Sandra‘s Closet

From September 26 to October 6, 2013, the 9th edition of the Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) took place with many amazing events. One of the biggest highlights of those days was surely the evening with Harrison Ford. As official partner of the 9th ZFF, Tommy Hilfiger invited members of the jury along with other VIP guests to a very intimate dinner followed by an after party at the store on Bahnhofstrasse.

Daniel Grieder (CEO Tommy Hilfiger) framed by Nadja Schildknecht (Managing Director ZFF) to the left and German actress Veronica Ferres to the right.

We got absolutely spoilt that night. Each guest was greeted at his seat by an iPad mini that we could keep and the food (by Franzoli Caterings) was absolutely divine. I stayed until late to great music and must say that this was one of the best nights out in Zurich in a long time.

Meeting a legend, Mr Harrison Ford in person, made me obviously very happy.

German-American TV entertainer Steven Gätjen with me. Very funny, we met for the first time 25 years ago… but still recognized each other.

Thank you, Mr Grieder, for such an amazing night!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Tommy Hilfiger and © Sandra Bauknecht

Sunday, I flew to Paris for Fashion Week and went straight to the Akris S/S 2014 show. A huge highlight of the evening was the cocktail reception at the Swiss brand’s beautiful showrooms in the presence of H.S.H. Princess Charlène of Monaco, who was extremely lovely and charming to talk to. A truly amazing woman!

My look: White sculptural fitted crepe blouse, black waistcoat and buttoned skirt, all by Balenciaga (I am in love with Alexander Wang‘s designs and think that he is a great choice for the French brand), lace sleeves by Chanel, pointed leather Mary-Jane pumps by Saint Laurent, Pashli mini satchel by 3.1 Phillip Lim and rose ring by Piaget.

Below are some impressions of the night! Enjoy and stay tuned for many updates from PFW!

LoL, Sandra

Me with my beloved hair stylist Charles Aellen who creates Charlène’s look.

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht (Thank you, Mischa, for taking them!)

Be part of Paris Fashion Week and watch the Valentino S/S 2014 fashion show live on Sandra’s Closet tomorrow afternoon. Here is your front row invite, enjoy!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Valentino and © Sandra Bauknecht

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Yesterday, one night before the official opening of the Zurich Film Festival, I was invited to the Piaget Movie Night at the store on Bahnhofstrasse. I went for a classy outfit that gave all the attention to my beautiful sparkling jewelry.

My look: Vest, gabardine skinny tux trousers, lace body, mousseline-silk bow tie, and pointed leather Mary-Jane pumps, all by Saint Laurent, ‘My Own Code’ clutch by Valentino, Limelight Gala watch, diamond rose ring and necklace, all by Piaget.

Piaget ambassadors: Actor Carlos Leal with me

Highlight of the evening was a lively panel discussion, presented by Philippe Klemenz, during which Carlos Leal gave some insights into the cineaste world along with my husband Dr. Gero Bauknecht, partner and board member of Silver Reel Partners.

A huge thank you to Sylvain Auroux, Director Piaget Switzerland, and Nunzia Marsella-Cesaro, Store Manager Piaget Zurich, and their team for this lovely evening!

I had a lot of fun and was happy to party with my dear friend and colleague Florence Jacquinot in Zurich!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Yesterday evening, I was invited by IWC Schaffhausen to celebrate at Zurich’s Dolder Grand Hotel the legend of the famous Silver Arrow. The slogan “IWC. Engineered for Men.” got a whole new meaning when I entered the room as I was one of the only women there. But as I love cars, watches and speed, I felt very much at ease.

The star attraction of the event was a vehicle that has gone down in the annals of motorsport and laid the foundations for that legend: the Mercedes-Benz W 25. It set up the course record in 1934 and came in for a pit stop in Zurich on its journey back to the course in central Switzerland this upcoming weekend at the 11th International Klausen Hill Climb 2013.

The W 25 on display with the characteristic silver aluminium bodywork that earned this vehicle and its successors the nickname “Silver Arrow” is the last roadworthy model in the series and at the same time the jewel in the crown of the Mercedes-Benz Classic collection.

Having fun with my colleagues, Dörte Welti and Jeroen van Rooijen.

Black-and white photographs and film footage transported us back to the world of the 1920s and 1930s – the era of the original Klausen Hill Climb races.

In the foyer, we had the opportunity to peek over the shoulder of a watchmaker at work. All very fitting, because the designer engineers at IWC Schaffhausen took some of their inspiration from the W 25, and, as part of the relaunch of the Ingenieur watch collection in 2013.

