the aforementioned bespoke services where many clients often design a piece from concept to execution, gemstones to settings.
