AnOther Mother's Day Gift Guide

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We present our modern (and collaged) alternative to the abundance of shopping pages created in honour of Mothering Sunday

Mothering Sunday is upon us this weekend, and with it arrives the requisite multitude of gift guides suggesting everything from anti-ageing cream to grim, beige bouquets. We do not suggest either of these things (if you want flowers, try one of our myriad suggestions, and if you choose cosmetics then avoid the depressingly-named ones) but instead far more modern alternatives, outlined below. We have carefully divided motherhood into five categories so you only need to be able to decipher which suits to be able to offer the perfect present.

The Modernist (above)
Is your mother thoroughly contemporary? Does she favour the Tate Modern over the Tate Britain? Brutalism over Baroque? Would she rather watch something Art Nouveau on a Sunday afternoon instead of a Poirot repeat? If so, we suggest Zaha Hadid’s interpretation of the Fendi Peekaboo, a Wren necklace from URiBE’s S/S16 collection inspired by the likes of Barbara Hepworth and Christopher Wren or Ettore Sottsass’ Ultrafragola mirror (it was designed in 1970 and is more post-modern than modernist... but we think your mother would forgive you).

The Fantasist
Does your mother live in the realm of fantasy? Is she a fan of Dali and Schiaparelli, or unicorns and bejewelled treasures? If so, and a trip to a faraway locale sits outside of your budget for the month, then one of Rococo’s hand-painted chocolate lobsters will suffice as a delicious alternative. For those willing to invest a little further, one of Wales Bonner’s crushed-velvet Aime jackets embroidered with cowrie shells is a simultaneous throwback to the 1920s Harlem Renaissance and something wonderfully further afield. Then, for those really willing to splash out, Cartier’s super-surrealist Crash watch would make any woman very happy. But it might cost the same as a holiday.

The Classicist
Before Gucci became synonymous with florals and pussy bows, it was the favourite of the Sloane Ranger – in fact, The Official Sloane Ranger Handbook (1982) describes them as a preferred choice for their “smart but military equine look, like a good piece of uniform with regimental brass”. Thus, if your mother is a stickler for a classic, a leather Gucci loafer would suit her just perfectly – perhaps paired with Mulberry’s supple Oxblood-hued leather gloves and a failsafe Chanel lipstick.

The Feminist
If the traditionalism employed by Gucci and Mulberry doesn’t quite hit the right note, and your mother prefers Bloomsbury over Sloane Square, we suggest a first edition of Virginia Woolf’s To The Lighthouse as the ideal offering for any empowered woman. A Tracey Emin print for her wall would be equally desirable but, if she teams her feminism with fashion, we cannot recommend the fleshily-coloured, thoroughly yonic Inside Bag from Prada enough. Plus, Mrs Prada herself is particularly attune to womanhood at the moment, telling Susannah Frankel of her most recent collection, “Women have more facets [than men]. We are so much more complex. We are lovers, mothers, workers… We have to be beautiful...”

The Wanderlust-ist
If your mother’s interests lie further afield – on country walks or sojourns abroad – then have no fear, we have options for her, too. Céline’s Country Ankle Boot is surely the chic-est that a walking boot can be and, accompanied by a Louis Vuitton Malle Haute 110 trunk, she’ll be the most glamorous participant on any trip. Or, if she is looking for inspiration for future adventures, a globe from bespoke globemakers Bellerby & Co will surely delight. They’re hand-painted and, frankly, fantastic.