Sandra‘s Closet

Yesterday evening, I was invited to an evening on the topic of the future of fashion and fabrics by UBS at the FREITAG Lab in Zurich.

The evening started with a private guided tour of the FREITAG factory by Daniel Freitag himself, founder of the Freitag brand, followed by drinks and networking and then seated dinner whilst listening to a presentation of Christina Dean, founder of The R Collective and Redress and a UBS Global Visionary, who was addressing the problem of waste and pollution by the fashion industry. My avid readers might recognize her from the UBS Unique – Economy of Fashion forum in 2017.

The first messenger bag F13 TOP CAT is exhibited at the MoMA in New York.

Let me get started with the story of FREITAG which is a truly inspiring one. In 1993, graphic designers and brothers Markus and Daniel Freitag were looking for a functional, water-repellent and robust bag to hold their creative work. Inspired by the multicolored heavy traffic that rumbled through the Zurich transit intersection in front of their flat, they developed a messenger bag from used truck tarpaulins, discarded bicycle inner tubes and car seat belts. This is how the first FREITAG bags took shape in the living room of their shared apartment – each one recycled, each one unique. By the way, the first messenger bag F13 TOP CAT wrote fashion history and can be looked at at the MoMA in New York.

Each FREITAG bag is unique made from truck tarps.

With their innovation, the brothers inadvertently triggered a seismic event in the world of bag making. Its tremors have since made themselves felt in Zurich and the cities of Europe and spread all the way to Asia, making FREITAG the unofficial outfitter of all urban, bike-riding individualists. Today, FREITAG is one of the most hyped brands in Thailand and Japan. The products are available in 24 by the brand owned stores as well as at over 400 resellers around the world with an extensive choice of over 4000 unique products available in the online store. I was pretty impressed of the work that goes into the shoot of each product. Imagine that every single bag is unique and therefore needs to be photographed individually.

Each bag is shot separately for the online store.

FREITAG likes the tarps that they make bags from to have some popping color schemes, but it’s not always so easy to find them, especially since they want to use truck tarps that were on the road for quite a time.

Since the first F13 TOP CAT messenger bag, the collection has spawned a full range of over 80 different models for all your carrying needs: from smartphone and laptop sleeves via backpacks and on to handbags, shoppers and travel bags.

Creating new shapes and models is part of the design process.

FREITAG has been at home in the Nœrd industrial complex in Zurich-Oerlikon since 2011. This is where the truck tarps we collect are taken apart, washed and cut to size. The sewing has been outsourced to other Swiss companies.

A great sustainable concept: unscrewed buttons.

Newest project: a small clothing line.

In 2014, the bag-makers gave themselves a new raw material to play with: F-ABRIC. Developed in-house from the ground up, the rugged, completely compostable textiles are based on bast fibers that are produced using a minimum of resources within a 2500-kilometer radius of headquarters. F-ABRIC thus more than lives up to the FREITAG philosophy: «We think and act in cycles.»

The team works following a self-management strategy. Each team member shows the time that he or she works on a project with the help of LEGO stones on a board.

«I stepped back as CEO. I am an originator, apostel, incubator and more.»
– Daniel Freitag

Daniel Freitag with me

FREITAG has not only committed to the circular, closed-loop economy but is also organized in circles: in 2016, the company, which still belongs to the Freitag brothers, abandoned the classical hierarchical structure and replaced it with Holacracy, a form of organization based on self-management.

We were served a yummy Züri Geschnetzeltes in form of mushroom protein instead of meat for the vegan surprise dinner at Noerd Kantine.

The guided tour by Daniel Freitag was very impressive and so was the vegan dinner in the Noerd Kantine, which is in the same building as the Freitag Lab. Personally speaking, FREITAG is a company that I would like to work in.

Christina Dean with me

Christina, who calls herself a «sustainable fashion advocate», started Redress following a phenomenal life-changing professional and personal experience. She used to be a dentist, then a journalist before moving to Hong Kong. After a bike trip through Southern China, she became increasingly interested in China’s environmental crisis. The more she investigated the sources, the more compelled she became by how the country’s fashion and textile industries were contributing to this drastic situation, which not only affects the planet but is also killing people.

