Sandra‘s Closet

On 12 and 13 of November, Prada will present the sixth iteration of Prada Mode at the Levenson Mansion in Moscow featuring an installation by artist Damien Hirst. A traveling social club with a focus on contemporary culture, Prada Mode provides members with a unique art experience along with music, dining, and conversations.

Pharmacy exterior © Damien Hirst and Science Ltd. All rights reserved, DACS 2012

For Prada Mode Moscow, Damien Hirst will transform the historic building with his installation, Pharmacy. Hirst created Pharmacy restaurant in Notting Hill, London in 1998, six years after the inaugural installation of the same name at the Cohen Gallery New York.

Pharmacy was conceived as a fully functioning restaurant and bar in an installation of Hirst’s floor-to-ceiling medicine cabinets, and specially made butterfly paintings. Hirst designed furniture, architectural details such as a huge molecular model in its window, light boxes, and a wallpaper design taken from a catalogue of prescription medicine.

© Tate, London 2012 © Damien Hirst and Science Ltd. All rights reserved, DACS 2012

In Moscow, Hirst will present the third iteration of Pharmacy restaurant, the second being installed at his Newport Street Gallery, London. It is fitting for this to be made especially for Prada Mode: the artist’s long-time friend Miuccia Prada designed the staff uniforms for the original restaurant.

«I’m so excited to be invited by Miuccia to recreate Pharmacy for Prada Mode in Moscow,» said the artist. «I’m pulling out all of the stops to make this amazing, and the four floors of the historic Levenson building will provide the perfect place for it. I can’t wait to get going! I’ve always thought great restaurants can be art, and Pharmacy is a living breathing artwork, best filled with people and art as one.»

One of the most extravagant houses in Moscow… Levenson Mansion.

The Levenson Mansion is a private residence on Moscow’s Patriarch Ponds. The Art Nouveau landmark was designed by architect Fyodor Shechtel in 1900 for the A.A. Levenson Skoroprinting Company, an official purveyor of his majesty Emperor Nicholas II’s Imperial Court.

Last year, Fondazione Prada and Damien Hirst came together in aid of Save The Children.

Prada Mode Moscow will welcome members to access the club at any time over the course of the two-day project to participate in morning and afternoon panels and discussions as well as nightly events featuring exhilarating performances and live music, sampling specialty cocktails and dining throughout. Pharmacy installation will then open to the public from November 14th to 20th 2021.

LEVENSON MANSION
9, TRYOKHPRUDNY LANE
MOSCOW
NOV 12–13 2021

Update on October 21, 2021: Due to today’s news, please be informed that the Prada Mode Moscow event is now postponed. The new dates will be announced soon.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Prada and © Damian First if not stated otherwise

During Paris Fashion Week, I had the chance to visit the L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped – a temporary artwork for Paris, that was on view for 16 days from September 18 – October 3, 2021. As I was extremely busy those days, I only went on the last Sunday.

In between shows, I put on this comfy look (my kind of tourist look) and explored this incredible installation. That evening, the light was absolutely magical, showing the Arc de Triomphe wrapped in 25,000 square meters of recyclable polypropylene fabric in silvery blue, and with 3,000 meters of red rope, in all sort of shades.

With my friend, Berlin artist Johanna Keimeyer, who invited me to this beautiful terrace overlooking the Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped.

In 1961, three years after they met in Paris, Christo and Jeanne-Claude began creating works of art in public spaces. In 1962, he made a photomontage of the Arc de Triomphe wrapped, seen from the Avenue Foch and, in 1988, a collage. 60 years later, the project was finally concretized, an homage to the late artists and to the city of Paris.

My look: Two-tone intarsia wool-blend cardigan by Balmain, Relax mesh-trimmed tech-jersey leggings, and Relax cropped mesh-trimmed tech-jersey top, both by Alaïa, leather exaggerated-sole sneakers by Alexander McQueen, Lou mini quilted textured-leather shoulder bag by Saint Laurent, and grey pearl necklace with gold and green metal glass charm by CHANEL.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht / Nadia Krawiecka
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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.

Spreading pure optimism, Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama‘s works are full of vibrant energy and colorful positivity. Being one of the most important contemporary artists of our times, the 92-year has worked primarily in sculpture and installation, but is also active in painting, performance, film, fashion, poetry, fiction, and other arts. Her work is based in conceptual art and shows some attributes of feminism, minimalism, surrealism, Art Brut, pop art, and abstract expressionism, and is infused with autobiographical, psychological, and sexual content.

Limited to 100 pieces worldwide, Kusama’s art work «My Heart That Blooms in The Darkness of The Night» for Veuve Cliquot, a flower that wraps La Grande Dame 2012 Magnum.

