Sandra‘s Closet

Before showing you the details of one of my favorite outfits for F/W 2022, I would like to take you to the moment when it all started. In March 2022, I attended the Valentino F/W 2022 presentation. The invite, created with artist and writer Douglas Coupland, was beautifully done in pink and my gut feeling told me to wear something in this color family.

Beautiful show invitation and surprises from Valentino

The moment I entered the show location at Carreau du Temple in Paris, I perfectly blended in. The hall was decorated in all pink – giving the audience a hint of what would be coming up. However, I think nobody would have expected the full spectrum.

Details of my look coming up shortly… it’s all Valentino from different seasons.

For Valentino‘s F/W 2022 collection, Pierpaolo Piccioli focused on a single color, hot pink. A shade, developed in collaboration with Pantone, and exclusive to Valentino, so catchy and energetic that it deserves its own name, Valentino Pink PP. Right before the show started, Zendaya, the Maison’s muse, arrived in a pink power suit with floral appliqués from the new collection. The American star is also the face of the Valentino Pink PP Collection campaign.

For the designer, «it was a monochromatic journey into the realm of possibility.» Every look on his runway was pink or it was black. Needless to stay, the vibrant fuchsia tone stole the show. The Pink PP collection emphasized textures, materials, and precious items details.

Radical. Monochromatic. Beautiful. Valentino’s La vie en rose presented couture and oversized silhouettes created with interesting materials, from silk faille, to silky wool, to feather embellishments Piccoli is known for. Jumpsuits with graphic necklines, cargo trousers, transparent blouses, knitwear made with sequins, 3D floral embellishments, cut-out bustiers, and spectacular dresses encrusted with crystals, flowers and/or bows. The looks were completed by full-length tights in the respective color and vertiginous platforms, that gave the impression of ultra long legs. Something we all want.

Thus Valentino moved from the signature red to pink and that translated also into the labels and shopping bags this season. The collection has been ultra successful so far, selling out like crazy.

My favorite dress from the collection. It was love at first sight when I saw it on the runway (left) and the next day in the showroom(right).

When you buy a Valentino Pink PP piece, each item will be accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (available only for pink items) to celebrate its unique identity.

Pink PP charisma takes the globe. The Maison celebrates the new Valentino Pink PP collection, making its mark with installations in cities around the world. I shot my first look (yep, I got many… this collection is too good!) in front of the store at 27 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris, that was wrapped all in pink during Paris Fashion Week.

Landed in pink paradise when I visited the showroom the next day to see everything close up.

Below you can see more impressions from the show, my showroom visit and some of the celebrities who attended the runway show.

LoL, Sandra

American actress Vanessa Hudgens (High School Musical )

Gilda Ambrosio (The Attico – a brand I love)

My lovely host Libby Page, Market Director at NET-A-PORTER

Obsessed with these heels!

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht and Courtesy of Valentino 
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Finally, here is my full report about the amazing private party hosted by KILIAN PARIS at Hôtel Plaza Athénée to close out Paris Fashion Week and celebrate its 15th anniversary. The evening was absolutely magical.

With my colleague outside at the bar, Armenia’s 1st blogger, @kamotovmasyan. 

KILIAN PARIS reimagined its festive and ultra-luxurious universe inside the iconic Parisian palace by taking over the bar. An impressive showcase was staging, allowing the guests to rediscover the brand most iconic creations of the past 15 years.

My girls: @annanooshin, @carasantana, and @ms_kuan.

Detailed outfit post coming soon… this is one of my favorite outfits of the season.

From the bar we moved to the party location inside the hotel where a photo call was waiting for us.

Founder Kilian Hennessy and my humble self in the photo booth.

Having fun with my dear friends, super stars from Malaysia @schaalyahya.

Friends of the brand were immersed into KILIAN PARIS’ world by perfectly embodying the brand’s motto «Don’t be shy!» at the red neon content corner while enjoying cocktails inspired by KILIAN PARIS fragrances.

My favorite KILIAN PARIS fragrances on display: Woman in Gold, Good Girl Gone Bad, Love and Rolling in Love.

Lena Mahfouf, the number 1 influencer in France, wrote a message on the mirror.

We could also leave our their best anniversary wishes on a giant mirror with Le Rouge Parfum scented lipsticks as pencils, and the celebration turned out to be beyond expectations.

