Sandra‘s Closet

In celebration of the holiday season, I recommend buying some festive knits. Combine a stylish holiday sweater with a sexy pencil skirt and some high heels to take the look to new heights.

Appliquéd wool turtleneck sweater by Moschino, bonded PVC pencil skirt by Tibi and red patent-leather pumps by Dolce & Gabbana.

Rossella Jardini, Moschino Creative Director, gives the following style advice: “When designing our sweater, I played with the classic Christmas elements and added a Moschino touch! I would suggest wearing them with a simple pair of skinny jeans.”

To shop those preppy little sweaters, click on the highlighted text to be transferred directly.

1 Santa Claus sequined merino wool sweater by Markus Lupfer
2 Reindeer intarsia wool-blend sweater by Stella McCartney
3 Reindeer appliquéd knitted wool sweater by Moschino
4 Ho! Ho! Ho! knitted sweater by Lot78
5 Reindeer-intarsia wool and cashmere-blend sweater by Mason by Michelle Mason
6 Maria metallic-embroidered knitted sweater by Meadham Kirchhoff

Meadham Kirchhoff about their inspiration: “Christmas is the best time of the year, the decorations, the tree, the food….. We love everything about it. The inspiration for the embroidery came from original 1960’s gift paper I wrapped Edward’s presents in last Christmas.”

I adore those sweaters and couldn’t resist the one by Stella McCartney. Which one is your favourite?

LoL, Sandra

Don’t forget to shop the unique collaboration Maison Martin Margiela with H&M that hits selected stores worldwide officially today! This year, the French fashion house is sharing their unconventional fashion framework with H&M and their re-editions are to-die-for (Have a look at this previous post where you can see them in detail)! In case that you have missed the party pics of the amazing launch party in NYC, click here.

If you cannot get enough of Maison Martin Margiela, I recommend a visit to one of my favourite hotels in Paris: La Maison Champs-Elysées. The design hotel was the first to be decorated by Martin Margiela and voted among the best hotels in the world by Condé Nast Traveller.

Its location between the Grand Palais and the Avenue Montaigne is perfect, especially during Paris Fashion Week.

I stayed in one of three “Lost Moulding” suites: N° 112 Paul Bodin, designed by Martin Margiela. The wooden mouldings in the rooms start and finish at random, like a work in progress, offering various shades of white. A large central space with sliding side doors separates the lounge from the bedroom, enhancing the feeling of privacy. The luxurious, modern bathroom is extremely spacious and beautiful.

And here is more for all Margiela-fans among you: Replica Fragrances by Maison Martin Margiela, a reproduction of familiar scents and moments of varying locations and periods that embodies the interest of Maison Martin Margiela for vintage clothing and accessories.

All three recently launched feminine fragrances “Flower Market”, “Beach Walk”, “Funfair Evening” are divine and instantly evoke images, impressions, positive emotions that reflect our collective subconscious. Composed by the master perfumer Jacques Cavallier, along with Marie Salamagne, each ‘Replica’ fragrance captures a specific olfactory moment, recalling memories that we all share. 100ml (CHF 109.-)

“Flower Market”
Paris, 2011

Freshly cut flowers, wet petals, buckets and vases brimming with water, leaves crushed on the floor, a multitude of floral compositions… Maison Martin Margiela captures the delicate fragrance of the flower market.
The green freshness of just-cut stems echoes the sensuality of the floral accord. Transparent notes of freesia and Grasse rose petals dotted with water, are enveloped by creamier notes of Sambac jasmine and tuberose.

“Beach Walk”
Calvi, 1972

A stroll along the ocean. Feet sink into the sand. Waves brush the skin. The sun at its zenith radiates the beach. “Beach Walk” evokes the memory of a summer day.
Fresh as the spray of the ocean, bergamot, lemon and pink pepper are instantly fused. Radiant and sensual ylang ylang follows, illuminating the addictive scents of coconut milk, musk and heliotrope.

“Funfair Evening”
Santa Monica, 1994

In the warm night air, the sound of laughter and playful melodies. The obscurity is broken by splashes of multicoloured neon. Colour reigns vibrant and explosive. An odour of candy fills the air.
From the first breath, the ambiance of the funfair comes to mind. The soft and enveloping fragrance of sweets… Notes of apple and star anise join to reveal a marshmallow accord created with caramel and orange blossom.

Enjoy indulging in your very own Margielamania and see you at H&M!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of H&M, La Maison des Champs-Elysées, Maison Martin Margiela, © Sandra Bauknecht

To attend the annabelle award during the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Days Zurich, I wore one of my favourite runway dresses from the current season:

Expandit printed silk satin-twill dress by Mary Katrantzou, gold-plated Swarovski crystal clip earrings by Dolce & Gabbana, cuff by Céline, Lady Excalibur watch by Roger Dubuis, studded bag and pumps, both by Prada.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Via annabelle magazine and © Sandra Bauknecht

The second evening of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Days 2012 was dedicated to the well-known annabelle award.

