Sandra‘s Closet

This week, Hermès celebrated its theme of the year «Vive la Légèreté» in Zurich in an intimate celebration at Kunsthaus. The motto was translated in multiple ways into a breathtaking setup, from the airy clouds decorating the swings where you could take a photo to the dreamlike pegasus installations at the open ceiling. Yvonne Leuthard, Press & Influence Manager Hermès Switzerland, explained to me that those pieces were used at another event in Paris before. Sustainable luxury is something very dear to the French Maison.

Ease became a subject of inspiration to which creatives and craftsmen were invited to respond. Hermès has always been a house dedicated to the quality and sensuality of materials and textures. Known for its precision and artistic complicities, a plethora of its offerings feature silk, soft and light as air.

Thierry Outin, General Director Hermès Switzerland, Sara Mathivet, Store Manager Hermès Zurich, and Florian Craen, Executive Vice-President Sales & Distribution, who had flown in from Paris for the night, welcomed the guests. Dancers dressed in floral costumes performed at the cocktail reception as well at the dinner and made the celebratory event a success.

The food was vegetarian with several outstanding courses prepared by Franzoli, from a fresh herb consommé to a «fir branch» to an amazing pavlova that was presented in a shape of a mountain. The titles of the courses were very pictorial, «the lake», «the undergrowth», «the meadow», «the glacier», «the forest», and «the summit», all inspired by Swiss landscaping.

The culmination of the night was a «golden rain» from above that gave this feeling of lightness and hope. Lightness is when the everyday becomes miraculous, it is in the gentleness of a smile, the tenderness of a touch, the gracefulness of a gesture and the beauty of a night like this.

Thank you, Hermès, for having me!

LoL, Sandra

My outfit was perfectly matching the theme with my winged heels and the cloudy skirt.

The Hermès crocodile gang.

With Kim Dang from NZZ

Photos:  © Sandra Bauknecht
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Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dubai and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Abu Dhabi, are inspiring greatness at its best by collaborating with the Dubai-based world-renowned contemporary British artist Sacha Jafri for the inception of ‘The Six Elements’ Phantom.

Jafri is known for creating the world’s largest painting on canvas, Journey of Humanity (see above) over seven months during the COVID-19 pandemic in Dubai. With his work having been shown in the most prominent Art Institutions across the globe. The Dubai-based artist is described as ‘The Pioneer of Magical Realism’ and this century’s true zeitgeist, bringing painting with raw emotion back to the forefront of the art world. Sacha’s work acts as an electric shock to the senses, reminding us of the magic in the mundane and awakening the child within us all. His recent paintings celebrate the life’s achievements of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, President Barack Obama, HE Nelson Mandela, David Beckham and Sir Alex Ferguson. Sacha Jafri is widely regarded as one of the world’s most celebrated living artists and has raised more than $140 million for charities across the world from the sale of his art.

Coming back to this beautiful collaboration. These six one-of-one Rolls-Royce Phantom Series II motor cars will each feature a unique, painted Sacha Jafri Gallery, inspired by the one of the five elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Wind and Air, with Humanity as the ‘sixth element’. The project has the expressed aim of raising $1 million for charity, with associations to be announced later this year. The chosen beneficiaries will be Humanity-centric, spanning three sectors: Education, Health, and Sustainability.

Selected for his inimitable vision, style and use of colours, Jafri is crafting a unique Gallery for each Phantom Series II, themed around the Six Elements. The principle of adding Humanity as an element builds on the ethos of the British artist’s works around the five traditional elements. The underlying message is the need to reintroduce a sense of humanity to the world and to find balance within ourselves.

For Sacha Jafri, each of the elements evokes different emotions, spirit, energy and purpose. Fire represents passion and belief. Fire is balanced by earth, which represents grounding and roots. Air is the essence of life, enabling us to breathe. Wind enhances our feelings of freedom, whilst Water, supports our lyricism and fluidity. Humanity brings love, embrace, and the linking of souls.

