Bespoke gifts get Kim Kardashian and North West's seal of approval...
What do you buy for the Mum who has everything? A Hermes bag and then paint it by hand, of course.
On Monday Kim Kardashian stepped out with hubby Kanye wearing a chic long grey coat, nude Alexander Wang heels, and naturally, a Hermes bag complete with baby North’s hand-print.
It turns out the toddler painted the bag – which can cost up to £45,000 – for Kim’s birthday. Kim was clearly thrilled to be giving it the first public outing, as she later shared a pap shot on her Instagram account with the caption 'wearing my favourite bag painted by my little North'.
Of course, it’s not the first time Kim has received a one-off Hermes. For Christmas last year, Kanye presented the 34-year star with an iconic - and rather memorable - Birkin bag hand-painted by the artist George Condo.
But it turns out the trend-setting couple are just the tip of the bespoke iceberg. Monogramming and making gifts extra-special is now serious business.
Just last week, Louis Vuitton held a star-studded party in New York to celebrate the art of monogramming which was attended by the likes of Miranda Kerr, Ashley Olsen and Karl Lagerfeld. Praise indeed, and proof was it needed that this is THE way to do gifting this holiday season.
But while we might not all have Kimye style budgets, they certainly are onto something. After all, an Anya Hindmarch wash bag may not seem overly exciting, but with a personalised message or the receiver’s initials hand stitched inside, it takes on a whole new meaning.
And what’s even better is that the great British high street has a plethora of new monogramming and personalisation services.
Top of our wish list are French Sole’s bespoke slippers. Available in black, navy, or red velvet with matching regal gold embroidery, they come in at a Christmas-appropriate £225.
Next on our wish list is the pretty selection of AKALIS jewellery, which can be adorned for just £15 on top of the very reasonable £55-149 price tags.
Finally, the Spanish accessories brand La Portegna have just introduced an in-house monogramming service to it’s classic slippers, bags, and small leather accessories.
So if the festive present-buying sesh fills you with dread, now you know how to get the edge. Get personal…