Pick Of The Letter

You know their bylines, you’ve seen their style through the pages of their magazines. And, while they’re experts at recommending exquisite things for pretty much everyone else, have you ever wondered what they really want for themselves? Here, Vancouver’s most stylish editors reveal what’s on their personal wish lists this holiday season. —Catherine Tse

A longtime fixture on Vancouver’s fashion scene, Aleesha Harris, Arts & Life editor at The Vancouver Sun and The Province, has her eye on a grey herringbone Alchemical coat by Toronto label Horse Atelier ($525). With its fluid lines and cosy oversized silhouette, this made-in-Canada piece, she says, “has been in my online basket for the last four years!”

Surrounded constantly by the latest lifestyle and beauty products, BC Living editor-in-chief Janine Verreault is clear about her gift policy: no more stuff! “I prefer gifts that are experiences or treatments,” she says, adding, “Self-care is super important to me, especially this year.” So, for Christmas, she’s asking for an advanced cosmetic procedure—maybe Botox or laser—from her favourite dermatologist, Dr. Marcie Ulmer, at Pacific Derm.

Claudia Cusano helms NUVO magazine from her new home in Florence, to which she relocated a year-and-a-half ago. Combining her practical, Vancouver sensibilities with chic, Italian style, she would love a Cedro leather backpack from Il Bisonte ($1,245). “My bike basket is usually filled with mercato produce, pasta, flowers … so a zaino is the ideal hold-all, especially when I make magazine deliveries in the city.”

Sharing her savvy sense of style through two of Vancouver’s top lifestyle mags—Western Living and Vancouver magazine—editorial director Anicka Quin knows exactly what she wants for Christmas: Barter‘s Smoke Stack stool ($700). Made in B.C. of western red cedar, this hyperlocal gift not only highlights community focused, environmentally conscious design, it’s multi-purpose. “I’ve got an aging cat who needs a little help getting up on higher objects, so I’m always looking for beautiful pieces that can help her, too.”

Ever since we entered lockdown, VITA Chinese editor Louisa Chan‘s been staring at her screen a lot more—for work and fun—so her holiday pick is Samsung‘s The Frame 65-inch smart TV ($2,499). “It’s the most fashionable TV on the market right now,” she says, pointing to the fact that this telly actually turns into art when it’s off, and revealing that, this winter, she’ll binging on Korean dramas like Kingdom (for zombie fans), Arthdal Chronicles (if you like Game of Thrones) and Itawon Class (because Park Seo Joon “is the cutest”).

Even VITA magazine’s editor can run out of reading material during lockdown. Says our own Noa Nichol: “I’ve resisted e-readers for a long time, but being at home more than usual has upped my reading rate, so I think it’s time to make the leap to a Kobo Nia ($130)—the latest device from a company with Canadian roots. It reads just like printed paper with a glare-free screen, and holds up to 6,000 books … that should be plenty to get me through winter!” Plus, with a battery life measured in weeks, not hours, Noa says it’s “the perfect device to check out the new all-you-can-read ebooks subscription, Kobo Plus, for less than $10 per month.”

As editor of home-centric lifestyle and culture magazine Basenotes, Sara Harowitz has a refined eye for special pieces that add style—even to the most utilitarian of activities. The Always Pan ($145) from Our Place tops her wish list, especially after having recently moved and needing to replenish her pots and pans. “I love brands that make everyday items more beautiful, and I’m all about this pan’s simple design and matte colour options,” she says. “Plus, it acts as a skillet, steamer and sauce pot all in one—great for small-space living in Vancouver.”