Looking for a bag this season you can carry with anything? Lucky us… backpacks are still around and more trendy than ever in many outstanding designs. Your chiropractor will tell you they should never go away, but no matter what the backpack trend is taking over street style. And they even work at night…
Each year, I receive many products to test for the summer. After testing them all, I always like to show you a summary of my favorites. Those ones you see here have fully convinced me and I can only recommend them. If you are wondering why there are no facial products included, bare with me, they will be coming up shortly in a different post.
But first of all, it all starts with the right beach tote, doesn’t it?!
BEACH TOTE
«Making Memories» beach tote by Sensi Studio for Eden Being Holidays are all about making memories. Therefore I have fallen in love with this exclusive beach tote the minute I spotted it at the Eden Being Pop-up Boutique at Le Bristol in Paris. It hits it on the head with its woven maxim. The perfect companion for the beach, the bag will carry everything you need, even a laptop fits in perfectly. Handmade in Ecuador to designs from the Milan based creative studio, it is crafted from toquilla straw with woven lettering – a unique and absolutely stylish piece.
IN THE SUN
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Wet Skin Body Milk SPF50+ 250ml for CHF 27.00 This very high sun protection can be applied on damp or on dry skins. Its wet skin technology forms a gel that repels water on the skin and maintains its protection. It doesn’t leave any oily or sticky finish on the skin, not even white marks which is very unusual for a sun protection that high.
Biotherm Waterlover Sun Milk SPF30 200 ml for CHF 47.00 This is Biotherm’s first eco-designed sun care with no compromise on sensoriality, with eco-tested SPF filters and a 95% biodegradable base formula for a lower impact on the water environment. Now you can better protect what you love: your skin, your family and the ocean.
AFTER THE SUN
Clarins After Sun Moisturizer Ultra-Hydrating 200ml for CHF 41.50 This moisture-rich cream with soothing extracts of watermelon, sunflower and mimosa promotes a radiant, even, long-lasting tan. It helps reduce peeling and flaking, while taking the sting out of hot, sun-baked skin.
SUN GOODIES
La Mer The Glowing Body Oil 95ml for CHF 120.00 My favorite! With its rich blend of vitamin E and nourishing oils, this luxurious body oil softens and conditions skin to create a natural, sun-kissed glow. It gives your skin a touch of shimmer and youthful luminosity.
Bio-Beauté by Nuxe Cologne Fraîche Méditerranéenne Cédrat & Néroli 100ml for CHF 35.00 This floral and fruity cologne takes you to the heart of the Mediterranean and can be worn in the sun. Its olfactory combination of Cedrat and Neroli subtly perfumes the skin and envelops it with a breath of freshness.
SWIMWEAR
Bikini by Wikini Let me introduce you to Wikini, an Italian swimwear brand, that creates beautiful bikinis at affordable prices. And they even do modest Brazilian-style buttoms which can be rarely found. The models are packed in a jar topped with the fabric of your chosen bikini. So cute! In Zurich available from July 20-22, 2017 at a pop-up shop at Residence K.
This has been my object of desire for some time and it is so hard to get it: the ‘On A Summer Day’ Constance III – a rare multicolour swift leather bag with palladium hardware by Nigel Peake for Hermès S/S 2017. The vibrant and luminous hues are so perfect for the summer season, it’s definitely a real collectors item! I adore its geometrical and architectural details. If you look closely, you will spot buildings and trees.
Crazy as it sounds, this bag just hit the shelves this spring and has already been auctioned off for around £20000 two weeks ago at Christie’s first sale of designer totes.
I love the Constance which is in my opinion one of the iconic beauties of the famous French Maison, along with its sisters Birkin, Kelly and Lindy. Here’s somebag trivia for those still not in the know. Created in 1959 by designer Catherine Chaillet, who named it Constance after her daughter who was born in the same year, this bag comes with a H-shaped fastener and a clever adjustable strap so that it can be worn over the shoulder or held by the side.
If you missed the beautiful Constance bag, hope is here. For F/W 2017, Hermès has collaborated with Nigle Peake again.
Look at this beauty: the Birkin bag in printed Swift calfskin leather ‘One Two Three and Away We Go’ – a playful and colorful exploration of the famous bag. I love.
J.W. Anderson‘s ‘PIERCE‘ bag is so popular it’s been reinvented in multiple colors and finishes. Those latest iterations are made for example from woven strips of leather to create a plaid effect or show a vibrant fish illustration created through cutting edge leather printing technology. All of them are punctuated with a signature barbell-embellished flap.
Established by Jonathan Anderson in 2008, JW Anderson is still a very young brand – surprisingly so because of its indisputably impressive standing within the fashion industry. Having been in existence for less than ten years, the brand has been on every editor’s, buyer’s and It girl’s radar for pretty much just as long. An intrinsically unique perspective on the very essence of fashion and clothing has set JW Anderson apart from the outset, helping it garner a cult-like following. A finely trodden middle ground between critical acclaim and commercial success soon caught the attention of LVMH, whose investment only serves to confirm that even greater things are to come from the Irish-born designer and his incomparable vision. Season after season, Anderson’s show is the “one to watch” for awe-inspiring innovation and statement looks that you never even knew you needed. He is also Creative Director at Loewe.
