Looking for the perfect gift for someone who really loves Italy, its culture and its history? For the Italophiles on your luxury gift list, we’ve got lots of ideas to help get you started. Our correspondent Julie Chang Murphy has curated the ultimate “made in Italy” luxury holiday gift guide: our top picks for what to buy as gifts for Italophiles from the best food, fashion and fine jewelry Italian brands.
our luxury gift guide with the best holiday gifts for Italophiles
Few countries in the world have captured the mind, spirit and body like Italy. From its rich stores of history, architecture, art, music, fashion and of course, gastronomy, Italian goods are symbolic of simple and extravagant luxuries, and reflect a life well-lived.
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Perhaps you know someone chasing the dream of La Dolce Vita. And what about that friend who can’t stop referencing their escapade to Positano two summers ago? Yes, we have one of those, too. For these folks, and for those who are true connoisseurs of impeccable design and quality, nothing but a gift inspired by Italian culture will do.
Of course Italy was also one of the hardest-hit countries from coronavirus in 2020. In addition to the thousands of lives lost, the impact on tourism and the economy has been devastating. For a country and culture that has illuminated our lives with beauty, a gift made by Italian artisans, now more than ever, can lend support and help preserve their rich history and craftsmanship.
We had some help curating this gift guide – which includes both well-known and artisanal brands beloved by the Italian elite – from our friend the Milanese aristocrat, who always dazzles with his elegance and style.
The Ultimate Luxury Gift Guide: the Best from Italy
Impress your favorite Italophile with your knowledge of these insider heritage houses and artisans. And we promise, you can’t go wrong. Ahead, more than 50 iconic luxury gifts from the best brands in Italy that are sure to please lovers of all things Italian.
1. Italian fine jewelry: buccellati
For a truly prestigious Italian inspired gift, you can do no better than the exquisite jewelry from the legendary Buccellati, a family-run house founded in Milan in 1919. Their designs evoke the spirit of the Renaissance, evident in the intricate engravings for which their jewelry is renowned. A Buccellati piece often resembles fine fabric: linen, tulle and lace, and the techniques and tools used are of the same sort used by Leonardo da Vinci.
2. italian footwear: fratelli rossetti shoes
The role of footwear in attaining a proper Italian stylish look cannot be overestimated. Needless to say that Italian shoes are famous and vastly appreciated all over the world. Fratelli Rossetti is headed by the second generation of Rossetti brothers, Diego, Dario and Luca, and carries on the outstanding tradition of craftsmanship and forward thinking design of Italian leather shoes.
3. italian gloves: sermoneta
You don’t have to relegate premium Italian leather to the feet. If you don’t know their shoe size, consider instead a pair of Sermoneta gloves. It takes 28 precise steps and at least 10 talented artisans who skillfully design patterns, cut the leather, and assemble the piece to create a pair of these luxury leather gloves. Sermoneta’s unusual and vibrant colors are part of the fun.
4. italian lingerie: la perla lingerie
La Perla’s atelier is synonymous with fine, luxury lingerie. A historic brand that started over 60 years ago in Bologna creating corsets, it has expanded into beachwear, fragrance and home categories while maintaining its reputation for the highest level of elegance and style.
5. italian umbrellas: pasotti
In 1956, after working for years in an umbrella-factory in Milan, Ernesta Pasotti opened her own workshop in her village of Castellucchio, by Mantua. Now, the new family generation continues the tradition of making exquisitely decorated umbrellas using an artisanal method in combination with the finest Italian fabric, woods and brass.
6. italian outerwear: mr. & mrs. italy
Mr. & Mrs. Italy’s sumptuous parkas are inspired by vintage military jackets combined with luxurious and colorful furs. With a cult following that includes the likes of fashion elite: Kate Moss, Rihanna, and Cara Delevigne, the parkas are made in Italy by the finest artisans.
7. italian fragrance: bruno acampora profumi
This family-run laboratory produces 28 different fragrances, bottled in metallized glass bottles and closed with corks that let the essences breath. Sealed with wax, it symbolizes the handcrafted nature of the cold mixing process. For an olfactory embodiment of the Mediterranean jet-set, this niche perfumery is peak luxury.
8. italian porcelain: manifattura richard ginori 1735
Since the 1700s, Ginorni has been found in the most stately and exclusive Italian residences, palaces and courtyards. In 2013, the Manifattura Richard Ginorni was acquired by Gucci and the artistic direction entrusted to Alessandro Michele, ensuring the highest artistic standards and craftsmanship of this storied porcelain. Whether your recipient’s tastes are traditional, modern or whimsical, there are many patterns to suit their fancy. Pigments and precious metals are applied and drawn by hand on every piece.
