Sandra‘s Closet

What a whirlwind of events! While filming in Istanbul with little time to spare, the fashion world delivered a major surprise: John Galliano announced his departure from Maison Margiela after a decade at the helm of the OTB-owned brand.

John Galliano

In a heartfelt Instagram post, Galliano shared the news, writing, «Today is the day I say goodbye to Maison Margiela… I am forever grateful for this safe space to create and build a new family that supports me with courage and dignity.» He extended his thanks to his atelier team and Renzo Rosso, OTB’s chairman.

The move marks the end of an era for the house, originally established by the famously reclusive Martin Margiela. The brand gave Galliano the opportunity to rebuild his career and reputation following his controversial exit from Dior in 2011. Over the years, Galliano transformed Margiela with his signature theatricality, camp-infused creations, and innovative, deconstructed designs. He also championed gender-fluid fashion and elevated the brand’s «Artisanal» line to unprecedented levels of craftsmanship.

Me in the Maison Margiela Haute Couture studio after the amazing show in the beginning of the year, which is just next to Galliano’s office.

Under his leadership, Margiela saw significant commercial success, with a 22% rise in sales in 2023, even as the broader luxury market faced challenges. His legacy was solidified with a sensational January 2024 show in Paris, where historical couture-inspired characters roamed a haunting, mist-filled space under a bridge, complete with striking, mask-like makeup by Pat McGrath. Galliano leaves behind a storied chapter in Margiela’s history.

Galliano did not elaborate on his future plans, instead saying that «when the time is right, all will be revealed.»

Matthieu Blazy for CHANEL

I was hoping that he would be appointed at CHANEL but today the French Maison announced Matthieu Blazy as its new creative director, succeeding Virginie Viard, who departed in June. Blazy, formerly the creative head at Bottega Veneta, is recognized for his craftsmanship and innovative designs. His appointment is anticipated to infuse fresh energy into the French Maison’s iconic aesthetic. Blazy is expected to present his inaugural collection for CHANEL during Paris Fashion Week in October 2025. 

Louise Trotter for Bottega Veneta

Meanwhile in the past hours, Louise Trotter has been announced as the new creative director of Bottega Veneta, taking over from Matthieu Blazy. Known for her transformative work at brands like Lacoste and Carven, Trotter brings a refined design aesthetic and a strong sense of cultural awareness to the role. She is set to start at the luxury house in January 2025, making her the only woman currently leading a brand under Kering’s ownership. This appointment highlights her unique vision and the potential for a fresh chapter at Bottega Veneta.

One of the conglomerate’s biggest fashion brands, Fendi, has yet to name a new womenswear designer after Kim Jones stepped down from the role in October. I guess that Galliano will head up there. These significant shifts reflect the dynamic nature of the fashion industry, with Galliano, Blazy and Trotter poised to shape new creative directions in their respective roles.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands / © Sandra Bauknecht
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Dries Van Noten announces a company insider, Julian Klausner, as the new creative director of his eponymous label, marking a significant transition after Van Noten’s 38-year career. Klausner, who has been with the brand since 2018 and served as the head of womenswear, will oversee its creative direction moving forward. Known for his deep understanding of the brand’s DNA, Klausner aims to honor its legacy while introducing fresh ideas to keep the label evolving.

Leaving behind a three-decade legacy of design that is celebrated worldwide, Van Noten announced he would be stepping back from his namesake label in March 2024. The Belgian-born designer, known for his innovative eye, revealed his decision in a letter, explaining that the decision has been on his mind for a while. Always bringing together an eclectic mix of textures, prints, and silhouettes, the creative director has consistently pushed the boundaries of conventional style, earning him a special place on the Paris Fashion Week schedule.

Dries Van Noten expressed confidence in Klausner’s vision, describing him as a natural choice to continue the brand’s innovative and artful approach. The 33-year-old Belgian designer will present his first women’s collection on 5 March in Paris.

TO SHOP DRIES VAN NOTEN, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

In Dries Van Noten this year in Boston, for the full outfit post click here please.

Photos: Courtesy of Dries Van Noten / Sarah Piantadosi, © Sandra Bauknecht
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Another designer to make a career move…, Fendi artistic director Kim Jones is leaving the Italian fashion house but will stay on at Dior Homme, LVMH said in a statement, the latest in a series of designer shuffles at big name labels as the industry adjusts to a downturn.

A new creative organisation for the label will be announced «in due time,» the company said. One of the industry’s highest profile designers, Jones succeeded Karl Lagerfeld at the label in 2020, designing ready-to-wear and couture collections.

