Fabergé () is a brand name that was inspired by the House of Fabergé jewellery firm, which had been founded in 1842 in Russia. The name was used for various personal care products (including cosmetics) that were manufactured under the direction of Samuel Rubin (from the late 1930s to 1964), and then by George Barrie (from 1964 to 1984). The Fabergé company was sold by Barrie in 1984, and was subsequently acquired by Unilever in 1989.
In 2007, the Fabergé trademarks, licences and rights were sold by Unilever and transferred to a new company named Fabergé Limited, which announced its intention to make Fabergé a luxury goods brand.
History
Samuel Rubin
During the course of business ventures in communist Russia during the 1920s, American oil tycoon Armand Hammer acquired many objects made by the original House of Fabergé, including Fabergé eggs. In 1937, Hammer’s friend Samuel Rubin, owner of the Spanish Trading Corporation (which imported soap and olive oil), closed down his company because of the Spanish Civil War and established a new enterprise to manufacture perfumes and toiletries. Rubin registered his new firm in 1937 as Fabergé Inc., at Hammer's suggestion.
The Fabergé family did not learn about this until after World War II ended. Unable to afford protracted and expensive litigation, they settled out of court in 1951, for US$25,000 (equal to $ today) for the Fabergé name to be used in connection with perfume. Soon, Rubin added cosmetics and toiletries under the Fabergé banner, usually sold in upscale department stores. Fabergé had a high-prestige status, similar to its rivals Coty, Guerlain and Elizabeth Arden.
George Barrie
In 1964, Rubin sold Fabergé Inc. for $26 million to George Barrie and the Rayette cosmetics company. In 1964, Rayette changed its name to Rayette-Fabergé Inc., then in 1971, the company name was changed again to Fabergé Inc. From 1964 to 1984, under the direction of Barrie, Fabergé launched many successful cosmetics products and hired celebrities to endorse them. In addition, a media division made feature movies.
Barrie supervised the introduction of the popular Brut toiletry line for Fabergé, which was promoted by football players Joe Namath, Paul Gascoigne and Kevin Keegan, as well as boxer Henry Cooper and actress Kelly LeBrock, among others. Brut became the best-selling cologne in the world at that time.
In 1967, movie star Cary Grant was appointed as a "creative consultant" to Rayette-Fabergé. He spent a year attending sales conventions and visited Fabergé plants around the world. In May 1968, Grant was elected as a member of Fabergé's board of directors. He received a salary of $15,000 per year, a rent-paid luxury apartment in New York City (where Fabergé's HQ was located), unlimited travel expenses and use of the company's private fleet of planes and helicopters. By 1970, Grant divided his time between Los Angeles and New York. He never endorsed specific products or appeared in commercials.
In 1970, future James Bond actor Roger Moore became another celebrity board member. Also in 1970, Barrie established Fabergé's film-making division, Brut Productions, which produced the Academy Award-winning movie A Touch of Class in 1973, and other feature movies.
Barrie launched the 'Babe' fragrance in 1976 which, in its first year, became Fabergé's largest-selling women's fragrance worldwide. The granddaughter of writer Ernest Hemingway, model and actress Margaux Hemingway, received a $1 million contract to promote the 'Babe by Fabergé' perfume in a very popular advertising campaign. Her famous Babe campaign was remembered again by millions after her mysterious death in 1996. Babe received two awards from the Fragrance Foundation for its launch – 'Most Successful Introduction of a Women's Fragrance in Popular Distribution' and 'Best Advertising Campaign for Women's Fragrance'.
In 1977, Barrie launched the Farrah Fawcett hair product and fragrance lines, and he signed the actress and star of Charlie's Angels to a promotional contract with Fabergé. A famous Fabergé TV ad featured Joe Namath being shaved by Farrah Fawcett.
By 1984, the company had expanded its personal care products to Aphrodisia, Aqua Net Hair Spray, Babe, Cavale, Brut, Ceramic Nail glaze, Flambeau, Great Skin, Grande Finale, Just Wonderful, Macho, Kiku, Partage, Tip Top Accessories, Tigress, Woodhue, Xandu, Zizanie de Fragonard, Caryl Richards, Farrah Fawcett, and Fabergé Organics.