Sandra‘s Closet

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

Do you remember LUISAVIAROMA’s charity project “Pug Dogs for Happy Kids” that I presented to you last January? You can click here for the previous post.

Twenty one pug dogs were customized exclusively for LuisaViaRoma by a selection of the most prominent international luxury fashion designers and bloggers were asked to adopt one of those little soft toys.

As you know, I adopted the Emilio Pucci pug dog.

Finally the pug dogs are to be auctioned off starting March 19th for UNICEF in support of children in Bangladesh on eBay. For more information on how to bet, please click here.

Happy auctioning for a good cause and a big thank you!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

This year Escada celebrates 20 years of their iconic limited edition fragrances, and for this special occasion the company are relaunching three of the most popular: Sexy Graffiti (originally from 2002), Island Kiss (from 2004) and Rockin’ Rio (from 2005).
All three are fruity floral fragrances.

Available now
Eau de Toilette 30ml (CHF 64.-), 50ml (CHF 86.-), 100ml (CHF 114.-)
Body Lotion 150ml (CHF 38.-)

Below you can find more information on the cherry picked three favourite editions that evoke the ultimate exciting moments of summer and some inspirations for a new look:

SEXY GRAFFITI

Sexy Graffiti by Escada is inspired by that magical summer moment when the late New York afternoon sun gives way to a fun party atmosphere where cocktails flow, music plays and the beautiful people make their way to the club bar.

Top notes: Wild strawberry, raspberry, grapefruit and mint
Heart notes: Lily of the Valley, red peony and violets
Base notes: Vanilla and musk

Margot lantern-sleeve wool-crepe dress by Rosanda Illincic, Yolanda pink patent-leather pumps and Mini Loubi Lula satin frame clutch, both by Christian Louboutin and plexiglass and crystal cuff by Emilio Pucci.

ISLAND KISS

Island Kiss by Escada is inspired by the heady days of beach lounging in the Caribbean sea – the water lapping the shore in subtle ripples and the bright sunshine forming dimples of light on the ocean.

Top notes: Tropical red fruit, orange, passion flower and mango
Heart notes: Magnolia and peach
Base notes: Red fruits, wood and musk

Joan blue silk crepe-de-chine and lace dress by Stella McCartney, Lulu triangle bikini by Shimmi, Opyum suede pointed pumps by Yves Saint Laurent, Intrecciato silk-moire knot clutch by Bottega Veneta and turquoise cube ring by Kelly Wearstler.

ROCKIN’ RIO

Rock’in Rio by Escada is inspired by the ultimate holiday cocktail. Imagine the setting of a vibrant and glamorous bar along a Rio promenade – the beautiful and sun-kissed admire each other with their flowing hair and colourful flamboyancy.

Top notes: Coconut, pineapple, tangerine and papaya
Heart notes:  Sugar Cane and peach
Base notes: Sandalwood and musk

Flame lemon-yellow stretch-crepe dress by Preen, canary Honolulu printed silk-chiffon scarf by Swash, yellow patent-leather wedges by Jimmy Choo, Single quilted leather shoulder bag by Marc Jacobs, Katie enameled brass bracelet and stud earrings, both by Marc by Marc Jacobs.

I am so in the mood for summer and you?

LoL, Sandra

Here is a little inspiration for a weekend read for my Swiss and German based readers:
The new SI Style is available featuring my monthly fashion column. In this issue, I am talking a little about the differences between bloggers and fashion journalists, give some travel tips and tell you more about the Polyvore Live fashion show and the Dior Addict Extrême event in Paris. I hope that you will like it.

LoL, Sandra

Photo: © Sandra Bauknecht

To all my Irish readers, Happy St. Patrick’s Day 2012!

When I lived in Chicago, one of my favourite days during the year was the 17th of March when the Chicago River was dyed green for this special occasion (see tiny photo to the left). It is a 50-year tradition in the American city where many Irish are living.

Did you know? It’s said that blue was originally the colour associated with the holiday but over time green took over in popularity due to Ireland’s nickname as “The Emerald Isle”, the green in the Irish flag and the clover that St. Patrick used in his teachings about Catholicism.
Thank God, it was changed to green as blue would have been such an ordinary colour for the Chicago river.

During my last trip to Ireland, it was raining pretty much all the time. This inspired me to style this fashionable outfit for the more humid days:

Star-print rain coat by Miu Miu, cable-knit cashmere sweater by Ralph Lauren Black Label, high-waisted cotton-canvas skirt by See by Chloé, 1970 small leather shoulder bag by Gucci and Wellington boots by Hunter.

LoL, Sandra

For the first time, there was a credit that no one has seen at a runway show before: One of Chanel’s famous Parisian ateliers, the legendary couture embroidery house Lesage, lend their skills to Peter Philips, Creative Director for Chanel Makeup, by creating the most stunning embroidered eyebrow pads for the models.

Lesage (embroidery) is along with 7 other ateliers part of Chanel’s subsidary dedicated to “Métiers d’ art”, Paraffection. These include Montex (embroidery), Desrues (costume jewelry), Lemarié (feather-maker), Maison Michel (hat-maker), Massaro (boot-maker), Goossens (goldsmith) and Guillet (fabric flowers-maker).

The emphasis of the runway makeup look is on the eyebrows by using those amazing Lesage pads which won’t be for sale unfortunately. The rest of the face is kept nude and simple.

