The holiday shopping season is fast approaching. For some, it means making a straightforward checklist for gifting loved ones on December 25. But for others, holiday shopping starts early in anticipation of many other gift exchanges: office parties, white elephant gift exchanges, secret Santa, dinner parties, and other holiday celebrations.

While choosing what to give those closest to you can be easy, it can also be challenging to find something that won’t be exchanged or regifted. Here, the editors of NUVO have curated a simplified, lettered list from A to Z to help.

From bottles to bring to dinner parties, winter style, sports gear, chic home furnishings, accessories, and unique experiences, there’s something here for everyone—no matter the type of gift exchange.

A: Ascent Zip Neck Polartec Alpha Fleece—Haven

The delicate balance between an item of clothing’s warmth and its wearability has befuddled Canadians since time immemorial, and looking good in the cold has proven a difficult task for even the best dressed. Form and function meet in this Ascent Zip Neck Polartec Alpha Fleece from cult Vancouver streetwear brand Haven. Drawing from military approaches to layering, this ultra-utilitarian fleece is made to be a midlayer, but thanks to its refined silhouette, it works equally as well as outerwear when the temperature reaches balmy highs just above freezing.

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B: Bobby East-West Bag—Dior

The Bobby East-West bag presented in the Dior cruise 2025 collection is a new, more compact edition of the classic Bobby bag. In black calfskin leather or canvas, this model features a leather shoulder strap that can be adjusted or removed for different styles, an inside pocket, a buckle with CD initials on a flap closure, and hardware in a gold finish. According to the French maison, a phone, two card holders, sunglasses, and a lipstick will fit inside. A gift for the person who prefers a design that lasts past the winter season.

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C: Cabernet Sauvignon—Stags’ Leap Winery

Gifting wine is more difficult than it sounds. Between varying grape, regional, and stylistic preferences, the idea of gifting a bottle to a host or loved one can be downright dread inducing. That’s why it’s often best, when push comes to shove, to defer to public opinion and grab a wine made from the most widely planted grape in the world: cabernet sauvignon. This cabernet sauvignon from Napa Valley’s Stags’ Leap Winery is a particularly outstanding example whose unctuous dark fruit and spice flavours will appeal to a wide number of palates.

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D: Devialet x Fendi Mania Portable Speaker—Devialet

Revealed at Fendi’s menswear runway show in Milan earlier this year, this collaboration blends a signature pattern from the iconic Italian fashion house and top-tier sound engineering from French label Devialet to form a statement piece. The new Fendi x Devialet Mania portable speaker offers 360-degree stereo sound, up to 10 hours of play time, and four speakers that cover the full audio spectrum. Splash resistant, this is a useful present for travellers or party hosts, and it also has a rechargeable dock and Amazon’s Alexa built in for hands-free functionality.

To see it in person, visit Maison Territo at Royalmount in Montreal.

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E: Evergreen KitchenAid Mixer—KitchenAid

Home-cooking enthusiasts are all familiar with the classic KitchenAid stand mixer. For the holidays, why not treat them to a new take on a familiar favourite with the 2024 Design Series Evergreen model? Aside from the deep green colour inspired by the great outdoors, the most striking feature of this version is the natural-walnut bowl, for those who prefer the warmth of wood to shiny stainless steel.

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F: First Space Watch—Omega

The watch enthusiast and history buff will be overjoyed when you present them with a timepiece from the new Omega Speedmaster First Omega in Space Anniversary Series. On October 3, 1962, the Omega Speedmaster CK-2998 made history as the first Omega in space, worn by astronaut Walter Schirra aboard Sigma 7 during the Mercury program. From the line known in collector circles as FOiS (First Omega in Space), this new model is a tribute to the brand’s space exploration history, and while it has retro flair, the watch is updated with a new Co-Axial Master Chronometer Caliber 3861. With the choice of a bracelet or a leather strap (black or brown), this is a timepiece that both novice and connoisseur will want to add to their collection.

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G: Golf Club Fitting—Club Champion

We have all given a present and seen a flash of disappointment when the recipient opens it. For the golfer in your life, this can be avoided by gifting a club fitting rather than the club itself. Club Champion offers full fittings using Foresight GCQuad for full swings and Qunitic for putting stroke analysis to fine tune equipment, ready for when spring rolls around and golf season is in full swing.

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H: Hunter Schafer Bundle—Shiseido

Hunter Schafer, synonymous with using makeup to express herself, is never shy to don transformative looks off-screen. Now, Schafer, a global ambassador for Shisiedo, has collaborated with the beauty brand for a limited-edition set, featuring original illustrations inspired by her love for Japanese anime and manga. The set combines three products with Schafer’s creative input on the colourful packaging: the beauty brand’s bestselling serum, a highlighter, and a doubled-edged diamond-shaped brush—in chartreuse, the actress’s favourite hue—with a gel tip that mimics using fingertips as an applicator.

