His own name is better known than his face: after almost 40 years as a jewelry patron, Thomas Sabo has more to tell than the Brothers Grimm and Scheherazade put together. In this interview, Sabo reveals how Zurich’s Bahnhofstrasse fits into the history of the jewelry brand and what role a Canon camera played in the process.
Photo: Thomas Sabo
FACES: It’s almost 40 years since you founded your own brand. Looking back, has your vision from back then been fulfilled?
Thomas Sabo: Of course, I didn’t have this vision at the very beginning, but it developed and changed as my success grew. Today, our view of the future involves the international arena to an even greater extent and the Asian market in particular, which we need to approach even more aggressively.
F: The circle closes with Asia, as numerous trips to the East have actually led you to jewelry and ultimately to your own brand. How exactly did this come about?
TS: When I traveled through Asia and Sri Lanka back then and designed my first own designs in collaboration with goldsmiths, I didn’t yet have the idea of my own jewelry brand in my head. That only matured later, I would say in the mid-90s. Before that, however, I had already been to Thailand, and because my travel budget was already pretty empty at the time, I even swapped my Canon camera for jewelry.
F: Then what happened to this jewelry?
TS: You won’t believe it, but I actually sold this typical Asian jewelry later on Zurich’s Bahnhofstrasse! (laughs) I can even show you the exact location where I set up my stand back then – with permission of course, I was a very good merchant after all!
F: Her enthusiasm for jewelry was already huge back then and is certainly just as great today. But has your view of it changed over the years?
TS : It was a completely different world back then. The steps were much smaller. Back then we were still working with telex and eagerly welcomed the fax machine! A completely different rhythm, a completely different time – and also a different calm that resonated there, something that no longer exists today.
F: Was it easier to start a business in that world and that time than it is today?
TS : The development work that we have undergone as a company and as a brand to date is very different to what brands are experiencing today. Anyone jumping on the bandwagon today often has the associated marketing in mind before the actual product, books a few influencers and everyone thinks it’s great. The product is secondary, and not everyone does their homework properly and well, for example when it comes to sustainability. Access may be easier today via social media, but the swamp is also getting bigger.
“Access is easier today via social media, but the swamp is also getting bigger.”
F: Sustainability is a good keyword. Can consumption be sustainable at all?
TS: That is a matter of interpretation of where the question is going, after all, there are many forms of sustainability. For example, if I buy a piece today that I have cared for, worn and loved for years, then that is a prime example of sustainable consumption. There’s no point in buying a sustainably produced item, wearing it a few times and then throwing it away the day after tomorrow, you get the point.
F: Nevertheless, as a jewelry brand, you are fueling rapid consumption with numerous collections and ever new trends. How do you find the right balance?
TS: Over the past two years, our company has focused a lot on looking at what we have already done in the past. This heritage is particularly important to us and also forms the basis of our Heritage collection, for example. We take a fresh look at the great ideas that were already there, taking into account new techniques and new production possibilities.
F: A lot will have changed in terms of production!
TS: Absolutely! Imagine that we actually used to make our molds with plasticine. I then flew to Asia with it and put these raw molds on the table there! (laughs) Today, of course, things are very different, but the process of reissuing such ideas, revising them and bringing them into the here and now is incredibly exciting.
F: Do you have to keep reinventing the wheel?
TS: No, I don’t think so. That is quickly answered.
F: In the past, they often worked with testimonials such as Poppy Delevingne, but such prominent faces have now almost completely disappeared from Thomas Sabo’s campaigns, with the exception of testimonial David Garrett. How come?
TS : The enthusiasm for testimonials has cooled somewhat in recent years. Nevertheless, I still have very good contact with many of them, after all, those were also good times. However, over the past two years we have focused very strongly on our jewelry and highlighted this in comparison to the testimonials. But who knows, never say never!
F: On the other hand, you are increasingly visible as the face of the brand and reveal more about yourself today than in the past. Maybe even a little more on this day: How do you live, Mr. Sabo?
TS: How do you imagine my home?
F: Either totally minimalist or with numerous souvenirs from all over the world. What is true?
TS: It’s actually a mixture of both. (laughs) I think it’s nice to have this variety. However, when I think about it, I have to admit that I’m actually a bit more traditional in the living area.
F: With a cuckoo clock on the wall perhaps?
TS: My wife Rita would intervene immediately! (laughs) I would say we have a moderate, good style, but you won’t find the really crazy pieces here.
F: As the patron saint of jewelry, they usually dress in black and wear very little jewelry, demonstrating a very classic and purist style. Why is that the case?
TS: I actually wear very little jewelry, even though I love the pieces I do wear.
F: I read that you collect shoes, is that true?
TS: That’s right, I love buying shoes and I actually have a lot of them made, mostly in the USA. However, I haven’t even worn many pairs yet, but they can be found somewhere and in every corner of my home. My favorite pair is a suede cowboy boot with crocodile embossing, something very special that I even had made a second time.
F: They could party with the chic crowd on luxury yachts and yet they don’t. Instead, you stayed completely on the ground. How do you manage that?
TS : I think I was born that way. My father made sure that I kept my feet on the ground. Of course, I have also had my own experiences with this illusory world, with these shark tanks, for example in Formula 1. However, my friends are more important to me and I can always count on their honest opinion.
F: So a very critical view, how do you currently look at the world and our society?
TS: I am very worried about the future. There are many dangers lurking, and we in Europe have still not recognized these circumstances and have not understood the signals. This is not least due to the very poor political leadership and the paternalism of citizens by politicians. The energy problem is just one that makes me shake my head. I am convinced that we are not at all prepared for what lies ahead.
F: What can we do as individuals or as a society to avert this bleak future?
TS: We have to understand that we are facing some challenges together, but we should not see them as a threat, but as an opportunity to shape our future.
F: Is there also advice to entrepreneurs that you like to give out?
TS: Look left and right, and always try to look ahead with the right view and enough empathy.
