THE ELBAS OPEN UP
THE COUPLE OPEN UP ABOUT THEIR OWN ‘RIDE OR DIE’ RELATIONSHIP AND WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK AS THEY LAUNCH A NEW BRAND FOCUSED ON PARTNERSHIPS
Idris Elba first met model Sabrina Dhowre in 2017 at a Vancouver jazz bar, but he wasn’t looking for marriage. “We started dating, and I fell head over heels,” says People magazine’s 2018 Sexiest Man Alive, 48. “Everyone was like, ‘Hey, man, you seem so much happier.’ I didn’t realise I was, but the truth is that it really sparked a lot of conversations around how a partnership can bring out the best in you.”
Married since April 2019, the Elbas are now building on their bond by launching S’able Labs, a lifestyle brand focused on relationships. The project includes a blog (at sablelabs.com), an Audible podcast series, Coupledom, and a line of wellness products debuting later this year.
“It was us wanting to have conversations about what makes partnerships work,” Sabrina, 33, says. “You meet other couples; you start talking: ‘Hey, how has this worked for you guys?’ The community is so much more than romantic and reaches so many different kinds of partnerships. It just became this great conversation we wanted to share.”
So how did you two decide to plunge into a project focused on relationships? IDRIS I had famously said I’d never get married again [after two previous marriages], and here I was about to marry Sabrina, and we really got into questioning why. What is it about partnerships that is so empowering? That’s where we found ourselves saying, “Hey, wouldn’t it be interesting to develop a community of people that felt the same?” Not just romantic couples – familial, business partners. Each one teach one. That’s how we came up with [the project], which is our name spelled backward, S’able.
What have you been excited about doing with S’able?
SABRINA On the podcast we interview another significant duo, a partnership that we feel we could learn from or maybe that anyone else could learn from. It’s been such an enriching experience. You really have the best conversations when you’re just being open.
IDRIS I really wanted a blog entry about how to buy a gift. Where do I go when my wife has impeccable taste? The best way to get people to embrace this idea with us is to come from our own experiences together. We’re learning every day that sharing that is a good thing. How would you describe your relationship now? SABRINA One that’s forever growing and changing and evolving.
We’re newly business partners, but we’re also newlyweds.
Idris is my best friend. I want to be around this guy every day of my life, so it’s really great to be able to see what that morphs into. We’ve been so thankful to have this time together after lockdown. It’s been a way for us to get even closer and learn more about each other. Am I being mushy?
IDRIS Always. I’d say we’re in a good place. It was a challenging year, but ultimately, when you look to the side and you’ve got someone that’s been there, ride or die, that’s really comforting.
Do you do anything that drives the other crazy? IDRIS A parcel will come to our house. It says clearly “Idris Elba” or “Mr Elba”. I come home and they’re open. All of them. SABRINA Idris will leave the lid off the toothpaste. Then it [dries up], and you can’t push the toothpaste out. What do you love the most about each other?
IDRIS Sabrina is really kind. She’s very thoughtful, always trying to check on someone’s wellbeing. It just makes you feel good. What’s yours?
SABRINA I love that you spend so much of your time caring about other people. IDRIS I just said that. You can’t say that. SABRINA You didn’t say exactly what I was trying to say. People don’t realise how many people you support and take care of – and you do that day to day. IDRIS Nice.
“When you’re facing tough times, you really get to know who your partner is”
—IDRIS