From all my heart, 
the life of flowers flew away.
My everlasting affection for the flowers,
flew of beyond the universe
to show its vitality,
to gaze at the extremes of life.
– Yayoi Kusama

This year, she has collaborated with French champagne house Veuve Cliquot again to create the special edition La Grand Dame 2012 x Yayoi Kusama, sending a cheerful message to the whole world. It is with its iconic symbols, that Yayoi Kusama adorns La Grande Dame 2012 case and bottle. The opulent flower symbolizes vital energy, love and celebration of life. The polka dots, Yayoi Kusama’s signature patterns are reworked like champagne bubbles to embody La Grande Dame 2012.

Twist with Madame Clicquot! © YAYOI KUSAMA

Previously in 2006, Yayoi Kusama had already played with her famous polka dots by revivifying the original portrait of Madame Clicquot for a charity auction in Tokyo. So, the dialogue between the artist and the Maison has never stopped and has reached another milestone in its most inspiring and sharing ways.

More than 150 years separate Madame Clicquot and Yayoi Kusama, and yet it is almost as many common points that unite their unique and fascinating destinies. From Yayoi Kusama’s work to Madame Clicquot’s development of the House of Veuve Clicquot, these two daring figures demonstrate strong and flawless commitment. And today, their destinies converge in an unparalleled collaboration.

La Grand Dame 2012 x Yayoi Kusama is available for CHF 250.00 at Globus.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Franziska Krug/Getty Images for Veuve Clicquot, ©Yayoi Kusama
DISCLOSURE: This post is sponsored but I only show products I love. Promise.
DRINK RESPONSIBLY!

In the beginning of June, an amazing exhibition took place at Kunsthalle in Zurich and I was extremely bumped that I couldn’t go as the event took place for one day only. Originally a coffee table book, ‘weak in the presence of beauty’ is a photographic series by Swiss artist Walter Pfeiffer.

The exhibition captured the constants throughout Daniel Lee’s menswear collections at Bottega Veneta. Walter Pfeiffer continues to represent the fluidity of gender and sexuality, especially expressed with the male body.

Additional drawings from the artist, who had long worked as an illustrator before making a name as a photographer, complimented a curated edit of these photographic images. Friends and family showcased the best bits including Roberto Bolle, Trent Alexander Arnold, Timo & Janik Baumann, Pan Daijing and Fernando Cabral.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Walter Pfeiffer

Christie’s Jewels & Handbags Online: The London Edit from 9 to 23 June will present four one-of-a-kind pieces from Marni’s SS21 Marnifesto collection, sold to benefit the Alliance of Artists Communities, an international association of artist residencies that support artists of any discipline in the development of new creative work. The selection of Marnifesto highlights will comprise of upcycled leather coats from the brand’s archives, featuring hand-painted words and drawings inspired by Marni’s community. The online auction will open on 9 June, with bidding starting from £100, and the unique pieces will be available to view at Christie’s London from 11 to 16 June.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Marni’s creative director Francesco Risso opened up a dialogue between the talents, photographers and creative consultants who have collaborated with the brand over the years, including Mykki Blanco, Jonah Hill, Michelle Elie, Julien d’Ys, Camilla Nickerson, Jess Maybury among others. Exploring creativity and new ways of working during lockdown, this epistolary chain served as the inspiration for the resulting Marnifesto collection, conceived as a celebration of human connections, love, freedom and self-expression.

Once back in the studio, Marni’s treasured archives served as a neutral canvas, with previous collections upcycled and transformed into one-of-a-kind pieces, hand-painted with poetry, words and motifs collected during lockdown. Spontaneous brush strokes adorn these wearable pieces of art, beauty born out of challenges and an exploration of the future while paying tribute to the past.

Rachel Koffsky, Christie’s International Senior Specialist, Handbags & Accessories: «We are delighted to partner with Marni to offer four one-of-a-kind, wearable works of art from the 2021 Spring-Summer Marnifesto Collection. Made during the pandemic, hand painted in the Marni atelier in Italy, each unique piece represents a Love Letter from Marni collaborators to Francesco Risso, the fashion community and the world at large. One year later, this collection could not be more resonant. The eclectic, hand-painted nature of the collection represents the do-it-yourself sensibility which came to the fore at the beginning of the pandemic. While some of us baked sourdough, or learned to knit, the Marni atelier used their craft to make sense of this uncertain time, and to heal the community. Reflecting this, Marni has dedicated a portion of the proceeds to benefit the Alliance of Artists Communities. At this time, we need art more than ever, and to support artists and artist communities in need.»

