Sandra‘s Closet

In December, I followed Louis Vuitton‘s wonderful invitation to celebrate the inauguration of the house’s new “winter resort”. After the opening of its first store in Gstaad in 2004, the stunning new shop on the renowned Promenade reinforces its ties with the famous Swiss ski resort.

Built on a single level, the store is a special example of Alpine design, featuring unique and luxurious furniture. At its heart, a marble, stone and wood fireplace creates a welcoming atmosphere.

Before leaving from the Alpina Gstaad to the cocktail reception at the new store, I had the honour to interview Roberto Eggs, President Louis Vuitton Northern Europe. Find out why Louis Vuitton products are never going on sale, hear more about the house’s first fragrance and which will be the strongest markets in 2013.  Enjoy this insight into the world of the famous French Maison!

Roberto Eggs, President Louis Vuitton Northern Europe with me

What are the Louis Vuitton core values?

The main one belongs to travel. The story of travelling started a long time ago when the young Louis Vuitton at the age of 14 left home for a very long trip on foot from his native Anchay to Paris in 1835. After having arrived at the French capital, he started to create a company for box-making and packing for people to travel.

Linked to the DNA of the brand, there is the travel, the most important today for us, the canvas, the leather and the new metier, a breath of fresh air, is related to fashion thanks to Marc Jacobs.

How can you ensure the durability of the Louis Vuitton image of luxury and exceptional quality?

It is a challenge every day. I believe in every single action, from ourselves, from our employees. It is important to create unique products and an unique experience for our clients in the store. We have a luxury for everyone and a luxury for each one.

Could you tell us a little bit about the new store concept for Gstaad?

I challenged the approach for resorts because Louis Vuitton has got the highest amount of those, for both summer and winter. Our first one was Crans Montana, which opened in 1996. First, I was thinking about the experience. People like to buy when they are on holidays and are sometimes disappointed by the limited selection they find compared to the big cities. Therefore I wanted to create an experience that clients for example cannot have in Champs-Elysées.

We started with St.Tropez, followed by Gstaad to create the same feeling for winter. Before, the store held the record to be the smallest Louis Vuitton shop in the world with 18m². So, first of all, I looked for a suitable space. In Singapore, it is an island, in St. Tropez a villa, so in Gstaad, it had to be a chalet. We found this fantastic place on the historic Promenade, and created the perfect mountain style by building a modern chalet. In 1996 we didn’t have the ready-to-wear collection or shoes because Marc Jacobs hadn’t been working yet for Louis Vuitton. But today, we can offer a specific capsule collection in our “winter resorts”.

Are you planning to change other stores, too?

We will rennovate the St. Moritz store followed by Crans Montana and integrate the new concept.

Moreover, we have two cities in Switzerland with strong potential. In Zurich, we are planning to offer ready-to-wear for men in the future and in Geneva, an “apartment” is foreseen to present the haute maroquinerie collection.

Another “apartment” that we are going to open in April is in Moscow’s GUM that will have the most amazing view, overlooking the famous Red Square.

How far can the luxury market go?

The limits are the limits that we have in our minds. You are setting the limits yourselves.

For me, there is still a lot to do on an international scale, last fall, we opened our first store in Kazakhstan in the city of Almaty. The 700 m²shop sells all of our brand’s lines and is workling very well. We have not been present in Poland yet and will open Warsaw this upcoming June.

Personalization is the trend of the future. We started with some new products, such as unique haute jewelry pieces,and haute maroquinerie. Six very peculiar shapes that are available in 30 different types of leather, including exotic leathers, and 30 different colours. Customers can create their own bag in a very special ceremony, that will take 6 months to be produced. I am planning to bring this outstanding service to Switzerland.

The same goes for our made-to-order men shoes that are available at our global store in Milano, and now also at London’s New Bond Street. Russia will follow this year.

Speaking of the international development prognosis, which will be the strongest market in 2013?

As I said, we are working on expanding the concept of haute maroquinerie and made-to-order shoes. The strongest market next year might be Russia, that is growing very fast.

And what about Asia?

Of course, there is China, and plenty of other markets are developing very well like Thailand and Taiwan.

How do fake products influence the house of Louis Vuitton?

Clearly it is bad because counterfeiting is linked to child labour and black money that we have no tolerance for. Last year, we had 30.000 counterfeiting acts, from physical actions, websites and so on. It is a war that is very difficult to fight. The success is linked to the support of the local authorities, like France does for example.

The change in legislation in Switzerland has been also very helpful. When you enter the country and wear something fake, it has become a crime, there is no more tolerance, it is not for personal use anymore. That has helped a lot.

How different in terms of products are the sales in the European countries that you supervise?

Leather is the strongest category in every country. That is what clients are expecting when the enter the world of Louis Vuitton. Russia is more about ready-to-wear and shoes, and the explanation is very easy. Since 1997, Marc Jacobs has been designing the  house’s prêt-à-porter collection. Ten years ago, when we entered the Russian market, we did it with the complete range of clothing, shoes and leather. For Russian clients, Vuitton is fashion. Whereas for example, in Switzerland, where we entered 30 years ago, it is still more about the trunks, the monogram and less ready-to-wear. Here in Switzerland, we have 8 stores, but only two of them are selling the ready-to-wear line, Geneva and Zurich. This will change now…

Why are Louis Vuitton products never going on sale?

There are two parts of the sale. Obviously the one, when you are benefitting from it, but there is also the other side, when you are not happy with it because you bought something full price and a week later you see it marked down on sale.

For us, we are not going to do it as we value the work that is done by the artisans in our ateliers. By going on sale, it is like taking something off from these values.

Of course, it is a more challenging way of managing the business. You have to have restrictions and not make everything available everywhere. Louis Vuitton is managing its level of production versus what is sold in a very efficient way. We have people in charge that are giving the most specific attention to the level of what is sold and in which country, in which sizes and so on. They are following the stores, the buying and the collection and are monitoring the sales on a daily basis. If something is not selling well in one shop, it will be moved to another one where the demand is high for it.

What is Switzerland’s bestselling product?

There is something totally special. The Zurich store has got the highest sales worldwide of the Noé bag (see above).

The story of the Noé bag is very interesting. It was a special order for a customer to carry champagne bottles. The construction of the bag was so clever, that it has become one of our bestsellers.

Great news for the Zurich customers and of course all others worldwide. The Noé bag will be launched in some amazing new colours for this summer (as you can see in this sneak preview above).

I have heard some rumors about an upcoming Louis Vuitton perfume? Is it true?

Yes, there is one project that we have started to work on, to build our atelier in Grasse. It is foreseen to be launched in the beginning of 2014. We have thrown in many ideas, but it is to early to say it is going to be a feminine or masculine perfume but one thing is for sure, it is going to be unique.

Thank you, Mr Eggs, for this wonderful interview!

If you are interested to know what I was wearing for the event, here is my look. I combined different Louis Vuitton items from different seasons to create a “winter resort” outfit with a touch of cocktail allure.

Knitted dress with sequined belt from the S/S 2011 runway collection, fur necklace and earmuffs (F/W 2010), boots (F/W 2009), long black coat with golden trimmings and oversized leopard-printed fur collar (F/W 2005) and my beloved personalized Sac Louis.

Spotted in the window: The beautiful bi-colour fur vest in a new interesting combination.

In the other window, a Christmas Trunk, limited to three pieces worldwide, filled with the most exquisite ornaments showed the know-how and magic of the Maison’s special orders.

After the cocktail reception in the new store, we went on a very romantic coach journey in a horse-drawn carriage covered with Louis Vuitton blankets with a little bit of snow falling from the sky. We arrived at a beautifully decorated cowshed where we were spoilt to a gourmet menu.

A huge thank you to the whole Louis Vuitton team for this very special time in Gstaad! I have enjoyed every single minute of it!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton and © Sandra Bauknecht

During the Venice Film Festival, I had the honour to interview one of my favourite actresses, Blake Lively, who is the face of Gucci‘s new fragrance Gucci Première.
(For the photos of the launch event, please click here.)