«The six Rolls-Royce Phantoms will embody the emotion of each elemental force. The artistic journey begins and ends with emotion and intention, fuelling my inspiration to create the colour palette of the ‘Six Elements’. Earth, Fire, Wind, Water and Air are enhanced by the addition of a ‘new element’, Humanity – the very essence of life itself.
Rolls-Royce is a brand of intention, excellence, power, detail and passion – a brand that has been on a similar journey to my own. It has set new levels of achievement, with pioneering accolades yet to be surpassed. By embracing empathy, we are able to reconnect the spirit of our world, in connection with our Elements and the souls of not only the individual, but of the very idea of universal consciousness.
We are embarking on a journey that aims to continuously fulfil those values, keeping our intentions pure and driven, eternally. This commission is indicative of these principles, not only incorporating art for the sake of aesthetic inspiration, but also a nurturing of the soul, an uplifting of the spirit, and the embodiment of a true charitable cause.»
Sacha Jafri, Artist

The Rolls-Royce Phantom ‘The Six Elements’ motor cars will also feature a unique digital element. The marque is simultaneously launching «The Rolls-Royce That Keeps on Giving» NFT initiative, which includes six individual flythrough animations.

Each time any of the six NFTs are traded, a royalty of 20% will be donated to the chosen charity. The six distinct one-off NFTs are linked to each of the six Phantoms, however, owners can sell their NFT separately if they choose to do so. These NFTs will be uniquely embedded within the glove compartment of each Phantom Series II, enabling each of the six owners to view their NFT experience whilst sat within their car.

The eighth generation of Phantom was unveiled in 2017. When creating this new expression, Phantom Series II, Rolls-Royce designers and engineers were guided by the requests of clients, who implored Rolls-Royce not to make any major changes to an already iconic motor car. In answer to these client demands, only the lightest of design touches, embellishments, and adaptations have been incorporated. Indeed, Phantom Series II is not about what should be changed, but in fact, what should be preserved and protected.

Utterly unique to Phantom, the marque offers an extraordinary art-within-art canvas: The Gallery. Running the entire length of the fascia and conceptualised to house Bespoke creations with an uninterrupted glass enclosure. In this instance, these ‘Six Elements’ Phantom Series II motor cars were designed at the Home of Rolls-Royce around Jafri’s hand-painted galleries.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Rolls-Royce, © Sacha Jafri and via Humanity Inspired
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Origins, travel, experience. And the certainty that a suitcase is not just a container. From the culture of travel that forms the history of the brand comes the new Gucci Valigeria campaign, featuring actor, screenwriter, director, and musician Ryan Gosling.

Creative Director Alessandro Michele, through the lens of photographer Glen Luchford, upends a typical sense of narrative and sets the campaign in a dreamlike dimension that goes beyond the boundaries that separate it from reality to recount a present built on the possibilities of the imagination and of an encounter.

The Gucci Savoy collection is the narrative result of a story that takes flight from the typical splendors of travel to confer the value of memory to the origins of a brand that was created from an intuition and from the observation of potentialities, precisely thanks to travel, developing discoveries of worlds and of diverse cultural manners.

«Travel for Gucci was never purely physical. Gucci is the brand that accompanied the artists, writers, actors, and directors of Hollywood on their journeys… This is why I wanted the advertising campaign to recount a situationist dimension where the protagonist traverses a “non-place” that is first and foremost a mental place, the same as those who, in the past and present, choose Gucci because they grasp the significance of creativity used to build imaginary places. And it is for this reason that a Gucci suitcase appears as a magical suitcase,» says Creative Director Alessandro Michele.

