Philip Birkenstein
Chairman, Creations Theo Fabergé
For more than four decades, Philip Birkenstein has helped introduce Theo Fabergé’s original Creations to collectors worldwide. His close friendship and working partnership with Theo brought together an accomplished designer and master craftsman with a businessman who recognised his work's appeal.
Today, Philip holds overall responsibility for Creations Theo Fabergé. He remains the central link between Theo’s design archive, the specialist craftspeople who realise the Creations, and the collectors and charitable partners who encounter them.
A Chance Encounter
The story began during a British Airways flight to South Africa. Travelling with his mother, Philip opened the in-flight magazine and discovered an article about Theo Fabergé. Already a collector of fine decorative objects, he was intrigued by the craftsman and his work. On returning to England, he telephoned Theo and accepted an invitation to visit his home on the south coast.
To help his visitor find the house, Theo placed a large red egg on the gatepost. It was a memorable introduction to a maker whose work would become so important to Philip’s life.
Their first conversation over tea developed into a visit that continued through lunch and afternoon tea. Philip remembers an immediate rapport and the excitement of discovering Theo’s Creations for himself. Before leaving, he purchased a piece made by Theo, fulfilling the ambition that had first brought him to the door.
The visit also opened a conversation about their complementary abilities. Theo loved designing and making; Philip’s experience lay in business and marketing. Over time, that conversation developed into the partnership behind the St. Petersburg Collection, formed in 1984.
Introducing the Collection to the World
Theo remained the creative authority, conceiving original designs and directing the specialist craftsmanship that brought them to life. Philip helped bring that work to a wider audience, introducing collectors to the imagination, materials and stories within each Creation.
A significant milestone came in 1986, when the Collection made its American debut at Marshall Field’s in Chicago. Philip travelled with Theo and later recalled both the exceptional cold and the reception their work received. The launch began an important chapter in the Collection’s international development.
For Philip, presenting the Creations has always involved explaining the thought behind them. In a 2008 interview, he described his pleasure when visitors asked why Theo had chosen a particular motif or designed an object in a certain way. Understanding those decisions allowed people to form their own connection with the work.
A Friendship Built Around the Work
Philip worked and travelled with Theo for 23 years. His recollections preserve a personal view of the man behind the Creations: modest, exacting and often surprised by the interest his work attracted.
That experience also led Philip further into the family’s history. He became involved in research for the book Theo Fabergé and the St. Petersburg Collection, drawing on family archive material. His knowledge and enthusiasm brought invitations to share the story with audiences internationally, from museums and educational institutions to private collector gatherings and charitable events.
These presentations continue an approach rooted in those early encounters with Theo: inviting people to look closely, ask questions and discover the ideas behind the finished object.
A Continuing Commitment
Charitable and cultural projects have long been part of Philip’s involvement with the Collection. In 2013, he presented the Mariinsky Romanov Egg in St. Petersburg and received a citation recognising his work promoting the city and supporting fundraising for Tsarskoye Selo.
Such initiatives reflect the wider relationships built through the Creations, bringing together collectors, institutions and charitable organisations around a shared interest in artistry and heritage.
Today, Philip’s responsibilities span selecting designs from Theo’s archive, managing relationships with specialist craftspeople, approving completed Creations, and overseeing collector appointments and charitable partnerships. His oversight connects these activities, bringing personal knowledge of Theo’s work into the decisions that continue to realise and present it.
For collectors, a conversation with Philip offers a direct connection to that history and an opportunity to explore the stories and craftsmanship behind the Creations.
