Sandra‘s Closet

The newest addition to Lorenzo Villoresi’s so-called “Fantasy Fragrances” is Iperborea.
Fresh blossoming petals, sprouting in the snow – if you adore like me Teint de Neige or in general powdery, sensual fragrances you will love this new creation.

A sparkling green top note of fresh flowers, with citrus notes and light fruity hints, which opens into a radiant heart of blossoming petals; lily of the valley, magnolia, mimosa and cyclamen. Touches of musk and aromatic woods emerge from a soft and intense background of white spring flowers, with precious extracts of orange blossom and jasmine.

Only writing about it, makes me smell it. Yummy! For store locations, please click here.
In Zurich, Perfumery Osswald carries it.

LoL, Sandra

Have you ever dreamt of owning a luxurious piece from Balmain? Now you might have a chance without your budget going overboard. Today you can shop Balmain at up to 80% off at the outnet.com. Get your hands on a divine military must-have or a sharp LBD. I love my Balmain jackets and wear them a lot (see below).
Happy shopping!

LoL, Sandra

No wonder there is traditionally a queue around the block from her shops at Christmas. The name Jo Malone sends most women into a reverie of pristine cream boxes with black edging and grosgrain ribbons filled with original fresh scents.

The products are wonderful gifts. Even the tissue paper is misted with fragrance so that the Jo Malone experience starts already when lifting the lit.

As a child, Jo Malone would make her own perfumes with flowers from the garden and grated Camay soap. Her mother was a beautician and her father an artist.
She worked as a florist and gave facials in her kitchen at night. Soon she became one of London’s most sought-after skin care therapist. It was when she met her husband Gary at the age of 19, that their business, featuring handmade scents and products, took off. She gave her Nutmeg and Ginger Bath Oil as a thank you to her clients and the orders began to flood in.

Jo Malone opened her first store at 154 Walton Street in London in 1994. By 1999, she launched her flagship store in London’s Sloane Street. That same year her company was purchased by Estée Lauder with Jo Malone still at its UK helm as chairwoman and creative director. Then in 2006, she sold it to them in its entirety.

For deeper, richer dimension to your home, it’s decorating with scent that makes the difference. Shouldn’t the fragrance ambience of your home be as inviting as the fragrance on your skin?

For her, perfume and stories go hand in hand, each cologne has been inspired by a real moment. Think of fragrances as your little black dress. You can create your bespoke scent by mixing, matching and layering with other Jo Malone colognes for endless effects. Accessorize it extravagantly or pair it down, just follow your mood and make each day another statement.
This is the philosophy behind Jo Malone’s Fragrance Combining. In case you are worried that a cologne doesn’t last enough, you will be astonished how long the fragrances stay on. Especially in combination with the Jo Malone body products.

You can choose from all sorts of fragrance families such as floral, spicy or woody. For more details, please enjoy the collages below:

As I am a big fan of oriental, opulent fragrances, I am truly happy about Jo Malone’s new addition: The 4 new Colognes Intenses. Ingredients like rose water, amber, patchouli, vanilla, musk and oud give in combination a wonderful deepness to your bespoke scent. They were supposed to be limited but seem to stay in the collection due to their high demand.

To the left, you can see a photo of my very own bathroom and its little Jo Malone display.
For a store locator, please click here. For my Zurich based readers, I have good news. There is a Jo Malone corner now at Jelmoli.

LoL, Sandra

I am almost dying looking at those photos. As if the see-through Kelly bag Jean-Paul Gaultier created for his final Hermès S/S 2011 show wasn’t enough to drool over, there is also the wicker Kelly bag to be lusted after and the cute miniature Birkin bag dangling from the model’s wrist. Can you believe that the see-through material is actually very thin crocodile leather, ohmygod?!
Those bags will be very limited and they kind of make your everyday Kelly look plain boring. Being highly collectables, they are guaranteed to become instant classics.
Get on the wait list now ladies!

LoL, Sandra

New shoes cure the blues and a gorgeous pair of suede pumps will keep you stylish on many occassions. Opt for colour for the ultimate eyecatching effect and try platforms for comfy heights. I am sure that you will love them either way!
And isn’t Cinderella’s story proof enough that a new pair of shoes can change your life…?!

