The A Hotel Life 2018 Holiday Gift Guide

Fashion

Prada Phone Holder

Sometimes luxury brands come up with products you didn’t even know you needed, and this fall Prada was the it brand with their ultra-stylish offerings. From bucket hats to I.D badges, the Italian powerhouse brought about a buoyant energy to the brand once again, but the most coveted accessory was the branded iPhone holders. Form and function come together here, and Prada have once again brought to market an accessory that will garner a few admiring looks.

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Martine Ali Jewelry

Jewelry can be a tricky gift-unless you’re as cool as Martine Ali. The young designer has helped bring renewed interest in accessories with stainless steel jewelry that has become the statement item for every type of fashion person including Kendrick Lamar and Dev Hynes. From chunky bracelets to wallat chains—and if you want to be extra, her first bag pictured above—Martine Ali is the brand to rock right now.

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032c x Birkenstock Clogs

You take a chance when getting someone shoes in the name of fashion, but that’s why these collaborative clogs between Birkenstock and Berlin-based fashion magazine 032c can also fit in our ‘Travel’ category. The shoes are perfect for airport check-ins and offer both classic and shearling insoles (ideal for chilly plane rides), all while making a statement.

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Art

Nir Hod ‘The Night You Left’ Coasters

Starting an Art collection can be intimidating, but Prospect New York makes it a little easier with a unique proposition: limited edition everyday-items designed directly by artists. Prospect has featured pieces from Enoc Perez, Baron von Fancy, and Judy Chicago, but we’re partial to these cheeky mirrored coasters by Nir Hod which are printed with white powdered lines. In the right hands this can elicit a playful shock, or better yet a knowing wink.

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Calvin Klein x Andy Warhol Foundation Blanket

With a major exhibit at the Whitney Museum, Andy Warhol is on everyones mind (and feed) right now. That’s why this Calvin Klein blanket is so timely. When Raf Simons took over the brand as Creative Director, Warhol quickly became one of the most frequent reference points, with his work appearing on both mainline and diffusion collections. This Pendleton blanket continues that spirit with Warhol’s depiction of Dennis Hopper, capturing the classic Americana Simons has been inspired by in its most soft and cozy form.

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Andre Saraiva Print

Andre Saraiva gained his fame for creating quirky, irreverent works—mostly graffiti in the most unassuming areas—most often in pink or other soft colors. Through his many ventures people have become aware of him and his work, and Saraiva has helped that by launching his own web store featuring some of his signature work including newly released original drawings on Chateau Marmont stationary.

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Photography

Moment Phone Lens

The smartphone gets a better camera every year, but there are always limitations with a small form factor. Moment has gained a reputation as one of the best add-on lenses for phones due to its accessible price, quality lens, and portable size. The lenses help widen your perspective, take close up images, and give a fish eye view when needed. For iPhone (or Android) photographers, these tools have become indispensable, and help bridge the gap between phones and point-and-shoots.

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Olympus XA

It’s not often we suggest a second-hand gift, but film photography is back big time and you’ll have to dig into the archives to get some of the most competent tools of the trade. The Olympus XA was a legendary camera, for both its class-leading miniature size and the ultra sharp lens they managed to get on it. Prices have gone up, but are still reasonable for a gem of a camera that both hobbyists and pros can easily slip into their pocket and get results better than many digital cameras today (just make sure you get a tested version!).

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DJI Osmo Pocket

Between iPhones, mirrorless, and of course the film resurgence, another camera type has emerged in the last decade: the action cam. GoPro may have made them famous, but DJI brings the concept to a new level with its smallest offering yet. The DJI Osmo Pocket is aptly named—small enough to carry around when you want to get those fast-moving shots—but it also connects to your iPhone giving you a much improved camera on the go for any situation.

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Music

Pocket Operator

Teenage Engineering is a brand that has our hearts, creating music tools that invogorate the child within all of us while offering enough depth to get the most serious pros in tinkering mode. This year they introduced their most creative pocket tools yet, including the PO-35, a mini voice modulator that you can take with you, record your voice, and manipulate it into unique song structures (along with regular drum and synth sounds, of course). These tiny things pack a punch, and they’re the best gifts you can give to enthusiasts and pros alike.

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Master & Dynamic MW07

Wireless is the future, and many of the top tecg brands are placing their bets on the wireless headphone market. Master & Dynamic have found a way to create stylish, audio-centric headphones that have reinvigorated the market for years, and this year they’ve finally brought their first wireless entry MW07 to the fray. AirPods they’re not, with their marble-like exterior and their hi-fi sound design. These are earbuds for a discerning listener.

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Fabriclive 100

We always like to recommend a good mix because it brings together an eclectic array of sounds by a trusted selector. This year the mix that epitomizes that most is a bittersweet one; Fabriclive 100 marks the end of the long running series that has brought some of the best and most progressive producers in the world giving an insight into their esoteric tastes. The final mix is the embodiment of that, mixed by groundbreaking artists Burial and Kode9, two producers that have transformed the electronic scene in London. It’s wild, heavy, and definitely a little bit out there, but belongs in the the collection of the most devout music lovers.

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Fragrance

Hawthorne Fragrances

Fragrance is always a risky bet, but Hawthorne makes it easier with their unique service. All you have to do is plug in some basic facts about the recipient—the kind of work they do, their style, etc.—and you get a daytime and nighttime scent based on their profile. It means you’re taking less of a chance when it comes to buying fragrances, and you’re ending up with something that’s bound to please.

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A24 x Joya Candles

A candle is always a safe gift, but this holiday season you can get something a little more unique. Film studio A24, purveyors of indie-darlings and Award contenders alike, are offering a selection of candles inspired by the very genres they’re so used to reimagining. The collaboration with Joya Candles brings out the essence of Thrillers, Horror, Western, Noir, Musical, and Adventure. A candle reflecting someones favorite movies is a way to give a classic gift in a more personal way.

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Atelier de Balthus Incense

French brand Atelier de Villatte was originally founded as an artisanal ceramics studio, before expanding to a range of home goods and accessories, and working with perfumers from Japanese brand Takasago to create distinct scents inspired by the timeless fragrance of bygone eras. Their latest is Atelier de Balthus, a fragrance that evokes the scent of a painters studio, which adds a delicate ambiance in the form of incense sticks.

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Travel

Steamline Luggage

There’s no shortage of options for luggage, especially with some of the new emerging brands that have gotten attention. But when it comes to style there’s still a huge gap between the entry level and the luxurious. Enter Steamline, a new brand that is making some of the most stylish luggage that’s simple and accessible. These bags possess and old-world charm to them—when people had luggage sets and globetrotting was a rare luxury—but that aesthetic is no longer reserved for old-world tycoons. Naturally we favor the Editor line, but you can get overnighters, carry ons, and even hat boxes from various collections reflecting vocations like Botanist, Alchemist, and Starlet.

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Places We Swim

AHL Australian Editor Carloline Clements took a journey through her native Australia, exploring the country and finding the best bodies of water to swim in along the way. Fortunately for us, Clements documented the whole thing and compiled it into one of the most unique travel books of the year: Places We Swim. It’s the perfect edition to any coffee table and with enough stunning photography of Austalian landscapes, is all the temptation you’ll need to make the journey yourself.

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Wales Bonner Scarf

While the 032c clogs could have gone in this section, this chic Wales Bonner scarf would work for any fashion lover because of its colorful patterned design inspired by black history, particularly artist Jacob Lawrence. The soft crepe wool is ideal for brisk nights wherever you’re going.

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