The rising feeling of panic, sweat dripping from your brow and the sound of bells following you everywhere? You must be Christmas shopping.
With less than a month to go all perspective is lost and it’s less about finding the perfect gift and instead just about getting something, anything as long as it’s in budget and vaguely attractive. You can read as many guides for ‘him’ and ‘her’ and trawl through as many Christmas gift ideas for women as you get your thumbs on but it won’t make the present any more special, sadly. Keen to get some tips on what makes a gift special, we’ve asked some of the most fabulous people we know, what’s the best Christmas present they’ve ever received.
The Best Christmas Gift Iu2019ve Ever Received...
1 of 8Laura Jordan, Grazia Magazine Fashion News And Features Editor
It's a tie between my Nespresso machine and my leopard print Alaia coat (from my dad – good taste!). I got it over 10 years ago and it still feels super special whenever I wear it – I think a great present should be something that brings you a bit of excitement. Sadly my sister has enforced a £5 present limit this year, so I'm guessing no Alaia…
2 of 8Nikki Tibbles, Founder of Wild At Heart
t's hard to choose as I'm lucky enough to have received some amazing gifts in my life...from a night sleeping under the stars, to a precious Solange Azagury-Partridge diamond ring that allows me to keep my darling dog Maizie in my life, even after she passed away. But I'd have to say my favourite was the 1980 ex-army Land Rover my wonderful boyfriend Will gave me last Christmas. It means I can drive around the countryside with my six rescue dogs, collecting logs for the fire ... and going to the pub. Bliss!
3 of 8Rebecca Minkoff, Designer
My husband gave me a Thakoon for Tasaki Key Lock Necklace and that has always felt so special to me.
4 of 8Sophie Hulme, Designer
The best gift I've ever received has to be a personalised ring from Solange Azagury-Partridge that my mum gave me. It's from Solange's Filigree collection and spells out my son's name, Wilf. I love it so much because of the sentiment and every time I glance down at my hand I'm reminded of him! It inspired me to make a personalization service for Sophie Hulme this Christmas. Now our Cocktail Stirrer bag can have your loved one's initial scribed in the centre of the fastening.
5 of 8Beste Manastir, Co-Founder of Manu Atelier
In Istanbul, we give gifts for New Year's Eve not exactly during Christmas. But, the best gift I've ever received was from my husband Can while we were still dating. He made a stencil of my face with the words 'You're The Love' underneath in Turkish and graffitied it on a street wall. The funny side is he had to run away from the police while trying to finish it because he didn't have permission to put it up. I got such a surprise while walking to his place when I saw it on the street. I Couldn't believe my eyes!
6 of 8Estelle Orilland, Founder of STÉE At
When I was younger my grandmother used to tell me different stories about a girl with the same name as me, Estelle. loved listening to them so much and was so fascinated by my grandmother's storytelling. When she passed away, a couple of years ago, aged 96, I thought about the stories and it made me very sad that I never kept them. I tried writing them down, but there were so many that I couldn't remember all of them. On Christmas in 2013, my father got me a small present wrapped in a French newspaper. It was an antique-looking book with the golden letters of Estelle on the cover! I started reading it and all the stories that my grandmother use to tell me came flooding back, which is one of my best memories I have of her! Later my father told me, he found this rare book from the early 19th century at a bookstore right around the corner, where my grandmother used to live in Paris!
7 of 8Hannah Coffin, Founder of Needle & Thread
The most sentimental Christmas present I've ever received was my first sewing machine when I was aged 11. It was an old Singer machine and I made my own clothes on it for years. I look back with such fond memories as that's what paved my career and led me to the point I'm at today. It helped me go from working in the fashion industry at different British brands for over a decade to taking the leap and launching Needle & Thread in 2013. Five years later, I love to celebrate Christmas with the brand by creating a special collection for the occasion.
8 of 8Hattie Brett, Grazia Magazine Editor-in-Chief
I often find myself running around pre-Christmas, desperate to tick all the things off my list in a ball of stress. But a few years ago, I decided to spend the time helping my grandmother write her memoir. I learnt so much about her life and uncovering family dynamics from looking through her diaries, and we had such fun doing it together. So when she got them printed into books and gave them to us all at Christmas lunch, it was a moving moment – albeit one that led to rather a few fraught conversations when the family realized she'd been typically honest! She's now 98 and set to come to Christmas at ours this year but I'm so glad that, one day, when she can't be here I'll still have her story to share with my daughters.