Five young designers were able to show their collections, but only one of them won an internship with Barbara Bui, who also presented her S/S 2013 show as a culmination of the night.

The event started off with three established Swiss designers:

Van Bery is based in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. The S/S 2013 collection was inspired by the painter Henri Julien Félix Rousseau (“Le Douanier” Rousseau) and the era of the ’20s. I am a big fan of Van Bery’s romantic, feminine florals und adorable bow embellishments and those head pieces were to-die-for. In Switzerland available at Globus among others.

Laend Phuengkit fuses Asian and European features to create an interesting collection for men and women that impresses with beautiful draped elements and contemporary cuts for S/S 2013.

Claudia Zuber started her label three years ago and has been on the rise since then. Her creative power: Sporty elements in colours of the ’70s mixed with an air of the ’20s. I especially loved the little books that the models carried on the runway, such a neat detail.

After that, the five finalists of the annabelle award were presenting their collections to the audience.

Flaka Jahaj (29): “Sheer Tedium” – Inspired by ornaments of ancient times and the architecture of historic temples
Désirée Gabriel (24): “Wind” – Asymmetrical designs that are flowing like the wind.
Julia Winkler (26): “Pinky’s Dream, Watch the Room” – Inspired by Davis Lynch’s movie soundtracks and his debut album “Crazy Clown Time”
Stéphanie Rosianu (26): “It’s So Bad, It’s Almost Good” – Ink scribbling printed on delicate organza and silk.
Safia Semlali (22): “Took My Sister’s Winter and My Father’s Fall” – Hightech materials worn in many layers.

And the winner of the prestigious annabelle award is: Julia Winkler who received an internship with Parisian designer Barbara Bui who said on stage: “It is always hard to choose someone. Even that an award is important, you never know what will be after. Working in fashion is wonderful, but you have to be very strong to work in that field.”

Barbara Bui with me

For S/S 2013, Barbara Bui showed her iconic rock-chic looks in perfection. Leather in colours of black and ink was predominating the collection. My favourite was the beautiful embroidered material used for jackets, shorts and bags.

If you are interested to see more about the event on Glanz & Gloria, please click here.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Elegant packaging, rose scented and 24-carat pink gold sounds too good to be true?!

It’s all included in Terry de Gunzburg‘s Christmas 2012 collection By Terry this year. Combining extraordinary skincare with skin luminosity, you should definitely be adding those four limited edition products to your whish list.

OR DE ROSE HUILE ABSOLUE
30ml (CHF 126.-)
This youth elixir consists of 24-carat pink gold microspheres to give luminosity and radiance to your skin as well as to firm and renew it. It’s also got plenty of rose extract  which is always lovely for your complexion.

OR DE ROSE BLUSH PRESTIGE
15ml (CHF 88.-)
This nurturing allover highlighter blush gives a radiant glow with 24-carat pink gold shimmers in shades of pink, copper and warm amber.

OR DE ROSE PRECIEUX
7g (CHF 58.-)
Being a Baume De Rose lover this special edition Or De Rose Baume Precieux is my favourite of the collection. It also contains 24-carat pink gold giving a beautiful shimmering finish while hydrating and protecting the lips from the cold winter weather.

TERRYBLY KHÔL PENCIL
1,2g (CHF 31.-)
This waterproof eye pencil again includes 24-carat pink gold and has a light shade of rose. It is the only product of the collection that I am not so keen on.
You might use it instead of a white eye pencil to make your eyes look bigger but still I would rather go for a clean white shade instead of a light pink.

In Switzerland available at Marionnaud.

LoL, Sandra

Photo: Courtesy of By Terry

Marc Jacobs gives technology a playful touch with those cute iPhone cases from his Marc by Marc Jacobs line.

1 – Pickles Dog iPhone case
2 – Shorty Dog iPhone case
3 – Katie Bunny iPhone case
4 – Julio Zebra iPhone case
5 – Rue Cat iPhone case

I love them all… and you?

LoL, Sandra

Stella McCartney‘s extremely beautiful Resort 2013 collection has just hit the shelves. Don’t miss those vibrant colours, head-to-toe wallpaper prints and feminine florals. Be one of the first ones to own a fashionable piece for the next season.

For the next three days, Mytheresa is hosting a Stella McCartney Resort 2013 pre-shopping event. Shop those must-haves before they are available to all customers by clicking here.