Blake is such a sweetheart, truly lively and very charming. She was with her boyfriend, Ryan Reynolds, on the same plane to Zurich like me and the two were sitting in the row in front of me. She remembered my name from the interview we did previously and even saw that I had changed my tights. The two were kissing and teasing each other during the whole flight. So, I was not surprised when I heard the news this morning that the two secretly got married at Boone Hall Plantation in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, just outside of Charleston, on Sunday evening. After less than one year of dating, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively are now husband and wife. Congrats to the newly-weds!

And now, please enjoy the interview with Blake:

How were you involved in the process of creating and launching Gucci Première?

I was involved, initially, in the concept of this “Old Hollywood” idea, how we would actualize this. Frida wanted to create the iconic woman and we chose the photographers and the director. I was so excited to work with them. Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott are just amazing. The sexiness shows never in body parts, it is more the expression of the mouth or the look. It is never tacky.

Nicolas creates a lack of reality almost. For the short movie, he took the “Old Hollywwood” idea and combined it with modern, futuristic music. You see a woman from the ’40s but at the same time, you hear the techno sound which makes you feel like in a different time and space. Personally speaking, it is interesting to find the juxtapostion and the balance. The fragrance has the same. The woody, masculine and strong parts combined with the feminine, floral, citrusy notes. It is profound, it is the women in her most realized sense and scent.

I didn’t get to smell the fragrance until we did the first shoot but it changed slightly afterwards again. It is for a powerful woman, who can balance the feminity and the masculinity, being the fullest version of herself. We transported that in the commercial and the visual.

The advertising campaign was shot by the famous photographer duo Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott. The short movie was directed by Nicolas Winding Refn.

The best piece of advice that you got from someone in the film industry?

I don’t know if I have ever got advice that would apply to me. When I did “The Town”, I asked Ben (Affleck) what was the best advice he got because he is such a talented director. And he answered that Gus Van Sant told him: “Your movie will speak to you, listen to it.”
I have noticed that the directors that listen to their movie, that let it evolve and let it be something different than what it was in the script, have a stronger outcome. In rehearsals, you have that fixed idea what it is and when you start to shoot it, it takes a different shape and form. I always try to go with my gut.

How is your relation to the fragrance? Can fragrance express your personal style as fashion does?

I think that it does. I love perfumes. It tells your story in a lot of ways. If I look back at the fragrances I had when I was younger, they were bubbly and sweet. As I got older, they evolved. At one point, I started mixing cologne with perfume because I wanted to feel that strength, be that empowered woman but at the same time remain that feminity that a woman has. That is why I love Gucci Première. The fact that it has the wood and the leather but still a wonderful softness and sweetness. It is everything that I tried to achieve when I was mixing a cologne with a perfume.

I am so proud of being the face of Gucci Première because I am not stepping in something that was around forever. It is not like I get to be the face for it until I expire and than somebody else follows. But hopefully, one day it will be an iconic scent!

Did you know Frida before and how is your relationship?

I met Frida before at a charity event for Gucci. I am impressed by Gucci’s commitment in having major fundraisers. When you start to work with them, they ask you which charities you are involved with and immediatly offer support. They want to promote and help. That was beautiful and inspiring. That is something important for Frida. She spents so much time on all her different collections, she has so much on her plate and still she is so much involved. When we shot the commercial, she was on the phone asking about the accessories I was wearing with the gown. She has got a whole team of people she trusts but still she is there.  Every single step on the way, she is part of it. And you see that coming out in her details.

What is your cause?

There are many different charities I am involved in. Children are the ones I connect the most with. I started my own, went to Africa, visited orphanages, volunteered with Save the Children. It is more hands-on, not standing on a red carpet and shaking hands for the charity event. It is more about an intimate sitting down with people, always involving children.

Blake Lively framed by her parents, Elaine and Ernie Lively

Do you remember the first fragrance you wore or connected with?

It was definitely my mum’s fragrance. My mum is a strong woman, so she had  a little bit of that cologne feeling, but not too musky. It is light but it means business.

Blake Lively and her two older sisters

Speaking of Old Hollywood glamour. Do you have a  great tip that you picked up from one of the hair and make-up artists while you were getting ready for the red carpet, that yo use in your own life?

I really love hair and make-up. I always watch the  people who work on me. I ask them about the shading and how they highlight certain parts of the face. I watch the way they do things.

My mum was very effortless, getting ready in a hurry. And whenever I take time getting ready, it is a disaster, more like a funky rooster. But when I get ready in two seconds, it is the best outfit. This is good about always being in a hurry! I don’t like to look too done. Maybe it is a good excuse not to brush my hair. I think there is something sexy and whimsical about it. Wearing a ball gown, but not having your hair in a bouffant. More of having your hair in a messy, tousled look. It just makes me feel that the night could end running bare foot through Central Park. And skipping in a fountain, this feeling of freedom. It is the same if you walk into somebody’s house and it feels like in a museum so that you cannot curl up on the couch. I prefer that lush nature.

Last year, you were on Time 100 list. How does it feel to be seen as a role moel?

That was shocking and humbling. I still cannot figure that one out. The people I most admire breath magic into real life, wether it is my mum that brings real-life fairy dust to my life. I feel responsibility to young people and the parents, especially if they let their children watch my TV series at a too young age.

Despicable characters have been easy for me to play. With TV shows, it is different, you do something bad but you might be redeemed one year later. In the movie, you get the idea why this person is so twisted, and you find empathy for this person. On my own moral campus, it feels better.

I grew up with a tight family, strong and good. I never had many challenges or temptations that I could give in to because I got an audience. My biggest guilty pleasure is chocolate.

Girlfriends: Blake Lively and Florence Welch

You are a style icon. Do you have somebody that you admire?

There are lots of people I look up to but mostly it is my mum. You can look up to people through different elements. Like Grace Kelly, who doesn’t want to be a princess? Than Audrey Hepburn, she is so fun and still so feminine with that boyish sense. Katherine Hepburn, a woman with that manly sense. Florence Welch, one of my dearest friends, who is a real life fairy. So there are different people I look to for different elements,but that one person who has got that full package is my mother.

Gossip Girl is a fashion phenomenon. What did you learn during the show concerning your own style and fashion?

I learned so much. I grew up with my mum who would make the clothes for us all the time, wether it would be for real life or a Halloween costume. Therefore I knew a lot about design because she is also a great decorator. My eye for fashion derives from an early time. But being exposed to all the designer clothes on the set of Gossip Girl, connected me even more. It was like going to the best fashion school you could ever go to. We sat down with Anna Wintour and met with the most iconic designers and were able to ask them as many questions as we wanted to. And imagine trying on that many clothes, 9-15 outfits per episode. 27 episodes per year, per 6 years, and some outfits don’t make it. So It is even more. You start to understand which cuts work, where a bias work, where you have to put the grosgrain under the dress to cinch you in.
Gossip Girl was like the most expensive master course in fashion.

Blake Lively in “The Town”

Being a glamour icon, would you also like to try a role that is shabby?

I love being dressed-up. I would wear silk robes in my house whenever. Diamond bracelets while I lounge. Anytime I can play those roles, it is me.

In the movie “The Town”, I was very rough looking. As I did Gosspi Girl at the same time, I couldn’t change my appearance the way I wanted it to be. So I had them spray my hair with brown dry shampoo for long grown-out roots. The team made the skirts very tight at my waist so that it looked like I had a roll-over because I played somebody who doesn’t have the money and time to take care of herself. I love playing characters that are different than me.

Thank you, Blake, for this lovely interview!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Gucci, WWD, W Magazine, Zimbio and © Sandra Bauknecht

Welcome to the world of Acqua di Parma

Indulge yourself in Italian grandeur and explore the brand that stands like no other for understated luxury, sophistication, elegance, exclusivity and authenticity. All those pillars that are synonymous with being “Made in Italia”. The lifestyle brand, that is also known as a celebrity perfume classic, has existed for almost 100 years.

Its history began like an alchemy in 1916 in a small Italian factory with the creation of Colonia, the origin of the legend. The refreshing, crisp and subtle fragrance that was so different from the perfumes that were the vogue in those years. Until today, Colonia has got cult status.

In 1993, Acqua di Parma was bought by three famous Colonia-lovers and entrepreneurs, Luca di Montezemolo (Chairman of Ferrari), Diego della Valle (CEO of Tod’s) and Paolo Borgomanero (Shareholder of La Perla), who were eager to reinvent the brand.

