“I couldn’t have been older than four or five and I always searched for my Christmas presents. There was not a Christmas where I didn’t look in closets, under beds, pick up boxes and shake them; I needed to know my gifts. Christmas morning my parents were downstairs setting everything up and I snuck downstairs and found my very first bike in another room they were hiding it in. I rode my bike into the family room where the Christmas tree and presents were while my parents were setting up and they died laughing.” – Jazmin Veney, Arch NYC
Emerging Designers’ Favorite Holiday Memories
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo Brandon Blackwood
“While I was living in Japan, we never had a Christmas tree during the holidays.ÉThey were impossible to find I guess. What I would look forward to the most was having my family and cousins come all the way from Atlanta to Tokyo to spend a week or two with us. Every Christmas, when they visited, we would go to this restaurant in Izakaya and get a huge private room. It was right off of a pond and we would eat tons of sushi, sashimi, and just be together. Those are strangely the holiday memories that stick out the most. I think itÕs because seeing my family wasnÕt as common while living there and it was the one time I really looked forward to Christmas/holiday season. It became our tradition for the years that I lived there and love those photos the most.” – Brandon Blackwood
Emerging Designers’ Favorite Holiday Memories
Image Credit: Courtesy of Ella Wiznia
“We celebrate Channukah and Christmas in my family. Around the holidays my aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents would get together and my grandfather, Papa Sugarman, who would hand out presents, which he would solely refer to in his thick Boston accent as Òprizes.” One of the most memorable prizes was a full-body pink onesie with faux sparkled feather accents on the hood, ankles and cuffs. Although I was too young to actually remember receiving the gift, this garment, to this day remains hanging in my closet. And no matter what time of year, every time I look at it makes me smile and think of my Papa.”- Ella Wiznia, The Series
Emerging Designers’ Favorite Holiday Memories
Image Credit: Courtesy of Pablo Leon
“In 1995, when this photo was taken, it was the first time my family went back to Mexico since immigrating to the U.S. five years earlier. For many Mexican immigrants, the holiday season is a time to go back and visit the family one often leaves behind. This photo was taken at the Basilica de Guadalupe in Mexico City, a pilgrimage many Mexican immigrants make to give thanks, or to repay a debt to the Virgen de Guadalupe. For me, it was a whole new world; I still remember sitting on this horse next to my mom and sister and the excitement of receiving the printed image inside the very typical green cardboard frame. I also have to mention the fashion. From a very young age, my mom allowed me to choose what I wore, and I was very proud of this green ensemble (I was very into vests around this age) with bone-colored botines. Growing up, Christmas was never about the gifts and the decorations. For us it was a time to be with family, sipping ponche and eating tamales, staying up on Christmas Eve to receive Christmas at midnight. We didnÕt have much, but what mattered was that we were all together.” – Pablo Leon, Him NYC
Emerging Designers’ Favorite Holiday Memories
Image Credit: Courtesy of Sheena Sood
“I very vividly remember how excited I was to wear this puffy purple taffeta and velvet dress that my mom got me for Christmas. The most thrilling thing about the holidays when I was little was dressing up, along with getting to decorate the tree. Clearly, my love for fashion and for the color purple started from the beginning.” – Sheena Sood, Abaxaxi
Emerging Designers’ Favorite Holiday Memories
Image Credit: Courtesy of Danica Zheng
“I grew up celebrating the Chinese New Year instead of Christmas, and favourite memories include the big family reunion dinners, red envelopes and the occasional sparklers and firecrackers we get to play with when my parents drive to the countryside for the holidays!” – Danica Zheng, Danz
Emerging Designers’ Favorite Holiday Memories
Image Credit: Courtesy of Larissa Muehleder,
“This memory reminds me of how innocent and pure children are. I remember a Christmas spent with my grandparents, my mom and my father in Linz, Austria. Next to the Christmas tree was a white blanket covering my gift with a bow on it. For three days I wondered what was under that blanket. I had been asking for a bike, and the shape of the gift appeared to look like a bike but because they told me it wasn’t a bike, I believed them and rattled my brain trying to figure out what else it could be. This image is of Christmas Day when I finally lifted the sheet that revealed, you guessed it, a bike. Kids are special. They will believe whatever you tell them. It’s important to always be positive around them and tell them they are great so they can believe it.” – Larissa Muehleder, Muehleder