Rescue. Reuse. Reimagine.

«Waste is not waste until it is wasted.»

This insight led to a huge professional change. First, she only wore for one year clothes that other people had thrown away. Parallel, she started the NGO Redress, followed later by The R Collective, that creates sustainable fashion using rescued textile waste sourced from the world’s leading luxury fashion brands and reputable mills and manufacturers. These materials are reused through upcycling, reimagining the destiny of textile waste with timeless designs. With these innovative techniques and sustainable designer collaborations, the team is catalysing the circular fashion revolution.

«Let’s be global fashion citizens, not consumers.» – Christina Dean

This said, I am wishing you a happy and inspiring long weekend!
Thank God it’s Friday, or as we Germans say Freitag…

LoL, Sandra

Photos in first college and of the first messenger bag: Courtesy of FREITAG
All other photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Since around two years, we have been deep into the basket bag trend that just won’t quit. Beloved of fashionistas for their insta worthy and youthful appearance, they are the season’s must-have accessory. This summer, designers combined straw, wicker, rattan, beads and even woven cotton with fabric wraps or inlays (also great to keep your belongings safe). Behold, here are the cutest styles to swing into summer.

LoL, Sandra
Chloe wicker and gingham cotton-canvas shoulder bag by Kayu

Panier leather-trimmed printed twill and woven raffia tote by Chloé

Riviera large tasseled embellished raffia and canvas tote by Aquazzura + Le Ninè

Lunchpail leather-trimmed woven sisal bucket bag by Cesta Collective

Louise wicker and polka-dot canvas tote by Loeffler Randall

Antares embellished bucket bag by Rosantica

Trellis Lirio rope-trimmed acetate and linen tote by Montunas

Shell-embellished crocheted cotton tote by Mizele + Timeless Pearly

Comino faux pearl and gold-tone beaded tote by Vanina

Caba mini straw and striped cotton-canvas tote by Muuñ

Quan rattan and leather bucket bag by Wicker Wings

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands

First seen on the runway of the F/W 2019 ready-to-wear collection created by Karl Lagerfeld and Virginie Viard, CHANEL presents a new bag: the CHANEL 19. An important number for the House, an echo of famous creations, but also a birth year.

CHANEL 19 for 2019, a baptismal name that pays tribute to its elder, the 2.55 bag, created in February 1955 by Mademoiselle Chanel.

The CHANEL 19 bag bears the essence of the House and all of its codes. Available in three sizes, this rectangular flap bag is swathed with large diamond quilting on leather or on tweed. A metal chain interlaced with leather comes in a trio of finishes, its links passing successively from silver to aged gold to ruthenium. A signature of the CHANEL bags, it also features another code of recognition: the double C fastener, in an XL format on all the designs.

With an ultra-supple structure, the CHANEL 19 adopts a resolutely modern attitude: the length of its chain means it can be worn in two ways, straight or cross body. There’s also a large curb chain in gold metal to be held in the hand. A belt bag version allows the CHANEL 19 to be worn around the waist. A practicality in the pure spirit of CHANEL: natural, elegant and functional, appropriated according to one’s movements.

For its first season, the CHANEL 19 takes on the dominant colours of the F/W 2019 ready-to-wear: added to the leather in its timeless colours of black, beige and white are turquoise blue, green, deep red and dark pink, while the tweed comes in eight variations to match the silhouettes of the collection.

The CHANEL 19 bag weaves a veritable link between the past, the present and the future. Immediately identifiable but without ostentation, rich in detail with masculine/feminine accents, multiple ways of being worn, it is instantly seductive thanks to an allure that is both sophisticated and relaxed. The obvious way to carry it, combined with its elegant, practical and comfortable line make it a day-to-day companion. An ally to be taken everywhere, one that liberates movement, tout simplement.