A very important chapter opened in the company’s history when LVMH bought into the hundred-year-old Italian house in 2001. Today, Acqua di Parma offers a huge selection of luxury goods, from the famous Home Fragrance Collection (scented candles for the home) to the Home Collection (linen and terrycloth products), the Collezione Barbiere (shaving products and accessories) and the Tournée Collection (leather accessories). Fragrance aficionados love the Blu Mediterraneo and Blu Mediterraneo Italian Resort ranges (fragrances and cosmetics inspired by the most natural and exclusive locations on the Italian Mediterranean) and sophisticated ladies around the globe buy Le Nobili from Acqua di Parma (feminine fragrances inspired by the “noblest” flowers of Italian gardens).

Acqua di Parma also supplies the suites of the most beautiful and luxurious hotels in the world with its Luxury Hotel Line, which embodies the inimitable Italian style of Colonia.

I had the huge honour to meet and interview Acqua di Parma’s CEO and President, Gabriella Scarpa, in person. The Italian lady, “una bella bionda” is what you would call a “power woman”. Holding multiple positions, she is also the Country General Manager of Christian Dior Couture and LVMH Perfumes and Cosmetics. After LVMH had bought Acqua di Parma, Scarpa took over the reins of the company in 2003 and brought it to success. Keeping up with Gabriella is hard, she is full of dynamite, a very passionate and feminine lady.

She is proud of her country’s heritage values and its craftsmanship. “The way the Italians make their products has a lot of tradition and Acqua di Parma’s roots are all very artisan. We are inspired by these regions with their own characteristics, such as Tuscany or Sardinia. Italy is a wonderful place to live.”

She was in Zurich for the opening of the new Acqua di Parma corner at Jelmoli which brings us this iconic Italian style, the atmosphere that is loved around the world to Switzerland.

Do you like to travel?

I travel a lot for business reasons and  I love to travel ! This is part of my lifestyle. I travel around the world and my favourite cities are New York obviously, London, Paris all these cities that have excitement in them. And of course China now. Asia is giving you  lots of energy and excitement! And travelling for Acqua di Parma, I enjoy seeing how the brand is sold in those countries and to meet people who really enjoy our Italian style.

Do you have a favourite fragrance from Acqua di Parma?

Yes! I did  the Iris Nobile actually for myself. Since my early days, I had been a fan of Miss Dior 1947. I only used extract because I preferred the higher concentration. After a while, the original Miss Dior 1947 perfume was discontinued and I was all of a sudden without my favourite scent. This was the moment for Acqua di Parma to enter the female world. Women had been asking for such a product for a long time.

Personally speaking, I knew that our first fragrance had to be a chypre floral scent, very elegant and modern. Obviously I thought about iris, which is also the emblem of the city of the Florence and a symbol for aristocracy. For Le Nobili, I wanted to create a world in which sophisticated women can recognize themselves. This concept represents also the world of the Italian villas with their famous gardens, another Italian tradition which has inspired us. We travelled around these beautiful villas and identified the flowers, the plants which were mostly used and beautiful to see. Iris is a very delicate flower, they only bloom fifteen days a year from 1st to 15th of May. In Florence, behind the Piazzale Michelangelo, there is this garden of iris, which is open for tourists, too. Moreover, there is a contest in which participants around the world compete to create the most beautiful and newest iris. In that particular year, the winner was an Australian who grew a very special blue flower that we used. Interesting to know is that we use the concrete of iris for the fragrance which takes three years. Once you have the concrete, you have to wait three years for it to dry and from a ton, you just get a few spills of fragrance. So it is extremely expensive. In fact, nobody in the perfumery used the extract of concrete because of its value. We launched it in 2003 and it was immediately a big success. After a few years, in 2009, I created Magnolia a very refined and wonderful plant which is different from iris.

New this fall! Iris Nobile Sublime – The new fragrance for women that is a flanker to 2004′s Iris Nobile. The notes feature mandarin, neroli, ylang-ylang, orange blossom, rose, jasmine, iris pallida, wood, cedar, acacia, birch, patchouli and musk. Acqua di Parma Iris Nobile Sublime will be available in 75 ml Eau de Parfum.

How are you involved in this creative process?

From the very beginning, the concept is always mine. After that, I transfer the idea to the marketing team, they transfer it to the fragrance people. Luckily enough, we have François Demachy, one of the most famous nose in the world, working for us. He is the creator of all our LVMH fragrances. He loves Acqua di Parma and because of his connections, we got to the famous fragrance houses to create the ingredients exactly as we wanted them. Now with François Demachy, we work with Italian producers, many of which are in the South of Italy with their own plantations working almost exclusively for us.

And for example the story of Gelsomino is very bizarre in a way but also very significant, because the “gelsomino” (jasmine) for fragrances didn’t grow in Italy anymore. Three years ago, we decided to create the Gelsomino fragrance and to get a new plantation in the South of Italy where it is more sunny and easy to grow that beautiful plant now used for Acqua di Parma and Guerlain, only for these two brands. I am proud that we revived the tradition of gelsomino for the fragrances.

Where are you from originally?

I’m from Milan and my family is from Venice.

Do you feel more Northern?

Yes, I’m more Northern, but the South is giving us all these amazing products like the oranges, the mandarins, the cedars, the bergamot among many others. All these fragrances derive from a fantastic, unique cultivation. All our ingredients are coming from Italy.

Everything from Acqua di Parma is produced in Italy?

Yes, everything is produced in Italy!

How is it for you to head a French haute couture company and in the same time an Italian brand. What’s the biggest difference regarding the mentalities for you?

It’s actually not very different because at the end of the day, we talk to the same people. The difference from Dior, obviously it’s a big brand and so it’s more commercial in a way, more international and more decisive. Both brands have different means but their quality is the same. For Acqua di Parma, it is very important to keep it Italian which is sometimes hard, because you cannot find everything in the country. This is why we adapted our production to our original produce of Italy. So this is the main difference.

Looking at our communication, it is also standardized on a model, that only changes the name of the product or the flowers. It is very simple. So another big difference is that we are not a fashion brand, we don’t have a designer and a fashion show. We are selling what we are very basically.

On the website, there are five words to describe Acqua di Parma: Quality, creativity, elegance, exclusivity and selectivity! If you could add three more, which ones would that be?

The real thing, emotion and fashion!

How strong is the Asian market for you?

We waited with the launch quite a while because 80% or 90% of the market is skincare and make-up, so the fragrances are not so strong depending on the countries, mostly 5% maximum 10%. Asia is not a fragrance market. Therefore for us, it was very important to enter in the right way, to make a difference.

We started in Korea because the Korean’s are very much attracted by the Italian brands and European heritage. We had the opportunity to create the first counters in the middle of the cosmetics so even that we were just fragrances, we were very successful from the very beginning. In Japan, we launched at Isetan, a famous chain, that had asked for the brand many years ago. China was completely different. The Chinese were building up new cities, new shopping malls which became the most luxurious in the world. I have to say they are copying a bit the American model but in the highest way. When we negotiated with them, as we were interested in opening so many stores, they were also interested in getting the brand. We got fantastic spaces from the very first beginning.

Many Chinese celebrities and VIPs knew Acqua di Parma from their travels around the world. Everybody came to visit the first counter in Beijing at Mitsukoshi, which is the most luxurious department store, with all the high end brands having their own boutiques. Being attracted by our tradition, the men began to use the Collezione Barbiere which is fascinating. Chinese men don’t shave, they don’t have a beard, but they like the texture, the presentation, the packaging, the fact that it is luxurious, that it is Italian and they adore the atmosphere.

In fact, we sell a lot of Collezione Barbiere and skincare because it’s different from many others. Of course, a lot of our iconic Colonia, along with Magnolia, Iris, honestly we sell everything. The Asians have become friends of Acqua di Parma and are more into fragrances now. Moreover, the young generation is more occidental than oriental.

Nowadays we have eleven counters, one boutique, another one to be opened this year, and people are really passionate about the brand and very much loyal. They buy all the line, and I mean all the line!

Do you have a bestselling product that is successful around the world?

Yes, it is definitely Colonia.

