Editor’s Letter: Inside Robb Report’s Ultimate Gift Guide Issue
Which will it be: Peter Sellers’s vintage Riva, a private gorilla trek in Rwanda, or a custom Fabergé portrait egg made just for you—something the company hasn’t done since 1917? Or perhaps you’ve been hunting everywhere for a century-old olive tree, a high-jewelry diamond necklace, or bespoke eyewear made from fossilized mammoth ivory?
These questions can mean only one thing: It’s time again for our annual Giving Issue, including the Ultimate Gift Guide filled with one-of-a-kind objects, products, and experiences. This year’s list will live as a special curation on The Vault, Robb Report’s online retail destination for all things rare and exceptional—and, for a limited time, will be exclusively shoppable for those with access to the QR codes in the pages of this magazine. So if you find your finger hovering over the Inquire button for that barrel of Brook Hill 15-year-old bourbon or the personalized Pivotal Helix eVTOL, just remember that competition becomes far fiercer once the collection opens to the public—and once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.
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If I can pull you away from the goodies for a moment, be sure to check out “Where to Next?”, our travel preview featuring the best destinations set to debut in 2025, from a secluded surfer’s paradise on Indonesia’s Rote Island to an ancient castle in Burgundy being transformed into an ultra-exclusive 37-room hotel. Likewise “Night Moves,” wherein stylist Tom Stubbs explains how to add a bit of attitude to this year’s black-tie season. (Hint: ditching the bow tie is a start.) And, not to be missed, The Answers with Prince Stash, a.k.a. Stanislas Klossowski de Rola, octogenarian son of acclaimed modern artist Balthus, once linked to both Anita Pallenberg and Nico, party pal of everyone from Brian Jones to Fellini, and current unlikely TikTok star. Let’s just say: The man has stories.
Of course, there’s a reason we call this edition the Giving Issue and not the Ultimate Gift Guide Issue: It falls during the time of year when we traditionally extend our generosity beyond friends and family. Now, as ever, there’s no shortage of important causes to consider supporting, including housing, hunger relief, education, medical research, and climate change. On that last one, western North Carolina is still reeling from Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic flooding and mudslides, which swept away entire homes and businesses in late September. Those communities are being assisted by the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund and Legal Aid of North Carolina, among other nonprofits, and could certainly use your help.
So, too, could one business that’s particularly close to my heart. This time last year, indie footwear label Opie Way was featured in our Ultimate Gift Guide offering the chance to design and sell your own luxury sneaker in collaboration with founder Justin James and his team; today, the brand has been reduced to a sodden trail of ruined machinery and waterlogged inventory. I recently caught up with James, who, until Helene, had been crafting limited batches of luxury sneakers by hand in his North Carolina factory for the past five years. Thankfully, James’s family is safe and unharmed, but his business is at a critical juncture. Opie Way is one of many small bright lights in the American luxury landscape, and James’s deep commitment to producing the exceptional is the mark of a true artisan—and the stuff that stiffens the spine of the entire industry. If you’re interested in supporting American luxury and entrepreneurship, please consider joining me in donating to revitalize his brand by finding “Save Opie Way: Support the James’ Family Business” on GoFundMe.
Amazingly, before we hung up, and after all he’s been through, Justin sounded a note of gratitude: “These are tough, resilient people,” he says of the area where he grew up and still lives. “I’ve been completely blown away by all the ways in which the community has come together to help itself heal and start rebuilding.” It was a moving reminder, especially welcome this time of year, that I have an embarrassment of riches for which to be grateful, not least the amazing Robb Report staffers who join me in putting together this magazine each and every month. And of course gratitude for you, the reader—the reason we do all of this in the first place. Thank you, as always, for reading.
Enjoy the issue.
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