Demi Moore walking the Fendi Couture runway in January 2021.

Described as «the hardest working in man in fashion» by ELLE UK’s editor-in-chief Kenya Hunt for a December 2023 profile, Jones has previously held the top job at Louis Vuitton (Men’s) having risen up the ranks of the industry by way of non-profit incubator Fashion East.

Last week, LVMH named Michel Rider to succeed Hedi Slimane at Celine, and in September named Sarah Burton to take over creative direction at Givenchy.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Fendi
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I am in Istanbul at the moment filming a new TV show about fashion for German and Swiss TV, but I don’t want you to miss out on the big news. It’s official: Hedi Slimane is exiting Celine after seven years, owner LVMH confirmed in a statement. The star designer is departing the Parisian fashion house after months of thorny contract negotiations according to BoF. During his tenure, Slimane more than doubled Celine’s annual sales to €2.5 billion.

One thing is for sure Hedi, who is known for his trademark skinny silhouette has transformed Celine. He added menswear for the first time in the brand’s 79-year history to the portfolio, as well as expanding into high perfume and beauty. In womenswear, Slimane reconnected Celine to its historic identity as a purveyor of leather goods that incarnate Parisian bourgeois style and took the accent aigu of the e, which means it is Celine and not Céline anymore.

«Celine has experienced exceptional growth and established itself as an iconic French couture house,» LVMH said in a statement. «The holistic vision of Hedi Slimane, his exigence and rigour have made it possible to redefine the codes of Celine whilst reaffirming its feminine and Parisian roots.»

Mere hours after the official exit of Hedi Slimane, Michael Rider has been named artistic director of Celine. Rider was a top design deputy during Phoebe Philo’s tenure at Celine and left his role at Ralph Lauren earlier this year. Before that Rider worked under Nicolas Ghesquière at Balenciaga.He will oversee all collections at the LVMH-owned house from early 2025.

CHANEL has not named its new designer yet. I guess that Hedi is heading there … what is your take on it?

LoL, Sandra

PHOTOS: Courtesy of Celine
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Italian designer Alberta Ferretti announced that she is stepping down as creative director of the eponymous brand she founded more than 40 years ago. The S/S 2025 collection that the brand presented last week during the Milan fashion week was the last one carrying her signature.

«On Sept. 17th, you attended my last fashion show,» Ferretti wrote in a letter sent out by email. «I believe that at this point of my career it is a right and conscious choice to pave the way for a new creative chapter for the brand I founded and which will continue to bear my name.»

The new creative director for the Alberta Ferretti brand will be announced in the next few months, the group said, adding that Ferretti will retain her role as vice president of Aeffe, which also owns brands Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini, Moschino and Pollini.

Together with her brother Massimo, Alberta Ferretti co-founded Aeffe S.p.A.

Ferretti, who grew up in her family’s dressmaking shop before opening her own boutique as a teenager, has remained true to her signature gentle feminine silhouettes since the launch of the brand in 1981.

«The Alberta of that day is in many ways still the Alberta of today, even if in the meantime a small family business has become a company with 1500 employees,» she wrote further.

Beautifully said. Thank you, Alberta, for the magic of all those years.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht / Courtesy of Alberta Ferretti
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LVMH has announced the appointment of Sarah Burton as creative director of Givenchy, effective immediately, according to a news release this week. Burton will oversee the women’s and men’s lines and will present her first collection for the house in March 2025.

Givenchy is back on the radar as LVMH has named Sarah Burton creative director for women’s and men’s collections, with immediate effect. She stepped down from Kering owned brand Alexander McQueen last year after two decades at the brand, and since 2010 as creative director.

Hubert de Givenchy

Sarah Burton said: «It is a great honour to be joining the beautiful house of Givenchy, it is a jewel. I am so excited to be able to write the next chapter in the story of this iconic house and to bring to Givenchy my own vision, sensibility and beliefs.»

Her first collection will be presented during Paris Fashion Week in March 2025. Givenchy named also a new CEO, Alessandro Valenti, in July. Burton becomes the eighth designer at the French luxury house founded in 1953 by Hubert de Givenchy, who stayed on until 1995. She is its second female creative director. History repeats itself as her predecessors at Givenchy include Alexander McQueen, who designed at the Paris fashion house from 1996-2001.

