The Dalai Lama once said that the most generous act there is, compassion, is actually a selfish act: “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”
Helping others in need is a small act of kindness and generosity. 50% up to 100% of all proceeds from the sale of these T-shirts will be donated to the Japanese Red Cross earthquake appeal.
Show your support in style and make a charitable fashion statement.
My favourite is the one in the middle by SIMEON FARRAR FOR JAPAN Kate Mouse cotton T-shirt, available at net-à-porter.com from today.
LoL, Sandra
Summer is right in front of us and it is time to think about your beach apparel. Sand, sun and salty water are not bikini’s best friends. Therefore I am not so keen on spending too much on something that won’t last long.
H&M is always the best solution and for S/S 2011 their beachwear collection is truly divine. There are lots of different styles and colours to choose from with matching pareos, kaftans, tunics and bags available. You better go shopping now as those pieces will sell out fast.
I tried my new tiger print bikini this weekend with the see-through jumpsuit and lots of H&M jewelry (looks cool and you don’t need to worry about it!). The straw hat is from the little shop at Club 55 in St.Tropez. Unfortunately, I am still very pale especially compared to H&M’s campaign models but hope that this will change soon…
Jumpsuit CHF 29.90, Bikini top CHF 19.90, Bikini briefs CHF 14.90
Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht
The recent H&M swimwear advertisements starring Edita Vilkeviciute, Frida Gustavsson and Filippa Hamilton were shot by Patrick Demarchelier and capture the colourful bikinis on those gorgeous bodies perfectly. Ready for a sun-drenched summer?
LoL, Sandra
Photos: © Courtesy of H&M
As a clothing brand, Closed dates back to the late Seventies and originated out of Italy. The brand quickly captured the market with their new denim design approach which has been the first alternative to ordinary 5-pocket jeans.
Denims and chinos are Closed’s core competences. The idea behind every new design is “form follows function”and this approach resulted in the DNA of the brand – the X-Pockets.
Now available is the Heritage collection which offers casual styles for a great price. Below you can see how cute those pieces can look.
And the clutch by Jeremy Scott would be a hilarious addition to your Closed look…
LoL, Sandra
After having solved some inital difficulties (launched already in spring 2010), Jil Sander’s new second lower-priced line called Jil Sander Navy is available in stores and online now and serves the casual part of a woman’s wardrobe.
The new micro website, created in collaboration with digital artist Raphael Rozendaal, is a visual, colourful and dynamic experience.
You will find classic trench coats, the familiar minimal shirt-dresses and boxy cuts. Jil Sander also ventures to technical materials such as cotton voile, micro twill and techno gabardine.
Probably not so exciting as Raf Simons creations for the S/S 2011 runway, but much easier on the pockets than the original Jil Sander line.
LoL, Sandra
Word was out since quite a while but here are now the official photos of the first collection designed by a fashion blogger for H&M! The Swedish brand is always very forward and after my days in Florence with all the other bloggers, I am actually not wondering that they are the first ones to make this kind of collaboration. I think it is the way to go for the future. Unfortunately, the items will only launch in Sweden on the 3rd of February in 10 selected stores and 10% of the sales will be donated to UNICEF.
Elin Kling, the blogger who designed nine fashion pieces and two accessories for her minimalistic collection with bohemian influences for H&M has since 2007 been running Scandinavia’s largest fashion blog, called Style by Kling. She has won several awards, both for the blog and for the web-TV-show, inspired by the blog. Today, Elin Kling is working as a fashion director at her own fashion magazine Styleby, founded by Sweden’s largest media-house Bonnier. From blogging to print media, interesting!
And to drop a little hint: Sandra’s Closet for H&M Switzerland would be lovely…
LoL, Sandra
One of my favourite dresses at the moment is my leopard-print silk dress 
by Matthew Williamson. The bright colours and the bead-embellished pockets make it a spectacular cocktail choice.
