Sandra‘s Closet

Spring is already in full bloom. Are you ready to be fully repowered? Experience François Nars’ revolution in skin – radiance from every angle. Recharge your complexion with a radiance-boosting lineup designed to reveal your skin at its absolute best with an eye make-up in nude shades that will make others green with envy, especially if they are wearing the wrong foundation :-).

Featuring the new, limited-edition SUPER RADIANCE BOOSTER – available in one universal rose gold shade that flatters all skin tones – that amplifies skin’s illumination with a pearlescent glow and lightweight, layerable texture. You can layer it underneath or mix a drop with foundation to customize an all over, radiant glow. For a subtle highlight, blend onto high points of cheekbones, bridge of nose, cupid’s bow and décolleté.

What I truly like is that you can use it to intensify the radiant effect of NARS’ cult-classic complexion essentials:

– the high coverage, longwearing NATURAL RADIANT LONGWEAR FOUNDATION. NARS’ first 16-hour non-comedogenic liquid foundation that stays turned on by the power of radiance. Now available in 34 shades.

– fan-favourite SHEER GLOW FOUNDATION. The glowing, natural radiant finish foundation provides sheer, buildable coverage and evens skin tone. Now available in 34 shades for more luminosity.

– and the bestselling, multi-purpose RADIANT CREAMY CONCEALER. The award-winning multi-action concealer, contours, highlights, corrects, and perfects with medium-to-buildable coverage and a natural radiant finish. Now available in 30 shades.

To finish off your perfect complexion, I recommend the beautiful new, limited edition SKIN DEEP EYE PALETTE – the ultimate palette of nude shadows created for all skin tones. Go from subtle to smoky with rich mattes, lustrous shimmers, and smoldering metallic shadows, infused with NARS’ Pigment Power Suspension for a high-impact, silky effect. Each shadow can be used in a multitude of ways for a variety of François Nars’ signature looks. Wear it. Bare it. Make it yours.

TO SHOP NARS ONLINE, CLICK HERE PLEASE, or above on the respective highlighted text to be transferred directly to the product you like.

Tested and approved by me!

If you are living in the Zurich area, you can benefit from a free professional make-up consultation at Jelmoli. Just call +41 44 220 43 58 and meet Sophie Thibout, NARS make-up artist, who comes to the NARS Counter exclusively for 3 days: Tuesday 5th, Thursday 7th and Saturday 9th of March, 2019.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © NARS and © Sandra Bauknecht

London Fashion Week has always been my favorite as it is the least pretentious one, with many of my preferred designers showing such as Mary Katrantzou and Natasha Zinko. Over time, we all became friends and it is wonderful to see how everyone attends each other’s runway presentations.

Love them both: With Natasha Zinko (left) at Mary’s show and with Mary Katrantzou (right) backstage after.

Here you see me in one of Mary’s last fur pieces (since S/S 2018 she is only using fake fur) that almost got me killed. There were protesters outside of the show who started attacking me. It got so violent that the police had to escort me inside. Backstage after the spectacle, I waited almost 30 minutes with my fox jacket wrapped in a garment bag to leave the premises.

Hiding from the protesters.

My look: Nausheen fox fur coat, and Faylinn dress, both by Mary Katrantzou, Knife suede over-the-knee boots by Balenciaga, large classic flap bag in caviar leather by Chanel, and butterfly crystal earrings by Miu Miu.

The photos were taken before leaving to the show in front of my hotel, COMO The Halkin, located perfectly in the city’s Belgravia district on Halkin Street.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

I love this beautiful sunny weather that truly feels like spring. The perfect time to wear some equestrian-inspired charm at its best. Chloé’s Creative Director Natacha Ramsay-Levi wrangled a rearing horse from the Maison’s archives to create an embroidery motif that appears playful and polished.

My look: Embroidered cotton-blend velvet blazer, matching embroidered cotton-blend velvet straight-leg pants, snake-print satin-jersey top, Roy mini embroidered leather bucket bag and snake print booties, all by Chloé, Happy Hearts 18-karat white gold diamond ring by Chopard, diamond rose necklace by Piaget, sautoir necklace and round sunglasses with a triple chain by Chanel.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

During London Fashion Week, adidas Originals has unveiled its third collaboration with an emerging female fashion designer. This time, the brand has teamed up with Ji Won Choi for a 17-piece women’s ready-to-wear collection that his inspired by her Korean heritage. She revamped adidas’ classic tracksuit with hues of lavender, blue, red, green and pink. The brand’s three stripes were also used in more parts of the garments, creating a sense of movement.