His newest must-have? During his S/S 2018 menswear show at Pitti Uomo, J.W. Anderson has unveiled his collaboration with Converse which is absolutely divine. It’s a match made in heaven. Jonathan Anderson loves Converse. He’s been wearing them for years. So when the brand approached him for a collaboration with his label JW Anderson, how could he say anything but yes… and present us with these glitter-coated unisex All Stars that are said to be available this fall.
I love J.W. Anderson’s designs and you?
LoL, Sandra
Photos: Courtesy of J.W. Anderson and via Instagram
«Working with the most wonderful artisans from all over the world is completely natural for me,» commented Christian Louboutin ahead of the launch of his new Mexicaba totes that are exclusive to MATCHESFASHION.COM.
Handcrafted by local Mexican artisans from the Yucatán Peninsula and in collaboration with the Taller Maya Foundation, an organisation that supports the talents of local Mexican women, those absolutely beautiful totes are traditionally woven in riotous rainbow stripes and topped with vibrant, Mayan-style embroidered motifs alongside the designer’s crest-style logo.
Tap into the season’s wanderlust mood and carry it alongside a patterned maxi dress or to the beach. Infuse yourself with the vibrant spirit of Mexico.
Demna Gvasalia knows how to turn imitations in the opposite direction – think of his DHL T-Shirtfor Vetements or the Bazar shopper for Balenciaga. His newest take on transforming a completely unsophisticated non-luxurious item into a must-have piece for fashion victims around the globe is his latest accessory for Balenciaga Men and targets originally the male customer. Playing with consumerism, he sent down the runway the so-called ‘Arena Extra-Large Shopper Tote Bag‘ which looks like a copy of the iconic IKEA‘s ‘Frakta Tote‘ in shape, size, and color.
The only difference? The absence of the IKEA logo on the handles which makes sense, of course, the material (the IKEA version is made from 100% recyclable polypropylene whereas the Balenciaga tote is made of leather), and not surprisingly the price.
I would really like to get into Demna’s head, creative genius or making fun of the fashion world? I somehow tend to believe the latter. What do you think?
This morning while I was working on another post, I got an e-mail from Louis Vuitton that made my heart leap with joy and that I wanted to share with you immediately. The French Maison is collaborating with Jeff Koons for a collection called «Masters» for which the famous American pop artist remixes the iconic artworks of the old masters and presents them in a way that encourages new interpretations.
Since Marc Jacobs enlisted Stephen Sprouse to create the now-iconic graffiti range in 2001, Louis Vuitton has led the way in the fashion/art collaboration stakes. Koons, whose Balloon Dog (Orange) holds the record for the most expensive art work by a living artist after it sold for $58.4 million at Christie’s New York in November 2013, follows in the footsteps of Takashi Murakami, Richard Prince, Daniel Buren and Damien Hirst by partnering with Louis Vuitton.
For his collaboration with Louis Vuitton, Koons seeked inspiration from his Gazing Ball series that he started in 2013 as a series of plaster reproductions of famous ancient sculptures, each one set with a blue mirrored sphere. It’s these hand-painted Old Master reproductions that appear on the limited-edition Masters range of iconic Louis Vuitton handbags as well, from Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, Titian’s Mars, Venus and Cupid, Fragonard’s Girl with a Dog, Van Gogh’s Wheat Fields and Cypressesto Rubens’ Tiger Hunt.
The beautiful interior of the Rubens Palm Springs backpack (more photos below…)
The name of each original artist is emblazoned across the front, and their biography and portrait are featured inside. Absolutely new for Louis Vuitton is that a collaborator features his own initials on the bags. A sign for the importance of his status.
Louis Vuitton x Jeff Koons Masters Collection
Fragonard Speedy 30
Louis Vuitton x Jeff Koons Masters Collection Titian Neverfull MM
Louis Vuitton x Jeff Koons Masters Collection Da Vinci Speedy 30 in Poppy
Fans of Koons’ Inflatables series get their money’s worth; each piece is finished with a leather tag in the shape of the inflatable rabbit that Koons famously cast in polished stainless steel in 1986.
My personal three favorites are:
Louis Vuitton x Jeff Koons Masters Collection Rubens Palm Springs Backpack
Louis Vuitton x Jeff Koons Masters Collection Rubens Keepall 50
Louis Vuitton x Jeff Koons Masters Collection Van Gogh Montaigne MM
The Louis Vuitton x Jeff Koons Masters collection will be available from April 28 in stores and at louisvuitton.com. Below you can enjoy the beautiful teaser.