We danced all night long to DJ Kiddy Smile’s set, who certainly had the perfect recipe to light the dance floor on fire.

With notable guests including Kilian Hennessy, Lena Mahfouf, Natasha Poly, Coco Rocha, Ashley Park, Sir John, Maria Borges, Maye Musk, Ellen von Unwerth, Brooklyn Beckham, Nicola Peltz, Bilal Hassani, Alison Toby, Leonie Hanne, Xenia Adonts and others.

Girls gang: @carasantana, @jessicakroy, @whoiscaitbailey, @xeniaadonts and my humble self @sandrascloset.

Shooting the beautiful anniversary packaging in between for KILIAN PARIS …

KILIAN PARIS family kicked-off this year full of celebrations and surprises around the world. 15 years, 15 locations! Stay tuned for more…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht / KILIAN PARIS / GETTY IMAGES
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Lady Gaga is a woman of the 21st century – boldly speaking her mind, and driving change through her art, her commitments, her actions. She is not only bubbly, she also love the bubbly. The collaboration of Dom Pérignon and Lady Gaga opens its second chapter and brings together a common ambition to discover harmony in tensions, and create by juxtaposing polarities and dualities with the Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage 2008 x Lady Gaga Limited Edition. When Dom Pérignon chooses to be rosé, it is a radical declaration of freedom. Freedom to explore. Freedom to cast aside conventions and push the boundaries of creation. And who else could be more suitable to incorporate this way of living than Lady Gaga.

Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage 2008 bears witness to an exceptional year in a decade of brazenly generous sun. Gray, overcast skies dominated spring and summer in 2008, resulting in a deficit of both light and warmth. The maturity of the grapes surpassed all expectations, revealing exceptional high-toned balance. The bouquet instantly opens with raspberries, rapidly joined by notes of violet. Greener nuances then arrive, evoking angelica.

Dom Pérignon Rosé springs from this desire to dare, seizing the red of the pinot noir grape in its primal radiance, capturing its vital power in a bold, assertive assemblage. Tempered by a slow, masterful transformation during nearly 12 years in the cellar, Dom Pérignon Rosé is untamed and carnal, both light and dark, magnetic. Its vibration embraces the thrill of the unknown and is an invitation to explore.

Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage 2008 x Lady Gaga Limited Edition its available at Globus for CHF 480 and at Mister Champagne for CHF 450.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Dom Pérignon – DRINK RESPONSIBLY
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Yesterday, I drove to Outletcity Metzingen to attend the VIP Luxury Night at Europe’s largest outlet center. My avid readers might remember when I went there the first time with German Vogue in 2018 or to attend the opening of the Boss flagship outlet store in 2019.

This time, I was invited by Outlicity Metzingen together with Taglierè to the big opening event of the new champagne bar Bollicine in the heart of the luxury area. At 4:30 p.m. the red carpet was rolled out and welcomed prominent special guests Michelle Hunziker and Frauke Ludowig among many others.

Two Swiss aquarius women: Michelle Hunziker with me

The new bar’s menu offers from the Italian breakfast to an all-day meal and snack menu. There is also a large selection of coffee specialties and cold drinks as well as an exquisite selection of champagne and champagne cocktails. «Bollicine» – which means sparkling bubbles in German – leaves nothing to be desired.

Besides a special show act and a tombola, the luxury shops were also open until 10pm. Needless to say, I took the opportunity to spend my shopping voucher to the fullest. At Bottega Veneta for example, certain pieces were marked down 90%. So amazing!

I can absolutely recommend visiting Outletcity Metzingen. It is a shopping haven with many luxury brands, such as Gucci, Prada, Versace and many more, having huge flagship stores filled with collections from previous seasons at great prices. And who doesn’t like a good deal?!

LoL, Sandra

With German entertainer Frauke Ludowig

Together with Petra Dieners, Leonie Hanne, Frauke Ludowig, and Violeta Prtenjaca.

Outfit post coming up soon…

Swiss media power … with Stefan Berger (Faces)

Talented twins: Tarkan and Luka Cidic

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht, Sage Press, Getty Images for Outletcity Metzingen / VIP Luxury Night
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Global luxury handbag brand Judith Leiber Couture, known for her whimsical crystal minaudières, collaborated with musical superstar Katy Perry on an evening bag to celebrate the official icon of her latest concert tour «Play». This charming oversized mushroom handbag dazzles in red and champagne handset crystal and features bold pearlized stones for extra drama.

