Exclusive interview with Antony Lindsay, Managing Director of Fabergé
How do you describe Fabergé’s style in both jewellery and watches? Most pre-1917 Fabergé pieces were very European in style. The emphasis was on craftsmanship and classical beauty of the piece and style was often narrative or figurative according to the tastes of the recipient. The world has changed a lot since then, but some key points remain: our use of colour, the playful elements in the way that we incorporate discovery and surprise and of course our exceptional craftsmanship that we are so famous for.
What comes first for Fabergé the stone or the design? It can be done either way but if the design is done first, the drawing may need to be adjusted when the suitable stone has been sourced. This is especially true for coloured gemstones that are often rarer than diamonds and the sizes and cuts are not standardised.
What sets Fabergé’s jewelry apart other than the extraordinary stones and color combinations? Fabergé’s storied past sets the brand aside from many others within the market marking a clear heritage and legacy for the brand. Today, Fabergé is known for: • Colour through clever setting of precious gemstones and intricate enamelling, and the celebration of living life in colour. Fabergé pieces are renowned for their kaleidoscope of coloured gems emeralds, rubies and sapphires. • Ingenuity has always been a quality valued at the forefront of the brand -enabling creativity, originality and innovation in both design and technique to bring about fantastic, treasured pieces that reflect personality and share a personal moment. • Surprise, wit and humour provide key narratives within each piece, setting each one apart from the next and marking a special connection between the piece and its owner – or the perfect gift! The extraordinary workmasters that have contributed to Fabergé embody a treasure house of vast and varied stylistic sources of inspiration that echo the cultural richness at the heart of Fabergé’s genius. What is your assessment of the jewellery trend among young people? How close is Fabergé to the young generation? We are noticing that the trend for using coloured gemstone is noticeable across all client groups but especially the younger clientele. They don’t feel obliged to buy traditional diamonds for milestone purchases but are much more focused on individuality and finding a truly unique gemstone which speaks to them. I think it is this search for differentiation and individuality that drives a new type of jewellery clientele: these are clients who are interested in buying things which stand out and are less common (and also less known) and as such also serve as a talking point.
Fabergé’s rubies and emeralds comes from GEMFIELDS sustainable mines, how does your clients transact with this? Do you apply the same strategy on diamonds? When Gemfields, the world’s largest responsibly sourced gemstone miner, helped revive the Fabergé legend in 2009 it provided Fabergé with tremendous access to the treasures from their ruby and emerald mines. Is Fabergé doing any ‘Special Orders’ for clienteles in the region? If yes tell us more about it. We are continually working on a range of bespoke pieces for our clients all over the world. Due to the sensitive nature of bespoke work, unfortunately we are not able to share this information but ‘watch this space’ for some exciting partnerships in 2020!
Tell us a bit about the Faberge watches you are bringing out. Do you find it difficult to catch the attention of customers who are used to other high-end brands? We are delighted to announce that we will be participating in ‘Watches & Wonders’ (formerly known as SIHH) in 2020, so stay tuned for new exciting timepiece releases next year! We don’t find it a challenge to catch the attention of customers who may not be familiar with our timepieces, as the watches really do this themselves just by the way that they are designed so beautifully and always with the element of wit and surprise and ingenuity that we are known for.
How do you bring Fabergé’s heritage to the contemporary watches collections? We embrace our heritage and the traditions and philosophies of Peter Carl Fabergé and we look to apply this but in a modern contemporary way. We also strive to wonder, delight!
What is Fabergé’s biggest market in the region now? What potentials do you see now? The Middle East as a market is one of our top three, which include the UK and the USA. There is a lot of potential for growth within this market and we are excited for what 2020 will bring!
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