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Essay: Biscuits by Fortnum & Mason

by Penny Martin on 5 April 2004

SHOWstudio Editor in Chief Penny Martin ponders the cultural currency of the 'fashion gift'.

SHOWstudio Editor in Chief Penny Martin ponders the cultural currency of the 'fashion gift'.

Gifts are bedrock to the business of fashion. Whether they be heaving bouquets of peonies to congratulate or commiserate, bottles of Christmas champagne to show appreciation for another year of fruitful collaboration, or body scrubs to thank you for coming to the party/opening/press day/shop launch, gifts are the currency with which to ingratiate and maintain good will in the industry.

The real point of fashion gifts, more than an embodiment of genuine generosity or gratitude, is that they are a reflection of the design values and taste of the bearer.

Unlike presents given under normal circumstances, however, these are expected and their recipients are rarely grateful for them. Stand outside any industry bash and you will see departing fashion folk rifling through their goody bags, complaining about the drag-queen cosmetics or fairground-prize accessories the PRs have chosen. For this is the real point of fashion gifts. More than an embodiment of genuine generosity or gratitude, they are a reflection of the design values and taste of the bearer.

What is more, gifts follow a code. Never random, fashion PRs carefully select them in order that they are carefully matched to the values of the brand being promoted and the occasion of their offering. Representatives of young, 'street' labels might seek out new products or even food stuffs to intrigue (doughnuts are currently the dish de jour), but luxury brands stick to the classics; a spray of orchids perhaps, or else an inexpensive piece from the range. If you are out of town and stuck for ideas, guides like MODEM feature 'essential information', such as the crucial contact numbers for the city's most fashionable florists, chocolatiers or patisseries.

So what to courier to your fashion friends at Easter then? Why, these Easter Bunnies from Fortnum's of course! Occasion-specific, no one could accuse you of being 'last season'. Produced by that very bastion of Englishness, the luxury Fortnum & Masons department store, these chocolate-covered shortbread biscuits come with royal endorsement, appointed as they are to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Prince of Wales. Indeed, as Fortnum's website suggests, the 'handsome tin' in which the Fedex man will hand over your bunnies is the ultimate fashion touch. Its tasteful eau-de-nil covering contrasts beautifully against the 'delightful' monochrome rabbits, preventing them from appearing remotely kitsch, or worse – cute. The perfect accompaniment to afternoon tea at the atelier or meet-and-greets with potential clients, just don't expect anyone in fashion to actually eat one.

Easter bunny biscuits by Fortnum & Mason 0845 602 5694

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