The mushroom crystal-embellished clutch is available at MATCHESFASHION for a much better price than on the Judith Leiber website, just click here to be transferred directly.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Judith Leiber
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Every fall, the Zurich Film Festival takes place and provides a platform for the most promising filmmakers from around the globe. It aims to promote exchange between emerging directors, successful film workers, the film industry and the general public by showing the year’s greatest discoveries and most anticipated films.

Wearing a black Monique Lhuillier gown and Christian Louboutin shoes and bag.

I attended the opening night of the 18th Zurich Film Festival that kicked off at Zurich Convention Center with the European premiere of the inspirational Netflix production THE SWIMMERS. The film was presented personally by director Sally El Hosaini and actor Matthias Schweighöfer. The President of the Swiss Confederation Ignazio Cassis, who had just returned from NYC, emphasized the unifying effect of cinema on people and set the mood for the 11 festival days with his speech.

The cast of THE SWIMMERS as well as the real Yusra Martini on stage at the opening night.

I can absolutely recommend watching this amazing movie that tells the true story of sisters Yusra and Sarah Mardini, both talented swimmers, who were forced to flee the civil war sweeping their native Syria in 2015. They make the dangerous crossing to Europe in a refugee boat. When the engine fails on the open sea, they use ropes to pull the boat behind them for hours, saving numerous lives. Once in Germany, they met a swimming teacher (played by Matthias Schweighöfer) who trained them for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

«It is not just an inspirational film that reinforces our belief in the good of people,» explained Artistic Director Christian Jungen in his speech, «With war once again raging in Europe, it is also an extremely important film of our time, because it throws a spotlight on the plight of refugees. Cinema is the medium of empathy that allows us to view the world through the eyes of others.»

The Zurich Film Festival runs until October 2, showing 146 films, including a record 38 world and European premieres with star guests like Eddie Redmayne, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Sir Ben Kingsley, Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, Til Schweiger, Daniel Brühl and Iris Berben in attendance.

Christian Jungen, Elke Mayer, Matthias Schweighöfer, Ignazio Cassis, Yusra Mardini, Sally El Hosaini, Nathalie Issa, Corine Mauch, Sven Spannekrebs at the Opening Night.

If you didn’t get a chance to watch it, THE SWIMMERS will be available on Netflix from November 23, 2022. Please watch the movie, it will change the way you look at the refugee situation tremendously.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of ZFF, © Sandra Bauknecht / David Biedert Photography
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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.

The Ocean’s Eleven alums, Julia Roberts and George Clooney, are reunited and are embarking on a new cinematic adventure together. In a 2000s-style rom-com called «Ticket to Paradise», the two of Hollywood sweethearts are playing a divorced couple at odds. The movie is directed by Oliver Parker, who is known for previously writing and directing «Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again».

The film follows Wren Butler, a recent University of Chicago graduate who accompanies her best friend Lily to a post-graduation jaunt to Bali. Lily’s abrupt decision to marry a Balinese local triggers her parents, played by Julia Roberts and George Clooney, to try and stop her from repeating the same mistake they think they made 25 years ago. And to do that, the couple must work together and hatch a plan to disrupt the wedding and probably get it canceled, except, things don’t go as they planned. «Ticket to Paradise» is not one story, but several stories overlapping each other. Wren stays in Bali for the engagement/wedding festivities and, in the process, finds her also own love with a local doctor. To watch the trailer, click here please.

I will be attending the Swiss premiere on Tuesday evening and received a wonderful surprise kit. Follow my Instastories to hear all about it. I am really excited about this movie. The cast is great and the plot sounds so much fun. The film will show in Swiss cinemas starting from September 15, 2022.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht, © Universal
This post is sponsored.  @universalpicturesCH #TicketToParadise #UniversalPicturesCH

«Barely there» creations are having a huge moment with celebrities flaunting those daring looks with great pleasure. French fashion brand Mugler features some great styles with one eye-popping dress that is in my opinion a must (at least I couldn’t resist). The statement look comes with a cleavage-framing, spliced halterneck and shoulder straps, a baring front, exposed back, and contouring low-slung ruched tulle mesh skirt.

