We caught up with Gok Wan on a recent visit to Dublin to find out his festive shopping tips, party dressing hacks and the one item on his Christmas wish list this year …
1 PREPARATION IS KEY: When it comes to festive shopping I think it’s all about having a plan and working out what you need to buy. Know who you’re buying for and set yourself a budget for those gifts. Think about what they like, go through their social media pages to see what they’re into at the moment, drop a few hints with them as well to test the waters – “Have you seen that new lipstick from Charlotte Tilbury?” – to gauge their reaction.
2 HAVE A PLAN AND SET YOUR ROUTE: Since the rise of technology we’ve kind of stopped making written lists but I think lists are really helpful. If you can, sit down the night before you’re going to go and do a massive shop and make a list so that you don’t lose track of yourself. I also do a map for myself which sounds really boring but I’ll map out my route – if I’m shopping in London I’m going to go shopping in Covent Garden, come round to Soho, work my way up to Oxford Street, finish on Tottenham Court Road and I’m done. So give yourself a map.
3 HAVE FUN WITH IT: Don’t think of it as a daunting task, have fun with your Christmas shopping. Work out who you’re going to go out with, your shopping buddy has to be someone whose opinion you trust, or you may prefer solo shopping. I’m really good on my own, I just go and get the job done and then I always treat myself to a drink afterwards. So if you like you can make a day of it with a friend and turn it into a nice event – do a spot of shopping and then enjoy the catch up over lunch.
4 ON MY WISHLIST: I don’t have a TV in my bedroom, as an adult I have never had a TV in my bedroom, but I’ve recently seen a TV lift. It’s a unit that you press a button and a TV rises up from the unit, so I think I’m going to ask all of my friends and my family to club together for a TV lift at the end of my bed. I don’t like TVs on show so this is a perfect solution because it can just vanish and I can get it made beautifully in a wood that matches the floor.
5 PARTY DRESSING: For me party dressing is all about having a nice rail of clothes that you know you like, so make sure that your outfit fits well and that you feel comfortable in it. One tip is if you’re not used to wearing heels or you’re scared of heels, put the dress on, put the heels on and go and wear them for half a day around the house just to get used to wearing the outfit. Getting your foundations right is also key – make sure your underwear or shapewear are suitable for the outfit. Don’t leave the final touches to the last minute: are you going from car to door or are you going to need to layer up? If so consider this with your outfit – don’t just wear the dog walking jacket!
This Christmas, TK Maxx together with Gok Wan are launching the search for Ireland’s Greatest of All Time Shoppers. These Greatest of All Time Shoppers (‘GOATS’!) are the savviest of Christmas shoppers, know exactly how to find the best gifts at the best prices for their loved ones year after year, and TK Maxx wants to find them and reward them this festive season.
To nominate yourself or a friend as Ireland’s Greatest of All Time Shopper, simply visit TK Maxx Instagram here and share your GOATS-worthy shopping tip in the comments on the TK Maxx ‘GOATS’ competition post. At the end of November, just in time for festive gifting, a perfectly timed TK Maxx gift shopping spree to the value of €250 will be awarded to the greatest of the great, perfect for spoiling loved ones for less this Christmas! www.tkmaxx.ie