I wore it recently with a navy clutch and yellow platform pumps from Miu Miu’s S/S 2010 collection. In addition, I added a statement necklace by Matthew Williamson from a previous season.
In case that you do not want to spend so much money on an eye-catching dress that you might not wear too often, I saw the perfect alternative at H&M. The cut is very similiar. It promises a good fit with corset panels and a concealed silicone trim in the bustier.
I truly love the heart print on the 100% organic cotton. What a wonderful way to dress up for Valentine’s Day, don’t you think?!
LoL, Sandra
Photo: © Sandra Bauknecht
Have you ever dreamt of owning a luxurious piece from Balmain? Now you might have a chance without your budget going overboard. Today you can shop Balmain at up to 80% off at the outnet.com. Get your hands on a divine military must-have or a sharp LBD. I love my Balmain jackets and wear them a lot (see below).
Happy shopping!
LoL, Sandra
Today is Black Friday, your official free pass for heavy shopping! Shopbop celebrates the Christmas shopping with the Big Event. The more you spend, the more you save – in addition to 20% off hundreds of new items. Sounds great to me!
Spend $250.- and get $50 off, spend $500.- and get $100.- off, spend $750.- and get $150 off, going up to saving $500 when you buy for $1500.-. Just enter code BIGEVENT at checkout. The offer ends upcoming Monday, November 29, at 11.59pm PT. Worldwide shipping is available.
I pre-selected some of the best items for you that will be perfect for the next season. Just click on the links below my collages and you will be transfered directly.
Don’t wait, enjoy the holiday cheer!
LoL, Sandra
Just in case you have just warmed up yesterday at your Lanvin for H&M shopping tour, more is to come. Another interesting designer collaboration will hit the stores this Saturday, November 27: Valentino for Gap.
Unfortunately, it will only be available at a few locations in Europe: Gap’s new Milan store, Colette in Paris, in London at Gap’s flagship store on Oxford Street (from 9.30am) and at Dover Street (from 11am).
Due to the limitation, it is a great chance to invest in special-edition Valentino at a high-street price.
Valentino designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli said: „We love mixing different cultures and we have been excited to mix Gap’s timeless essentials with our Roman culture of couture.“
The small capsule collection is all about ruffles meet khaki. A signature Valentino bow is also seen on a cute skirt. I like the idea of utilitarian basics such as cargo pants and parkas reinterpreted with a romantic twist.
LoL, Sandra
Zara has this months some amazing pieces giving you the opportunity to include some of the new season’s must-haves as well as some solid classics into your wardrobe. Decide for yourself if you want to go steal or splurge. Those styles are both ways great.
I always recommend to understand and recognize quality materials and craftmanship, not only a designer label. With this in mind, you will invest with confidence and mix with less expensive pieces to create your own individual, so hard-to-copy look. But be careful! Your shoes and bag should always be of good quality.
For all Zara pieces click here for the webshop (not available in all countries) or visit the nearest Zara store.
For all designer pieces you just have to click on the label in the text to be transfered directly.
One of the It-pieces for Resort 2011 is Stella McCartney’s ivory wool-twill tuxedo jacket with black and white lapels above.
Animal prints like cheetah (Azzedine Alaia) or leopard (Chloé) are very trendy at the moment. Spotted on an A-line swinging skirt combined with a leather top (Derek Lam) shows the real fashionista. Suede pumps (Jimmy Choo) are always a good investment.
The basics are your wardrobe’s building blocks. A bow-tie blouse (Balmain) combined with a pair of wide-leg pants (YSL) is a truly classic look. The colour combination of black and white always in style. Those items will last for years. Shoes by Gucci.
Of course, no list of basics is complete without the ubiquitous LBD (Little Black Dress) This season has been all about leather and this is going to stay. So why not indulging yourself in the trend material and adding a striking, sizzling touch to the classic piece (Bottega Veneta; Maje). Suede wedges (Bottega Veneta) give another modern, edgy touch.
Happy Smart Shopping!
LoL, Sandra
