Sandra‘s Closet

In order to further highlight the uniqueness of these products, that are available in some select worldwide boutiques, Prada will provide some colour variations of ostrich and crocodile exclusively on a Made to Order basis.

Saffiano leather starting at € 1.600.-
Ostrich leather starting at € 5.980.-
Crocodile leather starting at € 22.260.-

Which one is your favourite?

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Prada

Being the last fragrant masterpiece from Gabrielle Chanel herself, Chanel N°19 entered the world of perfumery in 1970, created by Henry Roberts. The number 19 stands for the birthday of Gabrielle Chanel: August 19th. The year of its launch, she turned 87 and died only a few months later. The green fragrant trail with distinctive hints of iris has remained a bestseller among women all around the world.

A LITTLE ANECDOTE

One day, having ordered labels with the name “Coco” on them, she realized that it didn’t work for that fragrance. And so she called it “N°19”. Why N°19? Not long before her death, Coco explained why to her friend and confidante, Carmen Tessier.

“It is the day of my birthday, August 19. I was born under the sign of Leo – the lion. And I am just like the lion: I will bring out my claws to protect myself against being hurt. But believe me, it is har­der for me to lash out at someone than to have someone lash out at me.”

“So what do you think of this fragrance?” she asked, while spraying us with more. “Believe it or not but a man once stopped me in the street because of it. As I was leaving the Ritz, I felt someone touch my shoulder.

I turned around and saw a stranger. Before I could sharply brush off this intruder, he said, with an American accent: ‘Excuse me, I’m with two ladies who would like to know what perfume you are wearing.’

“I told him: ‘Why don’t you all follow me.’ And I took them to the CHANEL boutique, where – once we arrived – they realised who I was (…).”

MADEMOISELLE CHANEL SPEAKING WITH CARMEN TESSIER ABOUT N°19, “LES ANNÉES CHANEL” BY PIERRE GALANTE, 1972, P. 321-322

This summer, a new chapter created by Jacques Pole, begins: Chanel N°19 presents itself as delicate as a cloud of powder combining iris with musky notes to give a surprising fresh aroma:
CHANEL N°19 POUDRÉ

“I wanted to underline the importance of iris at CHANEL, while giving a new facet to N°19,” revealed Jacques Polge. “The desire to rework the original accord with other, more contemporary, powdery notes, came naturally to me.”

And so it is that the latest generation of the most sophisticated, beautifully soft and light musks has joined the world of N°19. Although clearly less green, N°19 POUDRÉ diffuses an incisive freshness on first contact with a zesty sensation of Grasse neroli and mandarin. Then Iris pallida appears, clinging to the dry swirls of Haitian vetiver root, bringing hints of powder cases and lipstick wax, archetypes of noble femininity. Iris fully expresses itself, enveloped in comforting and vel­vety white musk. A light almond impression from tonka bean gives the musk an even cosier feel. And then there’s that irresistible sensation of a cloud of scent on the skin…

TOP NOTES
Grasse Neroli
Mandarin Orange

MIDDLE NOTES
Jasmine Absolute
Iris Pallida

BASE NOTES
White Musk Notes
Haitian Vetiver
Tonka Bean

Available in Switzerland starting August 19th, 2011.
EAU DE PARFUM Vaporisateur 50ml, CHF 127
EAU DE PARFUM, Vaporisateur 100ml, CHF 183

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Chanel

“Think of the prep world as a grosgrain ribbon encircling the globe!”
Lisa Birnbach

As if Tommy Hilfiger wasn’t preppy enough; he is taking the show on the road this spring with Prep World, a unique limited edition capsule collection of 60 pieces for both genders.

Helping him with the ambassadorial mission is Lisa Birnbach, author of “The Official Preppy Handbook“, the recent “True Prep: It’s a Whole New Old World“, and just for tommy.com, “The Prep World Gobal Guide”, which will include local lifestyle recommendations.

The line, that will be in stores and available on tommy.com starting April 28, include everything you need to become a true prep, from the signature blazer to the Oxford dress, accessorized with such accoutrements as boat shoes, duck boots, Ping-Pong paddles and badminton rackets.

Inspired by Nantucket in the summer, Hilfiger will bring his brand’s DNA around the world with a global “Prep World” tour.

Starting in the French capital , the first showcase Americana style cottage has been placed this weekend in front of the Centre Pompidou. Parisians can explore the “Preppy Look“, something that reflects the American identity. Other cities will follow to experience the airy beach cottage, among them Stockholm, London and Tokyo.

And by the way, Hilfiger calls it a drop-in store in his very preppy way. So don’t be so vulgar to name it a pop-up… Some pop, but true preps, they drop!

New shoes cure the blues and a gorgeous pair of suede pumps will keep you stylish on many occassions. Opt for colour for the ultimate eyecatching effect and try platforms for comfy heights. I am sure that you will love them either way!
And isn’t Cinderella’s story proof enough that a new pair of shoes can change your life…?!

LoL, Sandra

In 1854, Louis Vuitton opened his very first store in Paris, on the rue Neuve-des-Capucines. The house confirmed its attachment to the “City of Lights” in 1914 when his son Georges had a beautiful Art Nouveau-inspired building built on the Champs-Elysées, later to become LV’s flagship store. In 2010, the Parisian luxury house is staging an exhibition at the Musée Carnavalet, the most Parisian of the capital’s museums.

Around the iconic trunks and luggage brought together for the first time, the Carnavalet museum is showcasing the saga of Louis Vuitton, which has embodied the art of travel for more than 150 years. The visitors will discover the treasures of Louis Vuitton’s heritage collections, juxtaposed with works from the museum’s collections or other loaned pieces.

