Last year I was asked a question I think about every single day: what makes a gift truly unforgettable? It came from Forbes, for a piece by journalist Pooja Mistry on intentional gifting, and I was proud to sit alongside psychiatrist Dr Sue Varma in answering it.
My answer hasn't changed. It is never the price tag. It is the feeling that someone truly saw you.
Intimacy over exclusivity
In luxury gifting, rarity is expected. What people remember is intimacy. I told Forbes that I really trade in two luxuries: truth of taste, and time. My clients are busy, so they trust me to find the personal details that turn a present into a gesture.
One of my favourite commissions shows exactly what I mean. A client wanted to surprise his wife, and I tracked down a discontinued fragrance: the scent she wore on the night they first met. It was far from the most expensive thing I have ever sourced. It was easily one of the most meaningful.
If it exists, I'll find it
I am often asked for things that are no longer on the market, or that seem impossible to get hold of. My rule is simple. If it exists, I'll find it. If it doesn't, I'll have it made.
But the real work happens before the search. Most of the time I am the one coming up with the idea, by listening closely to who the gift is for. Intention comes first; the object follows.
The gift before the gift
With my background in art, I believe the wrapping is part of the story, not an afterthought. The moment of unwrapping should already tell the recipient that they are known.
When I spoke to Forbes, I shared a project I was working on: a wrapping paper designed like a family newspaper. Instead of world headlines, it carries the family's own year, from birthdays and holidays to proud achievements and small shared moments. Unwrapping it becomes a way of reliving the year together. It is not just paper; it is a little family archive.
Bringing it home this Christmas
You don't need a rare fragrance or a bespoke commission to give something unforgettable. A few questions will get you most of the way:
- What moment, place or memory does this person light up about?
- What would make their life a little easier or lighter?
- How can the wrapping hint at the story before they open it?
That is the thinking behind every Roxy Wraps gift edit and every wrapping workshop I run. Start with the person, and the gift will follow.
Read the full Forbes feature, What Makes A Gift Truly Unforgettable? Experts Weigh In, for Dr Varma's take on the psychology of giving.
Katrina Aleksa, founder of Roxy Wraps
