"If I'm going to get someone a present, I want to know it will make them happy, so I always ask what they want," Roitfeld says, adding that the best gift she ever received was a Chanel bag from her grandmother that she had picked out ahead of time. "It sounds very superficial but it's more than a luxury; it's something I'll be able to keep all my life and one day give to my daughter Romy, 4. Receiving it at the age of 24, when I'd just moved to New York, made me feel like a woman. We were very close, and since she passed a few years ago, it's taken on a lot of sentimental value."
Go window shopping
For family members who are non-committal when you ask what they'd like for Christmas, there's a solution: window shopping. "This way, you can see the kinds of things they like and still surprise them with something they've been eyeing up," Roitfeld advises.
Avoid fashion buys
"Buying clothes for other people is the hardest thing," Roitfeld says, "so I usually buy things for the home - a nice set of glasses or a beautiful candle is always going to be easier." It's a rule she applies to herself, too - her mother bought her a sofa this Christmas (which they picked out together, naturally).
Stick with what you know
It's tempting to throw a curveball in every now and then, but it's better to give gifts you know will go down well rather than quirky ones that'll be discarded after one use. "My dad (fashion designer Christian Restoin) is very challenging to buy for but I've finally started to nail what he likes - a great bottle of wine or vodka. Sassicaia, a Tuscan Bordeaux-style red wine, is his favourite. He'll always say he loves whatever I give him, but I know these are things he appreciates - even if it took me 30 years to figure that out!"
Don't be afraid to DIY
If you've scoured your local department store from top to bottom and haven't found much to shout about, going down the personalised route could be the answer. Roitfeld, who "has made a lot of presents - I'm very crafty", says the pinnacle of her Christmas gifting came via a photo album with her daughter's name engraved on the cover. "It took a month to print all of the photos and put them in order, but this was the perfect present for my mum," she recalls. "It really came from the heart." For those without a wealth of time to spare on handmade gifts, "apps make everything easier - I get a family photo printed onto a coffee cup every year, which is really easy to do online."
Exchanging is okay
It's viewed as the cardinal sin of gifting, but taking back something you've been given isn't the end of the world, Roitfeld believes - as long as you're just exchanging it. "I got given a blanket in a colour that was totally wrong for my apartment, so I switched it for one that was better suited," she says. "I don't think it's a big deal - I didn't change the idea, I just made it fit better in my home. I wouldn't be offended if someone exchanged something I'd bought them - I didn't tell the person who got me this what I'd done, though."
Remember the little things
Even if you've received your larger gifts ahead of time, "it's always nice to have something to open. It doesn't have to be anything huge, but my mum is really good at adding little surprises - she always knows what else to get. I don't know how she manages as she's the busiest person in our family." Favourite surprises have included vintage rings, pendants and scarves; "things we don't think of asking for, but love to receive."
This article was originally published by the Daily Telegraph
