There are so many things Ben Stiller wants for Hanukkah, but please, no tchotchkes. “I hate presents that have no purpose in life,” he says via cell phone from a zinc mine in Ogdensburg, New Jersey, where he’s filming Zoolander, “like those little bookend-type things that aren’t actually heavy enough to be bookends.” So, what to give the man who not only has a box-office smash with Meet the Parents, but is also booked for the foreseeable future? “I would really, really love a free airplane,” he says. “Not a Cessna. A G7 or G10, or the highest G available. I’d also like a Greenwich Village apartment with about 12,000 square feet of space.” Until these needs can be met, Stiller will be finishing up Zoolander – which he co-wrote, directed, produced, and stars in. “I love being back here,” he says. “It’s nice to be back in touch with my roots, which are on Riverside Drive. I remember being taken to Macy’s to meet Santa Claus” – a scene he reenacted in this photo shoot, with mixed results – “and then going home and lighting the Hanukkah candles. Since my birthday is in late November, the whole thing basically became about toys. Later on, I realized the true meaning of the holidays, which is stressing out about how much to spend on your business manager’s gift.”
DEREK DE KOFF
Produced by Jordan Schaps
Holiday Gifts was edited by Jeremy Gerard, Shyama Patel, Michael Steele, Meredith Kahn, and Marion Maneker. Art direction was by Michele Parrella, with Ivette Montes de Oca. Research assistants were Brenda L. Jenkins, Aja S. Mangum, and Candace Walsh.
Small World
You know what they say about good things and packaging. These stylish stocking-stuffers are designed to provoke outsize outbursts of gratitude from their recipients.
You’ve Got Name
In which we prove there’s something to please the label lover on your list, whether you’re making a killing or getting killed in the market.
Just Say Snow
For the adventurer in your circle, nothing excites like the most advanced snowboard, the slickest ski. Plus some equally cool gear for those other sports.
The Glitterati
Spring for these sparklers or go for the gold and you can’t go wrong. Then again, some of the season’s stunning bijous are made of paper, porcelain – even plastic.
House Keepers
Cheery meets chic in these bright, impeccably designed pieces for the home (whether it’s the one you’re visiting or the one you live in).
Soft Touch
Pleated, fur-trimmed, or triple ply, this winter’s cashmere is a fresh new take on our favorite luxury yarn.
Ruby Schleppers
All of the season’s hottest bags come in sensible black, but we’re clicking our heels for red.
Just Shoot Me
From point-and-clicker to top-of-the-line digital, these are the year’s sexiest cameras.
… And to All a Good Night
Sensuous nighttime essentials that will send your loved ones off to luxuriant sleep.
Chapter and Verse
Covetable books and CD sets, from Manolo Blahnik’s heels to Sam Cooke’s soul.
Personal Best
Pamper your pals with products designed to soothe even the most stressed-out holiday brow – not to mention easing the daily grind.
The Giving Spree
You’ve spent a fortune making your nearest and dearest happy. Now it’s time to help out a complete stranger. Put away the credit cards and get out your checkbook.
At Your Services
From makeup to massage to pet grooming, services you’d love to splurge on for yourself make fantastic gifts.
Christmas Confidential
Don’t have a personal assistant to do your holiday gift shopping? Take heart. Three star shoppers reveal their favorite secret Santa hideaways.
The Twelve Months of Christmas
Fruit-of-the-Month Club had the right idea: Give a gift that keeps on giving all year long and you’ll be remembered all year long, too. We’ve tracked down some of the more creative gift packages the city has to offer. And there’s nary a Red River grapefruit in sight.