A sneek peak inside our festive gathering.

It doesn’t seem that long ago when we were basking in the sun at the MR PORTER Block Party in New York City, a cold koozie in one hand, a taco in the other – but yesterday it was time for us to kick-start the festive season. Along with our friends Montblanc, Pankhurst London, B&O Play, Jason Markk, Sipsmith, Leica, Carousel Spaces and Esme Winter, we decked out a space in Marylebone and held our Holidays with MR PORTER party. There was a lot going on – from haircuts and gift wrapping, to gin-tasting and shoe cleaning – and we invited a few select guests to help us celebrate the holidays in style. For those of you that weren’t able to join us, here’s a rundown of the key things we took away from the evening.

Throughout the evening, Lamplighter’s Ms Chiara Perano was personalising Montblanc passport holders for our guests. With a queue stretching from the back of our venue – where their table was based – to the entrance, we think it’s safe to say that Ms Perano’s calligraphy was a hit.

The holidays are a time of fun and youthfulness – so what better way to cater for this than a wall full of sweet-filled jars? It quickly descended into chaos though, as people battled it out over the cola bottles and sour cherries. We’ve learnt our lesson. Next time there will be someone supervising our “adult” guests.

Leica has released its first instant camera – and it has all the fun and spontaneity of a Polaroid camera, but with none of the worries about the photo quality. Taking photos of our guests throughout the evening, the Leica team was kind enough to let us see their camera in action – and it has since gone straight to number one on our Wish Lists. Yes please, Santa.

Specifically, Sipsmith gin. In fact, if we could only ever drink one brand of gin ever again, this would be up there. We may be a little biased, though – who wouldn’t love a gin company who names a cocktail after you? A mix of port and gin (who would have thought?) named – you guessed it – the MR PORTER. Genius. And delicious.

…And Pankhurst London provided the scissors (and the expertise). At its pop-up salon, which was located downstairs at our party, its team were expertly grooming beards and hair at an impressive speed. They were also – some might say – strategically placed next to the gin stand, so those who were feeling a little shy about having their hair cut in front of a crowd at the beginning of the evening were ready to take the plunge by the end.