gift recs from melanie masarin, ochuko akpovbovbo, natasha stagg, & more + our founder's gift guide
monthly recs #56
Each month, we ask a writer to share what’s on their minds and in their open tabs for our monthly recommendations. This December, we’ve asked some of our friends and favorite writers to share what’s on their open gift tabs this holiday season. Read on for recs from Melanie Masarin, Irene Kim (김애린), Natasha Stagg, Emilia Petrarca, Ochuko Akpovbovbo, Jess Graves, Christina Crawford of tart vinegar, Arsh Raziuddin, passerby Laura Lombardi, Anna Z Gray, passerby Lauren Servideo, and Alisha Ramos.
Scroll down for additional gift recs and gifting tips from our founder, Clémence Polès Farhang, and stay tuned for our annual gift guide later this week. In the meantime, check out our 2024 and 2023 gift guides.
1. One of my favorite recent discoveries has been the robes from Hommey – I was gifted one and have decided to give one to my dad this holiday season. They’re both elegant and incredibly cozy. — Melanie Masarin
2. Help a friend break a decades-long habit of using tampons and give her the life-changing gift of a menstrual cup. — Irene Kim (김애린)
3. Is it even a gift if you can get it online? All my favorite presents come from someone’s travels and were not given to me for a holiday or anniversary, but simply because a person went somewhere and I didn’t: a carved jade ashtray from Corsica, a pair of linen boxer shorts from Istanbul, a set of cathedral-quality taper candles that for some reason can’t be shipped from Paris. None of these items have tags on them, otherwise I’d tell you where they derived; barring any proof otherwise, I imagine they’re from a shipwreck, a hammam, and a convent. Branded, ordered purchases work if there’s an element of personalization: a spa gift certificate with specified treatments from Mario Badescu, monogrammed soap from Officine Universelle Buly—or a membership to a place one might frequent due to proximity and taste, such as Metrograph or the Frick. — Natasha Stagg
4. My Aunt is super into puzzles, so I got her a spinning puzzle board that slides under her coffee table. I might get one for myself, too. I’m very into anything relaxing and highly analog this year — gets me offline! — Jess Graves
5. I’ve reached the age when my friends are starting to pop out very cute babies, and I’m more inclined to shop for them than for their less-cute parents. My instinct is to buy them clothes, so that they are forever indebted to their chic aunt Emilia, but I learned the hard way that investing in teeny-tiny garments is not so smart. After spending over $100 on a baby snap cardigan at Agnes b., which my friend’s son instantly grew out of, I’m now buying stuffed animals wearing snap cardigans instead. They last longer, and they’re just as cute! — Emilia Petrarca
6. I recently made the decision to become the kind of woman who always has her nails done, but I loathe the idea (and feeling) of sitting in a nail salon for an hour. So DIY nails have become my go-to. I was gifted the Celisse nail set recently, and it makes doing my nails on my living room floor feel like a real treat—a very fancy feminine treat. I love it. — Ochuko Akpovbovbo
7. Sam Sundos hosts Palestinian tatreez workshops. I learned so much about Palestinian textiles and culture, and learned a new skill. He has one every couple months. It’s a beautiful way to spend an evening — Arsh Raziuddin
8. A signature key — someone I work with put me on to Greenwich Locksmiths, who have a selection of ornate keys you can have made for every day use. Transforming utilitarian objects into something beautiful and borderline ceremonial is such a nice way to make every day life more pleasurable and meaningful. A thoughtful gift for anyone who you’re close enough to share keys with. — Laura Lombardi
9. Alison Roman’s new cookbook. I rarely reference new books but this is my exception. Buy from an independent bookstore if possible. — Christina Crawford
10. A gift certificate for afternoon tea for two at Ogata Paris, an oasis of peace in the Marais. — Irene Kim (김애린)
11. If they live in New York and have never been to Greenwood Cemetery, a show at the planetarium, Untermeyer Gardens, The Bronx Zoo, either of the Botanical Gardens, or one of the boroughs, take them for a day out! They’ll fall in love with the city again. Bring some snacks and Famille de Vin canned wine as provisions! — Anna Z Gray
12. Rose delights Crimson Watermeleon — delicious and talented. — Christina Crawford
13. For the tea lovers in my life (and myself), I’m obsessed with the curated blends discovery set from Forgraves. It comes with a sleek borosilicate single steeper that makes enjoying loose tea feel extra special and less messy than the traditional steel balls. — Melanie Masarin
14. Una Napalatina Pannettone. Order one for yourself, also. — Christina Crawford
15. Brass Matchbox Sleeve from Matilda Goad. I love that you can customize this with an engraving, and it would look so special on the coffee table. — Alisha Ramos
16. The most expensive item on my list — but I have seen what many have spent at the Row that is twice as expensive and half as interesting (shade). I have a pair of pants from Kika Pauen and they WILL be worn to shreds. THE SKIRTS ARE THAT BEAUTIFUL AND THEY HAVE POCKETS. They’re hand stitched in upstate New York and the fabrics are rare or deadstock from Italy and France. Slow fashion forever. — Lauren Servideo
17. An antique keepsake box. IMO, a good gift is one that is both desirable and that the recipient is unlikely to purchase for themselves — e.g., a special and somewhat purposeless object. A keepsake box is charming and sentimental, and can technically serve a function, even if it is only to hold three bobby pins. Tudor Rose Antiques in the West Village has a nice assortment to choose from in person, eBay also has plenty. — Laura Lombardi
18. This hand-knitted balaclava from BOMI NYC is beautiful, cozy, and luxe. I do not want to take it off of my head. — Arsh Raziuddin
19. This novel by Kiran Desai is my latest obsession. I cannot put it down. It’s the ultimate love story — between partners, family, and time. — Arsh Raziuddin
20. Good denim is the gift that keeps giving. You can’t buy jeans for other people but you can take them on a try-on spree at your local vintage store. No Particular Order has a very adept “everything card” that you can use as a tailored gift card. — Anna Z Gray
paid subscribers can scroll down for more recs from our friends, including the gift Alisha Ramos wants for herself, a stocking stuffer Jess Graves is getting her fiancé, the item on Melanie Masarin’s personal wishlist, and one of Irene Kim (김애린)’s all-time favorite gifts.
Last year, I talked about how I do my own gift wrapping and keep things somewhat DIY with my holiday gifting. A new addition has been printing my own gift cards/postcards with a photo I took. Moo (although I’m sure there are other services you can pick from) lets you print up to 25 different “covers,” so you can technically print 25 different photos. It can be a shot from a trip, a moment you both loved, or an inside joke you both share. I’m a big fan of a personalized card, and it means so much more when it’s coming from someone you love (rather than 7th Street Burger offering you a free burger for your birthday — but also not no!).
For that friend who suffers from IBS or has a new food intolerance . . . CALM Magnesium. It’s been a life-changer for keeping me regular, and what greater gift, imo. Plus, supplements are pretty expensive, and I think anyone over the age of 35 can appreciate receiving them. I currently have Agent Nateur’s Holi(mane) Hair, Skin & Nails Daily Supplement on my open gift tab :)
And for that fashion friend who intellectualizes every season’s fashion week, an issue from Viscose Journal. Their latest issue dives into music and sound culture in fashion and includes contributions from my talented friend Theodore Jhang, artist Mark Leckey, Women’s History Museum, Aisha Devi, and more. Pair that with anything from Laura Lombardi.
My girl Mindy Seu (aka the internet’s sexual historian according to the LA Times) just published another book. If somehow you’ve missed her brilliance, google Cyberfeminism Index.
Her new one, A Sexual History of the Internet, is a 700+ page artist book packed with anecdotes, artwork, and digital artifacts that expose the strange, perverted, and totally foundational origins of the tools we use every day. Honestly, I’d happily skip the holiday board games and instead have everyone pick a random page and read aloud.
My friend Nilo Tabrizy also has a book out that should be on your gifting list. For the Sun After Long Nights, a moving exploration of the 2022 women-led protests in Iran, as told through the interwoven stories of two Iranian journalists.
For more books, on December 6th and 13th, Metrograph is hosting a Holiday Book Fair for the cinephile in your life, featuring vintage film books, magazines, posters, ephemera, and more.
If you’re shopping for someone who loves plants, archives, or both, Cactus Store Studio made these very cool tees (comes in two styles) that support the Palestinian Plant Archive — a project preserving and sharing ancestral Palestinian plant and herbal knowledge. And speaking of tees, Screen Slate — my go-to for what to watch and where — has some really good merch.
Just like Liana Satenstein prefers a FaceGym session — either to give or get — I’m convinced that gifting any kind of pampering service is a consistently thoughtful choice. I recently tried . . .