One to watch: upcoming Korean designer Ji Won Choi

Born in Seoul, raised in the Midwest USA, educated in New York City and Paris, and having worked in Milan, Ji Won Choi’s work revolves around investigating human cultures and using design to promote positive change within societies. Her thesis collection, EXCESSIVISM, was the winner of Kering Empowering Imagination Award and several other contests as well as featured in various international publications such as Forbes, WWD and Vogue. Her work has been displayed at Bergdorf Goodman in New York and at New York Textile Month. In 2017, she was awarded the «Ones to Watch» Award by Fashion Scout.

I am sure we will se a lot more of Ji Won Choi’s talent in the near future…
TO SHOP ADIDAS ORIGINALS BY JI WON CHOI, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of adidas Originals

’90s-inspired hair accessories have been everywhere recently, and those pieces below will add just the right amount of retro style to any outfit. From scrunchies to hair clips, and hair bows, all  look equally as good with a high bun as they do with a messy low ponytail. Here is your chance to satisfy your inner tween without letting her take over completely.

LoL, Sandra

Vintage logo hair barrette by Chanel

Crystal-embellished silver-plated hair clip by Dolce & Gabbana

Vara hair clip by Salvatore Ferragamo

Vintage CC hair barrette by Chanel

Kennedy bow-shaped cotton-faille hair clip by Emilia Wickstead

Velvet hair bow by Jennifer Behr

Set of two Kelly glittered resin hair clips by Valet

Pearl logo hair tie by Chanel

Mallory floral-print silk-twill hair crunchie by Eugenia Kim

Rockstud leather hairclip by Valentino

Charron check scrunchie by Ganni

Velvet hair scrunchie by Jennifer Behr

Satin headband by Prada

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands

This week was National Lash Day that is observed annually on February 19. The reason why I didn’t post it on the actual day was the passing of Karl Lagerfeld. So what do we celebrate on that day? Very simple… our love and need for true and false eyelashes, a day we honor our lashes that are a key staple to every makeup look and beauty enthusiast. Moreover eyelashes are essential for our health, as they help keep dirt or substances from entering our eyes and aid in preventing infections.

Billions of mascaras are sold every year at counters and department stores around the world. For obvious reasons, lashes have always been known to make your eyes pop and stand out from the crowd. It might be the simplest make-up step, but it makes all the difference.

My avid readers know that I am a huge fan of the thickening and strengthening Mascara So Intense, and my daughter loves the curling Mascara So Curl, but now comes a new product by Sisley’s Laboratories: So Volume. An ultra-volumizing mascara that gives an oversize effect while making eyelashes denser, stronger and more beautiful day after day.

Here are some facts why this mascara is so special and makes XXL sweeping lashes:

1.  For the first time, Sisley has combined two types of volumizing (Polymeric microbeads and Silica microspheres) to coat and thicken lashes, giving them instant, uniform volume from root to tip. They are covered in a sheathing Carnauba wax film to produce a sculptural, curled effect.
Meanwhile the volumizing polymer creates an enveloping, film-forming texture that intensely boosts lashes and enhances the volume effect.

2. The So Volume formula incorporates a cocktail of beneficial active ingredients that acts on both the lash and the root to give stronger, longer, denser, more beautiful and resistant lashes after just four weeks of use. With the help of a Vitamin peptide formed of three amino acids and Vitamin H, lashes are visibly longer and thicker. Great news is that it also helps to boost their anchorage (in-vitro test on the active ingredient), preventing eyelash loss during make-up removal. Due to the toning and revitalizing action of Arginine, it even promotes follicle growth.

3. The professional brush is extra-large for an easy application to achieve increased volume in a few seconds from the very first coat.

Do I need to convince you more? A make-up step that is actually a beauty treatment for your lashes. The new So Volume mascara from Sisley is #LASHGOALS!

My personal feedback: So Volume works best when I only apply mascara due to its amazing clump-free and flake-free 3-D effect. It is a great product for an every day make-up. Lashes become more dense and revitalized, more beautiful day after day.

For a smokey eyes look, I still prefer my So Intense as I adore how precisely lashes are defined. I personally also prefer the slim brush. In general, Sisley mascaras are the best on the market, it is up to you which one you prefer… and I am not getting paid for saying this!

So Volume is available in three shades: Deep Black / Deep Blue / Deep Brown
CHF 62.00

TO SHOP SISLEY MASCARAS ONLINE, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Sisley

There are two things I love most, fashion and travelling. When they are combined, it is heaven. Here you see me at the Bayerischer Hof in Munich inside the Gottschalk Suite 672 that gives a glimpse into the mind of German entertainer Thomas Gottschalk. Reserved for him at all times, the suite can also be booked by other hotel guests on request, enabling them to plunge into a design world like no other. With a stylish mix of private pieces, elegant materials and designer furnishings, you indulge into a truly unique urban rock ’n’ roll loft atmosphere.

