In the age of the gift basket or the anonymous room scent spray, plenty of Christmas presents tend to be of a more — how do I put it — generic nature. Like, last year I received five room sprays. Do I look like I live on Smoky Mountain? (Don’t answer that.)
Personally, I’m a fan of the personalized gift. If I could engrave everything with my name, I would. I fear that my future children will be tattooed as soon as they exit my womb (Cesarean style) with my last name in a clean Helvetica-style font embedded on their wrists.
My friend Joey Samson is a fan of Jil Sander. While he enjoys the label’s garments, he mainly prefers their accessories, which are monogrammed with “JS” in a slim, elegant font. So he totes the leather Jil Sander clutch and people think he’s really posh because he got it monogrammed. Well, random strangers who think that, it’s really Jil Sander’s initials.
Not that luxury labels haven’t taken notice. Louis Vuitton has been monogramming their leather goods with customers’ names, while young labels like Claire Vivier popularized the foldover tote with the initials of clients. For this gift guide, I’ve culled cool merch that swings from high to low-end.
Put your stamp on it
Louis Vuitton is all about the monogram. They literally wrote the book on it. (The coffeetable tome on the storied label, available at bookstores everywhere, is simply covered with the label’s logo.)
For the well-traveled woman (or man), the Couverture Passeport Mon Monogram is the packer’s essential. LV’s Mon Monogram personalization service offers initials on the coveted colored stripes. With a selection of up to three initials and a palette of 17 different colors, there are a multiplicity of options (or 200 million possible combinations, according to LV). It takes eight weeks to produce, and costs a measly P23,000 so consider it a belated present just in time for an early vacation.
The better Facebook profile pic
What do you give the friend who has everything? A better Facebook profile pic. Forget the annoying “I’m in Bora” jumping photo that seems to be a requirement for anybody with a plane ticket to the island and a half-assed swimsuit. Or the requisite “Off to la-la land” photo at the airport. Who looks good at the airport? Only Victoria Beckham. Fact.
As a reward for friendships maintained over the course of many tumultuous post-high school years, photographer Tammy David offered her services to friends to shoot their Facebook profile photo. Under her lens, subjects glow with warmth and a natural light. Her sister, jewelry designer Happy David, was the first recipient of her gift, as seen here. Now, Tammy is offering her service to strangers, starting at P6,000 a pop for one layout. Contact her at pleaselookatthecamera@gmail.com.
Decorating your home with art that speaks volumes about you is one of the more difficult tasks adults face. The easy route is to just pepper everything with your name or initials. True story: I was at home entertaining a group of people and a friend asked if the “B” inscribed on pillows and a canvas by my bed stood for “bitch.” I never invited her again.
Anyway, now that I’ve shared something deeply personal, let me share some personal favorites. Letter artwork by street artist Chill puts on a new spin on the personalized gift. Featuring comic book elements, sci-fi characters and plenty more, the artist presents lettered work in a new light. The framed pen on paper work goes for P4,000. Fans include Joey Samson and, uh, myself. Available at Vinyl On Vinyl at The Collective, Malugay St., Makati (0922-8487427).
Another option is the letter pillow by Bleach Catastrophe. The 17-inch pillows made from cotton canvas mimic the typography found on old computer keyboards. Owner Tinay Villiamiel noted that if the letter you like isn’t available, they can have it made to your order and ready in three days. Just in time for Christmas. Prices start at P695. Available at Bleach Catastrophe, Glorietta and TriNoma.
Write here, write now
Put your money where your mouth is and give a gift that says it all. The Be Mighty! Mighty Wallet, from the makers of tear- and water-resistant things, have come up with the DIY Mighty Wallet. Made from Tyvek, which looks like paper but is stronger than your self-discipline on a cheat day, the wallet comes in a graph print. It’s designed to be an empty sheet for important information like frequent flyer numbers, addresses, telephone numbers, I think it would make for better fodder if you wrote important one-liners from famous movies or songs like “Show me the money.” Available at Quirks, Power Plant, P780.
Embosser
Send out notes like a boss, thanks to this nifty tool. Personalized notecards can get expensive. With iEmboss, a company that manufactures personalized embossers, you can take out the middle man. Leave fancy impressions on stationery or envelopes with your name or, if you’re feeling extra fancy, just a set of initials.
Prices for a starter set begins at P1,680 and includes one embosser plate, embosser press and casing. Find out more on www.facebook.com/iemboss.
This eco-friendly Cardboard Radio is light, simple with a minimal, no-nonsense design. Powered by batteries, the device can be hooked up to an MP3 player for outside listening. Many appreciate the radio’s fuss-free look, but we think the cardboard finish is the perfect canvas to write love notes — or even better, Mariah’s lyrics to Fantasy. Available at Quirks, Shangri-La Mall, P1,496.
Pet portrait
There are photos of my dog Albert all over my apartment. One photo stands guard by my front door. Sep Mahino takes pet portraiture to another level with her watercolor images of pets in designer garb. Her take on Albert, my furry BFF, was to garb him in a sweater by The Elder Statesman. Here, she sampled her cat in Margiela. Personalized pet portraits start at P8,000 for an 8x10-inch piece. Contact 0928-3926843 to commission one.