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Here at Life & Leisure, we have been overwhelmed with Christmas gift suggestions from the sublime to the ridiculous. So we asked seven men to tell us about the most special presents they've given and received, and what they would like this year. Turns out, there's an intangible element to successful giving, and it's got to do with you. Charis Perkins, editor
Hervé Deschamps, chief winemaker, Perrier-Jouët
champagne, France
BEST GIFT RECEIVED The first time I visited Japan, in 2004, I was given a wooden box, brilliantly varnished with a rising sun and a depiction of Mount Fuji hand-painted on it. It's about 20 centimetres long and is just beautiful. It's special to me because Japanese culture is so different from French culture. There is a lot of feeling behind the gift, and it is exceptional to receive a gift when you travel. It provides good memories of Japan, which I have visited many times since then because Japan is the biggest market in the world for our Belle Époque champagnes. In return for the box, I gave my hosts champagne. They seemed very happy with that!
BEST GIFT GIVEN I have three children, all in their 20s now, but when the two oldest were six and four – before the youngest was born – my wife and I were struggling to find a suitable gift for a boy and a girl. We decided on a little cat. It was such a pleasure to give. It was living with them and they needed to give it attention. It was all black except for a little white spot on its chin, like milk, and we named it Licorice.
MOST LIKE FOR CHRISTMAS Some bottles of wine, preferably white wine from Meursault in Burgundy and some Bordeaux Saint Émilion. I would like my son and daughters to give it to me and then we can all taste it together.
Angus Trumble, director of the National Portrait Gallery
BEST GIFT RECEIVED Many years ago, probably at around the time I was born or very soon afterwards, a beloved aunt knitted me a very handsome bear. His name is Brownie. She also knitted Brownie a stylish pair of fire-engine red shorts and braces, and a matching short-sleeved cardigan. Brownie has since accompanied me on many adventures, and has lived in Melbourne, Rome, Venice, New York, London, New Haven, Connecticut. Although my aunt died 30 years ago, Brownie is still going strong, and happily settled in Canberra. I must say he is a bear of substance, and in times of trouble I do rely upon his good sense and steady nature.
BEST GIFT GIVEN The same aunt adopted the practice of giving the two-volume Shorter Oxford English Dictionary as a wedding present, on the not unreasonable basis this would almost certainly be a relatively low priority for most young couples, but would prove to be the gift that kept on giving the years. I have continued this practice myself, and can say the dictionary does indeed make an excellent wedding present. A variant for couples who are obviously interested in food is the latest slip-case edition of Larousse Gastronomique. An added bonus is that, although they take up a bit of space, authoritative reference books, big fat ones, consume no electricity and frequent handling of them is good for the arm muscles.
MOST LIKE FOR CHRISTMAS An internally flawless, D-colour, cushion-cut or pear-shaped diamond weighing no less than 19.25 carats. It's worth asking, surely?
Don Cameron, creative director of Doncameron.biz
BEST GIFT RECEIVED The gift that that made the biggest impression on me was a pool table my parents gave me when I was five or so. The way it was presented was also very exciting. It was a kind of treasure hunt with clues that led to the garage, where I found a huge abstract object under a tarpaulin in our trailer. I was absolutely taken by surprise and disbelief. The scale of it. The originality. My parents found it in the classifieds and bought it from a pub. Thinking about it now, it had quite a cool, modernistic shape, with two wedge-shaped feet. I went through an (early) phase of shooting pool, which gave way to building things out of Lego. The table then become a working area for my friends and I to comb through a sea of Lego for the pieces required to build spaceships.
BEST GIFT GIVEN I've always liked gifts that surprise, especially ones where you turn up in an unexpected or improbable way to surprise people you love. When I was working out of London, I timed a return trip to Sydney so I could surprise my parents on their anniversary. They were at the opera, so I knew where to find them. I got a few details wrong. I landed a day early, but it worked out fine. I can't remember which opera it was, but I managed to buy a ticket in the last row. Having spotted my parents in the audience, I surprised them at interval. They were into it.
MOST LIKE FOR CHRISTMAS I've been told I'm really difficult to buy presents for. That's true, and it's my fault – I can't even think what I would like. I love Christmas as a time of being with my family and extended family, around a table eating, drinking, sharing. That's the best gift.
Alexander Lotersztain, chief designer and director of Derlot
BEST GIFT RECEIVED I was 16, and I remember it like as it was yesterday. My dad was on his way to New York on business, and I asked him to bring me the latest Guns N' Roses CDs, Use Your Illusion I and II. instead, he brought me a backpack, a pair of boots and a Victorinox multi-tool knife. He said to me, "It's time for you to go on and explore the world on your own two feet," and for Christmas he gave me a bus ticket to the northernmost part of Argentina, Salta. He said I should explore my home country before venturing overseas. It was an amazing experience, and had a very strong effect for life. Until today, I value experiences more than material things – a holiday, an epic meal, an enlightening conversation. Ah, and by the way, he also got me the CDs.
