Fabergé (cosmetics)

Fabergé (pronounced: [fabɛʁʒe]) was a brand of cosmetics manufactured between 1964 and 1984 under the direction of George Barrie. In 1984, McGregor acquired Fabergé and discontinued many Fabergé products. In 2007, the trademarks, licenses and rights were transferred to Fabergé Limited, in the Cayman Islands, Mark Dunhill became CEO, and it announced that it aims to make Fabergé a luxury goods brand.

The American oil billionaire Armand Hammer collected many Fabergé pieces during his business ventures in communist Russia in the 1920s. In 1937, Armand 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. He registered it, at Hammer’s suggestion, as Fabergé, Inc. The Fabergé family did not learn about this until after World War II ended. Unable to afford protracted and expensive litigation, in 1951 they settled out of court for US$25,000 ($230,000 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 rivals Coty, Guerlain and Elizabeth Arden.

In 1964, Rubin sold Fabergé Inc. for $26 million to George Barrie and the cosmetics company Rayette. In 1964, Rayette changed its name to Rayette-Fabergé Inc., and, in 1971, the company name was changed back to Fabergé Inc. From 1964 to 1984 under the direction of George Barrie, Fabergé launched many successful cosmetics products and hired celebrities to endorse them. In addition a media division made feature movies.

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