Speaking of fragrances, it’s always Iris or Magnolia. In Asia, the Blu Mediterraneo collection is stronger than in Europe, because those scents are less complex in terms of structure and ingredients. The candles are very strong in the U.S. followed by the UK and also Asia.

You have collaborated with Maserati among others. Why them?

Our partnerships are very much authentic, we want to live the Italian myths – and Maserati is one of these. They exude the same elegance and heritage. Ferrari, for example, is different – it’s wonderful but it’s more show. So we did many projects with them.

How can I imagine such a collaboration?

For example when we do events, we use a Maserati to shuttle our guests.

Have you ever thought of a special scent for Maserati?

We were actually thinking about it. Could be that one day we are doing something special.

Have you done bespoke scents?

No, we haven’t done bespoke scents yet!

Do you offer other personalized services?

Yes, you can have your initials on the bags as well as on the fragrance bottles which will be done in Italy. We even have a special cap to conserve the personalized cap which is really unique. It takes like three hours to produce just the lid, all handmade. People want to keep it. This has happened very often with our products, even with the candles.

Are the candles all handmade?

Yes, absolutely and it takes hours and hours to do them. They burn only inside, the outside remains beautifully intact. Therefore, people like to keep them for decoration.

Do you sponsor certain events?

We are sponsor of the FAI, which is the Fondo Ambiente Italia, a fund also of ancient villas and cultural things and of Mille Miglia, the very famous antique car race. This is our world, because obviously the owners of these cars are very sophisticated and  love culture. Funnily enough, they all love Acqua di Parma, it may be surprising, but when we go to the Mille Miglia, everybody comes to our lounge and says: „ OMG! I use Acqua di Parma since ever, you are here, I love this brand, please don’t change it – it’s wonderful, I love this!” It’s really a tradition.

Would you say that the American perception of the brand is different?

Yes, in the U.S. it’s different, Acqua di Parma is known as the brand of the celebrities. The story behind it is very funny; in the ’30s, ’40s, ’50s, the American actors came to Cinecittà in Rome to exchange movies. They used to come to Italy and get their clothes made, especially the men. They went to the famous Italian tailors where Acqua di Parma at that moment, was distributing its signature Colonia. This is how they met the brand and brought it back to America. So it became immediately the fragrance of the stars. Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn among other very famous names were using Acqua di Parma. And even today, it has still remained the product of the stars – in the U.S. everything is about celebrities.

Have you ever worked with an ambassador?

No, but we have some agents working for us on different initiatives in Los Angeles because of the Italian Film Festival in California. We have contacts with some actors: Jude Law or Al Pacino for example is someone who comes to Italy very often and has bought a lot of Acqua di Parma, really a lot…!

Elton John buys huge amounts of Blu Mediterraneo, like a hundred pieces and puts them in all of his houses. This is happening very often. People are buying for all their houses, for their boats and so on – they want to have their property fragranced.

If you wished for an ambassador, who would that be? Probably someone Italian…

It’s evident. Once, the owner was Montezemolo (Luca Cordero di Montezemolo is an Italian businessman and Chairman of Ferrari. He is aristocratic and widely regarded as a stylish, classic dresser). He is the Italian successful, elegant, aristocratic man. He can impersonize the best what we are representing. If you look at our communication for the Colonias, we are representing a very elegant man, either with a tuxedo, either with a suit – it’s a very elegant man. And he is successful because he has a capability, a character. It’s transmitted character – that’s very important.

Another guy, who represents Acqua di Parma very much, is Giovanni Gastel, the famous photographer who shot a lot of campaigns for Guerlain, Dior, Tod’s in the past and who is the perfect gentleman. You see in the manner, in the education, in the physique, in the way he dresses – he’s the face.

Would you say that Acqua di Parma is still more a male company? Or has that changed?

No, it is the same, regarding the style, we can have the same for women, obviously. And when we talk about women, you can have Lavinia Borromeo, who is very much similar to you, very elegant in a sophisticated way. She is not bourgeois, she is not putting on many many things just to show off. It’s the real elegance, the real aristocratic. It is the manner, it’s the way they act while being very simple people. They don’t play the role of the sophisticated, but they are sophisticated, because they don’t play. So it’s something that they have inside. Something that is difficult to express, something that comes from the class. The class, that is important.

You have one Acqua di Parma SPA in Porto Cervo. Will there be more?

For the moment being, that is the only one. Our Acqua di Parma SPA is located within the exclusive Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. This represents the selectivities like nowhere, because they only have five hundred members which are chosen by the club and not chosen by the fact that they are rich. It’s a club of selected members depending on their origins and their class. And so this is the preferred place for us to be. Finding another place of the same level is difficult, as we want something special!

Do you have any special products in the SPA?

Yes, we have a line of products which are used for the therapies and methods, a range of 22 products which are specific for the SPA.

What are your future plans?

The advantage of Acqua di Parma is that this brand can go everywhere. It can go into the spa, into the hotel, into the leather goods, into accessories, it can go everywhere. We could build a hotel of our own, I don’t know. That brand has such a personality today, such a recognition and a reputation around the world. We can do whatever we want but we have to be authentic and pay attention not to lose our originality. Everything has to be made in Italy, so this is another limitation for us.

Look at our boutiques for example. The concept is very unique, very Italian from tip to toe in the sense that we use only Italian materials, only Italian artisans. It’s proof of the Italian capability to do wonderful things, to produce real handmade things of a certain quality. The brand is a way to promote Italy in the world.

How do you create the amazing ambiance in your stores?

Some of the furniture for our boutiques is made by a very small family-owned Italian company. In addition, we work for example with Poltrona Frau, which re-edited a chair from the ’50s for us – and we covered it with the same leather of our leather collection. So everything is very unique. We have tables covered in leather, glasses that are handmade, the mosaics made one by one, it’s amazing!

First of all, we want our customers to sit down and relax. For that reason, we have different chairs, sofas and so on. It is a different situation to pay while you are seated and comfortable. We want for them to live an experience and they are all so amazed that they buy everthing you propose them. In this way we gain the loyalty of our customers, the respect and they talk about us, so it’s all about word of mouth in the end.

What do you think is like the entrance product for the brand ? Personally speaking, I started buying the candles and explored the brand from there.

It depends a lot on the customer’s interest and taste. Obviously the candles are very much the entry for countries like the Anglo-Saxons. It is depending on the culture.

Soon the company will be celebrating its 100th anniversary, in 2016. Are you preparing a special celebration already?

Yes, we will have a celebration, I am already thinking about that! But cannot tell you more.

Do you have one baby in the company that you’re so proud of, like “your baby”?

They are all my babies. I have been with Acqua di Parma for many years and helped to create a whole universe.

You are such a powerful woman and you also have children. How have you balanced both, professional and family live?

Yes, I have two children, but I have no time to follow them. They grew up with nannies but as I’m a good cook, whenever I was at home, I organized these big parties for our friends with their kids. I cooked a lot in my life, actually whenever I could. And this was a way to keep them very much linked to me. We have a very fantastic relationship. I have to say I owe very much to them, because I was never there. I travelled a lot.

Did they go to boarding schools or did they stay at home?

They stayed at home. My daughter is a nuclear physicist, something very different. She studied in Italy, and did after her doctorate an MBA. Today, she works for the Bayer Group – after five years in Berlin, she’s now in Pittsburgh. She has a fantastic life travelling around the world.

My son is studying marketing communication in Italy, and he will graduate in the end of the year. Afterwards, he will go to the U.S. to get his MBA. And probably he will live there too, because he is very American.

I have pushed them a lot to go outside, obviously I love my country but for young people at this moment in these years it’s not so exciting and not so promising. Outside, there are plenty of opportunities. It’s also an experience they have to do, learn languages, learn how to live with other mentalities and after that they could come back with all their experience. I think it’s good for them.

So I’m not a real good mother, but I love my children.

I wouldn’t say that. There are some mothers who are always there physically but they are not there for their children. It is more about quality time.

