Sandra‘s Closet

I absolutely love cars. Being German, I also adore driving fast. Due to the recent hail storm, my beloved car got pretty destroyed and therefore I am looking for a new one. What is important to me? I love luxury and racing – two things MASERATI is synonymous with. My focus is on power: the experience should be unforgettable on a daily basis, with driving pleasure and performance at the heart. However, thinking about the environment and future, electric power should also be considered.

Let’s get started. A drive is worth a thousand words so I was very curious to test drive the MASERATI Ghibli L4 MHEV 2WD in Grigio Maratea, a petrol mild-hybrid version, that is the very first MASERATI in history to include an electric power source of any kind.

My journey was a fascinating one and I will be given you a personal insight how I felt limitless among expansive landscapes at the wheel of the MASERATI. This car is designed to deliver an awe-inspiring driving experience. Sculpted forms and fluid volumes are connected by clean lines to form a unique style that is unmistakably for the Italian car manufacturer.

For starters, the MASERATI Ghibli was launched in 2013 and got a minor refresh for 2021, mostly on the inside, with a new centre dash. The Hybrid identifiers on the outside are restricted to a discreet, blue line on the badging and a revised front grille. The brakes are also painted blue.

That «small size» (compared to other MASERATIS) offers more nimble handling and easy parking in the streets of Switzerland.

Inside, the Ghibli gives you a wealth of premium features such as power-adjustable front seats that can be both heated and ventilated. Hand-stitched details, premium leather upholstery, and shiny inlays come together to give you a true sense of opulence, and the four-door setup offers comfortable seating for four when you want to bring a few friends along for the ride.

Sporty, sophisticated and dynamic. I truly enjoyed the driving experience and I will definitely consider this high-end Italian luxury sports car for my next set of wheels.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Maserati | Rian Davidson 
DISCLOSURE: This post is sponsored.
#Maserati #MaseratiGhibliHybrid #PerformanceCharged

This knitwear piece should definitely be on your fall shopping list: the half-zip sweater. I promise, it will add instant cozy to your wardrobe.

Half-zip sweaters are simultaneously effortless and polished, and the best part is they come in a range of colors and textures across all budgets. I love eye-catching details like oversized collars or ribbed waists. Ahead, my favorites of half-zip sweaters to shop now. Enjoy!

LoL, Sandra

Ribbed wool and cashmere-blend sweater by Alaïa

Risoul cropped layered ribbed merino wool sweater by Jacquemus (my favorite)

Mouline wool and cashmere-blend sweater by Alexa Chung

Hester ribbed cashmere sweater by Nili Lotan

Bowee ribbed wool-blend sweater by Equipment

Giana knitted sweater by REMAIN Birger Christensen

Tiphaine ribbed merino wool sweater by Officine Générale

Rane cotton-blend sweater by Isabel Marant

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.

«Style is about self-expression and, above all, attitude.»

She is my muse, my idol – Iris Apfel is a true inspirational fashion icon and she just turned 100. Reason enough for H&M to collaborate with the birthday girl, who belongs to the world’s 50 best-dressed women. What better way to make a memorable celebration than creating a collection filled with eclectic garments and loud accessories?!

The upcoming collection, which will hit the shelves in the beginning of 2022, got a head start this week as the Swedish fashion giant celebrated and hosted her 100th birthday during New York Fashion Week 2021, cementing her status as a long-time fashion muse.

Imagine that you enter a room filled with eternal flair and a century’s worth of moments: you hear laughter, and chandeliers glitter; you see magnificent shapes and colors as if lifted from an artist’s palette — the smell of summer flowers and citrus fruits gives you goose bumps. That’s how I believe it feels entering Iris Apfel’s wardrobe.

A little preview of the upcoming Iris Apfel x H&M collection.

