Sandra‘s Closet

This look makes me feel like a princess. It is amazing how Mary Katrantzou expertly placed the vivid prints on her Harp Hazzard dress from the S/S 2012 runway. You can wear the floor-sweeping floral-print train with bare legs and elegant sandals, or detach it to transform this patterned piece into a thigh-grazing mini.
Louis Vuitton‘s tiara from the S/S 2012 fashion show complements the outfit perfectly. You can wear it over the hair to give it more volume (as seen on me) or under.

My look: Harp Hazzard printed silk-twill dress with detachable train by Mary Katrantzou (also available without train), Tribute chain-detailed suede sandals by Yves Saint Laurent and tiara by Louis Vuitton.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Don’t forget, on Sunday we are having a (MOM)ent. Here are some more ideas for a lovely gift for Mother’s Day.

Your mother is your first (and best) friend. Make her day all over again with something she adores like one of those recently launched fragrances.

LoL, Sandra

JOHN RICHMOND – VIVA ROCK
Eau de Toilette, CHF 46.- (30ml), CHF 84.- (50ml) and CHF 112.-(100ml)

Floral Aldehydic
Sophisticated and young, the perfect scent for a woman who loves life.

Top notes: Sicilian mandarin, carambola and cactus
Heart notes: Damascena rose, jasmine and cherry blossom
Base notes: Musk, iris and amber

KENZO FLOWERTAG
Eau de Parfum, CHF 81.- (30ml) and CHF 110.70 (50ml)

Floral Fruity Gourmand
Inspired by the urban art of graffiti, this intense version is all about sensuality.

Top notes: Grapefruit, black currant and rhubarb
Heart notes: Gardenia, jasmine and peony
Base notes: Praline, vanilla, patchouli and musk

NARCISO RODRIGUEZ – FOR HER EAU DE PARFUM DELICATE
Eau de Parfum, CHF 147.- (125ml)

Oriental Woody
A limited edition fragrance – an expression of femininity and gracefulness.

Top notes: Rose and peach
Heart notes: Musk and amber
Base notes: Oud, patchouli and sandalwood

HERMES – VOYAGE D’HERMES PARFUM
Perfume, CHF 105.- (35ml), CHF 151.- (100ml) and CHF 146.- (125ml Refill Bottle)

Woody Floral Musk
Classy, stylish and  rich – for the independent woman.

Top notes: Cardamom, lemon and spices
Heart notes: Hedione, floral notes with accentuated rose, green and tea notes
Base notes: Amber and musk

Photo: © Sandra Bauknecht, Stills: Courtesy of the brands

Mother’s Day is around the corner and you might want to think of a little surprise. There are many new fragrances on the market. Here are some of the bestsmelling scents available now.

LoL, Sandra

GUERLAIN AQUA ALLEGORIA – LYS SOLEIA
Eau de Toilette, CHF 109.- (125ml)

Floral Fruity
Elegant and light, perfect for an airy summer night.

Top notes: Bergamot, lemon and palm leaves
Heart notes: Lily, ylang-ylang and tropical fruits
Base notes: Tuberose, vanilla and white musk

ISSEY MIYAKE  – L’EAU D’ISSEY SUMMER 2012
Eau de Toilette, CHF 86.- (100ml)

Floral Aquatic
Dynamic and refreshing but full of exotics and warmth.

Top notes: Rose, pear and water notes
Heart notes: Carnation and peony
Base notes: Osmanthus and woodsy notes

PRADA INFUSION D’IRIS EAU DE PARFUM ABSOLUE
Eau de Parfum Absolue CHF 118.- (50ml) und CHF 150.- (100ml)

Oriental Floral
Intense, rich – full of seduction, my favourite.

Top notes: African orange flower and neroli
Heart notes: Italian iris
Base notes: White musk, benzoin from Laos, Madagascar vanilla and tonka bean from Venezuela

BIOTHERM EAU OCEANE
Eau de Toilette, CHF 70.- (100ml)

Floral Aquatic
Revitalising, hydrating and refreshing – the power of the ocean in a scent.

Top notes: Bergamot, lemon and fruity notes
Heart notes: Jasmine and water notes (through Firmenich molecules)
Base notes: Musk, cedar, algae, moss and sand flowers

LoL, Sandra

Photo: © Sandra Bauknecht, Stills: Courtesy of the brands

Spotted on the streets of Zurich: Isabelle, bringing the print pants trend to perfection. Colourful, stylish with a vibrant mix of patterns.