It is precisely in travel that the heritage of Gucci finds its origins. Founded in Florence in 1921 by Guccio Gucci, who more than twenty years prior when he was just 17, emigrates to Paris and then to London. The young Florentine works first as a porter at The Savoy in London, the go-to destination for international travelers. The very young Guccio Gucci comes into contact with the magic of travel that, at the time, was synonymous with discovery, discussion, study, and a bridge between diverse cultures. It was a time in which traveling signified experience, displacing the certainties of one’s social environment, a pursuit of the unexpected, of a will to encounter and to know. The return to Florence can’t but remember that observed and studied reality, assimilated and ready to be transferred into the practice of work. Guccio Gucci will do it with his first suitcases, trunks, bags, hat boxes. All the containers required to bring with oneself, on a journey, those necessities to represent oneself and one’s culture in an unknown and often foreign place.

In a narrative inversion that fills a stretch of space-time, the same containers appear as protagonists in the campaign, which presents the Gucci Savoy collection
including trolleys, hard and soft suitcases, duffle bags, trunks, hat boxes, and beauty cases. Objects that encapsulate experiences and desires that, in the images and video of the campaign, fill the bed of a polished pick-up truck in which the new collection lives side by side with historical pieces and that, in this plausible story of possibilities, are also repositories of dreams.

And it is this reality-adjacent dream that Ryan Gosling is living. At the end of a journey studded with arrivals and departures, he is introduced to surprising places through a trunk that becomes a gateway to fantastical worlds, which will turn out to be more real than any imagination could conceive. Because it leads to that reality of discovery that has always had the ability to build unexpected worlds.

The Gucci Savoy collection, which is part of the House’s wider Gucci Valigeria travel selection, is distinguished by a combination of heritage-infused design elements including the GG monogram and/or the Web stripe, offered in both soft and hard-sided iterations. The collection comprises items for every travel need, designed to be used now and for many years to come as classic and contemporary elements come together within a timeless aesthetic.

I will be going to Florence with Gucci in the beginning of October and cannot wait to explore everything where it all had started…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Gucci #GucciValigeria
Creative Director: Alessandro Michele – Art Director: Christopher Simmonds – Photographer & Director: Glen Luchford – Make up: Thomas De Kluyver – Hair: Paul Hanlon / DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.

In the mood for shopping? I have an amazing offer for you from MATCHESFASHION. From September 28, 2022 from 8am BST until October 5, 2022 at 10am BST, you will get 15% off selected full-price items with the promo code: 15OFFER. Minimum spend is £200 / €200 / $250 USD. Only valid on selected full-price items included within dedicated listings below:

SHOP WOMENSWEAR
SHOP MENSWEAR

Wether you are looking for a great outfit for the next holiday season, a coat to cherish forever or a fun denim piece, you will find something. Here are some of my favorites:

Camille crystal-bow velvet jumpsuit by Saloni
Cat-eye tortoiseshell-acetate sunglasses by Bottega Veneta
Madame coat by Max Mara
Anise 95 crystal-embellished leather sandals by Jimmy Choo
Puff-sleeve distressed denim mini dress by Alessandra Rich
L’Amour embroidered book clutch bag by Olympia Le Tan

Happy Shopping!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Matchesfashion / © Sandra Bauknecht
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The Voiles de St. Tropez is one of the most prestigious regattas in the Mediterranean. Both ultramodern yachts and rare wooden yachts participate in it. This year, it takes place between September 24, 2022 until October 8, 2022. However, I have a dilemma as everything happens at the same time. Paris Fashion Week and Zurich Film Festival are also on my schedule, as well as my sister’s wedding. It is also the end of summer and I would love to stroll again through the tiny streets of St. Tropez in this floral combination as I did in July.

My look: Belted jumpsuit with floral poppy print, frayed floppy floral linen hat, and poppy print silk scarf, all by Zimmermann, heart shape bag, logo printed sandals with 100mm heel, and long logo earrings, all by CHANEL.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Michael HJ Lopez Photographie / Sandra Bauknecht
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Back in  the ’80s Wolford launched an exclusive two-set collection with Manfred Thierry Mugler. Now, forty years later, the two house reunite again. This season, Wolford teams up with Mugler for a visionary collaboration: an exclusive collection combining the Austrian brand’s signature skinwear with the French Maison’s world-renowned, couture attitude.