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I: Indoor Car Cover—Rolls-Royce

When you get the car of your dreams, you’d better take care of it. For Rolls-Royce owners, the luxury auto maker has the solution with its indoor car covers to protect the paintwork. Available in navy blue, black, and grey (or more, if you go for the tailored option) with an embroidered Rolls Royce badge on the front, it’s a great gift for the responsible car enthusiast this Christmas.

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J: Jewellery Box—Tiffany & Co.

Where you keep your jewellery matters almost as much as the jewels themselves, and the Tiffany Facets leather jewellery box is just the place to house those treasures. Whether beloved flea-market finds, inherited heirlooms, demi-fine pieces, or high jewellery designs, special care and attention keep them looking their best. This extra-large signature-blue Tiffany & Co. jewellery box doesn’t just serve a practical function, it is also visually appealing and very much a treasure on its own.

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K: Knit Scarf—Louis Vuitton

A scarf makes the ideal one-size-fits-all gift as the weather gets colder, as a practical item to keep warm, and as a finishing touch on a winter outfit. This camel-and-pink scarf from Louis Vuitton features a contrasting reversible design and small, subtle signature monogram patch in the corner. With a new pattern combining the brand’s LV logo and Monogram Flowers motif, this 100 per cent wool scarf is sure to be a bold statement piece for any après-ski look.

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L: Le Black Création—Lanson

The holiday season means celebrations, and celebrations mean champagne—preferably lots of it. So sometimes the most thoughtful thing you can do is help your host out by gifting them a bottle of bubbly. Champagne Lanson’s Le Black Création, the house brut made with techniques honed over a quarter-millennium of winemaking, offers something more than your typical bottle. Unlike the entry-level bottles from most champagne houses, Champagne Lanson’s is not blended expressly to remove vintage variation, instead letting a single harvest shine. Approachable but distinctive, it’s champagne that will stand apart from the rest of the bubbly that flows during the holidays.

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M: Men’s Classic Varsity Jacket—Roots

Everyone knows someone who wears a far-too-old puffer jacket or parka year after year when the mercury drops. This year, take their sartorial well-being into your own hands and gift them this classic black varsity jacket from Roots. Handcrafted in Canada from a hardy melton wool blend and sumptuous leather, the jacket sports an all-black colour scheme that dresses up this staple of sporty-prep style. And unlike that ratty old winter coat your loved one likes to wear, this infinitely pairable varsity jacket is a gift that will keep on giving for years to come.

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N: Night Blooming Jasmine & Damask Rose Candle—Flamingo Estate

A fragrant candle is a must for those who enjoy a hygge-inspired home during the colder months, for a calming atmosphere, or for a little bit of indulgence. This candle by Flamingo Estate in Los Angeles was inspired by the scent of jasmine that wafts through the estate during the night. Hand-poured, the 100 per cent vegetable wax blend has Ionian bergamot, damask rose, pink peppercorn, and white sandalwood.

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O: Oyster Perpetual Submariner: The Watch That Unlocked the Deep—Rolex

There is always room on the coffee table for another showpiece tome. And when the incomparable historian, editor, and watch expert Nicholas Foulkes pens one for Rolex, about perhaps the most famous watch in the world, this is a gift suited for almost everyone on your shopping list. Oyster Perpetual Submariner: The Watch That Unlocked the Deep is the first officially authorized account of the iconic timepiece and the first in a series of books taking a closer look at the brand’s most important models. The story of the Submariner is a compelling one, as the watch/timepiece accompanied the development of underwater exploration, and Foulkes recounts the creation of the watch, its technical innovations, and the adventures of those who tested the first prototypes, along with its enviable status today as an accoutrement for the wrist.

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P: Première Sound Watch—Chanel

Timepiece technology and 1990s style come together in this new variation of Chanel’s 1987 Première Édition Originale watch, now attached to a long necklace chain and double C-embossed wired headphones. Made by Master & Dynamic, the headphones have controls to pause, play, skip forward/back, adjust the volume, and a microphone for taking phone calls.

A modular piece of jewellery, the headphones are removable, and the steel chain coated with interwoven yellow gold and black leather can be worn as a bracelet/wristwatch.

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Q: Queen + King Candlesticks—L’Objet Haas Brothers Collection

There is nothing like a good conversation starter at a dinner table or gathering to break the ice. Attention-grabbing artistic details in the home present a starting point, often leading to meaningful conversations and sharing stories. This playful set of brass frog-like candle holders is a second edition of L’Objet’s Haas Brothers Collection, an imaginative way of showcasing the brand’s aim to connect people with unmatched artistry and design.