Isabelle’s look: Blue sweater and silk print pants, both by DKNY, dark blue classic single breasted blazer by By Malene Birger, Rollergirl tartan canvas loafers by Christian Louboutin, lace socks by Fogal, bangles by Hermès and watch “Rolex Explorer II” by Rolex (officially known as “McQueen Rolex”). She bought the amazing neon-green wayfarer sunglasses at a beach shop in Cannes and the green python bag is a souvenir from her last trip to Asia.

You might assume that this stylish woman works in fashion but think again. Isabelle is a professor working in the division of thoracic surgery. Pretty cool, isn’t it?

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

The S/S 2012 collections deliver us explosions of prints and ladies, get ready to throw any sort of caution to the wind. Your summer pants should be all about wild prints in bold colours, in cuts from slim to palazzo. 
Here are the best ones to shop at the moment, directly from the runway:

1 Printed stretch-silk straight-leg pants by Roberto Cavalli
2 Paisley-print silk pants by Stella McCartney
3 Printed wool and silk-blend straight-leg pants by Prabal Gurung

In the the ’80′s wearing floral print trousers was absolutely trendy. This summer, the floral fashion legacy is leading the runways and the streets. Designers plunged into a garden of Eden and have started to infiltrate our wardrobes with the most beautiful flowers.

1 Floral print cropped pants by H&M
2 Printed silk crepe de chine tapered pants by Gucci
3 Printed silk straight-leg pants by Tucker
4 Floral cotton pants by Céline

During fashion weeks, silk print pants have already been seen on the most stylish fashionistas all around the globe. Punchy prints rendezvous with standout shades this season.

1 Printed satin-jersey harem pants by Balmain
2 Sequin-print silk tapered pants by Lanvin
3 Pressage floral-print twill tapered pants by Sandro
4 Printed stretch silk crepe de chine pants by DKNY

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Tommy Ton, net-à-porter and style.com

Frieze Art Fair is renowned for cutting edge art and a fashion-forward crowd. Established in London in 2003 by the infinitely stylish Matthew Slotover and his co-director Amanda Sharp, it has become one of the art world’s hottest tickets.

This month, London’s coolest art fair hits Manhattan for the first time with the launch of Frieze New York. The four-day event (May 4-7) will see over 1000 of the world’s leading artists gather alongside curators, gallerists and collectors all set against a cool waterside backdrop and with a hip lineup of pop-up restaurants, parties and people to spot. And fashion trendsetters such as Net-à-porter and Mulberry join forces with the art world:

Co-publishers of Frieze Matthew Slotover and Amanda Sharp at the Mulberry dinner

On Friday, May 4 Mulberry hosted an intimate dinner in celebration of the Frieze Art Fair’s New York debut and in honour of the artists of Frieze Projects, of which Mulberry is the sponsor.

Frieze Projects is a not-for-profit initiative featuring commissioned artworks around the outdoor space of Randall’s Island, which are accessible to all visitors to the area. The dinner was held at The Crown restaurant on New York’s Upper East Side (readers of my fashion column in the SI Style magazine know this place already).

The beautiful decorated entrance to The Crown Restaurant

The ambiance

Among the fashionable guests: Derek Blasberg and Alexa Chung

The Clarins-Courtin sisters

Lana Del Rey

American singer Lana Del Rey performed during the evening, wearing the three quarter blouse in flame heavy lace and the fitted pencil skirt in flame, both from the F/W 2012 Collection. Lana was Emma Hill’s inspiration for Mulberry’s newest bag, the Del Rey, which launches in stores and online in mid-May.
(Stay tuned as I will keep you inform you once it hits the shelves).

Mulberry’s Del Rey Bag

Last night, May 5 influencers from the worlds of fashion and art came together to join NET-A-PORTER for a cocktail party and dinner celebrating Frieze Art Fair’s Chelsea Gallery Night, a night where more than 20 of Chelsea’s finest galleries opened their doors for a neighborhood block party filled with exclusive gallery previews, live music and food.

The NET-A-PORTER-sponsored event at the Hôtel Americano kicked off with roof-top cocktails and music by London DJ, Bip Ling, and continued with a seated dinner.

The Big Frieze hits NYC, I love!

LoL, Sandra

Christopher Kane with Natalie Massanet in a lace dress by Alessandra Rich

Giovanna Battaglia in a black leather coat
(Don’t we love the floral lace A-line dress by Miu Miu to the left and the neon-orange with white lace dress by Christopher Kane to the right in the background?!)

Olympia Scarry in head to toe floral prints by Proenza Schouler.

Designers Jason Wu and Roland Mouret

Photos: Courtesy of Mulberry, ©Craig Barritt/WireImage, Courtesy of Net-à-Porter and Frieze New York

Finally the amazing nail polishes from butter LONDON are available in Switzerland (For more information, please click here for a previous post). On the occasion of its second anniversary, The Nail Bar unveils its new must-haves of varnish.