The best was yet to come, I won the main prize that was presented to me by Linus Fuchs, IWC Managing Director Switzerland. See you this weekend at the Klausen Hill Climb!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of IWC and © Sandra Bauknecht

As promised in my previous post last week, here are all the details concerning the amazing collaboration between Dom Pérignon and Jeff Koons, which was launched during New York Fashion Week.

Personally speaking, I am crazy for this project as it involves three things I adore: champagne, the colour pink and one of my favourite artists! The limited edition ‘Balloon Venus’ is based on Jeff Koons’ work that was inspired by the Venus of Willendorf, a tiny paleolithic figurine discovered in Austria and dated to around 23 000 BC.

The Balloon Venus is part of Jeff Koons’ Antiquity series that begun in 2008, playfully exploring motifs from the History of Art with his trademark creative verve. The artist adapted the Balloon Venus sculpture for Dom Pérignon, by transforming the original statue in a smaller version which when opened, reveals a bottle of Rosé Vintage 2003. 650 will be produced, of which 20 will be sold in Switzerland for CHF 18’500.00 each.

Jeff Koons also designed better priced limited-edition gift boxes for the Dom Pérignon Rosé 2003 (CHF 449.00) and the Dom Pérignon Brut 2004 (CHF 199.00), available exclusively at Globus in Switzerland.

The launch event in NYC was held at the Stephan Weiss Studio in Greenwich Village. The berry-coloured ambiance was truly amazing, with different installations to explore the ‘Balloon Venus’ by Jeff Koons.

Born in 1955, Jeff Koons is one of the most recognised and solicited of all contemporary artists. He currently resides and works in the city of New York. Earning worldwide acclaim with his large-scale sculptures he has received numerous awards and honours in recognition of his cultural achievements. For him, “the real power behind art is to put us in contact with feelings”.

Throwing a bottle of Dom Pérignon with his wife.

Today, Dom Pierre Pérignon’s visionary mind and exceptional boldness to declare, at the end of the 17th century, to make “the best wine in the world” is in the hands of Chef de Cave Richard Geoffroy who creates each vintage of Dom Pérignon with pure excellence.

Champagne is my guilty pleasure and when it comes in a package like the ‘Balloon Venus’, I feel like a kid in the candy store, being on cloud nine!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Dom Pérignon, all event photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Yesterday, Saturday, 12 o’clock in the “Schottenhamel” beer tent: By tapping the first barrel of beer and saying into the microphone “O’zapft is!” (which means: “It is tapped!”), Munich’s mayor, Christian Ude started the 180th Oktoberfest. My avid readers know, I love the Bavarian city and its “Wiesn” – this is how the locals are calling their annual party, after the colloquial name of the fairgrounds (Theresienwiese) themselves.

The fashionable crowd started a little earlier in the morning and followed the invitation of Gitta Gräfin Lambsdorff and Alexandra Freifrau von Wangenheim to the famous legendary Breakfast at Tiffany’s, from which guests were transported around 11.30am to the Oktoberfest directly. This is the place to be!

And here is your stylish WIESN GUIDE – enjoy!

Ziegfeld collection daisy charm in sterling silver with white silk ribbon by Tiffany & Co.,
€ 770.00 Euro – CHF 870.00

An exceptional investment for your Wiesn outfit infiltrated with legendary charm, Lanz contrasts rich tradition with cosmopolitan elegance. Every woman looks good in a dirndl!
Dirndl by Lanz, exclusively available at mytheresa.com

As it can get a little chilly at night, it might be a good idea to bring a fancy cardigan with you.
Oktoberfest jacket ‘Odelia’ by Iris von Arnim, exclusively available online and in the German flagship stores in Munich and Sylt.
€ 1095.00

Adored by the fashion elite, French designer Olympia Le-Tan‘s artisanal collection showcases beautiful hand embroidery and eye-catching designs.
Shop the clutch bags by Olympia Le-Tan here.

To celebrate the 180th Oktoberfest, Jimmy Choo has launched a limited edition collection that is exclusively available in the German flagship stores in Munich and Frankfurt.
Pumps ‘Bavaria’ by Jimmy Choo
€ 695.00

1 Traditional hat with feathers by Lola Paltinger‘s Milka-Collection (see below), € 59.00
2 Knee socks ‘Wiesn’ by Falke, € 19.00
3 Charm ‘Brezel-Pretzel’ by Thomas Sabo, € 59.00
4 Bracelet ‘Get Lucky’ by Dodo, Price on request

In collaboration Milka, designer Lola Paltinger (for a previous post about her, please click here), has created some amazing outfits for the Oktoberfest season all in the famous chocolate brand’s iconic purple colour. You can shop the looks exclusively at the Milka Welt at Schrannenhalle in Munich and online at Lodenfrey. My absolute favourites this season!

