Sandra‘s Closet

When I stumbled across the new US April Vogue and this amazing editorial featuring Kate Moss showcasing the most beautiful of January’s couture collections at the hotel Ritz in Paris, before closing its doors for renovation, I had to share this with you.

Lensed by one of my favourite photographers Tim Walker and styled by Grace Coddington, this is a feast for your eyes! Enjoy!

My Bleu Heaven
A cornflower-blue dress by Sarah Burton, reminiscent of 1950s couture, plays on proportion and contrast: nipped-in waist and voluminous skirt; flat jacquard against exploding lace. Alexander McQueen lace bustier jacquard dress.

At First Blush
Moss, in the bathroom of the Coco Chanel Suite, wears a petal-like cocktail dress and cape, inspired by a 1960 design, from a pink-and-silver cloque lamé created by Cristóbal Balenciaga.

Life Imitates Art I
Like the neoclassical crimson satin sofa, a dramatic tiered evening dress (Dior’s finale look) adds a jolt of brilliant color to the hushed palette of an Imperial Suite salon. Dior Haute Couture silk dress.

Life Imitates Art II
Bellhop Nicolas Deschamps balances a Roger Vivier silk-and-feather pump on his cap.

Sleeping Beauty
For three decades, Coco Chanel called the hotel her home. Here, the bedroom of the suite named for her. Armani Privé sequined embroidered flared bustier dress.

Boxed Out
Karl Lagerfeld took over the first-floor-spanning Imperial Suite, seen here, for his 1996 couture collection. Chanel Haute Couture embroidered organza flower coat and pumps.

Cocktail Hour
“I drink the French 76: vodka, sugar, lemon juice topped up with champagne; it’s the best drink ever, but it only tastes like that in the Hemingway Bar,” says Moss, here in L’Espadon. “Colin [Field, Ritz Paris head bartender] made it for my wedding. It doesn’t taste at all strong—and then, whoa, whoops-a-daisy!” Alexis Mabille Haute Couture burnished lamé dress and hat.

Light Show
“When I was with Johnny Depp, he always stayed there. I had an apartment in Paris at the time, but he said, ‘No, we’re staying at the Ritz,’ so he came by and swept me up to the Ritz—he didn’t want to slum it in my apartment!” Givenchy Haute Couture by Riccardo Tisci.

Room Service
“Gianni’s [Versace] shows were amazing—and sooo convenient. Walk downstairs, go to work: Love that!” says Moss, with housekeepers Khadidja Fakri and Lollie Bacete (standing). Dior Haute Couture embroidered silk dress. Headpiece created by Julien d’Ys.

View From the Top
Giambattista Valli sent out a cinched draped-shoulder goddess dress in “a color so deep, so intense, you can almost smell it—like bougainvillea on the Mediterranean coast.” Giambattista Valli Haute Couture silk dress and necklace.

Special Delivery
In the Flower Room, a team of five florists overseen by floral designer Djordje Varda is charged with, among other things, selecting and arranging 10,000 blooms for the hotel each week.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Vogue, Tim Walker

When my eyes spotted the net-trimmed ribbed knitted beanie designed by Stephen Jones on the Jil Sander S/S 2012 runway last fall, I was asking myself why had nobody before come up with the idea to combine a casual beanie with the glamourous feel of a veil. The outcome is so outstanding. Needless to say, this veiled hat has been on every fashion lover’s shopping list and it made its way into my closet, too. As the Jil Sander version (available in blue and white) is pretty expensive, you might want to try doing it yourself.

What do you need?

A sloughy knitted beanie, French veil netting (Available at fabric stores. To order, please click here), sewing thread of a similiar colour, a sewing needle and a pair of scissors.

How to do it?

This is pretty easy and doesn’t require advanced sewing skills. Just attach the French veil netting inside of the turn-up of the beanie. Turn the it over and sew the bottom edge of the netting to the beanie with a single stitch to the middle point.

I attached the photos of my beanie below for you to see it more in detail!

Have fun sewing!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Welcome to my new category “Travel Insider” – your best source for your favourite destinations and fancy escapes. Famous fashion insiders will provide you with the best spots and places-to-be.

MARY KATRANTZOU

The fashion designer shares her tips for the best summer reads and the ultimate fish in the port of Piraeus.

Your favourite city in the world:
ATHENS
That is home.

Your favourite restaurant:
JIMMY AND THE FISH, Koumoundourou Coast 46, 18543 Piraeus – Mikrolimano, Phone: +30 210 – 4124417
Try the mini fried shrimps.

Your favourite shop:
SOTRIS, 41 Voukourestiou Street & Tsakalof Street, Kolonaki Athens, Phone +30 210 – 361 0662
They were the first in Greece to by my clothes beginning from my very first season.

Your favourite island:
SPETSES
I got christened there and spent my last 28 summers on that beautiful island.

Your favourite summer read:
SANDRA’S CLOSET (Thank you, Mary!)
and the next book on my to-read-list is: 
THE TIPPING POINT – How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell
(The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a small but precisely targeted push cause a fashion trend, the popularity of a new product, or a drop in the crime rate. This widely acclaimed bestseller, in which Malcolm Gladwell explores and brilliantly illuminates the tipping point phenomenon, is already changing the way people throughout the world think about selling products and disseminating ideas.)

Three things you have to pack for Greece:
1. FLAT SHOES for the cobbled streets on the Greek islands.
2. SUN PROTECTION
3. A MARY KATRANTZOU SCARF for the windy nights.

Thank you, Mary, for sharing your insider scoop on Greece with us!

LoL, Sandra