By creating a colour palette inspired directly from latest fashion shows, butter LONDON has become the cult brand of nail polish among fashionistas with all productsformulated without the use of the harmful ingredients like Formaldehyde, Toluene, DBP or Parabens.

You will find the complete collection (more than 60 colors) at The Nail Bar. One bottle of nail polish butter London is sold for CHF 26.90.-.

My favourites of the moment: Teddy Girl, Slapper (S/S 2012 collection) and Macbeth

Me wearing Teddy Girl, a soft pink opaque shade, perfect for summer.

The Nail Bar has three shops in West Switzerland. Let’s hope that there will be one in Zurich soon. Walk-in pedicures sounds like a dream…

LAUSANNE Only Manicure / Only without appointment
Rue de la Louve 1, +41 21/ 312 06 15

LAUSANNE Manicure & Pedicure / With or Without appointment
Av. du Tribunal Fédéral 5, +41 21/ 312 12 07

GENEVE Manicure & Pedicure / With or Without appointment
Rue du Temple 2, +41 22/ 731 28 27

Coming Soon – The Nail Bar at Bongénie Geneva
3rd Floor – G Point

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Nail Bar, Butter London and © Sandra Bauknecht

During my visit to the Baselworld 2012, the world watch and jewelry show, I came across some very amazing creations that I would love to share with you.

One that has absolutely overwhelmed me with its beauty is Chopard‘s High Jewelry collection “Precious Temptations”. Jewelry gourmets are in for a treat! Chopard has concocted a banquet of sweet delights, freely combining the most precious stones with more unusual gems to create a scrumptious array of pink sapphires, amethysts, rubellites, tsavorites, tourmalines and opals.

This delicious collection of eye candy appoints one of the biggest S/S 2012 fashion trends – pastel – as the master of ceremonies, inviting the most exquisite colours to its dessert buffet.

Bon appétit!

LoL, Sandra

Necklace in 18ct white gold set with diamonds, a cushion-cut peridot (5.6cts) and a pear-shaped amethyst of 32.7cts – Ref. 819158-1001
Earrings in 18ct white gold set with diamonds, 2 cushion-cut peridots (11.4cts) and 2 pear-shaped amethysts of 38.3cts – Ref. 849158-1001

Earrings in 18ct white gold set with diamonds and composed of 2 briolettes aquamarines (25.4cts) and 2 oval-shaped tanzanites of 13.7cts – Ref. 849151-1001

Ring in 18ct white gold set with diamonds, 2 half-moon shaped diamonds and an emerald-cut tanzanite of 12cts – Ref. 820621-1001

Ring in 18ct white gold set with emeralds, 2 heart-shaped pink sapphires and a heart-shaped emerald of 31.3cts – Ref. 820614-1001

Earrings in 18ct white gold set with emeralds, 4 pear-shaped pink sapphires and 2 heart-shaped emeralds of 21.7cts and 23.7cts – Ref. 840379-1001

Earrings in 18ct rose gold composed of 2 drop shaped amethysts for a total of 63cts, 2 fancy-cut toumalines (14.4cts), 8 torumalines beads (11.2cts), 2 fancy-cut morganites and diamonds – Ref. 849154-1001

Long necklace in 18ct rose gold composed of tourmaline beads (116cts), opals (139cts), amethysts (45cts), morganites (13cts) and diamonds – Ref. 819154-1001

Photos: Courtesy of Chopard and © Sandra Bauknecht

Today something for my Swiss and German based readers: The new Weltwoche Style Edition 02-2012 is available now featuring my summer trend report and the captivating story about the amazing Mary Katrantzou. She gave me such a lovely insight into her life and told me so many interesting things about her designs. A must read!

And proving my passion for Mary’s designs, the May edition of German Myself magazine features my personal summer must-haves: Her divine prints, such as the fabulous Salamandra dress.

Stay tuned to see me wearing more of them!
You can shop a large selection of Mary Katrantzou at net-à-porter.com, farfetch.com, matchesfashion.com, luisaviaroma.com and mytheresa.com (Great news for Swiss customers at mytheresa.com, you pay from now on in CHF with all customs duties included. No more unpleasant additional payments.)

LoL, Sandra

German fashion house Basler will be launching their first Dirndl collection during the so-called “Nacht der Tracht” tomorrow at Munich’s famous Löwenbräukeller. It is going to be a fun packed evening with lots of local celebrities as models for the fashion show.

Here is your sneak preview of this very colourful and fun collection. Peacock, leopard and tiger prints embellish the Bavarian dresses designed by Basler’s Creative Director Brian Rennie, who was with Escada before.

Makes me truly miss my time in Munich…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Basler