The famous trunk-maker has produced furnished sets in which the design of the form and the choice of materials were combined with technical know-how to develop a specific product or tailor it to its client’s tastes and requirements from the very first beginning. This is one of the house’s strength. It is a true pleasure to see all those different creations, an expertise of tradition and innovation, craftsmanship and creativity.

The exhibition is presented at the Musée Carnavalet – History of Paris, 23, rue de Sévigné, 75003 Paris from 13 October 2010 to 27 February 2011, open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm. Lecture visits are offered along with storytelling for younger visitors. For further information, please contact +33 1 44 59 58 58.

In case you cannot make it to Paris for the exhibition, I recommend the new book “Louis Vuitton: 100 legendary Trunks”, where all the travelers chronology of the house is recalled. It is a beautiful hommage to the Louis Vuitton trunk, the probably most iconic accessory in the world of luxury and travel. Published by Edition de la Martiniere (€100) and on sale in bookshops and at the exhibition sales desk.

LoL, Sandra

Limited edition available exclusively in LV stores, €140

Covered leather tea case, 1926 © Louis Vuitton / Patrick Gries, Photos: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton

Mark my words! Emma Watson is becoming more and more a budding fashion icon, probably thanks to all her gorgeous Burberry outfits (see above).

Being BFF with Burberry’s Christopher Bailey, the former campaign face was the first person to step out in a trench coat with gorgeous leather sleeves from the new Burberry Bespoke collection last week at Heathrow airport.

The custom-made piece was a gift for her premiere and before the young actress left for N.Y., she tweeted: „That’s London done, now off to New York! Wearing my favourite trench that Christopher Bailey @Burberry designed for me. Love it! x“

Burberry Bespoke will be a new fully integrated, innovative digital platform, enabling the personalisation of the iconic Burberry trench coat in many different ways and will be available for those of us not on the fashion house’s immediate gift list sometime early in 2011. So now the question on my fashionista’s mind is how would my bespoke coat look like? As for me, I see a huge fur collar and cuffs. And you?

I truly love Emma’s look last week. She accessorized her one-of-a-kind trench with a beaded red poppy pin (in honour of Britain’s Remembrance Day – those pins are all over London in November), Ray-Bans, a pair of ballet flats and her beloved killer Burberry studded bag from the “Winter Storms” collection that she was seen with many times before.

The new capsule collection has the right pieces to fight blowing snow and whipping winds in style. I love the metal studs that are applied in unlikely places, such as on the underside of a jacket collar for example. They lend a certain rock glam to otherwise conservative pieces.
See for yourselves the stud-erific must-haves for men and women!

LoL, Sandra

(Photos: Courtesy of Burberry)

The best pieces of the Winter Storms colllection for women.

The best pieces of the Winter Storms collection for men.

As you already know if there is one piece fashion is gushing over this F/W 2010, it is the camel coat. Being a true classic and always in style, this season seems to be the perfect time to get one. Many designers showed their own unique take on it. Whether it is made from genuine camel hair or not, it is an investment always worth it.

In case you have not decided yet, please find above a summary of the best pieces in stores at the moment. There is something for every taste and budget.

I decided to go for the long caramel camel-wool wrap coat by Chloé. It is a very versatile piece. Cinched at the waist with the skinny tan belt or thrown over loose, the overall impact is pure sophistication.

I love to wear it tone on tone with my chunky wool cardigan dress by Stella McCartney and my suede Gucci overknee boots for an instant sensual upgrade. The Céline box bag adds the perfect minimalistic chic.

The probably most authentic choice is the iconic and much-copied Max Mara cashmere blend overcoat that launched in 1981. It has been the company’s bestseller since nearly thirty years. What the trench is to Burberry, the classic camel coat is to Max Mara, specifically the model with the so-called style number “101801”.

Therefore, it is no wonder that the Italian brand has recently used the wool and cashmere icon to launch its e-commerce business. The double-breasted outerwear piece has an 42 inch length and kimono sleeves that can be rolled up. Its proportions make it an ideal fit for all women. It can be personalized with a special lining and a name or monogram on the inside label.
Available for purchase exclusively at maxmara.com.

LoL, Sandra

Say hello to my object of desire from Balmain`s Pre-fall 2010 collection, available soon and already spotted on stylist Emanuelle Alt. The double-breasted navy blazer with detailed gold buttons is beautifully tailored with an amazing shoulder line. This is true effortless chic. A navy jacket is anyway something that everybody should have in their closet. Classics endure and surprisingly even Balmain can produce them!

I also love the single-breasted model (see showroom photos below), both will be available at net-à-porter or Designer am See among others.

Thumbs up for my blazer of glory!

LoL, Sandra

The Birkin Bag was launched and named after the famous actress and singer, Jane Birkin in 1984. During a flight Jane Birkin was sitting next to Hermès-CEO Jean Louis Dumas and told him about her problems finding the perfect shaped and seized bag. She described him her dream model that she received shortly after that incident.

The Birkin Bag was born. It is a fashion icon- to me incredibly amazing- a mixture of a classic piece worth investing in and a total trend item. Many famous ladies carry this model. Victoria Beckham is said to own over a hundred.

But even if you have the money to buy it, does not mean you can. There are long waitlists in the Hermès stores. And in general it is even hard to get on that list. There are even waitlists for the waitlists and if you manage to get on, you have to be patient for approximately 2 years. But if you are lucky, the minute the orange box is opened, your heart will start beating faster. That bag is a real treasure and even comes with a rain cover for it. Besides it is a great investment because you can resell it at the same price you bought it, even after having used it.

There is a great book about all the different and funny stories to get one: „Bringing Home the Birkin“ by Michael Tonello. If you want to have an easy access to a real one: www.luxury-shops.com and www.créateursdeluxe.com sell new and used models in excellent condition. Watch out, the minute they come in, they go.

LoL, Sandra