Sandra‘s Closet

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

The colour blocking trend for S/S 2011 is a fun way to wear vibrant hues. Today I am combining two strong and vibrant shades, turquoise and orange. One thing is for sure, we can carry this trend up through F/W 2011.

My look: Blazer, silk blouse, belt, bag and shoes, all by Gucci, leggings by Blumarine.

Orange and turquoise. It’s vibrant and energetic and one of the most exciting colour combinations this fashion season.

The new makeup trends usually suit the fashion trends of the moment so the look obtained can be complete. One of the hottest eye makeup trends for the S/S 2011 season are vibrant colours. If you go for it, keep the rest more simple and just add a touch of peach blush and gloss.

Bright, warm hues help create an adorable look which can be adapted to the occasion style as well as age.

Add a little pop of color on the fingertips! Bright nail polish is an easy way to get trendy, and a perfect addition to your spring break beauty routine. YSL’s Utopian Turquoise 137 gets me excited for the warm weather and you?

LoL, Sandra

I am in love with this outfit. The cropped metallic leather motocross pants by Balmain look so cool with a white tank top and the ivory wool tuxedo jacket. Opposite to the French house’s runway look, I would add an eyecatching pair of shoes in blue and match my nails. Make an unforgettable impression with a bold clutch like this appliquéd metallic leather one by Miu Miu.

Get the look by clicking on the links below, happy shopping!

LoL, Sandra

Today, I received many e-mails from my American friends to tell me that my photo was in The New York Times. Can you imagine how excited I was?! Above you can see it on top to the left, for the whole report you can click here.

On the streets in Paris during Fashion Week, the first signs of spring have brought a welcome change of colour. Bright, vibrant, energetic, the hues put you immediately in a good mood.

I loved the look of this Asian girl. Tangerine and electric blue are the shades of the season and combined together they just look amazing.

Get her look: Blouse by Gucci, tailored blazer, flap messenger bag, and two-tone shoes, all by Zara, cotton pants by See by Chloé, sunglasses by Ray-Ban.

The Zara shoes and bag are wonderful eyecatchers without your budget going overboard. Get the look by clicking on the links below.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

The catwalks were a riot of dazzling brights this season, worn in boldly clashing combinations. Colour blocking is ultrahip! It means combining two, three or more bold colours together to create a graphic look through the different shades.

The trend has started already a few seasons ago but has definetely reached its peak this summer. Raf Simons is among the forerunners with his beautiful S/S 2011 collection for Jil Sander.

Loud and proud colour combinations make for a dynamic, confident look. Start infusing your wardrobe with a colourful vibrancy for the ultimate warm weather feeling.

Some rules that might help you:

1. Three is the magic number. More colours together could make you look like a Rubic cube.

2. Don’t be afraid to combine colours you usually wouldn’t wear together like red and pink for example.

3. Opt for the bold bright colours, this trend works best with the most vivid shades.

4. Keep the rest simple. Never attempt to introduce prints or patterns.

Get your colour splash!

LoL, Sandra

Happy Thanksgiving to you! Here is a perfect look to celebrate in style. The colour combination of rust tones with red shades is divine and suits this festive autumn day amazingly.

The shift dress by Narciso Rodriguez is a classic piece for many years to come. The flower embellished shoes by Nina Ricci along with the stunning jewel-encrusted frame bag by Lanvin add the right amount of eyecatching drama to your outfit. Finish off your look with the bright statement necklace by Oscar de la Renta and vibrant earrings by Bottega Veneta for maximum impact. Being so tasty, there is no need to worry about the turkey.

Unfortunately, we do not celebrate Thanksgiving here in Switzerland like our dear friends over the ocean do and we do not have a Black Friday tomorrow.
In case you are not familiar with that term, Black Friday is the day following Thanksgiving , traditionally the beginning of the Christmas shopping season with many promotional, gorgeous sales. It is heaven on earth for shopaholics!

But no reason to be sad. Tonight here in Zurich, we will have for the first time a long shopping night. Most of the stores will be open until 10pm and will start their markdowns. Wow!

LoL, Sandra

I love the colour combination of ink blue and teal with grey. Those shades just belong together. The outfit above proves my theory perfectly:
The gorgeous grey dress by 3.1 Phillip Lim (€305.-) and ink-blue belted long-length blazer by Elizabeth & James (€430.-) look stunning combined with teal accessories like the velvet ankle boots by Maison Martin Margiela (£455.-) and the cross-body bag by See by Chloé (€305.-).
For daily glamour add a statement necklace like the crystal-embellished one by 3.1. Phillip Lim (€590.-) and a cool leather bracelet by Chan Luu (€175.-).

