While some people doom scroll on social media, I do so on shopping websites, finding a way to reward my dopamine sensors by ordering by ‘new in’ and swiping away until I’m just about as familiar with the entirety of said websites’ merchandise as their own employees (followed by a leisurely scroll back to the top just in case). And, while I hope to leave this habit in 2024, my near-encyclopedic knowledge of the merchandise of just about every fashion e-retailer does come in handy while curating this yearly gift guide, as all it really takes is a quick (long and laboured) flick through my (several hundred) open tabs.
Wallpaper* Gift Guide: fashion features editor Jack Moss’ picks
That said, plenty of thought has still gone into this selection of gifts, which, while unapologetically my own fantasy wish list, can nonetheless double for the style-conscious loved one who will no doubt be satisfied with the luxurious line-up. Though there are also nods to gifts that are far away from big fashion websites: Leo Costelloe’s custom jewellery is truly special, and only available in rare windows when he decides he has the time to create, artist Hylton Nel’s charming ceramic cats which inspired Kim Jones’ latest Dior Men collection are far from easy to come by, while a hoodie from Climax, Isabella Burley’s cult London and New York bookstore, is the ultimate in IYKYK.
A colourful Bottega Veneta tree decoration
There’s something of the Whoville to Bottega Veneta’s slightly surreal tree decorations, which lend their undulating shape to the woven design of the house’s ‘intrecciato’ leather motif. Here replicated in polished glass, my favourite is this harlequin design in an unexpected palette of yellow and black.
Bottega Veneta check ornament, £140. Available bottegaveneta.com.
A grass-green &Daughter sweater
&Daughter made the Wallpaper* list of the best knitwear brands in the world for its colourful sweaters, cardigans and accessories, which are all made and spun in Ireland and Scotland using time-honed techniques. A new menswear collection captures founder Buffy Reid’s eye for uncomplicated silhouettes and vivid colour – like the lambswool ‘Balla’ sweater in the perfect shade of grass green, which I have had my eye on since the collection launched.
&Daughter ‘Balla’ sweater, £350. Available and-daughter.com.
An evocative Nonfiction fragrance
I’ve been meaning to upgrade my almost-done tester of Santal Cream, the sandalwood-heavy – but intriguingly sweet – fragrance from indie South Korean perfumers Nonfiction. For me, it’s the perfect autumn through winter scent, a languid mix of woody notes and fresh fig, spicy ginger and cardamom, and bergamot. If you are not ready to hedge your bets on a single fragrance, I discovered Santal Cream in one of the brand’s six-scent tester packs.
Nonfiction 100ml Santal Cream perfume, 100ml, £125. Available from goodhoodstore.com.
A hoodie from cult bookstore Climax
In September, Isabella Burley opened an NY outpost of her buzzy bookstore Climax which began in London and is a haven of rare or limited-edition titles. This just-released brown-and-pink hoodie is my merch of choice, though the ‘Book Fantasy’ tee, ‘Books Are Exciting’ caps or simply the decidedly phallic pink gift card, are equally pleasing.
Climax hoodie, £90. Available climaxbooks.com.
A set of Leo Costelloe cutlery
Independent London-based jeweller Leo Costelloe works to his own schedule: those who want to purchase a piece of his work – which often features a twisted-metal bow motif – have to follow him on Instagram and wait until the announcement he’s taking commissions (those in Los Angeles or New York can find a small amount of his jewellery work in local Dover Street Market outlets). I would really take anything, though I’m currently obsessed with his latest project – full cutlery sets tied off at their ends with bows.
Enquire at hello@leocostelloe.com and follow @leocostelloe on Instagram.
A pair of Loewe’s twisted boat shoes
I've been wanting to invest in Jonathan Anderson’s ‘Campo’ shape for some time: what I’ll affectionately call the ‘flipper’ sole has appeared in various iterations in his Loewe collections, on Derby shoes and loafers, sneakers to biker boots. Though it’s the leather boat shoes – with twisted-lace charm – which have finally convinced me. I’m fantasising about them poking out from beneath a pair of baggy blue jeans.
Loewe ‘Campo’ leather boat shoes, £1000. Available mytheresa.com.
An unexpected Bless extension cord
I am always jealous when I visit the Extreme Cashmere showroom in Paris and see the Bless extension cord owned by the Amsterdam-based knitwear brand’s founder Saskia Dijkstra (she has great taste). It’s perhaps the chicest piece of technology I've seen for the very reason it doesn’t look like technology at all, rather a chic trail of wooden blocks snaking across the floor.
Bless multiplug extension cord, £115. Available ssense.com.
A playful Hylton Nel ceramic cat
I fell in love with the South African artist Hylton Nel’s ceramic cats at a preview for Kim Jones’ S/S 2025 Dior Men show (as we talked, a row of them sat behind the designer). The day afterwards, they had been blown up to enormous size as part of the show’s runway set (above). Jones described them as capturing ‘homespun monumentalism’, which I think is an apt description of their distinct appeal. They go up for auction occasionally (slightly out of my price range), though Nel’s motifs also appear in the S/S 2025 collection, arriving in stores later this year.
Ceramic Hylton Nel cat, approximately £9000. Enquire stevenson.info.
An apple-green Miu Miu bag pouch
Miu Miu’s veritable pick ‘n’ mix of leather ‘tricks’ – the house parlance for key chains and bag charms – cheer up the most time-worn of handbags. I’m particularly seduced by the ‘apple green’ clip-on pouch (a mini drawstring sack designed to hang on your bag’s exterior) and chic leather key holder, though we encourage a pile-up of their leather flowers, mountaineering cords and cute micro handbags for full Jane Birkin effect.
Miu Miu ‘apple green’ pouch. Available from miumiu.com.
A hydrating bar of Fussy soap
I had the enviable task of helping Wallpaper* beauty & grooming editor Hannah Tindle test out the bar soaps for the September 2024 Style Issue of Wallpaper* (read her plea as to ‘why solid soap is the most pleasurable object to bathe with’ here). And, while soaps from Hermès, Chanel and Celine were undeniably luxurious – and will make highly desirable stocking fillers – my surprise winner was the £8 bodywash bar from Fussy, which leaves the skin soft and nourished with none of that squeaky bar soap feeling. My flavour of choice is the uplifting ‘Tropic Tonic Lime’.
Fussy bodywash bar, £8. Available from getfussy.com.