«Techno Rococo – Airy Spring Confections from Fendi», that was the title for the brand’s S/S 2017 show. When a collection is designed by Karl Lagerfeld, you can always count on perfection. For the Italian house, he mixed references of the 18th century with athletic details that would not only appeal directly to very cool Japanese girls but to every fashion lover around the globe.
Just have a look at this hybrid of boots and socks that is so stunning for me. Moreover, the bags are also too die for. Laced, embellished, flower embroidery, heavily accessorized, everything is intensely, gloriously spring-like that screams MUST-HAVE!
Céline’s message is clear. Simplicity is the key, but in a modern and stylish way. For S/S 2017, Phoebe Philo’s transported this message not only through her beautiful collection but first and foremost through the accessories. To be a trendsetter this season, you need to look no further than the Céline Clasp bag.
Coming in three distinct sizes, each is incredibly versatile with its understated design. The Medium Clasp is perhaps the most straightforward of the three, a contemporary briefcase with a ’50s approach for a woman on-the-go.
MEDIUM CLASP HANDBAG IN CAMEL BOX CALFSKIN WITH PATINA
32 X 22 X 8 CM (13 X 9 X 3 IN)
CHF 3.200
Then there is the Mini Clasp that makes a great companion for day and night. It has the perfect size for carrying your bare necessities and its cross-body strap makes it a convenient, hands-free option for shopping or a night at the club.
MINI CLASP SHOULDER BAG IN SCARLET NATURAL CALFSKIN
23 X 20 X 3 CM (9 X 8 X 1 IN)
CHF 1.600
The best version of the new must-have range is definitely the Cabas Clasp. This oversized beauty has an exaggerated shape with slim straps, a true eye-catcher thanks to it being almost the length of one’s torso. The perfect bag for women who love carrying their entire lives in their purse.
CABAS CLASP IN BLACK SMOOTH CALFSKIN
43 X 60 X 10 CM (17 X 24 X 4 IN)
CHF 3.550
The new range is now available at Céline boutiques in many different leather styles and colors.
“Everyone called her Coco but her real name was Gabrielle. It’s the perfect name for a handbag that has all the codes of CHANEL,” explains Karl Lagerfeld.
In in the beginning of January, I told you already about the new It-bag alert, the GABRIELLE by CHANEL (for the previous post, click here please).
But who is Gabrielle? With the launch of this new bag that bears the name of the founder of the House, Karl Lagerfeld has been continuing the tradition and enriching the legacy of Gabrielle Chanel who created a handbag in February 1955 that freed up women’s movements. Her design was a bag with lines as beautiful as they were functional, by this she revolutionised the world of fashion and accessories.
Introduced during the S/S 2017 runway show (see photo above and the next two below), this new bag draws from the futuristic spirit of the collection with a mischievous wink to Gabrielle Chanel. Indeed, the designer was inspired by the shape of augmented reality glasses, and also by the binocular cases gentlemen would wear over the shoulder at the racecourse. We know menswear gave Gabrielle Chanel the idea to design, among so many other things, bags that were both practical and aesthetically pleasing.
Fitted on a rigid thermoformed base, the main body of the bag is extremely light and ultra-supple: this contrasting structure gives it perfect stability and enables women to find their belongings with ease. In tune with the search for comfort advocated by the founder of the House, it hugs the silhouette, moves with the gait and never hinders it. Its adjustable strap comes with a double chain interlaced with leather in both golden and silver metal.
An original detail that allows for three different ways of wearing it: either over the shoulder, across the body or both at the same time, with the chain going over one shoulder and then diagonally over the other. It thus adapts to the wearer’s character, situation or mood.
Crafted from aged calfskin with a quilted body and a smooth base, in black or white unicolours or bicolours (black/white, navy/black, beige/black), CHANEL‘s GABRIELLE bag comes as a hobo version, itself available in three formats, a backpack, a large shopper and a supple purse contained in a rigid half-case. This purse exists in numerous versions: in addition to the leather version there’s black python and also vibrant shades of yellow, pink, red, blue and aqua. The lining is a garnet-hued cloth, the ultimate reference to the first-ever bags created by Gabrielle Chanel.
With CHANEL‘s GABRIELLE bag, Karl Lagerfeld renews the distinctive codes of the brand and perpetuates the history of a House: a beautiful tribute to its founder who always put comfort and women’s freedom at the heart of all her creations.
Below you can enjoy some of the new models from the Paris Cosmopolite Métiers d’Art collection that feature some amazing special editions of the Gabrielle collection.
The pieces from the S/S 2017 collection have already hit the shelves this week, so hurry as those will sell out fast.
Balloon Dog (Orange) © Jeff Koons
With Jeff Koons in New York City in 2013 for the 
Gazing Ball (Ariadne), 2013, Plaster and Glass
The beautiful interior of the Rubens Palm Springs backpack (more photos below…)
Louis Vuitton x Jeff Koons Masters Collection
Louis Vuitton x Jeff Koons Masters Collection