This is what my children always told me, when I excused myself during the years, saying: “I’m so sorry that I’m never here”. They answered: ” But you have no idea: Many mothers that are staying at home, are always depressed, always crazy, always shouting. Our friends admire us because we have a brilliant mother who is always happy.” That is true, I’m always happy and very optimistic. I have always talked to them about respecting their job and finding a profession that lives up to their own expectations. We love to work, even that you have to make sometimes sacrifices regarding your personal life or even physically. Obviously, travelling a lot has an impact on your body that you have to resist. Most importantly in life, you have to learn how to manage stress. There are so many people stressing themselves just for nothing. People that have crazy lives are not stressed. Personally speaking, I think that it depends very much how much you love what you do. If you are passionate and satisfied by what you do, you don’t feel stressed.

How long did you stay home when you had your children?

For example, when I had my son, I stayed home three days. It was Saturday, Sunday, Monday… The morning I had to go to the hospital, my boss called me and asked: “Where are you?” I said, “I’m in the hospital, sorry but I am in labour.”  I had worked until the last day and had been travelling with a certificate of the doctor. This might be the reason why my son is a bit nervous sometimes. But in the end, I had responsibilities, I was number two in the company at that time, I couldn’t stay home. My son never knew a different system because when you stay at home for the first three years and go back to work, it’s a trauma for the children.

An intimate question. Where you with your husband all the time? Have you brought up your children alone?

No. My first husband used to travel a lot like me. But we tried not to be gone at the same time. After I had divorced him, I married the man that has been by my side now for thirty years. He is a finance guy and more organized than me in terms of life. He’s very good with the children and has two of his own, so we have four children alltogether.

It is amazing what you have achieved. Congrats on your success!

The fact that I am here to talk with you about Acqua di Parma is a success for me, because it means that you are interested.

Yes, I absolutely love it!

So it is a success for us, because it means that people like you really appreciate the job we have done. So thank you very much !

Thank you! We could go on and on and on…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Acqua di Parma, © Susanne Riz and © Sandra Bauknecht

Recently, I was invited to Stephen Webster‘s store opening in Geneva. I have been a fan of his jewelry creations since a very long time and was very excited to meet him in person. (For a previous post in which I am wearing one of his necklaces, please click here).
Stephen blends his love for traditional craftsmanship with passion for contemporary music, fashion and art to produce modern, unconventional yet beautiful jewelry. It’s a unique and edgy approach that has been over 30 years in the making and won a huge loyal global customer base, among them Christina Aguilera, Cameron Diaz, Elton John, Madonna and Jennifer Lopez.

Stephen’s enthusiasm, commitment and creativity have helped him to achieve numerous accolades including a three-­‐time win of “British Luxury Jeweler of the Year Award”, ‘Diamond Jeweler of the Year’ in 2004 and 2005, “Jewelery Designer of the Year” in 1997, 1998 and 2006’ and winner of the “UK Jewelery Brand of the Year” in 2008. Stephen also holds the honour of a Freeman of the City of London.

Stephen Webster has expanded globally with close to 300 points of sale worldwide and 7 Stephen Webster boutiques internationally; including the flagship store on London’s Mount Street and most recently on Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills. The new Geneva store, located at the 5-star Grand Hotel Kempinski, marks the opening of the fourth European boutique.
Stephen Webster, Quai du Mont-Blanc 19, 1201 Genève, Phone +41 (0) 22 900 19 19

Stephen gave me a very interesting interview. Find out what his favourite hobby is, how he met Christina Aguilera and what has always inspired him. Enjoy!

Stephen, do you have a typical customer and can you tell me who is your best client? I know you work a lot with stars, but I read once that you also have a big fan in Boston.

Well it’s a funny thing because people always sort of assume that you have “a client”, right? So “this woman” – that could be you. It’s a very diverse group of people and talking about my client in Boston, the only thing I can tell you is that his wife has seventy-five pieces of my jewelry and that’s a lot of jewelry for one person.

She’s a lucky wife! Can you tell me a little more please…

And she’s very lovely, she’s very elegant. You wouldn’t look at her and think that she’s a heavy jewelry buyer. She has got four kids and her husband loves buying her jewelry. Every time there’s an occasion we always try and bring the family in, because I can’t any longer sell them anything off the shelf. It ‘s not about new collections anymore, it’s got to be made for them. I love that because I know them so well now. When it was my 50th birthday, they flew over to London. They’ve become more than just a client.

How do you do bespoke pieces?

Let’s take the client from Boston. This guy called me before her 50th birthday and ask what we could do. So, I started thinking around and threw in some ideas. I created a wonderful bracelet for her, sort of a tree of her life. On all the “branches”, it’s got all the important dates, like the children’s birthdays for example. I carved it like someone would put their initials into the bark of a tree. It’s got diamonds and her birth stone, sapphires. To design such a bespoke piece, you have to know much about someone. Our “relationship” started fifteen years ago. And, with them, it sort of spread, because their friends would go:“ I love Sandy’s jewelry!“ So it’s right, Boston is a good spot.

You are the Creative Director for Garrard and you have your own brand, which are both quite different from a design point of view. Do you have a huge team working for you? How can you handle both?

No I don’t. I’ve got it at my side but not with Garrard. Rewinding a bit to the time when really nobody would buy my jewelry in England, because the buyers would find it too „progressive“. Garrard at that time was what you would call the establishment. It was like the jeweler, it was this massive place where the industry would look at. Personally speaking, I just think it was the most amazing store – so I used to go along on my motorbike once every couple of months and show them my jewelry. The managing director, who became a very good friend of mine, loved my hand-made creations. He took me out for lunch – this was after about a year of showing him my creations – and gave me a one-man-show! I had the complete middle part of this jewelry shop and I’ve never had anything like that before. That was a completely amazing thing to happen – and it was in 1995! So since that time, Garrard has been through lots and lots of changes – most of them not for better I have to say – but I knew it from before and I have worked with them now for seventeen years.

I’d always had a respect for what Garrard was all about. I don’t try to make Garrard Stephen Webster, that would be crazy. So I try to see it as a heritage brand. This has been very interesting for me, because with Stephen Webster it’s me, it’s my “what I want it to be kind of thing”!

The Seven Deadly Sins collection is limited edition of only 7 pieces each.
Those cocktail rings are the epitome of haute couture.

Concerning your own collection, what does influence you, what does inspire you?

I try to connect everything we make to something that comes from my experiences, from my travels, from things that I enjoy in life. Like for example, I have a house by the shore and this place inspires me! Or sometimes it’s a story, like the Seven Deadly Sins among others. It’s about having a bit of fun by turning a legend into jewelry. In fact, I’m doing a collection at the moment inspired by architecture called the American Story. I travel all the time through the United States and it’ll be my idea of what I see when I’m there.

Many celebrities are wearing your designs, like Madonna or Jennifer Lopez. But let’s take Christina Aquilera for example, who was also the face of your advertising campaign. How have you approached her?

Well at first, we were approached by a stylist, who – it’s funny actually –  just did „The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo“. When we met her with Christina in 1998, who was eighteen at that time, she was working on a video „Lady Marmelade“ which had these four girls in it – Pink, Christina, Lil‘ Kim and Mya. She said that she wanted them to wear my jewelry. My wife flew over to California without me and she had a lot of fun with the project. After that, Pink and Christina, both started to buy our jewelry and both became friends. Christina got a little bit more serious. Whenever I saw her, she was wearing Stephen Webster. So at that point, I said to her, why don’t you become the face of our brand, because you pretty much are.

Five years ago we did a proper photo shoot with her, a proper campaign and stayed with her for three years. That was absolutely great, because it is very unusual that a small brand like us works with such a famous person. It gave us a huge push and at that time we were really growing in the Russian speaking market. We were lucky that we got the right person at the right time.

How is your wife involved in the business?

She’s totally involved. (Smiles.) She’s amazing actually, she’s involved in all sorts of things but not in the jewelry’s side – apart from wearing it! She’s very good with people and she’s good at running our shops and doing all those things.

Stephen and Assia Webster at their London store opening in June 2009

How long have you been together?

Seventeen years!

Do you have kids? How old are they?

I’ve got two, one daughter from a previous marriage who is 21 and a daughter with my wife Assia who’s thirteen.

Do you make bespoke pieces for your wife? 
Have you done that for all the women in your life?