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R: R11 Stealth Pool Table—11 Ravens

In an era when the default way to spend down time is in front of some form of electronic screen, we should all prioritize hobbies in the nondigital world. With that in mind, the R11 Stealth Pool Table is an entertaining gift for someone with a bit of extra space in their house. The tables, which are handmade in Los Angeles, allow for a huge amount of customization, ensuring that whatever interior decoration you have, it will fit right in.

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S: Single Malt Whisky—Spring Mill Distillery

A roaring fire, falling snow, family and friends, heaping plates full of treats: nothing beats a holiday scene. The best thing to round it out? A glass of single malt whisky to savour as time passes by. Canadians looking for their holiday dram don’t have far to go. Guelph’s Spring Mill Distillery recently released its brand new single malt whisky, another hallmark in its core lineup. Made from 100 per cent Canadian malted barley and distilled in wooden washbacks imported from Scotland, this luxuriously smooth five-year-old whisky is made for easy drinking over long, magical winter nights.

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T: Treasure Island High Jewellery Collection—Van Cleef & Arpels

Van Cleef & Arpels is known for creating breathtaking pieces and, for its new high jewellery collection, has drawn inspiration from the novel Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. “We have tried to bring it to life in a playful and entertaining way, with a high jewellery collection which I believe awakens a feeling of joy,” says Nicolas Bos, president and CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels.

The Treasure Island high jewellery collection is a fantastic voyage of hidden splendours—extraordinary stones and incomparable savoir-faire. The Poésie de la Mer clip showcases a 61.73-carat teardrop cabochon-shape tourmaline evoking turquoise waters, while the Palmeraie Merveilleuse necklace—a 47.93-carat emerald cabochon set on a detachable pendant—evokes the shape of palm leaves, in homage to the tropical island described in the book. Jewellery is a sure-bet gift, and a high jewellery piece from Van Cleef & Arpels is one that will be treasured for years.

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U: Underwater Restaurant Experience at 5.8—Hurawalhi, Maldives

The Maldives is in the Indian Ocean, which makes it the ideal spot for an underwater restaurant. At Hurawalhi Island Resort, 5.8 Undersea Restaurant—named for its depth 5.8 metres below sea level—is an unforgettable dining experience. A circular staircase with window cut-outs allows for viewing the sea of blue before arriving in the glass dome that is the world’s largest all-glass undersea restaurant. The fine dining restaurant is one of the major attractions of the Maldives, and no matter where you sit in 5.8, there are swarms of colourful fish and coral reefs to see. The menu is rich in fish and shellfish, with superb wine pairings. Opt for lunch to dine in daylight. Bucket list, check.

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V: Vibrant Ornament Set—Prada

For most people, setting up and decorating a Christmas tree kicks off the holiday season, and we all have someone on our shopping list who enjoys decking theirs out.

These Italian-made glass balls add a modern flair to traditional tree ornaments. Each bauble has a distinctive look, with geometric patterns in a variety of colours such as black, red, or gold—all mixed with white and adorned with a Prada motif.

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W: Wine Trunk—Hermès

The holiday season means parties, and parties mean wine. Every group has someone who brings the best bottles, so why not help them transport them in style? There are few better gifts for the oenophile who has it all than this Hermès wine trunk made of oak, Swift calfskin, and Evercolor calfskin, a piece designed to give the champagne treatment to wines of all kinds.

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X: Xmas Macaron Pyramid—Ladurée

’Tis the season for parties. What should the hostess gift be? While you can’t go wrong with a good bottle of wine, why not show up with an unforgettable gesture of gratitude for being welcomed into someone’s home: a Ladurée pyramid of macarons. The macaron is a centuries-old French pleasantry that is universally adored, and arriving at dinner with a Ladurée pyramid will undoubtedly guarantee you’ll be invited to every and all functions to come. Choose the size—from 20 to 130 macarons—and the flavours, and for a little extra indulgence, gold and/or silver macarons to celebrate all the glitz and glamour that the holiday season brings.

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Y: Year’s Worth of Magazines—Issues Magazine Shop

Recent reports suggest print magazines are making a comeback in a big way, with publications new and old once again setting the standard for cultural life across the world. We are particular fans of the words printed right here in NUVO, but there is an array of indie and mass-market magazines from Canada and abroad that are well worth our readers’ attention. Toronto’s Issues Magazine Shop, the celebrated paean to print in Canada, offers a year’s worth of highly covetable magazines via its quarterly Mag Club subscription box. And while print is the point, the bonus merch and add-ons make this a great gift for magazine lovers who want to represent their passion.

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Z: Zip Keychain With GG—Gucci

There has been a resurgence of charms and keychains as playful expressions of style—for example, those that attach to a bag, belt, or phone case. One that offers a practical function such as this small-sized case in a stylish design is sure to be an ideal stocking stuffer, or even a contribution to a personalized advent calendar for a loved one. This GG-embossed keychain is a versatile, charming accessory for the holiday season.

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