We asked our fashion and beauty writer, Amanda Ross, to find the hottest gifts this season. Here’s her shortlist from our Autumn 2020 issue.
Saint Laurent Solferino
From Fendi’s Baguette bag to Chanel’s 2.55, sartorial history is paved with the iconic purses of fashion’s great design houses. The key to longevity is timelessness paired with contemporary savoir faire. This season, Saint Laurent sets the stage with its Solferino, a satchel in two sizes in a range of materials and colours including suede, leather, and python. The front flap features a pivoting metal YSL closure, while an adjustable shoulder strap adds to a thoroughly modern classic in the making.
Saint Laurent
Dior Jacqueline Cashmere Coat
“Surrealist images manage to make visible what is in itself invisible,” says Maria Grazia Chiuri, creative director at Dior. “I’m interested in mystery and magic, which are also a way of exorcising uncertainty about the future.” And so the designer’s autumn/winter 2020/21 haute couture collection nods to nature and transformation through the work of surrealist artists such as Jacqueline Lamba and Dora Maar, who both transcended the role of muse to champion a different kind of femininity. Dior’s white Jacqueline double-cashmere coat with gold CD belt features burgundy, nattier blue, and ochre satin leather with embroidery that recalls the motifs of Lamba’s designs.
Image courtesy of Dior.
Armani My Way Fragrance
Italian designer Giorgio Armani, credited with pioneering red-carpet fashion, was also one of the first designers to ban models with a body mass index (BMI) below 18. It comes as no surprise, then, that his new fragrance, My Way, launches this fall with a similarly pioneering commitment, this time to sustainability. Recycled materials and sustainably sourced ingredients (tuberose, bergamot, and Madagascar vanilla), a new innovative bottle refill system, and the preservation of 650 hectares of Malagasy rain forest mean the perfume achieves carbon neutrality. By 2025, the rest of the Armani Beauty stable promises to be fully carbon neutral, too.
Image courtesy of Armani.
Dyson Pure Humidify+Cool
Once upon time, vacuuming was a utilitarian pursuit. Then Dyson came along and turned high design and high performance into the world’s most coveted vacuums. The cult-fave company’s latest debut—the Pure Humidify+Cool—is its first three-in-one fan that’s engineered to purify and humidify as well as circulate air. UVC light kills bacteria in the humidifier’s water, and a completely sealed filter captures 99.97 per cent of air pollution. Available in white/silver and black/nickel, it comes with a 60-minute self-cleaning mode for hassle-free maintenance, too.
Image courtesy of Dyson.
Longines A-7 1935
If you were looking for an aviation-themed watch, you could do a lot worse than choosing one circa 1935. The styling would still have that hint of art deco elegance, the mechanicals would be solid, the utility on point. The only problem? The average size of a man’s wristwatch 80 years ago was unbelievably small. So Longines, whose connection to the art of flying runs deep, has thoughtfully upgraded its classic A-7 1935 design with such modern conveniences as a 54-hour power reserve, hands that glow with Super-LumiNova, and a snappy alligator-print strap—and at 41mm, it’s sized to current standard. It’s a thoughtful throwback to the grand old days, just better.
Image courtesy of Longines.
Evelyne Prélonge Faux Fur
The debate between fur (once essential, now not) and faux fur (not so opulent) has just been solved. After honing her textile innovation chops in various haute couture maisons, French designer Evelyne Prélonge turned her attention to launching her own line of couture fabric, a luxurious alternative to real fur with a woven backing. From throws to accessories, her new line of elegant faux fur goods crafted in her studio in the South of France arrives at Vancouver’s Fino Lino this fall in standard sizes—all under a FFR label (Fur Free Retailer).
Image courtesy of Evelyne Prélonge.
This article is from our Autumn 2020 issue. Read past Wishlists.
