Caroline Issa's Christmas wishlist: last-minute gifts to delight the fussiest of fashion lovers
Last-minute Christmas shopping doesn't have to be slapdash. From cult accessories to beauty treats, Caroline Issa's festive wish-list serves as gift inspiration for even the trickiest to buy for.
Perfumer H Amber Incense
Lyn Harris’ Perfumer H is a delightful brand. Harris makes everything with the sincere desire to delight. Her perfume bottles and candle holders are glass-blown in the UK, while her packaging is made of recycled paper, and products come in felt bags that have a handmade feel.
Her most recent launch is a series of incense sticks, made by one of Kyoto’s oldest and most traditional incense makers, which has been supplying local temples and monasteries for generations.
Rolled by hand and containing 100 per cent natural ingredients, they are guaranteed to take you to a place of peace the moment you smell their soft light fragrance, with notes of sandalwood, patchouli leaves, amber and sweet musk. ￡30 for 30 sticks, 106a Crawford Street London, W1H 2HZ (0207 258 7859)
Cartier Crash watch
Cartier has reopened its incredibly glamorous London flagship store, just in time for a last-minute dash along Bond Street. While I’d be happy with any of the diamonds and jewels inside, it’s the new reissue of the iconic Crash watch that really caught my eye.
18ct-gold Cartier Crash, ￡28,900, available exclusively at 175-177 New Bond Street
Originally designed in 1967 by Jean-Jacques Cartier, head of Cartier London, legend has it that the distorted design was inspired by a mangled Baignoire Allongé watch belonging to a customer who’d been involved in a car accident. Two new iterations are available exclusively at the Bond Street store to celebrate the reopening, and this elegant yellow gold version is the ultimate gift of love.
Co Collections wrap blazer
Many of us are continuing to mourn the departure of Phoebe Philo from Celine this Christmas, even as new brands rush to fill the gap in the market. For aficionados of masterful and chic minimalist wear, Co is one such brand.
Co Collections felt wool wrap blazer, ￡1,010, Selfridges
The brainchild of Stephanie Danan and Justin Kern, the resort collection is full of gorgeous separates and dresses – think clean lines and radical minimalism. This white wrap sweater-cum-blazer is the perfect travelling piece for any occasion.
Salvatore Ferragamo handbag
The best gifts lift the spirits; so why not give someone a bit of tropical joy to carry around everywhere with them? Paul Andrew’s accessories for Salvatore Ferragamo, alongside his womenswear collections, offer an injection of Josef Albers-style colour therapy.
Vara bow flap bag, ￡1,185, Salvatore Ferragamo
With its mixed tropical print from the brand’s archive of scarves, the Vara Bow bag will bring joy to any woman’s wardrobe.
Jimmy Choo Voyager boots
I was born in Montreal where the winters are cold and blustery, and as a kid who played for hours in the snow, the most decadent thing I could dream of was toasty toes.
Voyager white shiny calf leather ankle boots with heated soles, ￡1,250, Jimmy Choo
A couple of decades later (ahem), and Jimmy Choo has answered my childhood prayers with its new Voyager boots. An innovative heated insole can be activated with the swipe of an app, and the boots are charged via a USB port discreetly hidden beneath a hand-tooled collar. In terms of functionality and style colliding, this just might be wearable-tech nirvana.
Pradamalia Tricks charm
In previous years Prada has celebrated the holiday season with teddy bears and robot keychains – this year the house is debuting its new lab-grown creatures, more Minion than Charlotte’s Web.
Pradamalia leather keychain trick, ￡380, Prada
Whether hanging off a necklace lanyard with keys (I’ve seen it myself) or a handbag handle, these adorable anthropomorphic objects have become collectibles in their own right, with cult-like devotion amongst fans who have become obsessed with finding the perfect place for them to hang out.
Solange Azagury-Partridge Scribble earrings
Creator of the iconic enamel ‘Lips’ rings, this year Solange Azagury-Partridge debuted another playful collection of fine jewellery based on her scribbles. The designer’s handwritten swirls and jerky lines are coloured in lacquer and wrapped around emeralds, sapphires and rubies.
18ct gold, ruby, emerald and lacquer Red Green & Yellow earrings, ￡POA, Solange Azagury-Partridge
I particularly love the earrings in the collection: with bright and bold jewel-toned contrasts, primary colours and strong neons, they make the perfect gift for someone who, like me, appreciates the opposite of classic.
Gala Colivet Dennison candlestick holders
Already a big fan of her bold, sculptural jewellery, interiors specialist Jermaine Oscar Gallacher asked Gala Colivet Dennison to create some limited edition candlesticks - with stunning results.
Gala Colivet Dennison sterling silver and yellow amber candlestick holders, ￡475, available exclusively at Jermaine Gallacher
Using her language of collaged, metal-worked shapes - pleasingly irregular balls, flat rectangles and curved lines - Colivet Dennison has created mini pieces of art that also help light up a festive (and beyond) room.
Chanel Beauty Oil
I imagine this is what heaven smells like. And given that Chanel’s professional-grade massage oils come from the decidedly earthly spa of the Ritz Paris, it’s a given that they are made from the finest ingredients.
L'huile de Jasmin, ￡97, Chanel
With 98 per cent natural origin, they are lightweight and melt into the skin, with just a hint of jasmine, rose, or vanilla fragrance. Yum.
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