The brands’ shared passion for craftsmanship and materials shines in this concise collection of expressive pieces. Together, Mugler Creative Director Casey Cadwallader and Wolford’s skinwear experts designed a versatile selection of styles that celebrate the beauty, sexiness, and sensuality of the body.

«Wolford is the world’s leader of second skin, so their expertise and finesse are must-haves for Mugler. I have been so lucky to see their latest innovations, their archives, and to work directly with the Wolford team to make this new collection,» Cadwallader said in a press release.

The result: a limited edition of twelve meticulous pieces that combine refined flocking technique, sensual shaping functionality and enhanced tailoring features to set a new standard in alluring, avant-garde fashion. For the campaign, Wolford and Mugler have tapped photographer Zhong Lin to shoot those amazing photos showing Lara Stone, Sora Choi and Aj Yel.

When couture meets skinwear at its best – SHOP THE LIMITED EDITION COLLECTION OF DRESSES, BODYSUITS, STOCKINGS AND MORE HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Wolford
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Breaking news! Burberry has appointed Daniel Lee as its new chief creative officer, replacing Riccardo Tisci, who is stepping down after presenting his final runway show for the British luxury brand on Monday. The end of Tisci’s near five-year tenure follows the arrival of Jonathan Akeroyd as Burberry’s new chief executive earlier this year who is supposed to accelerate growth.

Riccardo Tisci with me

Tisci was the creative force behind former chief executive Marco Gobbetti‘s strategy to elevate the position of the 166-year-old brand in the luxury sector. His designs, many of which featured a new Thomas Burberry «TB» monogram, attracted a younger and more diverse community of customers to the brand.

Tisci’s last show for Burberry

Lee, who was creative director at Italy’s Bottega Veneta for three years until 2021, and who has previously worked at Celine, Maison Margiela, Balenciaga and Donna Karan, was a «new kid on the block» when he was named creative director of Kering’s Bottega Veneta at age 32 in 2018.

A funny coincidence is that Lee was born in Yorkshire where Burberry manufactures its famous trench coats, and he said that «he was honoured to join the fashion house and build on Tisci’s legacy.» During a three-year tenure at the house known for its leather-weaving techniques and logo-free products, Lee created must-have bags and shoes fashionistas around the globe raved about. He used ultra-touchable materials, unexpected proportions and bold colors to create products that rapidly turned around Bottega Veneta’s sales, which has been slipping for several years. However, after he left Bottega Veneta, rumors were that he was horrible to work with and treated his colleagues not in a nice way. Of course, this is only a rumor and nobody officially addressed it.

Some of Lee’s designs for Bottega Veneta

The brand stated in a press release: «Bottega Veneta and Daniel Lee are announcing their joint decision to end their collaboration.» «I am very grateful to Daniel for having brought his passion and energy to Bottega Veneta,» said Kering’s CEO Francois-Henri Pinault in the release. «His singular vision made the House’s heritage relevant for today and put it back to the center of the fashion scene.»

No matter what Lee does or did, his designs are amazing and this is what counts. I cannot wait to see what his vision is for Burberry!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Bottega Veneta, © Burberry and © Sandra Bauknecht
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He is heroic and solitary, midway between comic book character and Greek divinity. With Super H, Hermès opens up a new playful and creative interlude of Time as a new object from the House.

Slim d’Hermès Minuit au Faubourg plays on the worlds of pop art and Paris to create a light, offbeat horological miniature, produced in two series of 24 timepieces each. Its theme is derived from a silk scarf designed in 2014 by Dimitri Rybaltchenko.

