Of All Years, This Spring’s Graduating Class Deserves Something Nice

(Bloomberg Businessweek) -- This year’s class of seniors has been through a lot: They started school under the cloud of the 2008 financial recession and are graduating into the workforce during a pandemic. Even those who were headed for additional schooling face an uncertain fall schedule. This year, give them something that will prove useful, from some companies that are trying to lend a hand, too.

For Future Life Savers

Medical residents can spend 12 hours on their feet at a time. Their shoe of choice? A sturdy clog to safeguard toes from falling instruments and unwelcome fluids. With their basswood heels and textured rubber soles, Celine’s calfskin clogs ($920) are an elevated take on the standard-issue pair. The brand’s parent company, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, has been a big supporter of the health-care community, retooling its factories to make face masks and disinfecting gel. Looking for another way to keep your resident on her feet during all-nighters? Try a Wolf coffee maker ($500), which has a built-in scale in order to brew a cup to your personal preferences, all before that alarm goes off. Doctors can’t wear rings or bracelets when examining patients, but a Bulgari Save the Children necklace ($620) lets them keep wedding bands and other valuables close to their hearts.

For Mindful Shapers of Great Minds

A teacher-to-be needs a place to store all those graded papers. This Hermès sorter ($930) is an understated treasure, in solid mahogany and taurillon leather, that adds refinement to a desk. And each sale supports the brand’s philanthropic efforts, which so far include donations of more than $20 million to public hospitals in Paris, as well as tens of thousands of masks and 30 tons of hand sanitizer. The swoops and strikes of a professor’s pen carry the weight of the future, so consider investing in a Montblanc Meisterstück Le Petit Prince Classique Ballpoint ($515) to offer the proper heft. A durable, handsome Tutima Sky Automatic watch ($1,750) in a pop of color such as burgundy will make sure teacher is never late for class.

For Those Who Laugh in the Face of Danger

Every traveler needs a trusted pair of shades. Moscot Momza sunglasses ($300) have unique patterns in each frame. The family-owned business has given more than $1.5 million in eyeglasses—that’s 5,000 pairs—to front-line workers. A Retrouvaí Grandfather compass necklace ($7,700) is a tongue-in-cheek take on the original GPS instrument. Through its support of No Kid Hungry, the Los Angeles brand is helping feed children who aren’t receiving school lunches. Also, your young journeyman will want a rugged timekeeper. Bremont’s ALT1-C Griffon ($6,695) is a pilot’s watch that channels the independent spirit of the single-seat British Spitfire plane from World War II.

For a Conjurer of Digital Wizardry

Before dismissing Lego’s Liebherr R 9800 Excavator ($450) as a mere toy, consider its 4,000 parts, two built-in smart hubs controlled via an app, and seven independent motors. The company has committed $50 million to help families with children find creative ways to play during the pandemic. For a more functional piece of equipment, a Cuyana tech carryall ($165) can fit a lot of electronics in one handy place. If you’re more concerned with getting your gamer night owl to sleep, offer the coziest reason to get under the covers: a Boll & Branch bedding set (from $285); the husband-wife duo is donating 10% of proceeds and gifting hospital-grade mattresses and pillows for Covid-19 relief.

For the Aspiring Clothing Creator

Fashion designers have happily lent their time and talent to churn out personal protective equipment. Help your grad join this august group with a Janome Mod-19 sewing machine ($400), which has easy drop-in top-load bobbins, a built-in needle threader, and a free arm ideal for sewing small openings such as sleeves. Complete the future stylist’s power outfit with a structured, top-handle Hunting Season handbag ($1,595) in cherry-red. The brand for in-the-know types has been auctioning off different styles of its bags via Instagram; proceeds go to charities that include A Million Masks and We Share a Common Thread Foundation.

