I’m Victoria Beckham’s wrapping guru, this is how the super-wealthy do Xmas – A-lister’s luxe gift to a royal floored me.

Luxury gift stylist Jane Means reveals the astronomical cost of the wrapping paper she uses.

FOR many of us, wrapping presents is the most stressful part of Christmas – battling tangled ribbon, losing the end of the Sellotape and praying the paper doesn’t rip at the last minute.

But for luxury gift stylist Jane Means, 56, wrapping is not a festive chore, it’s her profession, and over the past 30 years it’s opened doors to a world most of us can only dream of.

Jane has wrapped gifts for celebrities, including Victoria Beckham, members of the Royal Family and has trained the King’s Chief of Staff. She even wrapped a gift for the late Queen.

As well as working with the super rich and famous, Jane – known as ‘The Gift Guru’ – has collaborated with some of the world’s most prestigious brands, from Dior, Chanel and Cartier to Harrods, Fortnum & Mason and Selfridges.

Discretion is paramount when your clients are A-list, and Jane signs non-disclosure agreements almost daily. But even with that level of secrecy, she admits she’s still regularly astonished by what lands on her wrapping table.

“I’m sometimes amazed at the expense of items – and even their mode of delivery, such as a private jet,” she says.

Presents arriving by private jet
“During lockdown, I had an incredible job for a well-known film company and personally oversaw the gifting for nominees and winners at the Oscars. The gifts were handpicked, and the attention to detail was incredible. Some of them took my breath away, but they were well deserved by the actors.”

One of Jane’s most memorable jobs came just last Christmas when she found herself wrapping a gift that summed up the discreet, high-profile world she works in.

“The last gift I wrapped at Christmas last year was a jacket from a very well-known footballer to a member of the Royal Family,” she reveals. “But my lips remain sealed. It was a nice job to finish on.”

And while some gifts are notable for who they’re from – or who they’re for – others are memorable simply because of their eye-watering value.

“I once wrapped a very valuable clock at my shop in Covent Garden,” Jane explains. “My colleague suggested we close the shop so we could focus fully on the job. Once the client had left, she told me the value of the clock, having worked in the antiques business. It was worth over £50,000. I was very glad I only found out afterwards!”

But wrapping high-value items are all part of the day job for Jane, who runs her business from Bracebridge Heath, with her head office and craft workshops just outside Lincoln.

Some of my clients are high-end jewellers in Bond Street, so I know I’ve wrapped pieces with very serious price tags,” she says. “I also work with a well-known French fashion house and I’m often surrounded by gifts and purchases worth millions, so security is understandably tight. But generally, the most valuable items don’t come with a price tag attached, so I usually have no idea of their worth.”

It’s not just luxury that Jane is the master of – she’s also an expert at wrapping gifts with unusual sizes or shapes.

Serious price tags
“I once wrapped a huge drum kit,” she says. “Because of the value, size and delicate paintwork, I couldn’t risk using paper incase of scratches and I was nervous about using scissors at all. Instead, I used 32 metres of fabric and hand-stitched the entire project. Thankfully, it was a success and the client was thrilled. It became one of my most popular Instagram posts of the year and people still talk about it.”

While Jane’s gifts are wrapped to perfection, behind the scenes there’s a great deal of preparation to ensure precious items are both handled and delivered safely.

“Space is key [when wrapping],” Jane explains. “Unless an item is very heavy, I prefer to handle delicate or valuable pieces myself. Blankets on tables can help protect breakables, and I always use white gloves for glassware and objects that show fingerprints.”

Jane launched her luxury wrapping business in the mid-90s after spotting a gap in the market. Alongside her bespoke service, she now also runs gift-wrapping courses and works all over the world for A-listers and global brands.

“My clients range hugely,” she says. “Some simply love crafts and want to learn, others are small businesses needing help with packaging, while large organisations might need beautifully wrapped products in high volumes. On a daily basis, I sign NDAs and today alone I have wrapped for A-list celebrities, popstars and royalty. Sadly my lips are sealed!”

Unsurprisingly, Jane’s materials are as luxurious as her clientele and are often sourced from overseas.

“We often use high-end European papers that can cost over £200 a roll, alongside luxurious wired ribbons,” she says. “To finish the look, we add calligraphy-inscribed tags and decorations sourced from around the world.”

Pricing varies just as much as the projects themselves, with costs influenced by everything from the scale and complexity of the job to the materials chosen and the time required to achieve the ultra-high end finish Jane is famous for.

“Every job is different,” she explains. “If we’re wrapping lots of different items, I calculate the time involved and quote once materials are chosen.

For large-volume jobs, we often quote per gift and template the paper before starting. Gift wrapping can cost anywhere from £2.50 to £75, depending on timings, travel and materials.”

So, after 30 years at the top of her game, how fast can Jane wrap a standard gift?

“I’ve tested myself in competitions,” she laughs. “I can wrap a small box with a bow in just over one minute!”