LoL, Sandra

The new cruise 2011 pieces are arriving in stores and some work perfectly for the winter season. Wish upon a star with Christopher Kane’s galactic space print.
The combination with leather is utterly unique and turns on immediately your star factor.
I wore the dress last night with a cropped jacket by Alexander Wang and a fur vest by Miu Miu. Add some overknee boots for total evening cool and finish off your look with some killer jewelry.

To your inner evening star!

LoL, Sandra

Today, I have some amazing news for you. For the first time on Sandra’s Closet, you can become a virtual stylist and create your favourite outfits online here at the end of this post.
The contest in collaboration with Polyvore and LuisaViaRoma has some great prizes to be won.

In case that you do not know LuisaViaRoma yet, the flagship store in Firenze, and its official website feature the must-have fashion pieces from over 400 designer collections.

Prizes: The winner will receive a € 500 giftcard to spend at LuisaViaRoma. In addition, the grand-prize winner will get round-trip air transportation and hotel accomodation in Firenze, Italy to attend  LuisaViaRoma’s FIRENZE4EVER Second Edition Party on January 7th-9, 2011 – a unique and exclusive event for fashion’s most popular bloggers! Moreover, three top winners’ sets will be made into a LuisaViaRoma video which will be featured in the Style Guide Video section on luisaviaroma.com and on the Facebook fanpage. All sets will be credited with the winner’s name.

Challenge: All you have to do is create a look based on one of the LuisaViaRoma style guides: Cocktail Hour, Cool Street Style, Dancing ‚til Dawn, First Date and/or Work Wear!

You have time until December 8th. Please click here for all the rules.

I am looking forward to enjoying your creativity and fashion sense.

LoL, Sandra

THIS CONTEST HAS ENDED!

John Galliano has done it again and designed for the second year running the Christmas tree for London’s famous hotel Claridge’s. This time, he drew inspirations from the ocean.
„I wanted to create an underwater fantasy and have mixed pink corals, seahorses, anemones and jellyfish, all glinting like gem stones, swimming amidst the silver leaves,“ said Galliano, Christian Dior’s creative director.
As for me, I preferred last year’s installation, as the frozen theme looked more wintery.
The tree is on display in the lobby until January 5th, 2011.

LoL, Sandra

The first BALLY LOVE project is a series of outstanding iconic collectables created by Bally in partnership with Swiss-artist Philippe Decrauzat, a striking capsule collection featuring intriguing optical designs. Originally presented to the public during Art Basel in June, Bally will again showcase the collection during Art Basel Miami Beach, starting tomorrow, at a specially designed booth in the VIP Collectors Lounge.

Shop the iconic BALLY LOVE collection exclusively online and in the Miami pop-up store, located at the Moore Building, 191 NE 40th Street, Suite 101, Miami Design District, starting from December 3rd. From Decmber 4th, the collection will be available in selected stores.

Fashion meets art – always a good match!

LoL, Sandra

Thom Browne is the darling of the fashion community. The shrunken suit silhouette – narrow lapels and short-cropped trousers, meticulously tailored – is his signature look.
Since he founded his own line in 2001, the US designer has transformed the direction of menswear, a world in which change happens at a glacial pace. Especially American men tend to wear clothes that are too big. Thom, an admirer of European tailoring, has created a new exaggerated take on the staples of a man’s wardrobe.

He got his start in fashion by designing for Club Monaco in the Nineties. In 2006, Browne was tapped to design Brooks Brothers’ more fashion-focused Black Fleece line, and in 2008 he was named creative director for Moncler Gamme Bleu.

For his menswear S/S 2011 collection, the designer made his Paris Fashion week runway debut with his probably most commercial show due to date. From his famous classic gray flannel to a shimmering sequined plaid, all interpreted with bermuda shorts and kneesocks underneath, he proofed his talent for proportional play and focused on his craft, his love for quality.

And good news is, for S/S 2011, Thom Browne is making a foray into womenswear with an amazing collection. Women look great in tailoring and the clothes boast the juxtaposition of traditional fabrications remixed with a his special kind of humour and exaggerations.

Thom Browne’s statement regarding his new womenswear collection: „I’m looking at it the same as my mens, like looking at really well-made clothes for girls that are tailoring-inspired but interesting and provocative, not just another collection of clothing for girls.“

One thing is clear, Thom Browne is poised to be as big as his suits are small!

Thom Browne Men is available in Switzerland at Trois Pommes, for further store enquiries, please contact .

LoL, Sandra