BEST GIFT GIVEN I was 21 and living in Australia. I had not seen my parents for a while, so decided to pay a surprise visit to where they were living by then – a small village in Poland with my grandparents. The journey was an adventure itself; planes, trains and automobiles. I got there on Christmas Day and knocked on the door pretending to be the postman. I remember my mum saying, "Postman on a Christmas Day?" Then she opened the door and started shouting. My dad was in the shower and came out butt naked, thinking they were getting mugged or something. I think that was the best present they ever got – and fright.
MOST LIKE FOR CHRISTMAS Sincerely, on a deep note, world peace. The world seems to be going crazy – Brexit, Trump. And, if I've been a good boy, an IWC Ingenieur Automatic AMG Black Series Ceramic watch.
Melvin Tanaya, fashion designer and co-founder of
Song for the Mute
BEST GIFT RECEIVED My wife, Loan, surprised me with the most special present I have ever received just this year. It was a group of tickets to take her sister and parents to our favourite country, Japan. This will be only the second time my parents in-law have left Australia since the 1980s, and the only time we've all travelled together. Japan holds many special memories for Loan and me, so to be able to share the culture and intricacies of this beautiful country with her family will be something to cherish. Christmas time for me is – and always will be – about family. We set aside two weeks to spend quality time with each and every family member. This time to reconnect with loved ones is always the most exciting time of year for me.
BEST GIFT GIVEN The one that's left a lasting impression was definitely to my father. One Christmas, I gave him a Stefano Ricci tie, which he now wears to all special occasions. Since experiencing the quality and craftmanship (he always thought a tie was just a tie!), he has gained a new appreciation for fabrics and construction. In turn, this has given him a deeper understanding and respect for my passion and what I do.
MOST LIKE FOR CHRISTMAS I'm already getting it!
Michael Edwards, perfume expert and author of Perfume Legends and Fragrances of the World
BEST GIFT RECEIVED For years, my wife and I struggled to have a baby. After a series of miscarriages, we applied for adoption. Easy to hope, but tough to realise. But dreams can come true. On Christmas Eve 1979, just after noon, our adoption agency mentor knocked at the door. "Your new baby has been born," she said, with a smile a mile wide. "She's yours the day after Boxing Day." Complete and utter exultation, pandemonium and panic ensued, but no gift has ever surpassed the gift of our Christmas baby.
BEST GIFT GIVEN Some years ago, I flew to India to stand in as father to a young friend at her wedding. After the three-day ceremony, I offered my own daughter a birthday gift: "Come join me at the Lake Palace hotel in Udaipur." Built round 1745, the Lake Palace floats in a shimmering lake dotted with water flowers. It's a heaven on earth. It's luxurious, of course, but so comfortable and welcoming that one never wants to leave. No gift, I think, has given her more pleasure. I only wish that Joanne, my wife, could have joined us.
MOST LIKE FOR CHRISTMAS Nothing for me. I have almost everything I could possible want. But, please, join me this Christmas in building a little bridge to the homeless. In Australia, the Exodus Foundation feeds so many people on Christmas Day. Please consider a donation: exodusfoundation.org.au.
Nick Tobias, principal architect at Tobias Partners
BEST GIFT RECEIVED Creative director Don Cameron agrees he's difficult to buy gifts for because even he cannot think what he'd like. Anthony Geernaert My parents-in-law gave me a house blessing by the Gyuto monks, who come to be in residence in Bondi each year. We are talking Rinpoche and seven other monks rolling up our street (neighbours pouring out of their homes to see them) and into our recently renovated home, wearing their beautiful robes. They set up a shrine to the Dalai Lama, chanted and rang bells for about 45 minutes, then proceeded around the house, still chanting and flicking holy water, until they returned to the shrine to chant it out. The final celebration was sharing a meal with us, cooked by my beautiful wife, Miranda. This was a gift not only to me but to my family, the dog, the street and – if I can take this chance to get really esoteric – the universe! It was a most extraordinary experience, which I'm not sure could be matched by something material.
BEST GIFT GIVEN I would have to say artwork to Miranda. Artwork for the home is truly a gift that keeps on giving every day. It can be incredibly personal and embody messages about a relationship, about love, about life. It can tell stories about the past, give hope for the future and inspire others – children, friends, other family.
MOST LIKE FOR CHRISTMAS Derlot chief designer Alexander Lotersztain gave his parents their best gift and perhaps their biggest fright at the same time. Supplied Having turned 40 this year I can truly say I want for nothing but to be with my family, living the simple life, sitting on a beach, enjoying nature and each other's uninterrupted presence (no phone or internet connection!). Failing that, some rocking new sunglasses would be awesome.