Below you can enjoy a preview of the CHANEL 19 bags for Cruise 2020… so many beautiful options!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © CHANEL – #handbagCHANEL19

After this week’s post about the 15 most important runway trends, you know that we will be wearing capes, colorful leather jackets or gothically lovely lace dresses. But what about our shoes, bags and accessories? The fashionable additions to the season’s best outfits have an equally polished attitude. With barely a sneaker in sight, the runways were mastered by clasp bags, fancy kitten heels, and vibrant platform boots that complemented the looks. On the grunge side of things there were lots of cool offerings: punk chokers and most of all, though, there were chains just about everywhere.

Enjoy this season’s unbridled fun running through winter’s most memorable bags and catch up on the season’s most covetable accessories below.

LoL, Sandra

Fall’s ladylike spirit extends into handbags with a focus on proper flap bags with metallic logo clasps.

This is for the serious handbag collector! Novelty bags are nothing new, but this season’s are truly some of the most outstanding pieces you have seen so far.

Hygge is alive and well in the accessories of several designers. Quilted, fluffy, and snuggly, these pieces will make the next polar vortex much more bearable.

One thing is for sure, you won’t be fully dressed without a hat this fall. Whatever the mood, there’s a hat to match – the new pieces are truly sophisticated.

A lot is going on around the neck, from scarves combined with necklaces to mini bags.

This F/W 2019 season requires a defined waist. Take a substantial waist belt to add a little curve to your ensembles.

Ditch the sneakers for a comfy pair of platform boots in vibrant hues – the designers were sending the message on many runways.

Combat boots are a must this season. Equipped with pockets or worn to flowing dresses, the choice is yours.

These kitten heels are easier to walk in than stilettos, but they don’t come up short on style.

Opposites attract. Take blooming accessories to balance the season’s punk movement.

Nothings brings as much drama to an outfit than a huge silk bow.

Dark and spiky chokers are a must and elevate every look to new heights.

The fiercest of all F/W 2019 trends is probably the ear armor. This refers to earrings or cuffs that cover the bulk of the ear helix, looking like an especially glamorous armor.

Chain necklaces are back – mostly elegant and glamorous rather than grunge.

Symmetry is not necessary or recommended this season when it comes to earrings. Wearing only one earring is a great way to channel your inner pirate.

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands

This is my new bag crush for Pre-fall 2019 that will be available in stores from August: LOUIS VUITTON‘s Monogram Giant that is twisted with animal prints inspired by the Cruise 2018 collection.

I love this one: Onthego tote in Monogram Giant

The iconic Louis Vuitton Monogram canvas slips into neutral tones, pairing black and caramel or ivory and tobacco. In turns oversized, miniaturised or classic, the House’s iconic Monogram teams up with zebra and leopard prints in a variety of graphic and tonal combinations.

As Zebra prints are trending for F/W 2019, the NéoNoé bucket bag is a great investment piece.

Interpreted with a jungle spirit, the understated Onthego tote, the classic Neverfull and the new NéoNoé bucket bag reveal contrasting facets.

LoL, Sandra

Another piece to dream of: the Neverfull in Monogram Giant

 Photos: © Louis Vuitton
Photographer: Stef Mitchell – Fashion: Marie-Amélie Sauvé

A wardrobe of classic Prada styles, in timeless black. The Italian fashion house’s The Little Black Bags comprise a precise edit of accessories – a selection of shapes and styles that resonate with an eternal appeal.

Prada Cahier Bag

The collection is composed of petite reiterations of an established cannon of modern classics: Prada Galleria, Prada Cahier, Prada Odette and Prada Panier. Refined and sophisticated, elevated and elegant, yet unexpected, unanticipated, these accessory families are a succinct summary of the meaning of Prada today.

Prada Panier Bag

Executed in a restrained palette and on an intimate, petite scale – unique, exclusive and never before offered – attention is focused on the power and distinction of every handbag’s instantly-recognizable form. Like silhouettes, they delineate the immediate characteristics, the topography of each of these Prada personae.

Prada Galleria Bag

Proposed in Saffiano, calf-leather or precious gloss crocodile, in pure black foremost but also other shades, The Little Black Bags underscore this array of Prada handbags as twenty-first century essentials.