Part of my personal collection: Trunk hand-painted leather shoulder bag by Marni

Francesco Risso, Marni’s Creative Director: «These one-off pieces reverberate the emotions among the Marni community during the Covid-19 pandemic, and they are the result of a collective effort in a time of uncertainty and hope. We gave a new interpretation to the beautiful garments we found in our archives by hand-painting the words and drawings collected throughout the lockdown. Because these pieces transcend time and go beyond fashion, we are extremely proud to present them through Christie’s, hoping they will resonate further and ultimately enter the life of those who are willing to treasure them.»

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Marni
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Dame Zaha Hadid passed away in Miami on March 31, 2016 at the age of 65. On the 5th anniversary of her death, Galerie Gmurzynska presents an immersive homage to the visionary architect.

The Great Utopia, The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde, 1915, 1932, 1992, © Galerie Gmurzynska

The shared interests between the gallery and Zaha Hadid for the Russian avant-garde fortuitously crossed paths in 1992 at the monumental exhibition «The Great Utopia,» at the Guggenheim Museum for which Zaha Hadid designed the rotunda – the first architect tasked with reimagining the Frank Lloyd Wright architectural icon. From early in her career, her peerless aesthetic was deeply inspired by Kazimir Malevich and the Suprematists, on whom she prepared her graduation thesis in 1976.

Zaha Hadid and Suprematism installation at Galerie Gmurzynska in 2010 (click here for a previous post).

The gallery’s active collaboration with Zaha Hadid from 2010 until her death began with the idea to again combine her knowledge of the Russian avant-garde with her architectural practice, which had advanced deeper since the Guggenheim exhibition. Thus, in 2010, the exhibition «Zaha Hadid and Suprematism» was held at Galerie Gmurzynska’s headquarters on Paradeplatz in Zurich. The exhibition and book, published together with Hatje Cantz, became a global event. This first collaboration with Zaha was followed by many other exhibition projects, including at Art Basel.

With Zaha Hadid in 2012 during a dinner at Art Basel when she signed the book for me (for the post click here). 

On the occasion of the important Malevich retrospective held in 2014 at Tate London the star architect was asked to take part in a long documentary about Malevich with the BBC. Part of this documentary included an interview with Galerie Gmurzynska CEO Mathias Rastorfer and Zaha Hadid about Malevich and the nature of architecture and art.

The final project completely planned by Zaha Hadid was again to show the dramatic development of her architecture in the context of another foundational modern master: Kurt Schwitters. The exhibition architecture was planned entirely by Hadid, and the selection of works by Schwitters was as well rigorously curated by her. Hadid unfortunately died before the opening of the show and left behind an architectural monument remaining unchanged in the Galerie Gmurzynska on Paradeplatz, open to the public.

The latest exhibition at Galerie Gmurzynska titled «Abstracting The Landscape» was conceived and created with the same team with whom the gallery planned and executed all Zaha Hadid exhibitions since 2010. It has been a fruitful and euphoric collaboration for all involved, for which Galerie Gmurzynska expresses its heartfelt gratitude to the entire Zaha Hadid design and archive team. In this spirit of long-term collaboration and the highest respect for her perpetual vision, historical projects with models and drawings, as well as sculptural objects realized since her passing have been individually selected to be integrated into a custom floor design displaying Hadid’s best traits. The exhibition also features site-specific objects, as well as never-before exhibited designs. It will be open until July 31, 2021.

I was able to shoot different looks inside the exhibition which presented me with an amazing backdrop. Stay tuned for all the posts coming up soon…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Galerie Gmurzynska, © David Biedert Photography

Just smile – Easter weekend is calling and the sun is out. Blue jeans and a white tee are always a good idea and I love them in combination with my favorite spring cardigan, for which Stella McCartney asked artist and friend Jeff Koons to create the artwork for «K is for Kindness» in her #StellaAtoZ series, and the message is spread loud and clear on the back of this cardigan. The perfect remedy for gloomy days and a must-have for for eternal optimists, it’s knitted with cheerful intarsia of a natural landscape reminding you to smile.

My look: Kind intarsia wool and cotton-blend cardigan by Stella McCartney, white cotton cropped top (Look 44 Pre-collection Summer 2021), and AirPods Pro case in white, both by CHANEL, high rise straight jeans with embellishments by Dolce & Gabbana, iPhone cover in blue ostrich leather by The Collector, and Lady Bug 100 patent leather pumps by Christian Louboutin.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © David Biedert Photography
The photos were taken inside the fumoir at Gstaad Palace Hotel.
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.