My look: White printed sweater by Christopher Kane, leather zipper-pocket shorts and fur stole, both by Fendi, black suede knee boots by Prada, and orange Birkin bag by Hermès.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Breaking news for all travel lovers: ASMALLWORLD AG announced it will manage the renowned North Island Resort in the Seychelles, that will join Marriott International’s the Luxury Collection brand portfolio in December 2019. This unparalleled island paradise is the first hotel in the newly-created ASMALLWORLD Hotel Collection.

North Island is one of the world’s most iconic holiday destinations: Prince William and Kate spent their honeymoon at this hotel, as did George and Amal Clooney for obvious reason: featuring just eleven private guest villas, the luxury private island resort is offering each guest an unparalleled sense of exclusivity and outstanding service. The accommodations have all been created from local materials, balancing luxury and simplicity to form a signature architectural style they call «barefoot luxury».

Being eco-friendly plays an important role on the small island that is located amongst the inner granitic islands of Seychelles, approximately 30 kilometres northeast of the largest island, called Mahe. Since its opening in 1997, North Island has been a recognized sustainable tourism destination. North Island boasts fertile land and has been referred to as the «laboratories of evolution» due to its rich biodiversity and natural, stunning aesthetics. The tropical retreat is set in 210 hectares of lush vegetation and is home to coconut palms and takamaka trees, all surrounded by pristine beaches and the azure waters of the Indian Ocean. In 2006, the island implemented a conservation and island rehabilitation program to protect endangered and endemic species on the island and to preserve its diverse ecosystem.

Arriving at the property is both simple and tailored for guests, with the site being a 15-minute helicopter transfer or a one-hour boat trip from Mahe Island. Once you step foot on North Island, your experience is completely customised to the holiday you are seeking. The rules are the ones you make yourselves: your schedule is only as full as you wish it to be, and the dress code reflects your own personal style. Your villa will become your own private beach home with colours evoking the marine environment. The fusion of rough and smooth textures and simple and sophisticated forms combined create an entirely authentic, contextual, and sumptuous sanctuary.

North Island features ten 450 sqm private guest villas and one extra large villa of 750 sqm, offering each guest an unparalleled sense of exclusivity and luxury. The island also houses a lounge, dining room and library, health spa and gym, an infinity pool and a sunset bar and restaurant located away on the western side of the island. Rates start around $ 8,000 per night.

Seychelles have been described as the «Galapagos of the Indian Ocean».

ASMALLWORLD takes over management of North Island through its newly incorporated subsidiary ASW Hospitality AG and will oversee the day-to-day operations of the resort and its integration into Marriott International’s Luxury Collection brand portfolio later this year.

The resort will be the first hotel in the portfolio of the newly launched ASMALLWORLD Hotel Collection, that aims to further expand the collection by adding similarly extraordinary hotel properties to its management portfolio and to enlarge its service offering for its global ASW community of travel-savvy members. This announcement comes only weeks after the acquisition of LuxuryBARED, an online luxury travel agency, and will further strengthen the private social network’s position in the luxury travel space. ASMALLWORLD members can surely expect special rates and treatments on North Island.

«We are very excited to launch the ASMALLWORLD Hotel Collection with such a world-renowned hotel as North Island. This first step towards building our very own luxury hotel collection will allow us to offer our travel-savvy members a unique destination, while at the same time increasing the occupancy rate and the profitability of the property», says CEO Jan Luescher.

ASW Hospitality AG will be managing the island resort going forward. Michael Manz, renowned Swiss hotel owner and manager of the only Swiss Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Geneva, is the chairman of the new company. Through a franchise agreement, North Island will become part of Marriott International’s Luxury Collection brand portfolio in December 2019, and will operate as North Island, a Luxury Collection Resort.

«We are excited to further expand The Luxury Collection portfolio across the Middle East and Africa with the addition of our first property in one of the world’s most desirable destinations, the Seychelles», says Jerome Briet, Chief Development Officer, Middle East & Africa for Marriott International. «North Island offers private seclusion along with a truly indigenous experience, making it the ideal destination for global explorers.»

It seems that ASMALLWORLD acquired a piece of paradise…

 LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of North Island Resort

It feels like spring at the moment, happy moments with lots of sunshine that are only shadowed by the passing of my beloved Karl Lagerfeld. These photos were taken yesterday before I heard the news which is quite bizarre as he must have died while we took them. Wearing vintage pieces and his last Cruise 2019 collection with the name «La Pausa», that derives from Gabrielle Chanel‘s villa at the Côte d’Azur in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, I say once more farewell to one of the greatest designers in the world. Being German, I am proud to emphasize that a dear landsman went to Paris to leave such a mark on the world of fashion.