Emerging Designers’ Favorite Holiday Memories
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo Ali Grace
“For as far back as I can remember, my Baba (my grandfather), has always been in my Christmas memories. He and my Nana would drive down from San Francisco and spend 10 days with my family in Newport Beach every Christmas. This was so special to me. When Baba came into town, I knew I could wear my holiday party dresses, eat way too many sweets, laugh uncontrollably and act silly. One of my favorite memories with him is when we pretended to be walruses by putting pink golf Ts in our mouths. This is my first Christmas without my Baba. In order to honor him, I recently designed a gold heart-shaped charm with Baba engraved on it so I can hold him near and dear to me at all times.” – Ali Grace
Emerging Designers’ Favorite Holiday Memories
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo Svitlana Bevza
“I loved to decorate the Christmas tree by myself in my childhood, it was a tradition in my family. And then I asked my father to take a look at it, he always praised me. I still love to decorate the Christmas tree, still have those vintage glass clowns, toys from childhood. And I collect vintage Christmas toys.” – Svitlana Bevza, Bevza
Emerging Designers’ Favorite Holiday Memories
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo Robert West
“This picture is my dad and I coming to my momÕs house Christmas evening. She made me come in the house four times because she couldnÕt get the camera together when all I just wanted to do was ride my new bikeÉcheck out the Christmas cards taped to the door behind my dad, she still does that.”- Robert West, Bobbyday
Emerging Designers’ Favorite Holiday Memories
Image Credit: Courtesy of Sunni Dixon
“Being a big brother made Christmas more special. I took part in secret shopping for gifts at the mall with my mom, sneaking around at night to set up her castles, play houses, baking ovens, whatever the job was. I barely got any sleep but somehow, I always slept through my gifts being snuck under the tree. Waking up first in a dark house only illuminated by red, green, and yellow lights flashing, softly, in the distance was as enchanting as it was scary at my younger age. The fear of turning the corner and the elf on the shelf wasnÕt on the TV stand, where it was last placed. Watching me in the darkness as I walked to the tree. I understood how fortunate I was to have my family and didnÕt need Christmas to celebrate them, but the expression of love around the holidays will always be heart-warming and nostalgic.” – Sunni Dixon, Sunni Sunni
Emerging Designers’ Favorite Holiday Memories
Image Credit: Courtesy of Dana Hurwitz
“The first and last time my family attempted a holiday card photo. I remember wondering if anyone would be able to see my sneakily extended middle finger in the final frame. Giving the finger in chenille.Ó – Dana Hurwitz, Bond Hardware
Emerging Designers’ Favorite Holiday Memories
Image Credit: Courtesy of Mariah Pershadsingh
“My family has suffered through endless performances, recitals, holiday festival shows, concertsÉ.I always just thought they couldnÕt get enough. [This is] Christmas dinner, 1997.” – Mariah Pershadsingh, Bond Hardware
Emerging Designers’ Favorite Holiday Memories
Image Credit: Courtesy of Edvin Thompson
“Me visiting family for Thanksgiving dinner about three years ago, the holidays always reminds me of my grandma Margaret she was the one who brought me and my family here from Jamaica in pursuit of a better life. She passed away In February 2019. IÓm sure she is very proud of the person I became today.” – Edvin Thompson, Theophilio
Emerging Designers’ Favorite Holiday Memories
Image Credit: Courtesy of Emma Chopova
“I remember playing in the snow in the village I am from in Bulgaria called Terziysko. It gets so incredibly cold in the mountains but I wasn’t phased by it; I loved building igloos and making pretty much anything out of snow.” – Emma Chopova, Chopova Lowena
Emerging Designers’ Favorite Holiday Memories
Image Credit: Courtesy of Chenghui "Helen" Zhang
“It was during Chinese New Year family gathering with my grandparents in Beijing. My earliest memories are celebrating the holidays with my family; I miss them a lot living in the States.” – Chenghui “Helen” Zhang, Social Work
Emerging Designers’ Favorite Holiday Memories
Image Credit: Courtesy of Laura Lowena
“My best Christmas memories are with my two younger sisters, my mum and grandma in Somerset. I loved going caroling on Christmas Eve and welly walks on Christmas day around the village.” – Laura Lowena, Chopova Lowena
Emerging Designers’ Favorite Holiday Memories
Image Credit: Courtesy of Colin Locascio
“I have attached a photo of me (on right) in my favorite bear and plaid flannel pajamas and my brother, Brian on Christmas Day 1997.