Iris was born in 1921 in the concrete jungle of New York. She studied art and fashion at prominent universities in the US, and her career is as inspirational as her style. She is a self-made businesswoman, style icon, fashion designer, and interior decorator. She has always succeeded on her different career paths with her oh-so-famous «why be boring?» attitude. If you happen to visit the Big Apple, you will quickly recognize «the Big Apfel.» Her esthetic of bright clothing, layers and layers of fun accessories, and thick, round, oversized glasses are just Iris dressing for herself and herself only. This has inspired people worldwide to create and celebrate their own style that they feel good in.

«Style is not about spending a lot of money. It’s not about what or who you wear, but how you feel when wearing something. Style is about self-expression and, above all, attitude,» says Iris Apfel.

Iris represents the notion that style and inspiration can come from anywhere and anyone, regardless of the price. «I think that H&M is a fabulous outfit worldwide and absolute pioneers in their field — which I love! I love doing high style at affordable prices, which H&M has mastered!» says Iris.

«With this collaboration, we are celebrating a unique and extraordinary woman and her creative and audacious style,» says Ann-Sofie Johansson, creative advisor at H&M. «She shows that style is ageless and keeps encouraging people to show who they are with fashion — and to have fun at the same time.»

The Iris Apfel x H&M collection will include an assortment of clothing and accessories created with Iris’ bold sense of style, designed for all ages and sizes.

«The collection is playful, opulent and rich with vibrant colors, vivid prints and opulent fabric choices. The look is indulgent with a more-is-more attitude and crowned by over-the-top jewelry, which is very much a signum for Iris,» says an excited Ann-Sofie Johansson.

The collection launches at the beginning of 2022.
I hope that you will enjoy all of my favorite Iris Apfel quotes…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © H&M / Iris Apfel

Louis Vuitton invites six new artists to join its Artycapucines collection.

The 2021 Artycapucines Collection sees six more leading contemporary artists bring their unique visions to Louis Vuitton’s timeless and feminine classic: the Capucines bag. The third chapter of Louis Vuitton’s limited-edition, artist-designed Artycapucines Collection is further proof of the bag’s ability to inspire unbridled creativity.

For this latest collection, six internationally acclaimed artists – Gregor Hildebrandt, Donna Huanca, Huang Yuxing, Vik Muniz, Paola Pivi, and Zeng Fanzhi – have transformed the blank canvas of the iconic bag named after Rue Neuve-des-Capucines, the Parisian street on which Louis Vuitton opened his first store in 1854.

After the first two Artycapucines chapters, the six new bags attest to the collection’s ability to blend the beauty and creativity of the artists’ talent with the ingenuity and absolute craftmanship of the House’s skilled artisans: Gregor Hildebrandt’s stunning black-and-white design with its screen-printed leather and LV signature inlaid with vinyl records; Donna Huanca’s precise, powerful and tactile bag with its hand-painted embroidery and piercing rings; the beautifully embroidered and brilliantly coloured fantasy landscape of Huang Yuxing’s Capucines; Vik Muniz’s characteristically joyful design with its effervescent trompe l’oeil effects and playful aesthetic; the complex leather marquetry and rich gold-leaf gilding of Paola Pivi’s creation; and Zeng Fanzhi’s reinterpretation of a Van Gogh self-portrait brought to life with over 700,000 remarkably worked embroidery stitches.

The Artycapucines Collection, which now contains 18 distinctive designs from celebrated artists including Henry Taylor, Beatriz Milhazes, Urs Fischer, Zhao Zhao, Jean-Michel Othoniel, and Tschabalala Self, once again reveals the House’s long-running desire to use its innovative spirit and artisanal expertise to help creative minds bring their ideas to life.

Each bag embodies the House’s unending commitment to savoir-faire and craft, while affirming the Capucines as the ultimate expression of Louis Vuitton’s timeless elegance.

Each bag in the the Artycapucines collection will be available for CHF 7900 in a limited edition of 200 and released in stores worldwide at the end of October 2021.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton
DISCLOSURE: This post is NOT sponsored. I am absolutely in love with this collaboration.

