Naiise Conversations - with Wottoncool

Naiise invites Sarah Swee, one half of the duo behind fashion and design website Wottoncool to curate our Gifts for Her collection this Christmas. We speak to Sarah to find out more about the quirky, intelligent and humorous woman she had in mind while curating this gift guide, happy thoughts for Christmas and naiise living in 2014.

1. Who is in the Wottoncool team and how did Wottoncool come about?

Wottoncool started in 2007 as a creative outlet for Jo and Sarah to have fun, be creative and share their love for fashion and design. 

2. We love your blog, can you describe what inspires you to write every day?

Our day jobs keep us from writing everyday, but we love to share cool finds and new designs we've discovered.

3. Thank you for curating our Christmas Gifts for Her guide. What kind of woman is this collection for, and how does it reflect your individual style?

My pleasure! This collection is a quirky curation of humorous, intelligent design. I think someone who is perceptive and somewhat nerdy would appreciate this collection. Whether I'm shopping for clothes, accessories, art and home accessories, I find that I have a penchant for the odd and unique - like the math clock, dinosaur candles and Singapore plates.

4. Why is design important to you?

There's a clarity and profound simplicity of good design. 

5. What are your 5 naiisest things about Christmas? 

Gatherings with friends and family. Good food. The festive holiday spirit that lingers in the air, I find that people are generally more cheerful during Christmas. Christmas carols and shopping! 

6. How will you spend Christmas this year?

Every year my family gets together to have a traditional Christmas dinner. We sit at a long table, all 24 of us, and have turkey with stuffing, lasagna,  butter prawns, ham etc. After dinner, we gather in the attic to play games as a whole family - charades, win lose or draw, or each family puts up skits. We have a great time and laugh a lot. In the past my dad would make a piñata and my cousins, siblings and i would take turns hitting it till all the sweets are out. Good memories. 

7. What is the best Christmas gift you've received?

The best Christmas gift is when my extended family gathers for Christmas dinner. Time spent together with my family is the most invaluable gift. 

8. What are your top 5 gift picks for Christmas from Naiise?

Anglepoise, the math clock, charles the concrete chair, the Singapore plates and lost monument poster. 

9. What can we expect from wottoncool in the near future?

Stay tuned to Wottoncool.com. We're in the midst of updating our site layout.

10. Any tips for naiise living in the year ahead?

I recently just read this quote by a Professor from Berkeley, 'There is not some great pool of amazing people in some other place who are going to shape the way our species navigates the coming decades.' Wottoncool's advice for Naiise living? Be the taste-makers, initiators and catalysts for change that you want to see. Be amazing, you have no reason not to. Merry Christmas.