Dear Santa... From Vintage Seekers x
Find out what the VS team would most like to find under the Christmas tree this year...
Wednesday 14th December, 2011
Jurek Piasecki, Chairman, ex-CEO of Goldmsith and Mappin & Webb:
I’m a collector of Marilyn Monroe memorabilia and unsurprisingly this 1956 photograph of Marilyn (£19,500) stole my heart when I first saw it at Vintage Seekers’ first birthday party exhibition. Taken by iconic fashion photographer Cecil Beaton in a New York hotel, it captures the vulnerability and sensuality that always made Marilyn such a compelling figure. And with all the entertaining we do around Christmas this Henckels Cocktail Shaker Set (£3,500) would be a really fun addition to my home; I can just picture it being used to concoct cocktails at an underground party in the 30s with Jazz blaring out on the gramophone.
Estella, Deputy Editor:
I adore the painterly quality of Peter Layton’s glass – using the free-blowing technique he achieves all these mercurial swirls and flecks of colour, as well as a wonderfully organic, sculptural form. The Skyline Flared Vase (£690) reminds me of tropical sunsets and being by the sea, with its turquoise and coral palette, so on dark winter nights I can escape to warmer climes gazing at this! Realising that sweet wines can be brilliant was rather a turning point in my vintage education, and they don’t get any better than the 1991 Château d'Yquem (£247.50). Just reading the tasting notes gets the juices flowing – "creme brulee, roasted coffee, honeyed fruits and pineapple" – then there’s the gorgeous golden colour of the wine. I would pour myself a glass as the finale to an epic Christmas dinner.
Lucy, Brand Director/Co-founder:
To get in the Christmas spirit a snowy image is a must, plus I’ve been to Badgastein in Austria and enjoyed one of my best-ever alpine mountain hut experiences there, so this 1960s Gasteinertal Ski Poster (£540) would be a perfect momento. We have a travel piece coming up on vintage seekers about the Niemeyer trail in Brazil. I’d like to know more about this inspirational designer before doing the trail myself, so this Oscar Niemeyer Luxury Edition Coffee Table Book (£350) would be invaluable!
Charlotte, E-Commerce Coordinator:
Shot as a test for the Sunday Telegraph's first colour supplement and never printed, Ronald Falloon's 1964 photograph of Jean Shrimpton (£1,200) wearing his denim shirt is both beautiful and touching with the piercing innocence of Shrimpton's blue eyes. On Christmas Day I will be pairing the roast turkey with a bottle of Billecart Salmon's 1998 Cuvée Nicolas Francois (£450 for 6 bottles); it’s an ideal accompaniment to poultry with its fresh palate and wide range of aromas.
Grace, Business Development Manager:
I’m after something to wear and something to read. Christmas is a time to get back to the family home and stoke up the fire, curl up with a good book – and with the deluxe 1925 edition of A.A. Milne’s ‘When We Were Very Young’ (£1,250) you’re also getting to admire a piece of history. The 1960s Cocktail Dress (£180) in satin and velvet is an opulent, Christmassy combination that I'd love to lure into my wardrobe. Very wearable for now and a winter knock out for parties.
Rob, Managing Director/Co-founder:
Steve McQueen has to be one of the 20th century's most effusively cool daredevil actors, so owning his very own 1972 Persol 714 Sunglasses (price on application) would be a real buzz. He wore Persols in nearly all of his movies and this pair actually has his DNA on them, which makes them a very tangible piece of memorabilia. Vintage watches are one of my major passions and unwrapping a 1973 Rolex Explorer II 1655 (£9,950) would certainly make my Christmas - it is a perfect example of an iconic timepiece and was made in my partner's birth year.
