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LOOK

Huntsman


Getting a bespoke suit requires months of fittings, endless selections of fabric, buttons, and thread, and a four-figure investment. Or you could just buy the book. Huntsman: Redefining Savile Row takes sartorialists behind the scenes of the tailor that has been outfitting royals (Queen Victoria), actors (Brad Pitt), and painters (Lucian Freud) since 1849. Written by AIR MAIL contributor Tom Chamberlin and accompanied with photographs by Simon Upton, the book offers an inside scoop into stylish London and makes for an excellent last-minute gift. ($75, amazon.com) —Ashley Baker

SMELL

Paine Products


Family-owned Paine Products has been crafting goods from Auburn, Maine’s abundance of balsam-fir trees since 1931. While they offer scented candles, oils, and lovely souvenir pillows stuffed with conifer needles, it’s their woodsy incense range that holds the most holiday charm. Local woodsmen supply balsam branches, which are then ground, dried, and pressed into a mold—eschewing chemicals entirely in this natural and sustainable process. “When people walk through the door of our plant, they are amazed at the smell of the balsam,” says the Paine team. “During our busy season, it looks a bit like Santa’s workshop.” Their exceptional fir incense paired with an adorably cozy Log Cabin Burner is the surest way to make even a small urban apartment feel Christmas-ready. (From $12, paineproducts.com) —Spike Carter

BAKE

Bake Club


Chef Christina Tosi—the founder of Milk Bar and a two-time James Beard Award winner—has the magic touch when it comes to sweet treats. (The crowd favorite Milk Bar Compost Cookies, Cereal Milk, and Crack Pie are all her creations.) In her new cookbook, Bake Club, she shares more than 100 “unfussy” recipes for charmingly nostalgic bites, from an apple-cider-donut Bundt cake to a glazed pumpkin-pie bar. With no heavy equipment, no specialty ingredients, and no multi-day prep required, Tosi’s wonderfully simple recipes are destined to find a place in your holiday traditions. ($35, amazon.com) —Paulina Prosnitz

WATCH

Vermiglio


Snowy-peaked Vermiglio, a tiny village nestled deep in the Alps, is the setting for this charming family drama that took home Venice’s Silver Lion award and is Italy’s entry to the upcoming Oscars. The movie’s smart, often funny dialogue (delivered mostly in the local, now dying Trentino dialect), stunning panoramic scenes, and reserved style hearken back to a simpler time when many generations slept under one roof—and, often, in the same bed—and lived off the milk of a single cow, while evoking universal themes of duty, longing, and betrayal. It opens on Christmas Day in New York, and just after the New Year in Los Angeles. ($19, ifccenter.com) —Julia Vitale

Visit

Gem Home


Forget how young chef Flynn McGarry is! Someone called the “Justin Bieber of food” must know what he is doing in the kitchen—and beyond. He brings his expertise—and we don’t mean modern American cuisine—to Gem Home, his new household-goods-and-vintage shop in New York’s SoHo neighborhood. This weekend, the store will be transformed into a Christmas market, featuring McGarry’s vintage and contemporary finds (collected from his worldwide travels) alongside creations from local artisans. Stop by during your stressful, last-minute gift shopping and treat yourself to hot apple cider and holiday cookies while you’re at it. (Price available upon request, gemhomenyc.com) —Carolina de Armas

Decorate

The George x Williams Sonoma


It’s an exciting time for Bobbi Brown. Since leaving her eponymous brand in 2016, she and her husband—the real-estate developer Steven Plofker—opened The George, a boutique hotel in Montclair, New Jersey. They restored an old Georgian home from 1902, infusing it with personal touches inspired by classic British style (think stripes and plaid in deep reds and blues) alongside playful trinkets and paintings of dogs. Just in time for the holidays, Brown and Plofker have collaborated with Williams Sonoma Home on a limited-edition collection inspired by the hotel. The leather domino sets, gold dog statues, pillows, or wool blankets fit perfectly under the tree—though the mirror and curtains might be a bit of a challenge. (From $95, williams-sonoma.com) —Jeanne Malle

Issue No. 284
December 21, 2024
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Issue No. 284
December 21, 2024