The Eiffel Tower stands out against a sky streaked with clouds and studded with aventurine stars, majestically overlooking the legendary sloping zinc Parisian roofs that reflect the bluish gleam of the moon and the rosy glow of the setting sun. The dome of the Invalides can be seen in the distance, along with its neighbouring obelisk on Place de la Concorde. A few streets away, the wings of the Moulin Rouge spin in the summer wind. But the essential element lies elsewhere.

Where? 24 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. This is where «Hermès Sellier» – as mentioned on the wall sign – took up residence in 1880.
On the top floor sits a secret garden surrounded by a column-lined terrace. At the call of his name, beamed as an H from the top of the Eiffel Tower, Super H is ready to take flight. His cape flutters in the wind, revealing his initial: an orange-brown «H». A superbly proud and majestic comic-strip Pegasus, he stirs the imagination: what will happen? Why was he called? Where will he fly to?

One thing is for sure: Super H will fly off draped in a soft luminescence, thanks to the artisans at Hermès Horloger. A beam of light made of Super-LumiNova is projected from the Eiffel Tower. At night, it sparkles near the dial surface, tracing the outlines of the Super H banner. All around it, the Parisian scene is hand-drawn in micro-painting. Its multiple layers – particularly the thicker one in Super-LumiNova – give the dial a slightly grainy texture, like a canvas.

Entirely hand-crafted and resulting from more than 50 hours of work, each dial will be unique, framed by a 39.5 mm white gold case and powered by the Manufacture Hermès H1950 self-winding movement. Numbered limited edition of 24.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Hermès / David Marchon
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Louis Vuitton reveals the latest Twist bags in a photo series with Eve Jobs. A recent friend of the House and an equestrienne par excellence, she showcases these new animations with strength and grace.

Since making its debut during the 2015 Cruise runway show, the Twist has been embraced as an iconic Louis Vuitton bag. A modern, sophisticated design defined by a signature transforming LV lock and graphic shape in Epi leather, it stands out as an emblematic creation that perfectly articulates the Maison’s savoir-faire.

For F/W 2022, Louis Vuitton puts a fresh spin on the Twist with several new animations. The original LV Twist lock, a jewel-like feature that enhances the bag’s classic design, is reinterpreted in a new «Gourmette» lock in four variations: colourful strass, enamel, an engraved Monogram, and engraved metal that echoes the signature Epi leather.

The subtle radiance of the Gourmette lock highlights the innovation of the iconic clasp that pivots from an LV to a V, reaffirming the heritage of the Maison with contemporary flair. Pink strass and black enamel accent the chic black design; silver strass and pale blue enamel add a sleek fashion-forward touch to the Twist in pale quartz; and blue strass with white enamel emphazise the freshness of the blue toledo bag. A faceted gold or silver chain has been added as a refined accent to these styles.

Compact yet spacious, the Twist retains its day-to-night versatility across small and medium sizes. An adjustable and removable leather smart strap provides multiple carry options. The iconic Twist also features in its signature camel, black and white versions.

Dressed in looks from the F/W 2022 ready-to-wear womenswear collection that reflect countryside and urban sensibilities, Eve Jobs gives off a natural allure that extends to the Twist bags she carries. I like a lot and you?

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton
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Mykonos is also known as the «Island of the Winds». Indeed, Mykonos can be extremely windy. It is rare to find windless days in the islands but thankfully I was not affected unduly. However, of course, the day when we shot several looks, the wind was extreme as you can see.

I love this black and white look by Jacquemus. The label is the brainchild of Simon Porte Jacquemus, a thirtysomething designer‚ who is gaining more and more in popularity. His key to success? An innate ability to create viral hits and to quickly convert new collections into revenue at a price point unheard of in luxury fashion.

My look: Baci cropped gathered organic cotton-jersey T-shirt, and Draio cutout shell midi skirt, by Jacquemus, LV Link square sunglasses by Louis Vuitton, Niki mini studded quilted textured-leather shoulder bag by Saint Laurent, and quilted leather mules by Bottega Veneta.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: @mykonos_alexandr / © Sandra Bauknecht
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