But there are two new products that will be available in the fall that will make our hearts leap with joy. “Ombre Contraste” is a compact powder in a lavender-taupe shade, called “Notorious” specially created for this show that Peter Philips used for all the shading and sculpting of the face.

For the nails, the new It- shade will be “Frenzy”, a light taupe, which is totally colour coordinated with “Notorious”.

Here is your shopping list:
(the highlighted ones will be available this fall, the rest is in stores already):

Chanel F/W 2012 Ready-to-Wear Show
Makeup by Peter Philips

Skin prepared with HYDRA BEAUTY SERUM

The Complexion
MAT LUMIERE
POUDRE UNIVERSELLE LIBRE
ECLAT LUMIERE
CORRECTEUR PERFECTION

The Eyes
LE CRAYON KHOL « Clair » (N°69)
RECOURBE CILS DE CHANEL
Embroideries made by Maison Lesage specially for the show

The Eyes and the Cheeks
OMBRE CONTRASTE “Notorious” – Exclusive Creation available in specific point of sales in September 2012

The Lips
ROUGE COCO BAUME – Spring 2012 Collection

The Nails
LE VERNIS « Frenzy » (N°559)  – Fall 2012 Collection

Cannot wait to have “Frenzy” on my nails!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Chanel 2012, Vincent Lappartient

It was crystal clear last week in Paris that Karl Lagerfeld was once again breaking fresh ground with multi-facetted silhouettes and some unexpected pieces including a new suit: “The new three-piece, a jacket and little dress over trousers!” (This will be a huge trend for F/W 2012. Also Miuccia Prada had shown this look for Prada F/W 2012).
As well as a very long riding coat with large, rounded, sloping sleeves and the “pantacoat”, an all-in-one with legs that unzip to become a coat. Volumes are amplified by drawstrings or gathered belts, are highlighted by top-stitching – a reference to the same detail found on the Boy CHANEL handbag. There are jackets with sailor-smock collars and a fur-lined coat like the one worn by Stella Tennant at the start of the show (see photo above).

Needless to say, the decor at Chanel is always ouststanding. This time, the breathtaking ambiance was created by a brightly-lit mineral backdrop, beneath the glass roff of the Grand Palais. Giant blocks of uncut amethyst, clear rock crystal and opaque quartz erupted from a sparkling, white floor. “Nature’s the greatest designer,” said Lagerfeld to style.com, pointing at some of the more spectacular crystalline excrescences. “These shapes are millions of years old.”

The mineral rock setting extended into fabric metaphors with combinations of wool and more technical materials glinting with a subtle metallic shimmer. Subdued shades of hematite, azurite and obsidian are illuminated by a myriad of jewel-coloured splashes of sulphur, lapis-lazuli, emerald and amethyst. Stippled iridescent feathers, “softer to the touch than fur”, bring warmth to the outfits. Crystals and minerals reinterpreted in the style of Czech Cubism become prisms of gleaming vinyl.

I included some of the backstage photos for you to see the beautiful details of the clothes even better. Enjoy Chanel’s  new mineralogist silhouette!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Chanel

Let me introduce you the Ombres Matelassées, the new eye palette from Peter Philips, Creative Director of Chanel Makeup, that offers a new interpretation of the iconic quilted effect so emblematic of Chanel.

Held in a black rectangular case, the five shades Pear, Pale Gold, Gold, Golden Khaki and Black Night are presented in a harmonious crisscross arrangement. Simply apply as desired to the eyelids, using the double-tipped foam applicators and brush.

Application tips:
– Use the foam applicator to apply the eyeshadows and the brush to gently blend them, for a makeup look that mixes different shades.
– The two darker shades can be used damp as an eyeliner. Simply apply with the tip of a foam applicator, along the base of the lashes.

Available in Switzerland at Chanel boutiques from the beginning of April for CHF 85.-.

In Paris, the Ombres Matelassées palette was pre-released at the re-opening of the Chanel boutique on 51, Avenue Montaigne last week.
This 600m2 boutique houses the unique world of Chanel and all of Karl Lagerfeld’s creations – Ready-to-Wear, handbags, shoes, jewellery and other accessories – as well as fine jewellery and watches.

The two floors of the new space were inspired by the finesse of Mademoiselle Chanel’s private apartment at 31 Rue Cambon.

The conception of this new address was entrusted to New York architect Peter Marino, who is responsible for all of the Chanel boutiques across the globe.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Chanel

Today I would like to introduce you to the John Hardy brand. Canadian-born designer John Hardy founded his Bali-based eponymous jewelry line in 1989, working with skilled local artisans to handcraft each of his intricate tribal-inspired designs.

Truly impressive is the company’s environmental conservation activism, that shows particularly through the planting of bamboo to offset its carbon emissions, its use of recycled silver and its support of charities protecting endangered forests and wildlife.
Now under the creative leadership of Guy Bedarida, the company continues to follow Hardy’s strict policy of ‘sustainable luxury’, building on a successful production model without compromising the environment.

Famous model Angela Lindvall, muse and personal friend of Creative Director Guy Bebarida is the face of John Hardy.

I think that it is absolutely fabulous supporting such a brand by buying their products.
My personal favourites are the cuffs, bangles and bracelets (see above).

To shop, click on the banner below. John Hardy offers free shipping until March 31st, 2012. John Hardy is also available at net-à-porter.com.

LoL, Sandra

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