Sarah Burton with Lee Alexander McQueen

Sarah Burton was born in Macclesfield and educated in Manchester, before studying Fashion at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London, graduating in 1997. She rose to fame when she created the wedding dress for Kate, the Princess of Wales. In 2012, she was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to the British Fashion industry. During her 13 year tenure as Creative Director at Alexander McQueen, Burton produced women’s and men’s collections to great critical acclaim, as well as establishing an extensive education programme supporting young creatives. In December 2023, Burton was awarded the Special Recognition Award at The Fashion Awards, honouring her outstanding contribution to the fashion industry. Owner Kering said upon her exit that she had left «an indelible mark.»

Personally speaking, Sarah was on my radar for CHANEL. I am a big fan of her work. I hope John Galliano could be the one for CHANEL, despite everything that happened. His talent is just outstanding and he would be such a great choice for the French Maison!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © GIVENCHY
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Breaking news, Tom Ford appoints Haider Ackermann Creative Director. The Colombian-born designer is known for his precise, sensual aesthetic. Owner Estée Lauder and licensee Zegna have sublime ambitions for the brand, whose former Creative Director Peter Hawkings exited suddenly in July of this year.

Ackermann, who was born in Bogotá, Colombia, and adopted by a French family, will work from his home city of Paris. His role makes him responsible for shaping all of Tom Ford’s fashion output, including womenswear, menswear, accessories and eyewear. He will also «guide the creative vision for the overall brand», the company’s statement mentioned. The first full view of his interpretation of the codes established and refined by Ford will be revealed in Paris next March at a runway show during the F/W 2025 edition of Paris Fashion Week.

«It is with tremendous pride that I will seek to honour the legacy of Tom Ford, a man I have long admired and have the utmost respect for,» said Ackermann in a statement.

«We are thrilled to welcome Haider Ackermann to Tom Ford,» William P. Lauder, Executive Chairman of ELC, said in a statement to Vogue «Haider’s appointment strengthens our ambitions for this enormously successful brand. His unique and insightful vision will further enhance the house’s global impact on fashion and culture.»

Tom Ford, who founded his eponymous brand in 2005, stepped down in 2023 following its $2.8 billion sale to ELC the previous year. I had always been a huge fan of his creative work and missed him at the helmet of his eponymous label. However, I am excited for Haider’s interpretation of the Tom Ford brand! I personally think it is a great match!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Tom Ford / Estée Lauder
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While being with Net-à-Porter at the new One&Only Kéa Island Resort, I discovered an interesting Greek London-based jewelry brand, called YSSO, which is celebrating craft, design and heritage.

Founded in 2020 by the mother-daughter duo, Alexia and Stalo Karides, who share the vision of modern jewlery with ancient beginnings. Combining their unique experiences — Stalo is an archaeologist and art historian with over 30 years experience in jewellery making and Alexia is an ex-corporate lawyer turned brand creative director — the two creatives tap into their Greek heritage to design organic and sculptural pieces, each handcrafted and completely unique.

«I AM PROUD TO WORK EXCLUSIVELY WITH ARTISANS IN ATHENS, GREECE WHO USE AGE-OLD JEWELLERY MAKING TECHNIQUES AND PRACTICES TO BRING OUR DESIGNS TO LIFE.» – ALEXIA KARIDES

MODERN GREEK DESIGN
YSSO is a celebration of balance and harmony; ancient and modern. Their work is defined by the rich history and natural beauty of Greece. Drawing inspiration from the home country’s diverse landscape — they are incorporating elements from the sea, mountains, and flora — and partner exclusively with Athenian workshops in order to highlight traditional Greek jewlery making and goldsmithing techniques.

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN PRACTICES
Craftsmanship is at the very heart of the brand. They work exclusively with a workshop in Athens dedicated to preserving Greece’s goldsmithing and traditional jewlery making techniques. By taking a more considered approach, they aim to reduce the significant risks and challenges posed by mass production to the survival of artisanal skills and to the planet. YSSO jewellery carries on the stories of craftsmen and the knowledge passed down for generations. Each piece is as unique as the hands that made it. They also prioritize the use of recycled and locally-sourced materials in addition to employing environmentally conscious production techniques.

With Alexia Karides inside the shop at the One&Only Kéa Island

One&Only Kéa Island partnered with YSSO on an exclusive jewlery collection, paying tribute to Kéa’s rich heritage and landscape. Taking design inspiration from the island’s reverence for acorns, a symbol of fertility, renewal, and new beginnings; with elements of rope motifs, a nod to nautical lifestyle, and «tetras» coins representing the four ancient city-states of Ioulida, Korissos, Karthaia and Piiess.

A limited-edition collection handcrafted at YSSO’s Athens workshops and sold at the hotel’s boutique.

