On Saturday there will be exactly 50 days until Christmas. Seem like a lot? A little? We know it’s frowned upon to start the Xmas talk too early. But the truth is, for some of us at LOVEThESIGN, Christmas lasts 6 months a year. S-I-X. You believe that?
It’s not easy organizing a surprising Christmas, even for those who do it as a career: just ask the elves. Making gifts is both pleasant and tiring at the same time. You have to think about the gift for her or him, for the children or grandchildren, for your parents. So far, so good. Then there are close friends and those far away, grandparents, in-laws and your favourite colleague, retired uncle living in the Canary Islands and the neighbor who looks after your dog four months a year. And finally the dog. You want to impress them all, and you can do it.
Did you know that Federica has already thought about them - actually about everybody?
One June morning Federica, from the LOVEThESIGN sales department, came to the office, made a big cup of coffee and started filling out her wish list. Outside, it was sunny and 24 degrees, but she was sporting a sweater with a reindeer and Xmas trees. Doesn’t this say it all? She wrote her Christmas letter, longer than you can even imagine, so perfect that now Santa asks her advice.
In Federica’s mind, Christmas lasts six months, filled with careful and continuous searches and selections, all over Europe: finding what’s best for a husband who is an architect, one who is a lawyer, a craftsman, a girlfriend who is a doctor, a lawyer and an engineer, even making your way to the cat owned by the lady on the first floor, the one who runs up the stairs and lets out a meow every time she passes.
1 • Federica, is it true that you’ve been looking for Christmas gifts for months on behalf of LOVEThESIGN customers?
Yes, it is true. I spend half of my year selecting the best brands and the most original products for Christmas. But it is not true that in June I wear sweaters with reindeer. Who told you that?
2 • That’s confidential (Jack the Reindeer). Among the brands and products you’ve discovered, which one has truly won you over?
I’ve selected all the brands, one by one, and I can say I was fully satisfied by every single one. I overcame two difficult challenges: finding Christmas trees even for the tiniest homes, like those offered by The Little Picture Company, and decorations that give off warmth and hospitality, echoing tradition yet flaunting original shapes, like Rosendahl’s selection.
3 • Who will you be giving the most original gifts to?
I really try to blow them away, so I’m on the lookout for a unique and original gift for everyone. Sometimes it’s easy, just a hint of wit will do the trick: If you give a classic bottle of wine in a container like RackPack, your relatives will be head over heels. And why not surprise Dad with a whimsical touch? This year I’m all about the cloth trophies by Soft Heads.
But the truth is that I can’t wait to see the expressions on my friends’ faces when they light up their Pyropet candles: did you know they have a soul?
4 • Candles with a soul?! Will this be the most eccentric gift you give?
No way! The most eccentric gift is definitely the hanging Flyte lamp from mid-air that turns on even if the wire only makes it to the base, not the bulb. How? Magic. But I can’t say just yet who I bought it for! The most extravagant instead is for my friend Ilaria. She loves cats and design equally, and so yesterday I ordered one of the Cube dog beds.
5 •What about for yourself? Which two gifts would you like to get come Christmas?
Are you sure you wanna know? If I tell you, then I’ll be expecting them from you. This year is all about the History of Design. I would like one of the Key Bojsen monkeys, ever heard of them? They are a genuine piece of history stemming from Nordic design in Denmark and are well-known by all fans. For my desk at home, however, I’d like a red Piani lamp: a modern yet perfect Christmas style!
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