Melvin Tanaya, fashion designer and co-founder of Song for the Mute
BEST GIFT RECEIVED My wife, Loan, surprised me with the most special present I have ever received just this year. It was a group of tickets to take her sister and parents to our favourite country, Japan. This will be only the second time my parents in-law have left Australia since the 1980s, and the only time we've all travelled together. Japan holds many special memories for Loan and me, so to be able to share the culture and intricacies of this beautiful country with her family will be something to cherish. Christmas time for me is – and always will be – about family. We set aside two weeks to spend quality time with each and every family member. This time to reconnect with loved ones is always the most exciting time of year for me.
BEST GIFT GIVEN The one that's left a lasting impression was definitely to my father. One Christmas, I gave him a Stefano Ricci tie, which he now wears to all special occasions. Since experiencing the quality and craftmanship (he always thought a tie was just a tie!), he has gained a new appreciation for fabrics and construction. In turn, this has given him a deeper understanding and respect for my passion and what I do.
MOST LIKE FOR CHRISTMAS
I'm already getting it!
Nick Tobias, principal architect at
Tobias Partners
BEST GIFT RECEIVED Creative director Don Cameron agrees he's difficult to buy gifts for because even he cannot think what he'd like. Anthony Geernaert My parents-in-law gave me a house blessing by the Gyuto monks, who come to be in residence in Bondi each year. We are talking Rinpoche and seven other monks rolling up our street (neighbours pouring out of their homes to see them) and into our recently renovated home, wearing their beautiful robes. They set up a shrine to the Dalai Lama, chanted and rang bells for about 45 minutes, then proceeded around the house, still chanting and flicking holy water, until they returned to the shrine to chant it out. The final celebration was sharing a meal with us, cooked by my beautiful wife, Miranda. This was a gift not only to me but to my family, the dog, the street and – if I can take this chance to get really esoteric – the universe! It was a most extraordinary experience, which I'm not sure could be matched by something material.
BEST GIFT GIVEN I would have to say artwork to Miranda. Artwork for the home is truly a gift that keeps on giving every day. It can be incredibly personal and embody messages about a relationship, about love, about life. It can tell stories about the past, give hope for the future and inspire others – children, friends, other family.
MOST LIKE FOR CHRISTMAS Derlot chief designer Alexander Lotersztain gave his parents their best gift and perhaps their biggest fright at the same time. Supplied Having turned 40 this year I can truly say I want for nothing but to be with my family, living the simple life, sitting on a beach, enjoying nature and each other's uninterrupted presence (no phone or internet connection!). Failing that, some rocking new sunglasses would be awesome.
Don Cameron, creative director of Doncameron.biz
BEST GIFT RECEIVED The gift that that made the biggest impression on me was a pool table my parents gave me when I was five or so. The way it was presented was also very exciting. It was a kind of treasure hunt with clues that led to the garage, where I found a huge abstract object under a tarpaulin in our trailer. I was absolutely taken by surprise and disbelief. The scale of it. The originality. My parents found it in the classifieds and bought it from a pub. Thinking about it now, it had quite a cool, modernistic shape, with two wedge-shaped feet. I went through an (early) phase of shooting pool, which gave way to building things out of Lego. The table then become a working area for my friends and I to comb through a sea of Lego for the pieces required to build spaceships.
BEST GIFT GIVEN I've always liked gifts that surprise, especially ones where you turn up in an unexpected or improbable way to surprise people you love. When I was working out of London, I timed a return trip to Sydney so I could surprise my parents on their anniversary. They were at the opera, so I knew where to find them. I got a few details wrong. I landed a day early, but it worked out fine. I can't remember which opera it was, but I managed to buy a ticket in the last row. Having spotted my parents in the audience, I surprised them at interval. They were into it.
MOST LIKE FOR CHRISTMAS I've been told I'm really difficult to buy presents for. That's true, and it's my fault – I can't even think what I would like. I love Christmas as a time of being with my family and extended family, around a table eating, drinking, sharing. That's the best gift.
Michael Edwards, perfume expert and author of Perfume Legends and Fragrances of the World
BEST GIFT RECEIVED For years, my wife and I struggled to have a baby. After a series of miscarriages, we applied for adoption. Easy to hope, but tough to realise. But dreams can come true. On Christmas Eve 1979, just after noon, our adoption agency mentor knocked at the door. "Your new baby has been born," she said, with a smile a mile wide. "She's yours the day after Boxing Day." Complete and utter exultation, pandemonium and panic ensued, but no gift has ever surpassed the gift of our Christmas baby.