In a year of great resilience, two Italian Maisons, Emilio Pucci and Acqua di Parma, brighten up the holiday season with a new collection that celebrates life, love and joy. United by the common values of traditional workmanship, a joyous spirit and a passion for beauty, they come together to support the Rewrite the Future campaign from Save the Children, the international organisation which has been working for 100 years to save children at risk and guarantee their future, against a background of challenging social conditions and a lack of educational facilities.

Holiday 2021 Magnolia Nobile Gift Set – CHF 247.00

Emilio Pucci is a company that specialises in combining essential design with the joy of colour. The company founder created a rich universe of prints and an unmistakeable style, for which he was awarded the accolade of The Prince of Prints. This collaboration between the two companies expresses the perfect harmony between this joyful style of the fashion house and the radiance of Acqua di Parma.

Holiday 2021 Barbiere The Daily Ritual – CHF 134.00

The Vortici print, inspired by an Emilio Pucci archive theme, is presented in Parma yellow for the Holiday Season, and reinterpreted in a harmonious movement of light and colour. It’s a swirl of positivity and the joy of living which takes us on a journey into the universes of Italian beauty, from sophisticated urban architecture to splendid floral gardens and the Mediterranean coast, bring a sensation of freedom and confidence in its wake.

My favorite: The Holiday 2021 Advent Calendar will be available for CHF 595.00.

The Emilio Pucci x Acqua di Parma Collection will be available from October in the Boutiques and e commerce outlets of both companies, as well as through the retail and wholesale channels.

LoL, Sandra

Holiday 2021 Fico di Amalfi Gift Set – CHF 122.00

Holiday 2021 Essenza Gift Set – CHF 187.00

Holiday 2021 Notte di Stelle Diffusor – CHF 121.00 (180ml) and CHF 249.00 (500ml)

Photos: © Emilio Pucci / Acqua di Parma
DISCLOSURE: This post is NOT sponsored.

Gabrielle Chanel was seduced by the camellia. With no fragrance or thorns, it is a flower of simplicity and purity, much akin to the ethos of Coco Chanel. Compared to the opulence of a rose, she preferred the camellia’s sobriety and geometric roundedness, with classic and consistent ordering of the petals, intelligible yet beautiful, like the woman that she was.

It is also a flower of duality, for dandies and courtesans. Androgynous and ambiguous, the camellia has an image of a forbidden flower that resonates with Mademoiselle Chanel’s taste for provocation and seduction. I am a huge fan of the CHANEL Camélia jewelry collection, that is the promise of a unique look for all the women who wear it.

This fall, CHANEL offers new interpretations of the camellia flower on rings, brooches, chokers, bracelets and more, that are available in store from this month. The emblematic flower is reinterpreted through a selection that opens access to the fascinating universe of the Maison’s symbols. Please enjoy your exclusive preview of dream pieces… I already put some on my wish list.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © CHANEL

A match made in heaven! Maison Ladurée and the Olympia Le-Tan brand have teamed up to create a collector’s edition macaron box and an exclusive collection of two embroidered book clutch bags.

Olympia Le-Tan took inspiration from its famous book clutch bags to design a macaron box shaped like a book with gilt-edge pages encasing a cheerful array of scrumptious Ladurée delights. The Ladurée pastry chefs have created a special citrus Rose Champagne macaron for this occasion.

«Le Buffet Festif» box with a selection of 9 macarons is available at Ladurée from September 8th.

The two limited edition Olympia Le-Tan x Ladurée embroidery book clutch bags will be available only from certain Olympia Le-Tan retailers and online olympialetan.com from September 15th.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Olympia Le-Tan / Ladurée

DIESEL honors Genoa, the birthplace of jeans, and celebrates Made in Italy by presenting a reproduction of the oldest jeans fabric ever documented in history.

