A few weeks back I was invited to the Details x Ferragamo party, which was a celebration of the Ferragamo Gift Guide. While I do seem to be at a fair share of events and parties, it’s usually while I’m working, taking photos and mingling with clients. So when the invite rolled into my inbox, I was happy as a clam to attend. Free drinks, and a +1? There in a heartbeat.

I met my dear friend (and original NYC roommate!) in front of the 5th Avenue Ferragamo store and, after giving our names, we were ushered inside the store, which had been closed down for the evening. Very swanky! We wandered around upstairs, looking at the various selections of merchandise pulled for the gift guide — here are a few of my favorites:

But my favorite part of the night was actually the lovely blind contour artist, Ian Sklarsky. Blind contour is a style of drawing in which the artist doesn’t look down at the paper while he’s drawing, and he typically uses a single, continuous line. It’s a study in artistry and craftmaship, and a testament to the hours and hours of practice. After the line drawing is done, a dash of watercolor is washed on. I’ve always loved simple line drawings and watercolors, so this was definitely the highlight for me — a take home gift that’s super personalized and will be a lifelong keepsake. Very impressive, Ferragamo!

Sometimes inspiration comes in unlikely places, so this holiday season why not take a step back and see if there’s something a little more simple that you can do — take a photo, make a sketch — to really make a thoughtful, inspired gift. In a world of downloads and gift cards, that personal touch really means so much more.

For more of Ian’s work, check out his site: http://www.iansklarsky.com/