How the other half spends Christmas
IF YOU’RE not waking to exotic-skinned handbags under a tree of custom-made baubles, what’s the point? Here’s how the other half spends Christmas.
IF YOU’RE not waking up on Christmas Day to exotic-skinned handbags under a tree dripping with custom-made baubles, frankly, what’s the point?
While most of us make do with new moisturiser and the latest Gillian Flynn, for some, Christmas is a chance to flex that credit card.
Quintessentially Gifts general manager Dee Bowman said they’ve seen an increase in demand for unique and personalised presents such as “co-creating” pieces with a favourite designer in recent years.
“We recently had a request from a client to create a signature scent for his wife to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary,” she told news.com.au
“We arranged for our client’s wife to create her own signature fragrance from scratch with royal perfumers Floris. This bespoke eau de parfum would reflect her uniqueness and would be produced exclusively for her.”
The extraordinary request is run-of-the-mill for the company that is an offshoot of luxury lifestyle managers Quintessentially — the professional concierge service that once shut down Sydney Harbour Bridge for a marriage proposal and arranged dinner for two on an iceberg.
Ms Bowman said Christmas brings a host of new requests for the company has sourced a medieval suit of armour within 24 hours and tracked down a watch with an eight-year waiting list within weeks. And they’re not just all from the super-rich either.
“At Christmas we get a lot of requests for hard to find luxury bags and watches. Brands such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Bulgari are extremely popular,” she said.
“We get requests for inspirational gift ideas and hard to find pieces from busy professionals who simply don’t have the time (or inclination) to spend hours buying either their loved ones or colleagues gifts. Not everyone enjoys shopping, particularly at this time of year.”
It’s a glimpse into an increasingly popular world of lifestyle managers designed to provide bespoke experiences for cash-rich and time-poor individuals. The recent documentary The World’s Most Expensive Christmas showcased another lifestyle brand Very First To, who created the “world’s most glamorous” Christmas tree star topped with 280 diamonds including a five-carat whopper in the centre.
Millionaires in the festive mood can also snap up ‘Rudolph Tarts’ featuring a real ruby for a nose and snow globes with diamond ‘snow’ and a mini replica of your family inside. Bespoke bauble-maker Bombki also featured, with custom-made tree ornaments in the shape of mini e-type jaguars, Titanic replicas and custard crèmes that sell for upwards of $50 each.
Australian shoppers are expected to drop more than $46 billion this year on Christmas goods according to the Australian Retail Association. Nearly $19 billion of that will be on food with another $8 billion on household goods and $6.5 billion on eating out.
Executive Director Russell Zimmerman said in the weeks leading up to the event it’s chocolates, sweets and ham that will be flying off the shelves and making up the bulk of the spend.
For those still looking for last minute gifts, Ms Bowman said it’s not all about price with a shift from “conspicuous” to more meaningful presents in recent years.
“There has been a shift towards gifts that offer a sense of time or an experience to enrich the recipient’s life, reflecting thoughtfulness and appreciation of that person,” she said.
“The person giving the gifts should ideally wish to enrich the recipient’s life, showing that you’ve thought about the other person’s lifestyle, reflecting thoughtfulness and appreciation of that person.”