A Holiday Gift Guide For Treating Your Inner Circle — And Your Inner Self
This season, invest in winter’s best selection of covetable gear, distinguished wines, and reverberating conversation pieces.
1 Costela Armchair
Spend your winter hibernation kicking back in a mid-century modern deep cut. Designed by architect Martin Eisler, this lounge chair was one of Brazil’s standout contributions to the era of Eames. Recently reissued by Italian manufacturer Tacchini, its curved walnut ribs and thin steel frame feel just as contemporary today. Opt for cushions in au courant mustard yellow upholstery to stir a bit of ’70s spirit into the mix. $4,410 USD
2 Dior AirPods Case
Wireless headphones are a wonderful invention — until you lose them. To prevent such a tragedy, it’s worth investing in a good place to store them. This case by Dior, in Italian calfskin, is the perfect accessory’s accessory. $350 USD
3 Ecco Chelsea Boot
The Chelsea boot is the king of fall footwear, an insouciant shoe that adds playfulness to a suit or gravitas to a pair of jeans. This version, in classic brown suede, is an excellent example of the type. And because these are by Ecco, you know they’ll be comfortable, too. $280
4 Steel Speaker
Talk about heavy metal. Blacksmith Jonas Majors crafts these hefty steel speakers — weighing in at 20 kilograms — in his studio on the island of Mörkö, south of Stockholm. Limited to an edition of 10, these sonic works of art are numbered, and each one has its own raw texture. $2,750 USD
5 Cervélo Aspero
Once you’ve conquered the pavement, the next frontier of cycling is gravel. Cervélo’s new Áspero is built to tackle uneven terrain at high speed, with characteristic stiffness and balanced handling, all configurable so you get the perfect ride. from $3,300
6 A Thoughtful Bottle
Whether it’s for friends, family, a client, or your boss, arriving with an excellent bottle is always the right move. Whatever your price range, here are three brilliant options.
Penfolds Grange 2015 $1,000
Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2015 $220
Stags’ Leap “The Investor” Napa Valley Red Blend 2016 $75
7 Art With Watch Parts
Toronto-based artist Dan Tanenbaum (follow his work @watchpartsmotorcycles) makes detailed pieces using vintage watch components. This 5.5″ × 6″ × 6.5″ Darth Vader bust, for example, is made up of hundreds of parts and took more than 50 hours to construct. $1,800
8 Voxarray 61
Sure, entire albums get recorded with GarageBand these days, but there’s still something magical about the boxy synthesizers of yore. Love Hultén’s modular synth was inspired by the psychedelic ’70s, replete with a cream-coloured paint job, orange knobs, and an oscillator-style display showing the audio waveform. Price upon request
9 Fujifilm X-A7 Camera
Celebrate the art of photography by shooting with an actual camera. This one’s stylish camel body makes it worthy of a fashion photographer, while in another retro touch, a Film Simulation mode subtly recreates the look of classic photographs. It’s also the first of Fujifilm’s X series models to feature a tiltable monitor that allows for easier family self-portraits. Not selfies. Self-portraits. $900
10 Alberta Premium
One way to really distinguish the holiday season as a special time of the year is to share a dram of a limited-edition release with your friends and family. Alberta Premium’s two latest introductions, Alberta Premium Cask Strength and Alberta Premium 20 Years Old, are the ultimate demonstration of the brand’s incredible whisky making skill and western heritage. Made from 100 per cent Canadian prairie mash bills and Rocky Mountain water, Cask Strength is aged in charred oak casks for a smooth blend of caramel flavours, while 20 Years Old introduces elegant toffee notes. $65 (Cask Strength) and $90 (20 Years Old). Prices to vary by province.
11 Line Pescado Skis
Seattle-based Line is one of the premier brands in skiing, particularly for those with a more adventurous approach to the sport. Its Pescado skis are built for powder, making them the ultimate weapon for a West Coast ski break. $900
12 Star Wars × Le Creuset
Not since Luke Skywalker and Han Solo joined forces have we been so excited for a collaboration. Legendary cookwear manufacturer Le Creuset’s new line of Star Wars–inspired Dutch ovens and ramekins will have you dreaming of cassoulets that transport you to a galaxy far, far away. Baby Yoda not included. From $100
13 Upgrade Your Coffee Table
This was a particularly good year for coffee-table books. While we could easily compile a list that would overwhelm any living room, these are three of the finest art- and design-focused releases of 2019.
Herman Miller: A Way of Living $110
Atlas of Mid-century Modern Houses $195
Lucian Freud: A Life $275
14 Fender Andy Summers Monochrome Strat
This guitar combines two of The Police guitarist’s passions: music and photography. Wrapped in a print of black-and-white photographs Summers took with Leica M cameras, the classic Stratocaster also features details like Leica-inspired volume and tone knobs. $12,500 USD
15 Ripple Glassware
From the hygge specialists at Danish brand Ferm Living comes this collection of mouth-blown glassware perfect for a quiet evening in. Adorned with elegant vertical ripples, the glasses adopt a tiered form to allow for easy stacking. All the better to show them off atop your bar cart. FROM $70 (SET OF FOUR)
16 Parajumpers Kanya Jacket
Sometimes a practical gift is the best kind. And there’s no more practical gift than a good winter jacket. This down-filled version by Italian brand Parajumpers is both warm and stylish, which is really everything you
can ask for in a jacket. $1,030
17 Scotch Never Fails
The only problem with buying single malt for people you like? You’ll be tempted to keep the bottle for yourself. If you do manage to let go, here are two impeccable options.
Lagavulin 8 Years Old $85
The Singleton of Dufftown 12 Years Old $60
18 Checked Tennis Racket
While it’s always fun to watch a showdown between two powerhouses (we’re looking at you, Bianca Andreescu and Serena Williams), sometimes it’s even more fun to see them team up. Case in point: this collab between Saint Laurent and famed tennis racket manufacturer Wilson. Decked in a graphic checkered print that riffs on the geometry of tennis court netting, it guarantees that you’ll at least win the style showdown. £495
19 Ambassador 80 AZ Series
Who needs stars to gaze at when you have this telescope to admire? Designed by the astronomy experts at Celestron, this showpiece mounts a brass optical tube on a sturdy wooden tripod in classic nautical style. A 32× eyepiece makes it easy to home in on your favourite constellation. $900 USD
20 Kramer Limited Edition Chef’s Knife
When Anthony Bourdain’s chef’s knife, lovingly forged for him by Brooklyn knifemaker Bob Kramer, went to auction this fall, bids topped $50,000 — and presumably the winner won’t be using it to cook. Instead, we suggest this limited-edition carbon-steel knife — hand-sharpened by Kramer himself — with a cocobolo wood handle. $1,800 USD
21 State and Liberty Open Button Overcoat
State and Liberty was founded by two former college hockey players who were tired of dress clothes not fitting their athletic frames. Their maroon overcoat is made of a technical fabric that offers extreme stretch in a versatile design that can be dressed up or down. $560
22 EBW Watch Roll
The ethos of Everything But Watches (@ebw.inc on Instagram) is in the name: this is stuff made by watch lovers who have extensive collections but were missing the perfect accessories to match. This watch roll, with space for three timepieces, is the brand’s debut product and, unsurprisingly, it’s excellent. $250 USD
23 Five Seasons Burner
The shortcut to setting a mood: fill the room with a soft scent. Designed by Dutch design powerhouse Marcel Wanders, this sculptural statement piece from Alessi mimics the form of a lily, but adds some industrial edge by fashioning it out of mirrored stainless steel. $95