And last but not least, even that you are not allowed to smoke in the beer tents, I am sure that you would like to light a fire in style! The small size (55 x 31 x 12 mm) lets it easily fit in your pockets or clutch.
S.T.Dupont MiniJet Dallmayr No. 1 Oktoberfest-Edition
€ 109.00

Don’t forget to have some traditional Bavarian delicacies such as Obatzda (a spiced cheese-butter spread), Weisswurst (a white sausage) and Schweinshaxe (grilled ham hock).

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of the brands, © Sandra Bauknecht

It’s easy to forget in the daily madness of Fashion Week that New York is about more than fashion. But the party never stops in the city that never sleeps. So to kick off the S/S 2014 season, many amazing events took place. Here is one ordinary Tuesday night to give you an idea how busy it can get but of course how much fun it is at the same time. I still enjoy those days and nights very much and couldn’t agree more with Holly Golightly in the movie “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” : “I’ll never get used to anything. Anybody that does, they might as well be dead.” Speaking of which…

6:00 pm – COCKTAILS AT TIFFANY’S

The evening started with a cocktail hosted by bloggers to celebrate the new Atlas collection at Tiffany & Co.’s famous flagship store on Fifth Avenue, which has been a magnet for the famous and fashionable. I mean who can resist those diamonds sparkling from streamlined showcases that surround pedestals of granite and burl wood. A place where dreams come true…

8:00 pm – NARCISO RODRIGUEZ S/S 2014 SHOW

Around 7.30 pm, I was heading down to 37th street in the dynamic, up-and-coming Midtown West Hudson Yards neighborhood to see the Narciso Rodriguez S/S 2014 runway show in an intimate surrounding. A study in minimalism, those clean cuts and feminine chiffon fabrics showed that sex appeal doesn’t need much.

Great news, during the next 3 days, you have the chance to pre-order the amazing Narciso Rodriguez S/S 2014 collection straight from the runway here.

9:00 pm – DOM PERIGNON x JEFF KOONS EVENT

Next stop: 711 Greenwich Street. The Stephan Weiss Studio with their spacious, two-level event space were the perfect location to host the launch party for Dom Pérignon’s new collaboration with famous artist Jeff Koons (photo with me below). A detailed post will be coming up shortly.

One thing is always missing at those events, food! So very late at night, I went with a friend to Buddakan to finally eat dinner…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Be part of London Fashion Week and watch the Burberry Prorsum S/S 2014 fashion show live on Sandra’s Closet tomorrow afternoon. Here is your front row invite, enjoy!

LoL, Sandra

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This week, I was in my beloved Munich for some very special and extremely fun events. On Thursday evening, Karl Lagerfeld in person had flewn in to celebrate the preview of the documentation: “Karl Lagerfeld – Mode als Religion” which will air this Saturday, September 7, 2013 at 8.15pm at VOX. For this four-hour coverage, author Martina Neuen has accompanied the fashion pope for 18 months to give an exclusive insight into the world of the famous designer.

After the preview at Munich’s Gloria Palast, we took the shuttle service to attend the Karl Lagerfeld shop opening on Maffeistrasse where the designer’s new punk-inspired Dirndl collection has already been on display. Even German television personality Verona Pooth couldn’t resist this tartan and lace model and asked her husband to buy it for her…

As I had lived for eight years in the Bavarian city, I was so happy to see many familiar faces and truly had a blast. Here you see me with fashion designer and juror Guido Maria Kretschmer (1), photographer Goran Nitschke (2), CEO Stylebop Thorsten Eimuth (3) and Verona Pooth (4).

On the “black” carpet with my friend and jewelry designer Tatjana Hoffmann.

In the new Karl Lagerfeld store with DJ John Munich, son of singer Udo Jürgens.

A little nightcap at my favourite bar in Munich Schumann’s with jewelry designer Gabriele Frantzen and Hendrikje Kopp. By the way, Gabriele’s fur stole is not a fancy fashion accessory but an arm sling as she had broken her shoulder two days ago. What a cool idea!
Stay tuned for my outfit post coming up tomorrow…

TO SHOP KARL LAGERFELD ONLINE, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht