Most great business stories start with a moment of adversity – and for brothers Omar and Zane Sabré, it was a doozy. A family health crisis, a uni bill to pay, and a ‘what if’ conversation turned into one of Australia’s most exciting luxury brands, Maison de Sabré.

And while plenty of retailers are tightening their belts right now, Maison de Sabré is doing the opposite. The brand’s going gangbusters – expanding globally, launching new sustainable collections, and setting department store sales records all over the world. So, how did they get here? Let’s rewind.

Big dreams, small beginnings

Back in 2017, the Sabré brothers were just two uni grads with a bold idea: make luxe leather goods that feel personal. The lightbulb moment? A customised phone case. It was stylish, functional and just a little bit fancy – and there was nothing like it on the market at the time.

Armed with a vision (and not much else), Omar and Zane set up shop from Zane’s townhouse. Mum came to help. The spare room turned into dispatch central, and the dining table became mission control. Scrappy? Sure. But it worked.

Within six months, they’d hit $1 million in sales. By 2019, they were pulling in close to $9 million. Not bad for a couple of brothers hustling from home.

Cut to 2024 and the duo had set their sights on global expansion. Maison de Sabré is now shipping to over 150 countries and holding its own alongside retail heavyweights like Nordstrom, Saks and Bloomingdale’s. But the real game-changer? Their pint-sized retail model that’s cleverly designed to punch well above its weight when it comes to sales.

To keep pace with growth, the brothers invested in manufacturing. What started as a small design and prototyping lab has levelled up into a full-blown production powerhouse, now churning out products to meet booming demand across the globe.

“Our retail journey began with trials in Japan in late 2024, where we meticulously crafted every part of the experience — from the exact shade of our signature blue to the way a bow is tied on our dust bags,” said Omar Sabré, CEO and Co-Founder. “That attention to detail, paired with deep product knowledge, transformed how customers interacted with our brand. What started as an experiment quickly became a globally exportable concept.”

The Maison magic

So what’s made Maison de Sabré stand out in a sea of ‘meh’ accessories?

A few things:

Personalisation was part of the brand from the start. Customers could add their initials to phone cases, wallets and bags. It turned everyday items into personal statements. Delivering exceptional customer service was also embedded in the brand DNA. Every step of the buying journey was curated and thoughtful. That attention to detail built serious customer loyalty. Add to this, a social-media-savvy marketing style – the brothers used Instagram like pros – not just to sell, but to build a lifestyle around the brand. It was a formula for success.

Fast forward to 2025 and the pair are still pushing boundaries to deliver exceptional products and services that delight their customers.

Breaking records and borders

In the past five months alone, Maison de Sabré has launched six international pop-up shops in locations like Paris, Milan, New York and Japan. They’ve got upcoming stores in Tokyo’s trendiest neighbourhoods (Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Omotesando) and a flagship residency at the legendary Le Bon Marché in Paris.

And here’s the payoff: their tiny Osaka store – just 3 metres wide – is the highest-performing retail space per square foot in the department store’s history. That’s right. A slice of Aussie ingenuity outperforms the big names in one of Japan’s most prestigious spots.

They’ve also added 15+ Charm Bar installations and three new U.S. concessions as part of a smart omni-channel growth strategy that blends digital convenience with hands-on retail experiences.

“We don’t need 100 doors to outperform a national retailer,” said Sabré. “The product sells itself — it’s well-crafted, functional, and doesn’t rely on gimmicks. We pair it with high-touch service and data-led merchandising that adapts to local customers. It’s a formula that consistently performs in any market.”

Going green – and staying luxe

Maison de Sabré isn’t just about looking good. The brothers have made sustainability a cornerstone of their business. Since 2021, they’ve used DriTan™ leather exclusively, saving more than 25 million litres of water. Their supply chain is vertically integrated and zero-waste, and their packaging is 95 per cent recycled.

And their newest drop? The Raffia Collection, which launched in May, is a gorgeous, handwoven tote line crafted by artisans over a 70-day production window. It’s luxe with heart – and includes quirky limited-edition SABRÉMOJI™ Fruit Wallets made entirely from upcycled leather scraps.

“Leadership in modern luxury means staying ahead — creatively and operationally,” said Sabré. “We’re not just building a brand. We’re building a business model that lasts,” says Sabré.

What small business owners can learn from the Sabré brothers

Maison de Sabré’s success didn’t happen overnight. But there are some solid takeaways any Aussie entrepreneur can apply from their success.

The business began by trying to solve a problem – Omar needed to pay for uni, and the brothers saw a gap in the market for stylish, personalised accessories. Solving that one small challenge turned into something much bigger. They didn’t wait around for the perfect plan or fancy setup, either. From spare-room packing sessions to a DIY website – Masion de Sabré’s start was very lo-fi, proving you didn’t need a schmick office space if your product and service are standout.

Even as they’ve expanded globally, the brothers have stayed smart about the way they grow. Their strategy is all about thinking big while staying grounded – tailoring their retail experiences to suit each local market, but keeping that Aussie essence front and centre.

And they haven’t just built a product line – they’ve built a whole lifestyle around the brand.

As co-founder Omar Sabré told Kochie’s Business Builders, “We always wanted to build something bigger than just a brand – we wanted to create an experience that felt personal, thoughtful and elevated.”

And that’s exactly what they have done..

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