My look: «La Pausa» cashmere sweater, high waisted denim skirt (S/S 2016), cotton tweed white and black beret, metal and strass life buoy brooch, vintage striped logo 2way bag, all by CHANEL, and red leather Rockstud boots by Valentino.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Today is a very sad day for the world of fashion and also for myself. Karl Lagerfeld died in Paris at the age of 85. When I heard the news a few hours ago, I literally cried my eyes out.

«Trendy is the last stage before tacky.» – Karl Lagerfeld

For me Lagerfeld was a genius, without him the world of fashion would not be the same. He created collections simultaneously for CHANEL and FENDI (since 1965!), in addition to his signature label, at a pace without rival in the luxury industry. When I started looking at fashion magazines in the middle of the ’80s, he had just begun designing for CHANEL. Before that he had worked at BALMAIN, JEAN PATOU and CHLOÉ where he became successful with his feminine flowing party dresses, the latter he returned to once more in the ’90s before handing the reigns to Stella McCartney.

With Karl Lagerfeld in December 2014 in Salzburg.

When I turned 18, I wished for nothing else than a CHANEL costume. Whenever I met him or interviewed him, he impressed me by his intelligence, wittiness (I attached some of my favorite quotes in this post) and his way of working, which actually was very German. Just get the job done!

I asked him once how he seeks inspiration, he looked at me and said: «Forget inspiration, you sit down every day at your desk and work, half of the outcome is for the trash bin but the other half will work.» Another time, I wanted to know when he goes on holidays and he answered: «Holidays are only for employees.»

«If you are cheap. Nothing helps.» – Karl Lagerfeld

A shoot we did during my time at Marie Claire magazine with Barbara and Boris Becker photographed by Karl Lagerfeld, March 1999.

But my favorite story happened almost 20 years ago when I started my first job at Marie Claire magazine in Germany. My fashion director Florentine Pabst at that time was very close to Karl (and by the way also Jim Morrison‘s last girlfriend) It was probably my first week at the office and she explained to me that during her meeting her phone calls would be transferred to my phone. And most importantly if Karl called, I should let him know, that she will get back to him. I said: «Karl, who? The Karl?!» She smiled and replied: «Of course.»

«Sweatpants are a sign of defeat.» – Karl Lagerfeld

I didn’t leave my desk waiting eagerly for him to call. When he did, I gave him the message. The conversation was probably not longer than 30 seconds but I sat down at my desk with the biggest smile. My boss came back and asked me what happened. I grinned and said: «I am the happiest girl in the world. I just spoke to Karl Lagerfeld.» She laughed.

After half an hour, my phone rang again. It was my fashion director telling me somebody wanted to talk to me. It was no other than Karl Lagerfeld telling me: «I heard you enjoyed talking to me so much, so I thought I give you another call.» And this is how my love story started…

Another epic moment with Karl Lagerfeld in St Moritz in February 2013 at the opening of Fire Etchings at Galerie Gmurzynska.

«I think tattoos are horrible – it’s like living in a Pucci dress full-time.» – Karl Lagerfeld

 There is so much you could talk when you think of Karl Lagerfeld. He discovered Claudia Schiffer, was such a talented photographer himself and his ultimate success with CHANEL made the house one of the most important and prolific today. Thanks to Lagerfeld, the company also acquired many specialized French craft ateliers, like Lesage for embroidery, Lemarié for feathers and artificial flowers, Maison Michel for millinery, and Causse for glove making. This craftsmanship  was celebrated with lavish Métiers d’Art fashion shows as Paris – Bombay or Paris – Salzburg for example. The famous cruise collections took place in far destinations such as Dubai or Havana, Cuba, showing Lagerfeld’s way to making CHANEL even more prominent and desirable around the world.

Eric Pfrunder, Virginie Viard and Karl Lagerfeld

This January, Lagerfeld didn’t come to his Haute Couture presentation in Paris which was already a sign that the designer was not feeling well. Instead of him, Virginie Viard, the creative studio director, took the applause. It is more than likely that she will succeed Lagerfeld as CHANEL’s designer, supported by Eric Pfrunder, the house’s director of image.

«I am very much down to earth, just not this earth.» – Karl Lagerfeld

I could go on and on and will surely share with you more about my most magical moments I had with him. Rest in Peace Karl Lagerfeld –  your legend will live on, and not only in my closet!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Karl Lagerfeld and © Sandra Bauknecht