Sophia Pierro was never one to give a single, splashy gift on a friend’s birthday or for a special occasion. “I like to take lots of little mini gifts and make something really big and special – something more meaningful out of the little elements,” Sophia explains. It’s a skill she’s honed over the years through her work as a film and TV set decorator. “My whole job with film was to take a bunch of small things and to create one cohesive look,” she says.
Sophia had the opportunity to put her gift-assembling skills to work during a stint as a producer’s assistant. She was responsible for sourcing gifts for visitors or cast members’ birthdays and would often assemble personalized baskets filled with interesting, unique items from local Toronto makers. Realizing that there wasn’t anyone in the city creating the boxes and baskets she was making, Sophia was inspired to launch her own operation and started Present Day Gifts in November 2015.