YSSO NOTTING HILL
If you are in London, you can discover YSSO at a 3-week summer pop-up on Ledbury Road.
79-81 LEDBURY ROAD, W11 2AG
4 JUNE – 24 JUNE, 2024

You can shop YSSO online at Net-à-Porter here.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht and © YSSO
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Breaking news today. Roberto Cavalli (November 15, 1940 – April 12, 2024) has died at age 83. The «King of Bling», who has been synonymous with vibrant animal prints and sand-blasted denim, has died in his hometown Florence.

«Surround yourself with love, because love will be the beacon of your life.» – Roberto Cavalli

Roberto Cavalli launched his eponymous label in 1970 after his textile print studies and presented his first prêt-à-porter collection at age 30. He rose to fame extremely fast thanks to a revolutionary printing procedure on leather that he patented. He went on to open his first boutique in Saint-Tropez in 1972, and was soon after invited to present at the Sala Bianca in Florence.

With Roberto Cavalli in 2011.

Throughout his career, Roberto Cavalli created very sexy clothes in bright and bold colors. Animal prints were in his DNA as well as a very innovative approach to fabrics. He went on to introduce additional lines, including RC Menswear, Just Cavalli, which was marketed to a younger consumer, and a children’s collection. The brand also expanded into hospitality, opening its Cavalli Café in Florence in 2002, a concept it eventually brought to other cities, including Milan, Ibiza and Miami.

According to BoF, his company has faced a series of challenges in the last decade: In 2014, it began posting annual losses. In 2015, the Cavalli family sold 90 percent of the business to private equity firm Clessidra Capital Partners. In 2019, it closed its US stores and laid off 93 employees. It filed for bankruptcy in Italy in March 2019. The company went on to be acquired by Dubai-based real estate devloper Vision Investment Co. LLC later that same year.

With Fausto Puglisi in Café Cavalli in Milano in 2012.

The Cavalli collections are currently designed by Fausto Puglisi.

At the home of Roberto Cavalli were lots of animals.

Personally speaking, I met Roberto on several occasions and was invited to his house several times in Florence. He loved animals and was a very kind man who loved to host. RIP, Roberto, you will be missed and I feel privileged to have so many beautiful outfits from you in my closet.

In Roberto’s living room in his house in Florence.

If you are interested, I invite you to read an interview with him from 2011 here.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht and Courtesy of Roberto Cavalli
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Congrats to my dear friend Mary Katrantzou, who announced today, that she will be the first ever Creative Director of BVLGARI Leather Goods and Accessories in the Roman high jeweller’s 140 year history. She will undertake the position alongside the continuing creative directorship of her eponymous brand.

With my dear Mary Katrantzou at the baptism of her son in Spetses.

«The rich cultural heritage and dual Greco-Roman roots of BVLGARI have played an integral part in my formation as a designer. I have always been inspired by the design codes and syncretism of BVLGARI, its mastery of colors and the depth of narrative. I’m deeply honored to be the first Creative Director of BVLGARI Leather Goods and Accessories, leading the creative vision for this new chapter and elevating everyday life into a form of art. I want to express my deepest gratitude to Mireia Montoya for introducing me to the world of BVLGARI and to Jean-Christophe Babin for his trust in me and welcoming me to the family.» – Mary Katrantzou

With Mireia Montoya who is wearing one of Mary’s first designs for BVLGARI, and Nicholas Kirkwood.

Mary’s first couture show

The first time Mary collaborated with BVLGARI was for her first couture show at the Temple of Poseidon for the Elpida charity in 2019, when BVLGARI loaned her their incredible heritage high jewelry pieces.

BVLGARI x Mary Katrantzou – Part 1

Part 2

She launched two special bag collections afterwards in collaboration with the Roman house.

Personally speaking, I remember it so vividly when Mary launched her amazing initial bag collection and we presented it during the UBS Economy of Fashion in London in 2017.

Bauknecht or BVLGARI – the B is the most important and obviously I had a good feeling of what is coming up already in 2017. Mary and I had many years ago a long dinner conversation about which brand she would love to design for. I think she made a match made in heaven with BVLGARI! I cannot wait to see the outcome of Mary’s amazing creativity.

There is something about Mary, that we all love! So many friends came to her show at the Temple of Poseidon to celebrate her!

Mary’s debut collection for BVLGARI will be in stores globally in August 2024.
Mary, I am so proud of you!

LoL Sandra

Photos: © Bvlgari / Mary Katrantzou / Sandra Bauknecht
#Bvlgari #MaryKatrantzou #SerpentiMetamorphosis #MaryKatrantzouxBvlgari #NataliaVodianova #NakedHeartFoundation
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