Some of my favourites are:

Bright yellow Romilly cady top

Croco-embossed-sling-backs

Fletcher flower jacquard dress

Striped cashmere sweater

Taylor cady tapered pants

Falabella small python print shoulder bag

LoL, Sandra

Recently, I came across this photo that put a huge smile on my face. Those nails are so cheesy. As you know I am living in Switzerland that is famous for the best cheeses in the world. So some of you might get inspired to match their manicure to their next raclette.

Are you ready for some Fondue nails? Honestly, I find it very fascinating to look at them, but who wants to walk around with nails like that. I have more an admiration for the craftsmanship that went into them. Marta from the UK (Top Fashion Nails) is pretty creative. Look at her strawberry manicure below.

Have a lovely Sunday!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Via Top Fashion Nails

This was my look for the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Days Zurich Opening Night on Wednesday:

Mietta embroidered crepe top, Jessica flared crepe mini skirt, both by Stella McCartney, fur shrug by Prada, gold-plated Swarovski crystal clip earrings by Dolce & Gabbana, bow-embellished suede and snake-effect leather ankle boots by Miu Miu, Trapeze bag by Céline and cocktail ring by Roberto Cavalli.

If you are wondering why I brought such a huge bag, I was carrying two cameras. During the next days, I will show you all the photos from the events and runway shows.

There was a lot of press coverage from the night and I gave some interviews. If you are interested to see them, have a look at annabelle, 20 Minuten online and NZZ.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht, Screenshots via annabelle, 20 Minuten and NZZ

This week, the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Days Zurich take place. In comparison to the Fashion Weeks in Paris, Milan, London and New York, those days focus more on the business-to-consumer side with tickets available for sale to get a feeling of high class fashion in reality. They are also devoted to helping upcoming young designers, enjoying the S/S 2013 collections of established and famous designers and to just having a lot of fun.

Speaking of which, the four-day event kicked off on Wednesday with the Mercedes-Benz Opening Night. Among the famous guests American actress and former model Lauren Hutton, the world’s first male supermodel Markus Schenkenberg and British singer Dionne Bromfield. 
MSGM di Massimo Giorgetti, Marco de Vincenzo, Mila Schön and Angelos Bratis presented their collections for the next season, followed by a musical performance of the Swiss band Pegasus. The culmination of the event was the runway show of Laurèl.

Spotted on the red carpet in the VIP-tent and later on the runway: Luisa Hartema, winner of Germany’s Next Topmodel 2012.

Markus Schenkenberg with me

How cool are the shoes of Patrick Liotard-Vogt, especially in combination with his purple pants…

Greek designer Angelos Bratis,“The Draper”, won the first prize of the “Who Is On next?” competion for emerging fashion designers in 2011, organized by AltaRoma and Vogue Italia. The international jury was composed by important names of the fashion industry such as Suzy Menkes (International Herald Tribune) and Franca Sozzani (Vogue Italia). His winning brought him international press acclaim and a new job. He just moved to Milan to design the Vionnet collection. I couldn’t think of a better match!

“I love the air, the sky and the people”, Massimo Giorgetti said about being in Zurich. He went on about his designs: “I love Indie music. MSGM is my soundtrack of the last six months when I was preparing the collection.” Massimo Giorgetti’s idea of MSGM is to mix and match great tradition with revolutionary ideas from the new millennium, and the first collections have been celebrated by the industry thanks to their inner iconoclastic and celebrative spirit.
To shop MSGM by Massimo Giorgetti click here.

Marco di Vincenzo is Italian fashion’s rising star. He started his career as one of Silvia Venturnini Fendi’s key assistant on accessories at Fendi. Now with his own line, he has gone spare for the S/S 2013 season, showing cotton poplin pieces with jersey backs, sporty with an interesting approach to volume.

Bianca Gervasio, Creative Director of Mila Schön, has a very good eye for colour and feminine cuts and showed a contemporary lightness paired with romantic details for the next summer. The young designer said about Zurich that she likes “the colourful and prismic light that gives it an elegant ambiance and its sophisticated people.”

Lauren Hutton, who had graced 27 Vogue covers, was sitting of course front row and told Annina Frey that “her beauty secret is having a good man in your life”.

At the Mercedes-Benz Opening Night, Laurèl sent their models in ’50s bikinis, pencil skirts and cute little tops down the runway. Highlight of the collection: The vibrant gowns.

The after party took place at the Park Hyatt and was a lot of fun.

Bianca Gervasio with me

Lauren Hutton at the after party framed by Raquel Marquard and me

Lauren Hutton’s backpack was hilarious.

Celebrating with Angelos Bratis and his friends.

Stay tuned for a detailed post of my outfit and of course all the other nights coming up soon. Unfortunately, I am little behind with my posts as my blog has experienced some technical problems during the last days due to maintenance work. You might have realized that the newsletter hasn’t been sent neither. My apologies for that!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht