2020 didn’t quite work out as planned, at least for travel, but this doesn’t mean that we can’t dream about a more normal 2021. If you’re struggling to find original Christmas gift ideas for the luxury traveler, here is our pick of “must-have” gifts that will inspire you to pack your cases and head off in Spring 2021.
1. Strathberry Handbags
What girl doesn’t love a handbag? I have found the perfect handbag that works both for day to day use and for evenings out. My favorite Strathberry handbag design is the Strathberry bucket handbag. Its size couldn’t be more perfect, ideal for storing your makeup, keys, wallet, and phone, but its petite dimensions also mean that it’s impossible to lose everything at the bottom of your bag. I love it so much that I’ve featured it on our Instagram feed which shares our latest travels.
Strathberry has just launched some new special editions too, out just in time for Christmas. These special luxury pieces, have been crafted with great attention to detail and include Embossed Croc, a luxury line in their signature winter colorways, lovingly handcrafted in Spain with the finest calf leather, which is then embossed for a striking day-to-night croc effect.
For those hard-to-buy-for loved ones, they’ve also created an accessory line of dainty jewelry boxes. Available in a variety of vibrant yet understated colorways, there’s a perfect shade for everyone. Compact and perfect for traveling, these zipped boxes are the perfect gift for those who like to accessorize while traveling.
2. zChocolat
For the flavor of a “luxury hotel” and the gourmet taste of far off lands, look no further than zChocolat’s finest French chocolates. If you have ever enjoyed the pleasure of a fine dining restaurant or perhaps a luxury hotel amenity as you arrive in your room, these delicious chocolates will remind your palette of luxury experiences from your past and those which will be planned in the future.
Make this holiday season one to remember for your loved ones and yourself, whether you are able to travel or not, with authentic French chocolate gifts that capture the wonder and cheer of winter’s most cherished moments. Special-edition packaging features a reinterpretation of one of the season’s most recognizable symbol, the snowy Christmas tree upon a sweet and silent midnight sky, while ultra-luxury chocolates created by World-Champion Chocolatier Pascal Caffet embody the very best of fine French chocolate making. It’s the perfect way to pamper everyone on your list and a memorable way to exclaim “Merry Christmas to all!”.
And my favorite pick? Their Christmas Selection; Satiate your senses with seven special assortments of the finest French chocolates straight from the ingenuity of zChocolat’s World Champion and Master Chocolatier. Milk, Praliné, Traditional, Dark, Alizé 0%, Exotic, and the world-renowned Z chocolates all come together in this ultimate Christmas Chocolate Mix presented in an elegant white box accented with a royal blue ribbon and bow.
This year, zChocolat are offering double the amount of chocolate on all orders at no additional cost. Their COVID-19 promise is: “We double the number of chocolates at no additional cost”. You can either send to your gift recipient with your order; donate to a hospital or charity; or save it in your account to redeem at a later date for yourself or someone else.
3. Acqua di Parma Christmas 2020 Home Collection
Acqua di Parma is one of my favorite fragrance brands. I think it’s because the fragrances evoke the Mediterranean trips that I enjoy so much every summer. Acqua di Parma has surpassed itself this year. In addition to their new Holiday Season, 2020 Collection, Acqua di Parma is also launching a Christmas scent to their Home Collection, Notte di Stelle. A mix of birch wood and guajac wood with the balsamic scents of pine oil and the spicy scents of cloves, entwined with a powerful touch of raspberry. This perfect festive scent is available in a 200g glass candle and an elegant 180ml room diffuser. These are available from John Lewis online.
4. Acqua di Parma Advent Calendar
Following its huge success last year, Acqua di Parma has launched their second lavish Advent Calendar as part of their 2020 Christmas collection. Inviting you to fully immerse yourself into the Maison in all its facets; from Colonia to Blu Mediterraneo to Home Collection, from Barbiere to the new Signatures of the Sun & Le Nobili, a surprise awaits you behind each door as you countdown to Christmas day. Surely this calendar is a must-have for your loved ones?
5. Ripa Ripa
One of the best luxury swim short brands in the world is Ripa Ripa. Born in Milan, Ripa Ripa is the brainchild of Oliviero and Anna Laura who found it difficult to find what they considered to be stylish swim shorts and they now produce some of the most stylish swim shorts in the world.
The Italians are, of course, known for their style, and these shorts showcase the best in Italian style. My husband and son swear by these shorts as one of their top pool-side choices when we stay at magnificent luxury hotels.
More recently, Anna and Oliviero have launched their first fall-winter product; Camicia Favignana available in 3 colors. Camicia Favignana is a cotton pique interseasonal shirt which can be worn both during colder weather with a sweater and be paired with a swim short in summer.
Interseasonal in its nature, the Favignana shirt finds its spot on diverse occasions – whether it is paired with swim shorts in summer or accompanied by a sweater on a crispy day.
Obtained using a “tinto in filo” technique, the vintage shades allude to the gradual transition of seasons. The shirt is crafted using the finest Italian cotton pique, growing softer with the passage of time.
The launch of the entire 2020 collection has been very special. It is the fifth one. This year, they reinvented their classics by drawing all their patterns by hand. This collection walks you through their journey, from Sicilian tiles and Neapolitan vintage tie patterns to cards, red corals, and windows overlooking the sea, ornaments, which have been defining Ripa Ripa so far.
6. Naughton Braun
My mother had a pearl necklace when I was young. As a child, I loved to stroke the smooth silky surface of the pearls. Even now, I find that there is something utterly beautiful and comforting, in stroking those same shiny pearls around my own neck.
Naughton Braun specializes in beautiful freshwater pearl jewelry. They not only sell exquisite jewelry, but also work to empower women at every stage of the design, development, production, import, distribution, and marketing processes.
Particular favourites of mine include the Odette Anthology pearl necklace which you can wear as a symbol of love. We love the 30 unique and uneven potato pearls (my new favorite pearl as each one is different) and the sparkly swan pendant with a huge draping single biawa pearl hanging off the bottom.
Most US/Canadian based pearl companies primarily offer single or multi-strand freshwater or Akoya pearls, while Naughton Braun has opted to pursue a different course, showcasing their real pearls with semi-precious gems and stones in trend-setting combinations: “reimagined classics”. While we all love and still occasionally wear our grandmother’s pearls, Naughton Braun has opted to go beyond the classic high school photo pearls and offer Women understated elegance with styles that will themselves also become classics.
All designs are based on current jewelry trends or recent runway exhibitions and each piece is handcrafted by skilled Women artisans which then undergo two quality assurance checks before shipment. Most of their pieces feature hand-knotted silk in complementary or contrasting colors for additional visual impact.
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