Dating back to 1760-80, local townspeople and laborers in Genoa were first seen (and depicted) wearing jeans as part of their daily wardrobes. Colors ranged from standard indigo to brown to white. A nativity figurine by Pasquale Navone (1746-1791), shows a man with denim trousers (woven diagonally, 2 to 1, in a blue cotton weft and white linen warp) that appear remarkably similar to iterations from the modern era. This sculpture represents the oldest historical instances of jeans; it may be viewed at Museo Giannettino Loxoro, which is situated in Genoa.

DIESEL has replicated the original fabric and garment as they existed three hundred years ago. It was done by using handmade Italian textiles and workmanship. The re-creation was exhibited this week at Genova Jeans fair in Genoa, where DIESEL was invited to celebrate the heritage of Made in Italy jeans. As to the accuracy of the denim’s reproduction and integrity, the fabric and garment are certified and verified by the art, textile and costume historian Marzia Cataldi Gallo.

The inaugural edition of the fair brings to life the history, evolution and innovation of jeans-making in a multifaceted showcase that, additionally, emphasizes sustainability; a series of immersive, informational experiences were on display. This includes a multi-part exhibition from DIESEL that centers on the heritage of its jeans, its journey towards a more sustainable denim product and practice, and how the company has utilized jeans to help transform the world of advertising.

Ultimately, this initiative serves as another spoke in DIESEL’s For Responsible Living strategy, which is a company-wide mandate to continuously shift its culture, business practices and footprint into a more sustainable arena. By participating in Genova Jeans, DIESEL further demonstrates its commitment to promoting and pushing for increased sustainability in the world of jeans.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Diesel

Prada presents the ninth drop of the new Prada Timecaspule, an exclusive product for men and women: exclusively at prada.com the first Thursday of every month, for 24 hours only.

This time, the marine world inspires the graphic pattern of the new Timecapsule shirt, crafted using an original technique reminiscent of tattoos. Faded and irregular along the edges, the placed print creates a distinctive, vintage look, emphasizing each piece’s uniqueness.

The shirt is also enriched by a contemporary rubber badge logo on the chest pocket. Available exclusively online for just 24 hours, the garment is decorated with a special logo created by OMA, the architecture firm founded by Rem Koolhaas, and with a serial number that makes it unique.

TECHNICAL DETAILS
Oversized – Short sleeves – Bowling collar – Breast pocket – Straight hem – Mother-of-pearl buttons – Rubber badge logo on the front pocket – 100% Cotton – Sizes (XS, S, M, L, XL). Made In Italy. Price: CHF 950.

The shirt is available here. Next drop will be on October 7, 2021.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Prada

Around two years ago, I told you the first time about #Togetherband, a movement started by Bottletop, the sustainable British accessories brand, to bring awareness to the 17 Global Goals formulated by the UN in 2015 through a partnership with the UN Foundation, WWF, Project Everyone, Eco Age, Global Citizen and the Founding Partner UBS.

Now, they have launched sunglasses in collaboration with Little Sun, a nonprofit global partnership that promotes and builds solar energy for communities without access to electricity. For every pair bought, a solar-powered lamp will be donated to a child without electricity in sub-Saharan Africa to help them read books, do homework and take them to new exciting places.

I am wearing the Alé sunglasses.

The sunglasses frames are constructed using 100% recycled polycarbonate. It’s a strong material made from post-consumer waste like old CDs and electrical appliances. #TOGETHER sunnies are also carbon negative, which means they offset more carbon than is emitted through their creation and distribution.

• Gender neutral eyewear
• Frames made from 100% recycled polycarbonate
• The lenses are UV category 3
• For every #TOGETHER product you buy, a tree is planted

Those classic sunglasses shapes work on so many faces. Alé is great for square and triangular faces, Rae works on round and oval face shapes, and Kai is perfect if your face is more rounded.

YOU CAN ORDER THE YELLOW SUNGLASSES ONLINE HERE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Bottletop / #Togetherband and © Sandra Bauknecht