On the occasion of the International Women’s Day, La Prairie announces lead patronage of Niki de Saint Phalle‘s most substantial U.S. retrospective at MoMA PS1 in New York.

On view from March 11 to September 6, 2021, Niki de Saint Phalle: Structures for Life will feature over 200 works created from the mid-1960s until the artis’s death, highlighting Saint Phalle’s interdisciplinary approach and engagement.

Niki de Saint Phalle. Californian Diary (Order and Chaos). 1994

La Prairie honours Niki de Saint Phalle’s audacious and visionary feminist spirit – her defiance of social norms and her willingness to break the codes both in her personal life and work. The work of Niki de Saint Phalle has a particular resonance for La Prairie as it was her striking use of cobalt blue that was the inspiration behind La Prairie’s iconic Skin Caviar Collection colour.

Niki de Saint Phalle. Flaçon de parfum. 1982

In 1982, Niki was developing her eponymous fragrance from her atelier in a shared design studio in
New York where La Prairie’s team would often engage in creative exchanges. When La Prairie
encountered Niki de Saint Phalle’s cobalt blue – her favourite colour that she describes «as the colour
of joy and luck» – the link became clear: only cobalt blue would do. A fortunate encounter that would
spark a bond with the House of La Prairie and seal it forever.

La Prairie Skin Caviar Collection

Just as Niki de Saint Phalle raised awareness on modernist, progressive views, La Prairie’s founder paved the way to pioneering discoveries. Dr. Paul Niehans was a dreamer, a seeker of beauty. Art was central to his science, central to his dream to hold time in his hand, central to his pioneering spirit. A spirit mirrored in Niki de Saint Phalle’s inner flame of audacity. She expressed a new femininity, one which stood in opposition to the conventional influences and values of society.

Niki de Saint Phalle working on the set for The Travelling Companion at her studio near Milly-la-Forêt. 1977.

Through her lifetime, Niki de Saint Phalle used her platform as an artist to bring attention to various issues advocating for women’s equality to provoke and trigger conversations – a legacy that today continues to inspire new generations of artists and women beyond. Niki de Saint Phalle also shaped art movements such as Nouveau Réalisme. As the only woman in the 1960s-founded group, she offered a unique perspective and proved her art was as innovative as her male counterparts.

Niki de Saint Phalle. La femme et L’oiseau fontaine. 1967–88

«Niki de Saint Phalle created artwork that explicitly rejected patriarchal values and artistic convention. Her Nanas confront Western standards of femininity and decorum: they are brash, ecstatic, and embrace sexuality. She created her Nanas at such a large scale specifically so that they could dominate – literally tower over – men. Saint Phalle was also an iconoclast in her personal style and way of life,» according to Ruba Katrib, Curator of the exhibition.

Last Night I had a dream, 1968-1988

This collaboration with the upcoming exhibition at MoMA PS1 in New York is an opportunity for the Swiss luxury house to enable the world to experience Saint Phalle’s revolutionary work. It is also an expansion of La Prairie’s support of art and culture by creating new connections with the world of art and its various representatives, whether emerging or established artists or cultural institutions. A commitment that continues to flourish and to build on the House’s existing partnerships with art fairs Art Basel and West Bund Art & Design and the iconic Fondation Beyeler in Switzerland.

More information at moma.org/ps1. I would love to see this exhibition and truly hope that we will be able to travel to the U.S. soon again.

LoL, Sandra

Niki de Saint Phalle with La Fontaine Stravinsky

Photos: Courtesy of La Prairie, © 2021 Niki Charitable Art Foundation
© Michiko Matsumoto, © Leonardo Bezzola Estate

One thing you should not have missed when visiting Gstaad, is the outdoor sculpture MIRAGE GSTAAD. Until this month, the mirror house designed by Los Angeles-based artist Doug Aitken stands on the hiking trail between Schönried and Gstaad and can only be reached on foot.

With every available surface clad in mirror, it both absorbs and reflects the landscape around in such ways that the exterior will seemingly disappear just as the interior draws the viewer into a never-ending kaleidoscope of light and reflection. With the help of my tripod, I shot this outfit post by myself – a comfortable look that is perfect for hiking around Gstaad.

My look: Lawrence space-dyed cashmere sweater, and Lauren fringed space-dyed cashmere wrap, both by Gabriela Hearst, skinny jeans «Kate» by Dolce & Gabbana, Biker II leather boots by Jimmy Choo, Loulou heart-shaped acetate sunglasses by Saint Laurent, Clash de Cartier ring in 18K rose gold with amazonite by Cartier, and waist belt by CHANEL.

LoL, Sandra

 Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.