“IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US NOT TO LOSE TOUCH WITH RUSSIA”

Business Mir met Tatiana Fabergé, one of the renowned jeweller’s descendants and a member of the brand’s Heritage Council, at a viewing of Fabergé’s new collection in the brand’s Geneva boutique.

Photo: Thierry Parel Tatiana Fedorovna, what is your role at Fabergé today and what persuaded you to take on your professional responsibilities for the brand? As a member of the Fabergé Heritage Council I participate in developing Fabergé’s artistic concepts. The Heritage Council serves to ensure that our products comply with the historical spirit of Fabergé’s original St. Petersburg based brand, to which we are heirs. We also take care of the Fabergé archive as well as working on a documentary and book about our famous ancestor. When the proposal to participate in Fabergé’s revival came up – with the guarantee that the brand’s history and spirit would be respected and that there’d be no cheap, mass produced manufacturing – I didn’t hesitate long. It was a unique opportunity to make a dream come true that I’d long been waiting for. Speaking of the Fabergé brand’s spirit and historical significance, do you have Russian artists involved in developing the brand’s jewellery designs? After all, Fabergé’s success isn’t only due to Carl Fabergé’s skills as Russia’s best jewellers played a part in creating Fabergé’s most renowned masterpieces. Finding Russian jewellers wasn’t as important to us as locating artisans capable of using old-fashioned techniques. It is very difficult to find experts of that kind, both Russia and abroad. On the other hand, we’re not looking to simply copy pieces by the original Fabergé but rather to use them as a source of inspiration for developing the revived brand’s artistic potential. Naturally, it is very important not to lose touch with Russia and we would be happy to work more closely with Russian experts. Was Fabergé affected by the unfavourable economic climate? It must not be easy to launch an expensive jewellery line during such a difficult economic period – or are buyers nonetheless purchasing Fabergé products? On the contrary as given the unpredictability of the current economic climate, wealthy people are eager to diversify their investments. And buying jewelry is one of the safest ways to invest, whereas other areas appear much less promising. Fabergé chose to open the revived brand’s first boutique in Geneva and the second shop opened in London last November.Are you planning to open a Moscow boutique as well? We have no such plans at this point in time but it’s quite possible that we will do so as the business grows. Russia holds a special place in our hearts.