Prada Odette Bag

Personally speaking, I love the Odette the most. A cool and sophisticated shape and almost indestructible in Saffiano leather.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Prada

In the hidden LOEWE land the bunny crossbody bags and bag charms are scampering: any minute fashion’s runway show for Easter will start! Expertly handcrafted from supple and fluffy shearling or leather folded into the shape of a bunny, those playful mini accessories feature a charming pom-pom tail and dot-perforated eyes. Personally speaking, something I would like to find during Easter Egg Hunt.

TO SHOP THE CUTE LOEWE BUNNIES, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Loewe

Here is your mid-of-the-week fashion-fix. Indulge in these new evening bags by 13 BC, amazing miniaudières that are each made from gold-tone and enamel. They’re great if you’re looking for a fab clutch to match an outfit or if you simply want to add one to your bag collection.

The story behind this new bag brand is pretty fascinating and different. Before launching 13 BC in 2018, Cherine Magrabi Tayeb was as a guest curator at museums, which inspired her to create these limited-edition pieces that bridge the gap between art and fashion. Every collection consists of 13 meticulously detailed bags, each handmade in Florence by expert craftspeople using ancient enameling techniques.

Born to an Egyptian–Saudi father and a Lebanese mother, the lithe, blonde, and blue-eyed Magrabi was raised in Jeddah. She also lived in Switzerland and the UK before moving to Beirut with her husband and their three sons in 2002.

TO SHOP MINAUDIERES BY 13 BC, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Net-à-Porter, and via Instagram @cherinemagrabi

In honor of the 90th birthday of Disney‘s Mickey Mouse in November 2018, this cheeky adaptation of the famous cartoon character walked the S/S 2019 runway. Created using a printed 3-D technique, the top handle bag is enameled to reflect the character’s most recognizable depiction. It welcomes a debossed Gucci logo at the handle, as well as magnetic closure.

Mickey Mouse top handle bag by Gucci

To be expected, this It-bag doesn’t come cheap, as it retails for CHF 3900. If you are looking for not so pricey options to sport Mickey Mouse, have a look at these fun designer pieces below:

Mickey printed denim jacket by Marc Jacobs

Mickey Mouse printed denim jacket by Rag & Bone + Disney

Mickey Mouse print tank top by Saint Laurent

Mickey Mouse silk shirt by Saint Laurent for Men

LoL, Sandra

Photos/Stills: Courtesy of the Brands

Louis Vuitton is breathing a new graphic rhythm into its men’s leather goods lines, LV Epi Initials and LV Epi Patchwork Graphite. Damier Graphite canvas and Epi leather are brought to life with touches of pop colour, combining the iconic House’s signatures with the LV Circle from F/W 2017.

Both collections place Epi leather in the spotlight. Launched in 1985, it features a distinctive grain and textured effect. Over the years, the first coloured leather to be introduced at Louis Vuitton has been dressed in a selection of strong, tangy, cool or deep colours. Here it is available in navy blue and black, punctuated with flashes of pop blue, acid green, and burgundy with a touch of Damier for the LV Epi Patchwork Graphite, or accompanied by the LV Circle signature for the LV Epi Initials line.

Available in four iconic Louis Vuitton shapes, the Danube, the Christopher backpack, the Bumbag and the Keepall, the shapes complement one another in a combination of highly generational styles and colours. The small leather goods reveal coloured linings, as does the trio of Damier Graphite canvas pouches that nest together like Russian dolls.

A perfect compromise between suppleness and structure, LV Epi Initials & Patchwork Graphite meet the needs of today’s city dwellers. These striking, casual collections will appeal to leather enthusiasts as well as cool, free-spirited personalities.

Available from May 31st 2019 in Louis Vuitton stores and on louisvuitton.com.
And needless to say, those pieces would also look good on us women!

LoL, Sandra

© Louis Vuitton
Photographer: Joseph Molines
Model: Leonard Mushiete @REBEL MANAGEMENT