'Tis the Season for Design-Minded Holiday Decor

In a season laden with nostalgia and kitsch, design brands continue to release festive items that meet sentimental expectations while elevating the holiday experience. These range from Swarovski’s 2025 Annual Edition Ornament and Baccarat’s 2025 Noël Annual Ornament Palmette to the vintage-inspired whimsy of John Derian’s holiday collection and Basel, Switzerland-based Johann Wanner, as well as the baubles of Italian design institution Alessi. Beyond ornaments, MoMA Design’s holiday division remains a resource for cards, lights, and other decorations. From Cotswold wonderland Daylesford to Stockholm’s Svenskt Tenn, the holiday tablescape has been artfully reimagined.

The online shop for New York’s Jewish Museum provides options that underscore both the joy and sophistication of the Hanukkah celebration; as does HaYom, the design studio that partners with contemporary artists to reimagine heirloom-quality Jewish ritual objects. With fragrance often a defining factor of seasonal spirit, Cartier, Trudon, Ralph Lauren, Carrière Frères, Loewe, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, D.S & Durga, and the now-standard Diptyque lead with design. Further, for New Yorkers, thoughtfully designed experiences—from fashion photographer Michael Avedon’s editorial reimagining of photos with Santa at Fouquet’s New York to Fulton Fish Market’s Feast of the Seven Fishes bundle—align with the elegance.