My first wife was a jeweler actually as well and yes, I made her jewelry. That’s one of the perks I suppose of being with a jeweler. With Assia, I think she’d never really thought about jewelry before she met me and gradually got into it. And now she loooves it, you know looves it (laughs). She gets fantastic jewelry and lots of admiration.

What is she wearing today?

Today, Assia is wearing a lobster ring that I made. It’s a lobster but it’s still a rich piece of jewelry that you can even bend your finger with. It’s quite surreal and very popular, I sold a lot of lobsters.

What would your own mother say about you?

My mother? She’s dead now but she’d still be telling me to be careful (laughs) and watch what I’m doing.

At what age have you started your career?

The first time I worked for myself, I was about 21, the minute I‘d finished my training, I thought I know everything.

Did you study gemology? How did your career develop?

I loved fashion and was determined to go to art school to become a fashion designer. When I got there for an interview, I was in shock because I didn’t expect all those sewing machines and women. I looked and knew, I can’t do this. I just was too young at 16. Coincidentally there was a really good jewelry course at this art school and so I just went on to that. I loved it from the minute I started. Later on in my life, when I had finished all my training, I started my own business, which was a bit of a disaster. I was offered a job in Canada, very strange in Banff, Alberta which was like being stuck up in bloody Crans Montana, right?
I was 21, completely a Londoner and this guy I worked for knew nothing other than gems. He would go and deal with the Mujahideen in Afghanistan to buy tourmalines and aquamarines Then he would travel to Africa and buy garnets and tanzanites. That is when I became a gem-adventurer. He would just give me all these stones and I had to do something with them. And so I learned very quickly. My process is always more about working with the material directly rather than to sit and draw designs all day long.

Crystal Haze – the concept developed by Stephen Webster combines faceted quartz crystal set over a layer of natural precious stone to create a holographic-like “haze” of colour.

What is your signature look? What creation are you most proud of?

In these days, when I started to find my style and got work with all those gems, I played around with cutting the stones and honestly, I wasn’t very good at it. But while experimenting, I created this layered look which was really not there before. I did something completely new, a sort of illusion. Once people noticed, it it became my thing, my signature look. I called it Crystal Haze and those first pieces are my classics today and probably the most important to me.

What is your bestseller?

The crab ring is my most succesful piece.

What are your future plans?

I always have new ideas. Recently, I opened a gallery above my store where I have this space that used to be three offices, now it is the Stephen Webster curated space. So we opened it a year and a half ago and over the time, I’ve had art work, photography, a market restaurant, British young musicians and many more up there. What’s exciting about it, it only works because of my jewelry – I can keep bringing people into my world and sort of sharing with them what I’m excited about. And I am excited about everything I do up there.

If you could think of one designer to compliment your jewelry, who would that be? Do you have a favourite fashion designer yourself?

Alexander McQueen. Someone else, I’ve got complete respect for and I’ve bought clothes from since I was a punk, is Vivienne Westwood! She was a rebellious woman and pretty amazing. She’s broken all the rules and now everyone sights her for influence. She has a retrospective at the Victorian Albert Museum – she’s like the queen and in 1976 you would have been arrested.

So were you really a real punk for a long time?

Oh yeah totally! I’ve been completely in the first rounds, because when I went to art school, I was rebellious. That was in 1976 and during that time, punk suddenly came along.

Talking about the Queen. This year, it is her Diamond Jubilee. Have you done a special edition for this occasion?

I dit it for Garrard. It’s actually a very touchy one, because Garrard was the crown jeweler for 160 years and I still have a royal warrant. The way a royal warrant works is that it goes to the company like Burberry for example. Garrad has a royal warrant, but it needs to go to a person. Therefore I have it, I’m the custodian of this royal warrant. I’m very respectful of it and I felt obliged to do something to celebrate. I wanted to design a piece that felt a bit regal – it’s definitely a keepsake but not crazy.
I made a long pendant, that’s like a crown with a big star that looks like a diamond but it’s not. It’s a piece of white topaz, cut like a diamond. I personalized it by putting people’s birthstones around and the collection is limited to 12 pieces.

How about Asia? Is it a big market for you?

Yes, we’ve just come back! We were there for a show in Hongkong, which went pretty well! Personally speaking, I think between the two brands, Garrard has got the easiest route in, because the Asians are very much craving for heritage labels. Speaking of Stephen Webster, we see quite a lot of Chinese coming to the shop in London – so I think it has a good chance.

Your favourite hobby?

I have a 1959 Thunderbird, that I restored completey, and once a year I go on a trip with my friend, just me and him and don’t let anybody else come. It’s so brilliant, a bit of an adventure, we love it!

Thank you, Stephen, for sharing all your adventures with us!
You can also shop a great selection of Stephen Webster jewelry at LUISAVIAROMA.COM

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Steven Webster, Sunday Mail and © Sandra Bauknecht

Meet Serge Lutens, the genius behind the eponymous fragrance and cosmetic label, launched in 2000. Mysterious, captivating, charming, Serge Lutens talks freely and poetically.

His appearance is sylphlike as a dancer, there is something magical about him. He has cast a spell over me after a few seconds.

Serge Lutens with me

Born 1942 in Lille, France, he started his career as a makeup artist and worked for Vogue along with famous photographers such as Richard Avedon and Irving Penn. Monsieur Lutens, as his assistant addressed him constantly during our interview, established the first cosmetics line for Christian Dior in 1967.

Photo: Serge Lutens for Vogue Italia, 1976

His series of photographs that he took in the ’70s were even shown in the Guggenheim Museum. In the ’80s, Shiseido hired him as Creative Director. The famous Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido, conceived and designed by the perfume genius in 1992, are described by him as “more of a refined salon for perfumes than a boutique”.
There you can shop his exclusive line of fragrances.

I am a huge fan of his perfumes. Here you see my very own Serge Lutens collection.
Un Bois Vanille is one of my favourites.

We spoke French during the interview and I have to admit that there is something so magical about his French language that any attempt to translate his answers into English almost fails to fully capture their essence. I hope that you will still get to the bottom of his universe.

MEET MONSIEUR LUTENS…

What would your mother say about you?

This is my son!

Your first memory concerning perfume?

It is not an actual perfume, it is more a culmination of things. At the age of 7, your olfactory sense is completely developed. After that, you only rediscover.

When you go out, how much time do you need to get ready?

20-25 minutes.

What was the topic of your last dinner-table conversation?

This was too long ago that I could remember it.

The last time you had an argument was about…

Honesty

Your favourite shop?

The bookstore Librairie Galignani, 224 rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris. I shop there every time that I am in Paris.

Your most expensive piece of art?

I am not attached to expensive goods. Art is decoration for the house.

What was the first desire you ever felt?

Never to rest, always to exceed my own expectations.

What do you dislike?

Stupidity, ignorance and misbehaviour.

Most people wouldn’t know you’re a fine…

It is better that they don’t know.

In your suitcase, when travelling, there’s always a…

It is always empty when I am leaving Morocco and when I am coming back, filled to the brim.

Who is for you the most impressive person in history?

It mostly only one part that impresses me, so that I couldn’t name just a single person.

Are you subscribed to a newspaper or magazine?

No. I am changing my preferences too fast.

You would like to be really good at…

There is nothing I could think of. I could say that I would like to be a great dancer or singer, but that wouldn’t make any sense. I was just not born under that star.

You live in Morocco. How does it smell?

The scents of Morocco inspired me to do perfumes. It was no choice. Now, I don’t use those ones so much anymore.

Do you have  a favourite ingredient?

I will always use classic and natural ingredients. But I don’t have one favourite. Would you ask a  poet which ones are his favourite words? It is similiar. The ingredients are like senses, they will tell you something. You just have to translate. It is like a composition.

Now you have changed your way of perfume. The new L’Eau Froide smells fresh and is along with your first L’Eau from 2010 completely different from your other previous creations. Why?

Yes, you are right. It is a wonder of pureness. A shock. It is the essence of my life.

Some journalists called L’Eau de Serge an anti-perfume. Does it bother you if people analyze and judge your creations?

No, not at all. It is not mine anymore. It is over. I created it, but once it is done, it doesn’t belong to me anymore.

Do you have somebody or something in mind when creating a perfume?

