Santa's 'Gifting' Helpers --- How the Well-to-Do Turn Over Holiday Shopping to the Experts; The $37,000 Gem-Studded Pen 18 December 2006 The Wall Street Journal <javascript:void(0)> ON A RECENT afternoon, without benefit of a telephone or a computer, Donna Isaacson polished off her holiday shopping from the comfort of her office in Los Angeles. In under an hour, she bought a travel-sized domino set; Anichini cashmere throws; infant-sized pink and beige shearling booties from Ugg Australia; six high-end candles; a $125 loungebed for her dog; a piece of Tumi luggage; one dozen battery-operated cellphone chargers from Links of London; and an 82-pound, $600 coffee-table book on the history of modern art. "I did some damage," says Ms. Isaacson, an executive vice president at the Twentieth Century Fox movie studio. She couldn't have done it alone. It took a visit from a professional "gifting consultant" from Donum Elite Gifting, armed with samples and a 72-page catalog of high-end products and services put together especially for Ms. Isaacson. "It's so easy -- they come to me, they wrap, they deliver, they engrave," says Ms. Isaacson, who adds that Donum will supply gifts for nearly three-quarters of the 100 people on her holiday list this year, including assistants at the studio, her daughter's teachers, her boss and her boyfriend. "And their taste is impeccable." To some people, hunting for the perfect gift is more of a hassle than a holiday. Some of the wealthiest consumers across the country turn to consultants to find ultra-exclusive, money-is-no-object gifts from around the world. Often, like Donum in Hollywood, these consultants are regional operations; sometimes they're part of large luxury-goods companies. Requesting Donum's services are movie studios, independent production companies, talent agencies, Fortune 500 executives, and corporate law firms throughout Southern California. Budgets can start at $1,000 for a single shopper's list to several hundred thousand dollars for a company buying for its entire work force. Gifts run from under $100 for candles or frames, but can quickly skyrocket to $12,000 for a Sooloos digital music system or $37,000 for a diamond-and-emerald-encrusted pen from Italian company Omas. Donum makes its money just like a department store, by charging about twice the wholesale price of an item. Engraving, wrapping and delivery cost extra. Donum consultants pride themselves on catching trends early, shopping in Italy, France and Asia throughout the year. The company says it was among the first to widely carry Ugg boots and $1,000 iXi bikes, which can be dismantled to fit in the back of a car. This season, for example, Donum says it is one of the first in the U.S. to sell a high-end baby stroller from the French company Red Castle. The company declines to say how many gifts it sells a year or what its revenues are. "Donum stands for cutting-edge luxury," brags Amy Frankel Nau, who founded the company more than a decade ago and is now a consultant to the company. "We are the most exclusive department store in the world, without the four walls." Donum is one of several gift companies that have sprouted up in recent years, as wealthy individuals look for something jazzier than chocolates or a gift basket, says Milton Pedraza, chief executive officer of research firm the Luxury Institute. "They are looking for distinctive new product," he says of wealthy individuals, gifts that only others in the know will recognize. "That has very special cachet." New York Gift Company, for instance, specializes in decoupage buckets filled with gourmet foods for corporate gift clients like asset management companies. Luxury brands such as Loro Piana, Tiffany & Co. and Hermes are also creating services, often customizing products for clients. Loro Piana decided to start a gift division after the president of financial firm UBS AG liked a cashmere and microfiber jacket so much that he ordered 200 for his company employees, requesting that the UBS logo be discreetly stitched on the back, says director of corporate sales, Simone Esposito. Loro Piana has also made leather passport holders for 3,000 premiere clients of private-plane company NetJets Inc.
Well known to Hollywood's elite, Donum, which means "gift" in Latin, is now trying to expand into other affluent circles. Ms. Frankel Nau sold the company earlier this fall for an undisclosed sum to Diane and Robert Zeps and Ms. Zeps's sister, Jane Murphy, from the wealthy San Diego suburb of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. The trio introduced Donum's services to potential clients at the Del Mar Country Club there earlier this month. Mr. Zeps says he is hoping to serve clients who often can't find appropriate products or services. "I've been stunned by the lack of customer support at some retail outlets, no matter how much you want to spend," he says. "I have friends who have inordinate amounts of money, and they never do anything fun because it takes some organization." One new service this holiday season is so-called experiential packages -- personalized trips that often cost tens of thousands of dollars per person. The "New York Spring Fling Shopping Experience," for instance, includes a splurge at New York's Henri Bendel with director of client services Michael Palladino; pampering at Cornelia Day Resort; a private showing from luxury frame and accessory designer Jay Strongwater; shopping with shoe designer Stuart Weitzman; a private viewing and tutorial with New York diamond dealers; private dining at renowned chef Thomas Keller's Per Se restaurant; frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity 3 and a stay at the Peninsula Hotel. Price per person: $20,000. Others can deep-sea fish off the coast of New Jersey for five days with Canyon Runner Sport Fishing, a professional offshore fishing team, complete with a stay at the Borgata Hotel in Atlantic City and golf at an exclusive club. At the Del Mar gathering two weeks ago, about 200 current and potential clients drank Champagne, listened to a French singer named Morganne -- clad in a sparking white gown and a white feather headdress -- and browsed among some of Donum's vendors. Among gifts they could choose from were $3,695 animal-print fur coats from Cassin and a $2,100 jewelry chest from Agresti. Or, in the next room, they could join celebrity professional poker player Phil Gordon's friendly game of chance with a $1,000 buy-in for his cancer charity. Verdura diamonds sat on a bed of grass in the back of the room; visitors to the restroom found a catalog and array of products from Italian personal-care company Acca Kappa. For luxury brands, gift companies can help get their products to the wealthiest customers. Los Angeles-based couture designer Kevan Hall, a former creative director for the fashion house Halston, says the event was a way to meet potential clients in the affluent San Diego market. "I typically don't do these kinds of events," says Mr. Hall, who added that he received orders for his taffeta blouses and several evening gowns that night. "But this was the premiere of this company in this community -- it was important for me to be here, as a California designer." He added: "San Diego women love fashion. It's understated, but you can tell they took care in their choices." While the holiday season is its biggest time of the year, Donum's new owners say they're hoping that they can increase their business the rest of the year by supplying the very wealthy with products and services they may not even know are for sale. "Our job is to get people whatever they want," says Mr. Zeps, adding "The sky really is the limit." ==========================
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