We've all been in that awkward situation where you unwrap a Christmas present from a distant relation/neighbour you never speak to/colleague you mostly avoid in the kitchen and out falls a novelty pair of snowman socks or a voucher for Robert Dyas and you have to feign delight. Even worse is receiving expensive gifts that have no personal significance and therefore remain unloved or in some instances unopened (e.g the still-boxed George Foreman XL grill, received c. 2009 that multitasks as a shoe rack in my room).
Present buying can be an incredibly tricky task, especially at Christmas when shopping and taking on the manic mobs becomes a hellish experience and undoubtedly things are left to the last minute. Needless to say, it's the really considered, often inexpensive, personalised gifts that stand the test of time. Ahead, some of our favourite fashion designers share the Christmas tokens they have received that have meant the most.
"There are a couple of amazing Christmas gifts I have been lucky enough to receive. One was a vintage Rolex that was made in the same year I was born, I really loved this gift as it’s such a timeless and thoughtful piece, it feels very personal, unique and totally irreplaceable.
Another that I love is a glass dome of taxidermy butterflies that was customised just for me by my best friend. An array of blue monarch butterflies have been beautifully laid out and encased in the dome. This means a lot to me as it represents metamorphosis, like a new beginning. I have always been intrigued by butterflies so it was such a thoughtful gift."
"The best Christmas present I received has to be my dog Peggy. She is definitely for life though and not just for Christmas! She came home from the breeders just after Christmas and the dead of winter is not the best time to be adjusting to daily dog walks at 6.30 am but she was worth it!"
"Any of my dearest friends can tell you about my love affair with pyjamas. If by any chance someone is lucky enough to stay over I will offer my special PJs - THIS IS A BIG THING! A badge of honour, a welcome to the fold; it's like acceptance that I would entrust you with a pair for the night. One Christmas, my PJ penchant was taken to the next level. Someone bought me some ‘Derek Rose’ pyjamas!! Blue cotton with polka dots! To this day, they have NOT been shared!"
"The best Christmas present I have ever received was a hand drawn picture from my two nephews a few years ago. I had spent the day with them the week before, bringing them ice skating and drinking hot chocolates with a lot of ice cream, much to their delight. They kept pulling me around the ice rink as even at that small age, they were pretty confident on skates, and teasing me... It was a magical day together and I was so touched to see this drawing of us and the hot chocolates. It is now framed on my wall and makes me smile every time I see it."
"I am always most into what is currently in front of me, the same goes for my favourite Christmas gift! At the moment that's my iPhone 6 plus, which my two beautiful daughters very kindly surprised me with as an early Christmas present. I was always a Blackberry girl previously but I am now obsessed with my iPhone. Now I have turned into the one being told to ‘Put my phone down!’"
"The best present I've ever been given is a handmade lace bra by the corsetiere Mr Pearl. He made it for me when I was 19 years old as a thank you present for working for him in Paris. It was such a generous and kind gift and it is still to this day one of the most beautiful things I own, although I have loved it so much, it is sadly no longer in mint condition."
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