BEST GIFT GIVEN Some years ago, I flew to India to stand in as father to a young friend at her wedding. After the three-day ceremony, I offered my own daughter a birthday gift: "Come join me at the Lake Palace hotel in Udaipur." Built round 1745, the Lake Palace floats in a shimmering lake dotted with water flowers. It's a heaven on earth. It's luxurious, of course, but so comfortable and welcoming that one never wants to leave. No gift, I think, has given her more pleasure. I only wish that Joanne, my wife, could have joined us.
MOST LIKE FOR CHRISTMAS Nothing for me. I have almost everything I could possible want. But, please, join me this Christmas in building a little bridge to the homeless. In Australia, the Exodus Foundation feeds so many people on Christmas Day. Please consider a donation: exodusfoundation.org.au.
Alexander Lotersztain, chief designer and director of Derlot
BEST GIFT RECEIVED I was 16, and I remember it like as it was yesterday. My dad was on his way to New York on business, and I asked him to bring me the latest Guns N' Roses CDs, Use Your Illusion I and II. instead, he brought me a backpack, a pair of boots and a Victorinox multi-tool knife. He said to me, "It's time for you to go on and explore the world on your own two feet," and for Christmas he gave me a bus ticket to the northernmost part of Argentina, Salta. He said I should explore my home country before venturing overseas. It was an amazing experience, and had a very strong effect for life. Until today, I value experiences more than material things – a holiday, an epic meal, an enlightening conversation. Ah, and by the way, he also got me the CDs.
BEST GIFT GIVEN I was 21 and living in Australia. I had not seen my parents for a while, so decided to pay a surprise visit to where they were living by then – a small village in Poland with my grandparents. The journey was an adventure itself; planes, trains and automobiles. I got there on Christmas Day and knocked on the door pretending to be the postman. I remember my mum saying, "Postman on a Christmas Day?" Then she opened the door and started shouting. My dad was in the shower and came out butt naked, thinking they were getting mugged or something. I think that was the best present they ever got – and fright.
MOST LIKE FOR CHRISTMAS Sincerely, on a deep note, world peace. The world seems to be going crazy – Brexit, Trump. And, if I've been a good boy, an IWC Ingenieur Automatic AMG Black Series Ceramic watch.
Angus Trumble, director of the National Portrait Gallery
BEST GIFT RECEIVED Many years ago, probably at around the time I was born or very soon afterwards, a beloved aunt knitted me a very handsome bear. His name is Brownie. She also knitted Brownie a stylish pair of fire-engine red shorts and braces, and a matching short-sleeved cardigan. Brownie has since accompanied me on many adventures, and has lived in Melbourne, Rome, Venice, New York, London, New Haven, Connecticut. Although my aunt died 30 years ago, Brownie is still going strong, and happily settled in Canberra. I must say he is a bear of substance, and in times of trouble I do rely upon his good sense and steady nature.
BEST GIFT GIVEN The same aunt adopted the practice of giving the two-volume Shorter Oxford English Dictionary as a wedding present, on the not unreasonable basis this would almost certainly be a relatively low priority for most young couples, but would prove to be the gift that kept on giving the years. I have continued this practice myself, and can say the dictionary does indeed make an excellent wedding present. A variant for couples who are obviously interested in food is the latest slip-case edition of Larousse Gastronomique. An added bonus is that, although they take up a bit of space, authoritative reference books, big fat ones, consume no electricity and frequent handling of them is good for the arm muscles.
MOST LIKE FOR CHRISTMAS An internally flawless, D-colour, cushion-cut or pear-shaped diamond weighing no less than 19.25 carats. It's worth asking, surely?
Hervé Deschamps, chief winemaker, Perrier-Jouët champagne, France
BEST GIFT RECEIVED The first time I visited Japan, in 2004, I was given a wooden box, brilliantly varnished with a rising sun and a depiction of Mount Fuji hand-painted on it. It's about 20 centimetres long and is just beautiful. It's special to me because Japanese culture is so different from French culture. There is a lot of feeling behind the gift, and it is exceptional to receive a gift when you travel. It provides good memories of Japan, which I have visited many times since then because Japan is the biggest market in the world for our Belle Époque champagnes. In return for the box, I gave my hosts champagne. They seemed very happy with that!
BEST GIFT GIVEN I have three children, all in their 20s now, but when the two oldest were six and four – before the youngest was born – my wife and I were struggling to find a suitable gift for a boy and a girl. We decided on a little cat. It was such a pleasure to give. It was living with them and they needed to give it attention. It was all black except for a little white spot on its chin, like milk, and we named it Licorice.
MOST LIKE FOR CHRISTMAS Some bottles of wine, preferably white wine from Meursault in Burgundy and some Bordeaux Saint Émilion. I would like my son and daughters to give it to me and then we can all taste it together.