First Fabergé Store Since 1917 Opens in Geneva

Fabergé, the name synonymous with the renowned jewel-encrusted Easter egg collections of Russian Tsars, have opened a store in Geneva. Madrid-born, London-based architect Jaime Hayon who won the Maison & Objet award for Interior Design in Paris last month was chosen to create this retail experience for the House of Fabergé.

The new store is an important landmark not only because it is the first Fabergé store to open since 1917 (the first store was located in St. Petersburg until the Russian Revolution) but also because Fabergé products will henceforth be made available only via this Geneva location and the brand’s online flagship store.

The store, located on Rue Pierre-Fatio, is only steps away from several Geneva fine dining and luxury shopping addresses. Designer Hayon has used “jewelry and light” as his inspiration for the store. By contrasting rich textures such as mahogany with pale surfaces such as silk drapes and Carrara marble, he has kept the luxurious ambiance of a jewelry store but has added a fresh, modern twist to it. Hayon stated that he gave the store an “elegant, light, warm and comfortable” feel to avoid the cold and distant environment that he has found many traditional jewelry stores to possess.

Jaime Hayon, who comes from skateboarding and graffiti roots, studied industrial design in Madrid and Paris. His unique eye for design has been recently incorporated by high-end brands as diverse as ArtQuitect (bathrooms), Moooi (domestic furniture), Swarovski (lighting fixtures), Bernhardt Design (textiles), Piper Heidsieck (champagne buckets) and Baccarat (ceramic vases and lamps with a crystal-like geometry). Hayon’s modern design of the Fabergé destination allows for an excellent comeback for the heritage brand.

The brand’s roots belong to Peter Carl Fabergé, son of a French jeweler who settled in Russia. Combining his technical jewelry-making expertise with his brother Agathon’s creative mind, the House of Fabergé was created around 1882.

Drawing the attention of the Russian Imperial Court, the “artist-jewelers” produced items that ranged from gold jewelry, cigarette cases and electric bell-pushes to silverware, and more. It was, however, the Imperial Easter Eggs commissioned by the Tsars that brought the House of Fabergé worldwide fame and accolades. At the height of their success, the maison was the largest jewelry business in Russia with over 500 employees and a clientele that included the Rothschilds, Nobles and the Kelch and a number of magnates, industrialists and bankers. However, in 1918, the Russian revolution brought an end to the Fabergé empire – the Bolsheviks seized all stock and workshops, and nationalized them. The Fabergé family fled to Switzerland, and lost the rights to the brand name. Since then, save for a range of perfumes under the Fabergé name that was sold to Unilever for $1.5 billion in 1989, the brand has remained non-existent. In 2007, private equity firm Pallinghurst Resources purchased the brand name to reunite it with the family and to bring back the Fabergé jewelry heritage.

The new collection, first in 92 years, has been designed by Parisian jeweler, Frederic Zaavy. The range includes jewels created with colorful gems that have been made with the spirit of the founder in mind. With this new collection, Fabergé offers the chance to own ornate pieces that remind one of the opulence of old Russia, inspired by flowers (Les Fleurs: symbols of spring, hope and renewal), Russian legends and fairytales (Les Fables: stories that filled the imagination of the people) and art (Les Fauvres: music, theater, ballet and paintings of old Russia).

Pieces in the new collection start at $30,000 and can be viewed and purchased online at www.faberge.com or at the new store located at 5 Rue Pierre-Fatio in Geneva.