Kalyani Chawla, Former VP Marketing & Comm, Christian Dior Couture, India
The Best Thing I Got: “My daughter’s birthday cards, which had the most adorable messages in them.”
The Worst Thing I Got: “Flowers that come straight from the florist, written by the florist!”
A Good Gift Idea: “I would love to gift my mother the Be Dior bag. It’s an absolute must have this season!”
Pia Pauro, Fashion Designer
The Best Thing I Got: “A beautiful art deco diamond bracelet from my father, and a vintage kanchivaram sari from my mother in law.”
The Worst Thing I Got: “A tray and a vase that I didn’t know what to do with.”
A Good Gift Idea: “Chocolates and wine always make good—and safe—presents.”
Mandira Wirk, Fashion Designer
The Best Thing I Got: “My English Bulldog Arnold, gifted by my parents, is the most amazing gift!”
The Worst Thing I Got: “Anything without a thought behind it.”
A Good Gift Idea: “Gift cards and registries are always a good idea.”
Preeti Chandra, Fashion Designer
The Best Thing I Got: “Handmade sweets and a CD with Lakshmi and Ganesh songs. It was a very beautiful thought.”
The Worst Thing I Got: “Corporate gifts are the worst.”
A Good Gift Idea: “Gift baskets are perfect. Forest Essentials, for example, has some beautifully wrapped boxes.”
Gaurav Bhatia, Marketing Director, Moët Hennessy, India
The Best Thing I Got: “My two beautiful boys, Abeer and Adhiraj.”
The Worst Thing I Got: “I guess any ‘recycled’ gift is thoughtless. I believe what you give says a lot about you.”
A Good Gift Idea: “Step away from the sweet boxes and gift a bottle of Chandon Brut in its limited edition Diwali gift box. Perfect!”
Anusha Dandekar, VJ, Actor and Singer
The Best Thing I Got: “A gold necklace with my name carved in Arabic. I loved it!”
The Worst Thing I Got: “I could really do without soft toys now. It’s just that I have hundreds!”
A Good Gift Idea: “Something stylish. Like a cute clutch for my girlfriend.”
Gunjan Gupta, Industrial Designer
The Best Thing I Got: “A beautiful black and white pashmina sari, especially woven for me. It was a quite a treat.”
The Worst Thing I Got: “A box of handmade chocolates because they had expired when I opened them three days later.”
A Good Gift Idea: “The Jawbone UP is a great health accessory.”
Eina Ahluwalia, Jewellery Designer
The Best Thing I Got: “My parents gifted me a ticket to Europe on one of my birthdays. Best gift ever!”
The Worst Thing I Got: “Someone once gifted me a fake bag.”
A Good Gift Idea: “Books! The Forty Rules Of Love by Elif Shafak is great.”