I have so many memories, as my Mom really always made Christmas special. I think I definitely inherited the Christmas Decorating bug for her.
1.) My mom would always cook a Bacon and Egg Christmas morning breakfast after we exchanged gifts. This would be the only time all year we would eat bacon, and still to this day whenever I smell bacon, it transports me back to my parents house and Christmas Morning.
2.) My grandfather would sleep over my house on Christmas Eve to be with us on Christmas morning and see us open our gifts. He would sleep on a bed, in me and my brother’s bedroom closest to the door. Me and my brother would always wake up so early with excitement and love to check what Santa left , and we would crawl under the bedframe of his bed to get to the door to run downstairs and look at what Santa left us. As we got older we were too big to crawl under the bed frame and we would quietly and carefully crawl on top of my sleeping grandfather to go downstairs making sure not to wake him up. It was the ultimate Christmas Morning game, and I’m proud to say neither of us awoke him in the many years we did that maneuver.” – Colin Locascio
Emerging Designers’ Favorite Holiday Memories
Image Credit: Courtesy of Hillary Taymour
“I always loved decorating. Everything had to be over the top and chaotic I loved it” – Hillary Taymour, Collina Strada
Emerging Designers’ Favorite Holiday Memories
Image Credit: Courtesy of Damien Elijah
“My favorite holiday memories are always being surrounded by my very large family back home in Boston. Whether it was all of the kids sledding outside to the cheers of our elders, or exchanging nearly 50 gifts in our annual secret Santa gift swap, it will always be the fellowship for me. No matter where we are or what we do throughout the year, we always make sure we gather home for the holidays. This season will be quite difficult for us, but I am looking forward to seeing how we evoke our traditional holiday spirit and love while being apart.” – Damien Elijah, Dadnokids
Emerging Designers’ Favorite Holiday Memories
Image Credit: Courtesy of Aristide Loua
“Growing up in my family, the holiday festivities were not too common an occurrence. During the few times we did celebrate, we couldnÕt afford a Christmas tree. The gifts were not such a thing either; we were too many, all of us, 13 in total now. And that number doesnÕt include the uncles, aunts, friends or cousins that would stay with us; for some, during long periods of time. The other thing, too, is that my mother became Catholic, only about four years ago. And my father had been Buddhist ever since Jan. 5, 1993. He tells me that the holidays, particularly Christmas, were mainly a lunch party for us, with a few lights and decorations on the walls and doors. We would all be gathered, together; all of us dressed up; all of us relishing our favorite meals, and getting more sweet drinks than the usual take. And it was generally done by pop-cultural tradition; surely not by religious conviction. Eventually, in 2003, the year my father was promoted to a top job in Abidjan, the capital city of Cte dÕIvoire, that Christmas felt like what we had seen on TV, or in the movies. We finally had our own Christmas tree. Even though we never had the means to emulate the trendiest holidays season, our family always had the spirit of such a season; in that we still are a giving family. And our home is always open to anyone Ñ friends, family, neighbors and strangers.” – Aristide Loua, Kente Gentlemen
Emerging Designers’ Favorite Holiday Memories
Image Credit: Courtesy of Kelsey Randall
“Growing up we had a family tradition that on Christmas Day all the grandchildren would put on a play for the adults. My grandparents would hang curtains for our stage in their garage and we would dress up in costumes and put on a performance. Directorial duties passed down each year from the oldest to the youngest grandchild, and when I finally got my chance, I did an original composition full of dance routines and very dramatic numbers that I made my cousins rehearse for endless hours on the days leading up to Christmas. Pretty sure when it came time for my little brothers to direct their plays I strong armed them into letting me take over creative control.” – Kelsey Randall
Emerging Designers’ Favorite Holiday Memories
Image Credit: Courtesy of Kendra Duplantier
“Growing up, Christmas celebration was at our house. A tradition passed down to my mother from my grandmother and to her from my great-grandmother. My favorite memory was all of the preparation the night before, being in the kitchen with my mom as her little helper and watching her in action.” – Kendra Duplantier
!["My family has suffered through endless performances, recitals, holiday festival shows, concertsÉ.I always just thought they couldnÕt get enough. [This is] Christmas dinner, 1997." - Mariah Pershadsingh, Bond Hardware](https://martav.shop/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Holiday-Card-2020-7-copy.jpg?w=200)