I always think of something. The creation is passive, not active. You are in there. It is like a passion. It takes you on a journey, you have no choice. The real partner is the perfume. It lives and gives you the answer. You are at its demand. You have to forget the „you“.

Do you listen to music when you create?

No, those are two different things. When I am listening to music, I am listening to music! I am in it, that is unique.

Music is so important. But I hate this overdose in our days. Music is everywhere, in the restaurant, in the elevator. It kills all the senses. The same applies to perfumes. If you walk through a big department store, it is horrible.

Do you wear perfume?

Not very often. If I do, it is to set a statement. When I go out, I like to use it. But I rarely go out anymore.

The best perfume of all times?

Always the one, that I am working on. It is as it is supposed to be and loving it is just the natural consequence.

The most important beauty product a woman has to have?

Self-confidence. This is what she brings to the table. This is her. Beauty is the moment, when you are really yourself!

It is not about beautiful eyes or a beautiful mouth. Of course, those features help but there are beautiful people who are dreadful and there are not so beautiful people that can be very pretty. It is the charm that counts.

How much power do women have?

The power of persuasion and creativity. Everything creative is female.

You worked with Richard Avendon, Irving Penn. How were they? How was it to work with those famous people?

The had passion, they loved their work. They were not professionals. Professionals are boring. I worked with many considerable people, such as David Bailey, Helmut Newton among many others. All they had in common was, that they were not professionals, they were amateurs.

What does confuse you about people from your industry (cosmetics/fragrance)?

People that would like to be professionals. As I said, I only like amateurs.

Do you have a favourite city?

The city where I am in that moment. My brain is my room. I could live tomorrow in Geneva or somewhere else. I don’t care, what I need, I have on me. I just need my little book to take notes and that is it. Life would be the same.

You have done many different things in your life, photography, filmmaking, hair styling, perfumery among others. Do you have a favourite phase?

No. Each time, it is the same, just in another way.

One wish from the fairy?

That she turns my pumpkin into a carriage.

Thank you very much, Monsieur Lutens! It was such an honour to meet you!

L’Eau Froide, the newest creation of Serge Lutens, is in stores now, 50ml (CHF 108.-) and 100ml (CHF158.-).
Fresh and crystalline
Composition: Somali incense, musk and aquatic note.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Serge Lutens, Vogue Italia and © Sandra Bauknecht

At the moment I am in London where I met the lovely dynamic designer duo Kaufmanfranco at the net-à-porter offices yesterday. The New York label’s signature is dazzling evening wear that’s delicately embellished, plus modern day wear with an urban twist.

Isaac Franco to the left and Ken Kaufman to the right with me

Their sleek American style have landed them a stockpile of fans in every age group, spanning Taylor Swift to Jennifer Aniston. Calling themselves “the New Sensualists”, their designs are pure sophistication.

Taylor Swift and Jennifer Aniston in Kaufmanfranco (Photos: Getty Images)

It was lovely talking to the charismatic designer duo who answered openly my questions.

Ken Kaufman and Isaac Franco met over 25 years ago. FIT-alumni Ken offered Isaac his first job who at that time had just finished his studies at Parsons School of Design. Since then, the two have been working constantly together for the likes of Valentino or Emanuel Ungaro, just to name a few. In 2004, they decided to launch their own label.

You two seem like yin and yang, same vision, different approach but complementing each other perfectly. Who designs which part of the collection?

Me, Isaac, I take care in general of the day wear styles and Ken is more into eveningwear.

How can I imagine your creative process?

Each of us designs and does sketches that we present each other. We then sometimes change what the other came up with which makes our designs better and special.

Whom would you like to dress? This could be also a person in history.

I think Madonna. But I have recently been asked whom I would like to invite for dinner and I thought Moses and Madonna would make a great combination at the dinner table.

Why don’t you do a runway show?

We are still a small label and prefer putting all the money into the clothes.

Last night, I got a wonderful preview of the Kaufmanfranco F/W 2012 collection that is full of sophisticated cocktail looks and all the fall coats and dresses you need. The colours are dark, from black to silver and rust. The materials are luxurious with lots of embellished pieces, Kaufmanfranco’s signature style. Enjoy the photos that I took for you:

If I have whetted your appetite for some Kaufmanfranco shopping, I would like to invite you to explore their S/S 2012 collection which is in stores now by clicking here.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Kaufmanfranco and © Sandra Bauknecht

Tomorrow, the Versace for H&M collection will officially hit 300 stores worldwide (in the US on November 19th), so ladies and gentlemen be prepared to line up in the morning.

Last week in NYC, I got the pleasure to meet Donatella Versace and H&M’s creative advisor Margareta van den Bosch who sat down for a chat with Tim Blanks, Style.com’s editor-at-large, at the top floor of the Dream Downtown hotel.

Find out a little bit more about the collection and which one is Donatella’s favourite look. Believe it or not…Donatella even revealed that she likes shopping at H&M.

Margareta van den Bosch, Donatella Versace and Tim Blanks

What does this collaboration mean to you?

D.V.: It was very emotional for me to go through the archives to explore all the looks that Gianni created. It is an amazing way to reach the younger crowd. I am working closely with Lady Gaga or Nicki Menaj. It is great to collaborate with such dedicated artists who have so many followers. Gianni would be so proud to see his clothes worn by younger kids. This is an homage to Gianni.
I was scared to take over the reins from him when he died. I had to gain the credibility from the rest of the world.

 

Looking at your own shows, you are reenergized creatively. You are working with the Fringe London, Lady Gaga? Calling this a Versace moment, why do you think this was all coming together now?

D.V.: For me it is a fantasic moment. I talk and follow young designers. I am very interested in them and they are very interested in me. A house like Versace has a lot of history they can profit from but I am learning a lot, too. I am open to different opinions. Fashion is every day an exam. After all those years of minimalism, Versace and its luxury are back!

 

Margareta, did you feel a Versace moment as well?

M.v.d.B.: Yes, definitely. This is a different collaboration from what we did before with all those colours and prints, leather and studs. The essence of the house Versace was truly there.

 

Donatella, were you surprised when you went through your archives even that you know them well?

D.V.: I was amazed to see how Gianni did everything – I am sorry to say – before everybody else. I see a lot of homage to Versace today as for example young designer Riccardo Tisci did for the Givenchy F/W 2011 collection (looking at me as I was wearing a dress from this collection). But this is enough now. It is my turn, this is my homage to Versace!

 

Didn’t you have to make a concession?

D.V.: This was the best thing to work with H&M, there was no concession. There are fantastic people in this company. They said yes to everything, I never got a no. It has been a fantastic liberating moment. Just the amount of sketches surprised the team. 
31 looks were asked and I created 43 looks for the runway, from the chokers and the bracelets with the Medusa, flowers from Miami, printed jeans and skirts, leather, the high heels, nothing is missing.

Margareta, what are the criteria for a collaboration? Isn’t H&M and Versace at two comletely different ends? And how do you get started?

M.v.d.B.: It is very much a feeling that we discuss in-house. If we agree, we go for it. We had the first meeting and talked about the collection. We decided something little. When the second meeting took place with the teams around the products, like buyers, people for the packaging and many others, I expected some sketches but Donatella had everything ready. It was fantastic as we always have a lack of time.

 

Margareta, you said the time was right for Versace, what do you mean with that?

M.v.d.B.: Fashion should be something that makes you happy. This collaboration is about a dream, to give people the spirit of luxury. We try to make it as close to the brand as possible. Maximalism, colours, prints, everything is back. It is an optimistic upbeat collection even that you see all the bad news in Europe.

And how about you, Donatella? What do you think?

D.V.: It is a dream of luxury, for example when you touch the studded leather coat from the Versace for H&M collaboration or the original from the archives, you don’t know which one is the real one.

Donatella Versace with me

What is this collaboration about? Which impact will the collection have on H&M or Versace? Will it change your own work?

D.V.: I had that clear idea what to do, of the look that young people want. Fashion is freedom today. Technology plays a fantastic role and H&M uses it in an amazing way. It is interesting to see how young people put things together and that everything goes.

