12 Days Of Christmas: Natalie B Coleman

The final, pre-Christmas build up is now upon us and we’re reaching peak excitement levels! As part of our collaboration with the lovely folk at Arnotts, where you can shop for every single loved one under one roof, over the next 12 days we’ll be catching up with some of Ireland’s most familiar names, finding out what Christmas means for them and what they’ll be wishing for. Today, we catch up with an Irish fashion designer on the rise, Natalie B Coleman.

What is your earliest memory of Christmas?
Filling bags of sawdust to make sleighs and flying down the snowy hills with my Mother, also eating all the marzipan off the cakes before they got a chance to be iced.

Describe your perfect Christmas?
People I love, great food, wine, bubbles, candles, fairy lights, long walks, sleep ins and snow also a good Christmas mass choir.

What do you like most about Christmas – the build up or the week itself?
The build up, it is great to see people full of Christmas magic, and I always love a party atmosphere. It is the perfect time to get the sequins out and have everyday sparkle!

What are the essentials in the Coleman household when it come to Christmas day dinner?
Definitely homemade bread sauce which is a bit of a northern tradition also I boil the ham in coca cola before I roast it.
My Dad always serves steak and batch loaf for breakfast, so we eat dinner quite late which means that everyone spends the day at my Uncles, lots of traditional music and whiskey so normally people are quite merry by dinner time!

What does Christmas mean for you?
Hopefully I can spend some time in France with my brother and his adorable son Charlie, they live in the mountains so good place to relax. I want to sleep as much as possible and spend time in my studio also see some exhibitions, watch lots of films,

What presents are you hoping to buy this year for your nearest and dearest?
For one of my friends, champagne flutes. For my husband – a luggage set, a fancy shaver and cookery books. Cute kids’ clothes for my nephew. Framed illustrations and the Sarah moon photography book ‘Coincidences’ for friends.

What’s on your own wish list?
A juicer, gorgeous smelling essential oil candles, luxurious skincare creams and body oils, a coffee machine, headphones, an every day leather bag, a silk kimono dressing gown, the Downton Abbey box set and anything by Margaret Atwood.

Browse the gallery above for Natalie’s curated gift guide. For more shopping inspiration, head in-store or visit arnotts.ie online.