9. italian linens: frette
Based in Monza and Milan, Frette has been manufacturing luxury bed linens with the finest fibers and most skilled artisans since 1860. Its distinguished history can be traced back to the Italian Royal Family who selected Frette as the Official Purveyor of its linens to today, where it is found in the world’s most prestigious hotels and discerning homes.
10. italian silversmith: casa bugatti
Casa Bugatti elevates common kitchenware with luxury and style- blending high technology with Italian taste for shapes and details. It was founded by the brothers Giuseppe, Giovanni, Faustino, Giacinto and Amadio in Lombardy as a professional workshop making nickel-silver and silver-plated brass cutlery, for which it is still renowned.
11. italian home decor: fornasetti
Founded in Milan during the 1950s, the Fornasetti brand is characterized an imaginative, ironic and sophisticated visual language. Their handmade and hand-decorated furniture and home accessories continue to be produced in the Milan. One of their most iconic designs boast the recognizable face of founder, Piero Fornasetti’s favorite muse, opera singer Lina Cavalieri.
12. italian bookbinding: giannini
Founded in Florence in 1856, Giulio Giannini and Sons is one of the most ancient active bookbinding workshops in the world. The workshop is now run by 6th generation family members in a tiny shop near Palazzo Pitti. Taking inspiration from 14th century craftsmanship, Giannini bookbinders use parchment decorated with gold leaf and hard covers in colored leather – known as the “Florentine Style” of bookbinding.
13. italian stationery: pettinaroli
This historic store was founded in 1881 by Francesco Pettinaroli. The fine paper, precise and elegant workmanship is a favorite of Italian aristocracy and Milan’s stylish denizens who come to have their birth announcements, weddings and personal letterheads printed with their refined techniques. Now in its fourth generation, it is a distinguished example of the Italian tradition of artisanry.
14. italian cookware: bialetti
In Italy, where the kitchen is the heart of the home, where cooking is a passion, Bialetti is found in nine of ten households. One of their most quintessentially Italian products is the Moka, a distinctive eight-sided aluminum pot that produces a rich, authentic espresso in minutes. Since its invention in the 1930s, Bialetti has produced over 200 million of these iconic pots. The Bialetti pasta pot is another iconic design- an oval pot to accommodate noodles without breakage (genius!) and a twist and lock lid with a built in strainer.
15. italian gastronomy: artisan pasta
Let’s face it- we could probably do an entire piece (or two) just on the gastronomic delights from Italy. If you’re looking for gift for someone who loves Italy, keep those Tuscan countryside memories alive with a gift of artisan pasta.
Unlike the industrial pasta that most Americans buy at their local grocery store, Italian brands like Rummo, La Molisana, and Afeltra craft their pasta according to ancient techniques which involve bronze dies and a slow drying process at low temps which help maintain flavor and texture. Buy a few long cuts and short cuts from gourmet stores like Eataly, Mercato, Alma Gourmet or Amazon for that friend who loves to cook and entertain and they’ll never reach for that blue box at the grocery store again.
16. italian chocolate: amedei tuscany
Founder Cecilia Tessieri is the world’s first female master chocolatier who spent 24 years traveling around the world, working with chocolatiers in a male dominant field and visiting cacao plantations in search for the best chocolate. Only 1% of the beans harvested are deemed worthy to create Amedei’s chocolate. Along with the careful ingredient selection and a craft based artisanal production process, Amedei is a six time winner of the Academy of Chocolate’s “Golden Bean” award.
17. italian gastronomy: a classic cookbook
Some essential tomes of Italian cooking are a must-have for any Italophile. These three selections feature some of the very best-of-the-best recipes from Italy’s diverse regions.
18. italian supercars: alfa romeo sports car
Since we’re dreaming of our next Italian idyll, what’s more fantastical than cruising through the Italy in a sports car? Before founding Ferrari, Enzo Ferrari was a racing driver for Alfa Romeo. The 4C Spider (starting at $67,150) is distinctively Italian with its stylish proportions. The 1750 Turbocharged Four Cylinder engine roars from 0-60 mph in 4.1 seconds. We call shotgun!
The Ultimate Luxury Gift Guide: the Best from Italy
There you have it! Our top picks for a I Love Italy luxury edition gift guide. What are you lusting after?
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Crediting her training as a cultural anthropologist at Wellesley College, Julie has immersed herself in various industries in the last 15 years including fashion design, event planning, fitness and even investigating police misconduct. Julie lives in NYC where she loves trying every ramen and dumpling restaurant with her husband and three children. She finds joy in bold prints, biographies of fierce women, kickboxing and spending way too long finding the perfect polish color to express her mood.
Join our community
For access to insider ideas and information on the world of luxury, sign up for our Dandelion Chandelier newsletter. And see luxury in a new light.