Holiday Gifting: Early Standouts
Ten items from our Buy section sure to get you in the spirit of gifting
While we are always on the lookout for new things to add to our ever-evolving Buy section, during the holidays we like to turn it up a notch to help readers find the perfect presents for friends and family. Keep an eye on Buy over the next few weeks as we continue to augment the offerings, but for starters; here are 10 standouts from the current crop that are sure to get you motivated for the annual season of gifting.
Jon Burgerman + Digby & Iona Necklaces
Obsessive doodler Jon Burgerman has swapped pen and paper for sterling silver with his necklaces for Digby & Iona. The celebrated illustrator’s playful characters hang from a 25-inch oxidized chain, all handmade in Brooklyn.
Allison Jean Cole’s Rock + Mineral Jewelry
Alison Jean Cole cuts rocks and minerals by hand using old tools in her garage, grinding and polishing them into stunning jewelry pieces that showcase just a peek of the Earth’s beauty and history. Geologic formations on brass hooks have never looked so good.
Ian Curtis: So This Is Permanence
“This is Permanence” reveals the personal writings of Joy Division songwriter and frontman Ian Curtis in a beautiful cloth-bound anthology. Curtis committed suicide in 1980, and the insightful book includes a foreword by his widow, Deborah, as well as song lyrics, an appendix listing his personal book library and a selection of interviews from his relatively short but important career.
Non Stop Poetry: The Zines of Mark Gonzales
Published by Printed Matter, “Non Stop Poetry: The Zines of Mark Gonzales” chronicles the skateboard legend’s extensive artwork from the over 145 zines he created, starting as far back as the early ’90s. With contributions from the likes of Harmony Korine and Tom Sachs, the highly visual hardcover is extremely limited and one not to miss.
Donna Wilson’s Bear Wrapping Paper
Donna Wilson has been the definition of cute since releasing her peculiar knitted creatures into the world in 2003. Her bear-print wrapping paper makes opening a gift even more of a delight.
Patternity’s Fleet of Dazzle Wrapping Paper
Unexpected but exciting bedfellows, the Imperial War Museum and the London-based pattern specialists Patternity have collaborated on a line of wrapping paper (and other items) printed with the camouflage patterns used to disguise ships during WWI. Aptly called “Fleet of Dazzle,” the kaleidoscopic motifs do just that with optic pops and mesmerizing lines in graphic black and white.
DonorsChoose Gift Card
In a genius way of connecting teachers in need of funding for classroom projects and altruistic individuals looking to give rather than receive for the holidays, DonorsChoose lets you give the chance to give. Recipients can redeem the value of their gift card toward projects specifically chosen by teachers, from supplying books for a Spanish reading library to a computer to edit video footage for an “Alchemy of Composting” science project.
Buy or Rent Rise Art
Online art purveyors Rise Art offer affordable works by a variety of artists, that you can either rent or purchase. Also, with every piece sold, Rise Art sends a personal art supply kit to a child in the hospital (sharing supplies is often verboten for fear of spreading diseases). The site’s many filters makes finding a special piece for yourself easy enough, but they also offer gift cards for the art enthusiast in your life.
Coil + Drift Sling Wine Rack
An elegant hammock for your wine, the Sling rack holds six bottles in its simple structure of cherry wood, steel and leather. There’s an edge of clean Americana (and it’s handmade made in Brooklyn), and it’s sized just right for easy countertop placement—even in a city apartment. Altogether, it’s a great option for keeping your “go-to” bottles on hand and on display. It speaks to sophistication, but with a clear lack of pretense. This product is made to order and typically ships in four to six weeks.
Arne Jacobsen’s Reissued Tongue Chair
Created by celebrated Danish architect and designer Arne Jacobsen in 1955, the Tongue Chair was originally designed for the Munkegaard School outside Copenhagen (which Jacobsen also designed). The chair was sold briefly in the ’80s, but then went out of production. Now, Jacobsen’s grandson Tobias has resurrected the classic design—scaled up for adult derrieres—and reissued it in wonderful textiles, from leather to Kvadrat’s Divina MD.
Images courtesy of respective brands, lead image courtesy of Patternity