For the Budding Chart Topper

A future hitmaker needs practice space, and with a 512-megabyte sample library, the Nord Electro 6 keyboard (from $2,199) provides tunage room to spare. Save the roommate’s ears (or yours), and throw in a pair of Sony WH-1000XM3 noise-canceling headphones ($350), which are compatible with Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa. They’re consistently the highest-rated private head space money can buy.

For the Ultimate Ingredient Master

A GreenPan 11-piece nonstick set ($520), including a requisite large stockpot and covered frying pan, is regarded as the future chef’s starter kit. The eco-friendly pans have a ceramic nonstick surface and, best of all, they stack to less than 14 inches high, fitting in a small kitchen. For a more colorful countertop accoutrement, a Fredericks & Mae chopping block ($95), like many meals, was created with leftover materials.

For the Bold Business Innovator

At more than 4 carats, a pair of Graff earrings (price on request) is a fearless choice for the unapologetic woman destined to be in charge. The company is also donating $1 million to the World Health Organization’s Solidarity Response Fund. A more laid-back leader will enjoy the quintessential, Gatsby-esque Ralph Lauren Belvin velvet slippers ($795). The company wasted no time on its pandemic response, which came to $10 million, 250,000 masks, and 25,000 gowns. If your grad has goals for digital domination, upgrade the obligatory Silicon Valley hoodie with a luxurious Naked Cashmere Archie ($395). The family-owned company has been donating lunches to hospitals, as well as cozy sweaters to frontline workers and women going through health treatments alone.

For the Next Generation of Influencers

The mirrorless, lightweight Canon EOS RP ($1,000) has a firmware update that allows internet stars to use it in place of the computer’s webcam, so their work can look professionally shot. And they’ll thank you for a bottle of Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk foundation ($64), which provides the “dewy” complexion that on-screen talent craves. ThreeAsFour’s Blue Jay mask ($44.44) is a stylish way to encourage face coverings as standard procedure.

For the Trainer of Tomorrow

The Theragun Mini ($199) is a tiny, at-home, deep-tissue-massage wonder that will pay for itself in no time. The company is providing 100,000 meals in the U.S. and donating parts of each sale to Covid-19 charities worldwide. Meanwhile, aesthetician Kate Somerville has aligned herself with World Central Kitchen’s relief efforts. Proceeds from every sale will send a meal to a family, child, or first responder in need; her new DeliKate recovery cream ($80) is a fragrance-free skin treatment made especially for sensitive types.

For a Darling Do-Gooder

A RadWagon 3 electric cargo bike ($1,500) can haul whatever a volunteer’s program needs—its payload capacity is 350 pounds—and it gets 45 miles on each charge. If your grad dreams of traveling to remote locales one day, secure his or her most important documents safely and stylishly with a nappa leather Bottega Veneta passport case ($390) in the house’s signature Intrecciato weave. The Italian brand is paying it forward with €300,000 ($323,820) in scholarships to fund medical researchers in its hard-hit homeland. Save feet from whatever dubious shower floors they have to endure with a classic pair of Havaianas flip-flops (from $20). To help its native Brazil, the brand is giving radio equipment to the Conexão Favela radio station in Rio de Janeiro, a vital source of coronavirus-related news for low-income communities in the city.

For Those Who Need a Few More Years

If your scholar is headed for more, well, schooling, send a wad of cash held by a Tiffany 1837 Makers money clip ($200) in sterling silver. The Tiffany & Co. Foundation has pledged $1 million—$750,000 of it going to the WHO’s Solidarity Response Fund and $250,000 to the New York Community Trust’s NYC Covid-19 Response & Impact Fund. Or help lug books and supplies with flair in a Dior Catherine tote ($3,600). This season’s spin on the cult favorite, inspired by garden-tool bags, comes equipped with a bunch of handy side pockets, a bonus for keeping hand sanitizer and other essentials at the ready. Like Dior’s parent brand, LVMH, Lotuff Leather immediately pivoted to making face protectors for health-care workers. Its hand-painted leather knapsack ($2,900) is handsome and rugged and sports a bright hunter-orange contrast to its camouflage pattern.

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