It is available in different colors. However turquoise and pink are limited editions, only available at Mytheresa.

Late fashion designer (Manfred) Thierry Mugler first debuted this kind of look on the spring couture runway in the heady pre-Insta days of 1998. With the Y2K revival still being a major fashion trend, it seems obvious, that designer Casey Cadwallader, working for a revived house of Mugler, has made these ultra-revealing cutout creations a brand signature over the past seasons. The brand describes them as «trompe l’oeil fabrications that accentuate anatomical curves and erogenous zones with unprecedented ease». Inspired by Mugler’s couture pieces of the ’90s, the label’s dresses have proven particularly popular with celebrities like Megan Fox, Kim Kardashian, Dua Lipa, and Irina Shayk among many others.

It is barely there — but everywhere. If you’ve got it, flaunt it. As Mugler himself said in the 1994 fashion satire film Prêt-à-Porter: «It’s all about looking good, helping the silhouette. And it’s all about getting a great f**k, honey.»

Stay tuned for the detailed outfit post coming up shortly.

LoL, Sandra

Photos of me: @mykonos_alexandr / © Sandra Bauknecht, Others: Courtesy of Mugler
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Mykonos is known for its dry, windy climate, sandy beaches and world famous nightlife! While being on the island, you should definitely visit Chora, also called «Mykonos Town.» Located in the middle of the western shore, the walkable town is home to some of the island’s best attractions, including the former fishing village of Little Venice, iconic whitewashed windmills, the archaeological museum, and the Church of Panagia Paraportiani. The neighborhood is best explored on foot; considering the small streets and slippery stone-paved alleys, I recommend flats or wedges.

From our hotel, the Santa Marina, the driver took us to the Belvedere Hotel, from there, we walked down the hill to the marble quays of the Old Harbour, where we started our exploration tour. The sunset started and the scenery was breathtaking. On the east side are the arcades of the Town Hall dating to the 1700s, in front of which is the tiny church of Agios Nikolaos, crowned with a blue dome.

There’s a string of bars and restaurants hugging the curve of the harbour, among them Jackie O’ – a must-visit bar. It is located just below Paraportiani church and is an ideal location for sunset cocktails and dancing all night long. Drag shows also take place, adding a spicy and fun note.

Leave your phone in your hand as around every corner, you will find another instagrammable spot. The most unique area in Mykonos Town is known as Little Venice. Small picturesque waterfront Cycladic houses with colorful, wooden balconies are kissed by the waves of Aegean, creating a photogenic seascape with a romantic atmosphere. Some of the restaurants and bars including Negrita have ideal locations in front of the sea which makes them the perfect spots to enjoy the sunset with a glass of champagne or a fancy cocktail. From this area you also get a great view of one of the most iconic spots of Mykonos, the famous windmills. They are considered the signature landmark of the island and are a truly wonderful sight.

After our sunset drinks in Little Venice, we went for a stroll through the heart of town, which is known by locals and tourists to be Matoyianni Street, the main street of a complex of pebbled streets in Chora. It is dominated by designer stores (you will find all big names here, from Hublot, Dior to Off-White and all sorts of concept stores), souvenir shops, and handmade jewelry designers.

During the summer months, most of Matoyianni’s shops and markets are open until 2 am, and you’ll never be short of things to do throughout the evening hours. If you investigate the side streets you’ll come across so many amazing little shops, shoulder to shoulder with quaint little churches like Agia Eleni and Agios Kirykos.

Dinner we had booked at La Maison de Katrin Restaurant, which instantly has become one of my favorite spots in Mykonos! The intense color of the bougainvillea above it is really mesmerizing and makes it a wonderful photo opportunity (best in the morning, when the restaurant is closed). Since 1971 until today, Katrin marries traditional Greek recipes with French gourmet cooking, warm hospitality with elegant surroundings. The moussaka is absolutely divine!

I ran into German-Greek singer Vicky Leandros that night, who is very famous in my home country Germany.

After dinner, we went for drinks to another fun place in the city, Interni Restaurant & Bar. Set in a secret garden in Matoyiannia, it is the synonym of the modern night culture à la Mykonos. A fun place where you can dance and enjoy great music outdoors.

Mykonos Town or Chora is definitely the heart of this majestic island – and with its fairytale environment not to be missed!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht
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