Indigo eyeshadow by Givenchy (one of my favourites) and the OPI “Ski teal we drop” nail polish will top off your outfit amazingly!

Feeling blue can be fun!

LoL, Sandra

Yesterday, at the 62nd Emmy Awards 2010 in Los Angeles, celebrities went on a berry hunt. The most beautiful dresses were the ones in the must-have berry shades of the season.
Those tones will remain for Resort 2011. Enjoy the sneak preview as most of the gowns have already been from the upcoming collections.

The US-series Mad Men won again in the category top drama. I would give the award fashionwise in the category “top drama gown” to their supporting actress Christina Hendricks in her lilac Zac Posen Resort 2011 dress that flaunted her curves perfectly and looked so stunning in combination with her flame-red hair.

On the F/W 2010 runways, berry tones were seen everywhere as if the designers have had all mixed berries for desert while creating their collections. The bright shades were combined in all ways.

I put some outfits together to show you how those hues combined together can make a strong statement and instantly update your wardrobe.

Red with violet, fuchsia with ruby, vermillion with plum- everything is possible, just let your imagination run free.

This winter, the LBD (Little Black Dress) is taken hostage by the LRD (Little Red Dress). So chances are very high that you might get scarlet fever soon. The bright vibrant tone is very contagious especially when worn tone on tone. Accessorize it with matching pumps and a bag in the same colour family for head-to-toe chic.

I am totally in love with Bottega Veneta‘s tone on tone looks. How about you?
Have I whet your appetite for mixed berries?

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands

A dear subscriber of Sandra`s Closet asked for help. She is going to a wedding which will take place in a beautiful garden of a winery in Napa, California and wants to look stunning. Her request was that the outfit should be around $1000.- max.

I put some gorgeous styles together in different colour combinations. Let’s start with something classy in beige and gold for approximately $800.-. Contrast the polished look with a pair of cut-out booties and a hat for an über-stylish statement. (Dress by Karen Millen).

Soft pink is an exquisite colour to wear for a wedding party. The shift dress by D&G Dolce & Gabbana is a fabulously feminine choice. Complement the delicate pastel tone with suede pumps and a golden clutch.
The pochette by Anya Hindmarch is a little pricey at 525.- but an investment piece for many occassions to come.
I totally adore the hat clip for only $10.-. This modern and stylish take on the traditional wedding accessory will make you stand out of the crowd.

A contemporary choice for day and night is this purple halterneck dress for $355.- by Halston Heritage. The brand carries a lot of gorgeous dresses for less money.
Cinch this sculpted style at the waist with the self-tie belt and wear it with understated jewelry and strappy sandals for first class cocktail chic. A feather hair clip for only $27.- could give you that Blair Waldorf attitude. The whole outfit is $745.-. You can add a stylish leopard cardigan for $350.- if it gets chilly.

I love this vibrant asymmetric dress by Halston Heritage. The bright hue will look awesome on brunettes and dark haired ladies. Sharpen the playful rose detail with stunning lace booties and a beaded clutch. Bangles are always a fabulous finish. The complete look is without the jewelry around $850.-.

But careful, it is hard not to steal the show in those gorgeous outfits.
To a great wedding party!

LoL, Sandra

Me in the Haight area wearing black leggings by BLUMARINE, military shirt by BALMAIN, top and pink-khaki scarf by LOUIS VUITTON and suede clogs by MIU MIU

Last week, I spent a few days in San Francisco. Haight Ashbury is the famous intersection in the area that gets its notoriety from the “psychedelic” culture and the 1968 “Summer of Love”. Today, you can still feel the hippie vibe with its fragments of flower-power.

When I was walking around the district, I got so inspired by the gorgeous bright coloured houses, so-called Painted Ladies. The term refers to Victorian and Edwardian buildings painted in three or more colours that embellish their architectural features.

Adopting that idea and transferring it to fashion, I styled some beautiful outfits in different colour combinations. You will see how stunning some shades can look together. Most people tend to wear a more neutral palette along with black. There is nothing against this. But today, I want to challenge you a bit and demonstrate how wonderful a little mix with some bolder tones can appear without looking like a clown.

It is again all about that special twist. Carrie in Sex and the City might be the perfect example: Patricia Field, the show`s stylist, opts very often for something that looks kind of strange in the beginning, but then so surprising and interesting that you cannot take your eyes of it.

Experiment with your own style! That is the thing that is so hard to copy and will earn you lots of admiring glances.

Spare for a little hug?

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht