Welcome to part two of our Canadian Fashion Insiders’ Gift Guide! If you are still on the hunt for that perfect gift this holiday season, make sure to check out our experts’ picks for some fun and fresh gift ideas. Whether you are looking for something stylish, practical, or simply adorable, we’ve got you covered!
1. Grace Lee, Lead Makeup Artist, Maybelline
Having watched Grace do her magic backstage at Toronto Fashion Week for two seasons now, I am still in awe of her makeup skills and her personal style. If you are shopping for Grace this holiday season, her wishlist includes the Grace Coddington Memoir, an iPad mini, and a custom-made closet from California Closets (me too, pretty please!).
For Christmas this year, Grace will be giving some practical presents like Starbucks gift cards, and Baby Lips lip balms from Maybelline (I’ve seen Grace also use them on cheeks!). Additionally, she will be picking up some adorable rings from ByBoe (how cute is that bow ring?!) for her friends and family.
As for her favourite places to shop for Christmas gits, Grace shares that she can never go wrong with Holt Renfrew, Williams Sonoma, and La Di Da Boutique. When asked what gets her into the holiday spirit, for Grace “it’s all about the kiddies. Once the tree, lights and decorations are up, I always feel festive.”
“Growing up in the North, Holiday spirt was sprung with the dusting of the snow, the smell of the fire and the taste of good old fashioned cocoa. Here in Toronto you, can feel and see the joy in the streets, the eye candy of the window displays and of course the music that just becomes part of the movement. The hustle and bustle,the busyness of the shoppers, all in good spirit, of course.”
When I first met Talia, I was smitten with her sweet and bubbly personality, and her talent for styling. This holiday season, Talia is wishing for a perfect pair of rag & bone ankle booties, a Chibi Lady purse by ela in rose gold, and a gorgeous lace dress from LOVER. Ever the stylist, the three pieces go really well together and make for an amazing holiday outfit. Here’s hoping she gets it all!
On Talia’s shopping list this season are adorable (and yummy) gifts that she’ll be sharing with her loved ones, like the Peppermint Bark from Williams-Sonoma, the limited edition Missoni x Holt Renfrew stuffed animals (they are the cutest!), and luxurious lipstick from YSL, perfectly matched to her girlfriends’ personalities.
Talia will be doing some holiday shopping at MoRoCo Chocolat, The Cashmere Shop, and Bicyclette this holiday season.
More after the jump!
3. Anita Clarke, Blogger, I Want – I Got
Who better to ask for holiday shopping advice than I Want – I Got’s founder and editor Anita Clarke?! Chock-full of covet-worthy pieces, Anita’s blog is an endless source of holiday inspiration. And this year, she’s created a very thorough gift guide to share with her readers! Apart from the items in her gift guide, Anita is still wishing for a few extra things this holiday season like the beautifully-illustrated editions of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Foundation Trilogy books by The Folio Society, and the versatile WANT Les Essentiels de la Vie x Nick Wooster Heathrow Commuter Bag.
And though Anita hasn’t even started her Christmas shopping just yet, on her list are some stylish clothes from baby Gap for her nephew, Indigo gift cards for her cousin’s children, and tickets to see the Shen Yun Experience for her mom.
This holiday season, Anita will be picking up the rest of her Christmas gifts at Holt Renfrew, One of a Kind Show, and Teatro Verde.
“I really enjoy making homemade Christmas cards for my family and closest friends. I hit up Michael’s for holiday and winter inspired stickers, paper and stamps, and spend my down time in December crafting away. I also love baking tons of Christmas cookies, breads and cake. My Mum just loves it when I come home for the holiday season. I give Martha Stewart a run for her money!”
Model Laura Kell is a rising star, and apparently a Martha Stewart Jr. in the making. Who knew? This holiday season this Canadian stunner is dreaming of owning a puppy (who isn’t?!), a new iPhone to replace her old Blackberry, and a Clarisonic Mia “toothbrush for the face”…because if there’s anyone who needs a lot of help removing makeup – it’s a model. Oh, and I also keep hearing awesome things about it, so…feel free to give me one too!
For her little brothers, Laura will be picking up skateboarder hoodies from Element, Quicksilver, or Volcom, Benefit’s Goodtime Gals gift set will be going to her bestie, while her stepmom will be sipping some delicious DAVIDs TEA come Christmas morning. So many pretty holiday gift sets to choose from!
Laura’s top three places to shop are Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Toronto, ByWard Market in Ottawa, and Vancouver’s Robson Street. “Some people hate the hustle and bustle of malls during the holiday season, but I love it, it really gets me into the holiday spirit! I was recently at the opening of the Yorkdale’s new expansion. I’ll be sure to head there when it comes time to get cracking and hunt down gifts while in Toronto,” – she shared, and I couldn’t agree more! From Kate Spade, to Anthropologie, to Ted Baker, to LOFT, Yorkdale is a one-stop gift-shopping destination this holiday season, and I will surely be doing a bulk of my own shopping there.
Photo Credits: Grace – Javier Lovera, Talia – The Bay, Anita – Norman Wong, Laura – Jaclyn Locke