M.v.d.B.: Fashion is about expressing your individuality. This collaboration is about giving the customers something new and showing that you don’t need a huge budget to look good. We are very professional and have all the knowledge. We included for the first time homewear because it is part of the Versace look, as well as jewelry. I mean there is no Versace collection without jewelry. We have two different cushions, a blanket and many different jewelry pieces.

 

Which one is your favourite piece in the collection?

D.V.: I have 43 favourite babies.

M.v.d.B.: The studded leather dress and the rings.

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If I were you, I would definitely get a piece with the tropical print as this is a huge trend among the upcoming Cruise 2012 collections from the likes of Stella McCartney, Marc by Marc Jacobs and Givenchy.

And don’t forget to enter the contest to win the amazing purple one-of-a-kind Versace for H&M dress! Deadline is tonight! Good luck!

And rumours are out that the next collaboration might be with Tom Ford, OMG!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Daniele Cavalli with me, Photo: Olivier Zahm

Meet the Man of the Year: Daniele Cavalli. The 25-year-old son of fashion designer Roberto Cavalli who is in charge for the Italian house’s men’s line, is not only an extremly interesting person, but also highly intelligent, down to earth, beautiful from the inside and outside, with a wonderful vision of life. I met with him recently in Milan and he told me some very interesting things, enjoy the interview.

After the huge success of your S/S 2012 presentation, which inspiration do you have for your next menswear F/W 2012 collection?

It will be an evolution, not a revolution, but totally different in the concept. The last two collections I did were connected with the same concept made in different ways. This is going to change for F/W 2012.

Summer gave me lots of inspirations. I turned off the phone and went to Africa. I started in Morocco and from there through the Sahara, where I met pythons and scorpios.
We went with camels, which was pretty adventurous. If something bites you, you die. You don’t have time to go to the hospital. We, my friend and I, travelled with Tuaregs. I love the nature and the adventure. And if you are respectful to death, nothing happens.

In the desert, you can’t have a fire. Fire would help you to scare away the animals. The gas lights we had were even worse as they attract the animals. At one point, I stood up, looked under my matress and found five scorpios. The Turag took a piece of a dry plant, and killed them like with it. Done! You have to know nature to survive. We slept in the dunes, totally covered because of the wind and the sand.

I know that you love music. Did you bring an instrument to the desert?

I brought a small guitar, a sort of mandolin.

What do you think about the relaunch of the Just Cavalli brand, of the S/S 2012 collection?

I liked the Just Cavalli show, strong and a very good way to relaunch the brand.

Do you prefer the main line Roberto Cavalli or Just Cavalli?

It depends on the show. The S/S 2012 Just Cavalli show was really good and it is great to see that the Just Cavalli brand is coming back. It is perfectly coordinating with the soul of the brand.

How would you dress women? Sexy like your father or more covered?

Both ways. I have my own vision of women. It would be really smart, chic and elegant. But believe me, I am telling you the truth,  I have never really thought about it. I think that I would do it the same as for the men, I would work on the tailoring, on the colours, on the  fabrics, always in a very chic way.

Yes, I would cover, but in the right way. I like to imagine. I love the dream. When the things are too obvious, it is less tempting. As a man, I like to use my imagination.

Have you studied fashion design?

I am lucky that I didn’t do it. I learnt everything from scratch.

Your father is Italian, your mother Austrian. What are you, more Italian or more Austrian?

I am really Italian, I am not Austrian. Actually, I am Florentine. My hometown is a historical, charming city, that sees the future, but keeps its treasure. Gardens, flowers, nature… Florence is a Rennaissance city. There is also something really dark. It is the contrast. My dark side is my blues side, meaning the music. I always like to work with opposite things and make them happen. Princess meets the bohemian women for example. I do it with everything in my life. The fusion is the most interesting part.

How is your German doing? Does your mum speak German with you?

No, my German is bad and whenever I saw my grandparents in Austria, it was pretty tough to understand them.

Was it a curse or a blessing to be Roberto Cavalli’s son?

Of course, a blessing! When I grew up, my father wasn’t popular at all. He was a pirate of the sea. We were riding in the summer times on small boots and he was protecting his family in the cabin when the weather and the waves were getting too tough. I like to see him like that. He is my father. The rest is part of the game.

Do all your siblings work in the company?
(Roberto Cavalli has two kids, Cristiana and Tommaso, from a previous marriage and three children, Rachele, Daniele and Robin with his wife Eva.)

My first sister Cristiana has a baby now and enjoys being a mom. She works just a little. My brother Tommaso takes care of the vineyards and trains the horses. Rachele designs the bags and has a little baby, too. My youngest brother Robin is still very young.

Would you like to move to another city? Or do you prefer staying in Florence?

Not to a big city like New York City. As for me, the horizon is so important, meaning it metaphorically, as a strong point of view. To live in a big city, it is always hard to see the horizon.

I am attracted to Asia. Moving for me would have more the impression of escaping. Maybe a girl would make me move (smiles).

Are you a heartbreaker?

Always, I live my life to break my heart. To be conscious, I fall in love with everything. What scares me in Milan sometimes is the following: I was at a friend’s party, where I said  hello to a lot of people. So many of them were asking me if I will be in Paris next week. And I was thinking why do they do that? People are working for Milan fashion week all year, and then they don’t even enjoy it because they are thinking already of the next thing. People are not appreciating what is in front of them. Florence saved me from such an attitude! I love Rome as well!

Do you like to do sports?

I was a sporty person. Until I was eigtheen, I was a soccer player, and I was a pretty good one. One day, I just put my shoes on the hook and stopped.
But I like sports. Your mind and your sould can only be powerful in a healthy body.

How do you see yourself in 25 years?

In the music industry. That is my biggest dream! I will do something important for myself in the music industry. I am ambitious. A great album would be amazing, producing, doing it by myself, but just if I am convinced of it. If I opened a music label, it wouldn’t be connected with the Cavalli universe, it would be mine.

Thank you, Daniele!

The photos are taken by André Saraiva for l’Offciel Hommes September 2011. The editorial is called “After Hours” and shows Daniele Cavalli in is his own collection of  S/S 2012. Tonight he will receive the GQ Man of the Year Award in Berlin and I am sure that for him there will be so much more to come…

LoL, Sandra

Roberto Cavalli, the “King of Bling” and the “Godfather of the Animal Prints” (as he quoted himself), will be soon coming to Switzerland for the Fashion Days Zurich. He will attend not only to present his latest relaunched Just Cavalli S/S 2012 collection, but also as a guest judge for the 8th annabelle award which will take place on November 10th, 2011. The lucky winner will receive a one year internship with the Florence based house.

Wild animal prints, floral embellishments and leather patches? It is surely no other than Roberto Cavalli.
His flamboyant iconic mix is seen everywhere on the red carpet and not only on celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez, Madonna and Lenny Kravitz. Last year, he celebrated his fashion house’s 40th anniversary. During Milan Fashion Week, I was able to meet with the Italian designer (who gives his nationality a lot of credit, believe me!). Please enjoy the interview where he explains his secret of success and why the Swiss women love Italian men.

You will be coming soon to Switzerland for the Fashion Days Zurich. Have you ever been to Zurich? Or will it be your first time in November?

Oh I have of course been to Zurich, many times! What a fantastic city, with a great energy. I love Switzerland, my wife Eva and I have a beautiful boutique in Saint Moritz, the nature is really stunning, it offers up a lot of inspiration.

What do you expect from the Fashion Days Zürich?

I’m really looking forward to taking part in Fashion Days Zürich, it’s a wonderful project. I expect to see new ideas from young, passionate people. I’m always curious about young talent and emerging designers, they are the people who will enter the industry with a fresh mind and new ideas, it’s essential to keep fashion alive!

One contestant will receive an internship with you in Florence. What are the main qualifications you are looking for?

The person will have to be positive, to come with a smile on their face and be driven by a strong desire to learn. I’m looking for raw talent that can be drawn out, and the curiosity of a young person. It’s so important that they are curious to learn!

Do you have an idea how your Swiss customers look like?

It’s not about how my customers look, the Cavalli world is not about looking a certain way! It’s about an attitude, it’s about personality, emotions! I think that my Swiss fans share in these beliefs the same way as my fans in Italy, China or Brazil do!

And oh yes, I had many Swiss girlfriends. The Swiss women are wonderful. They like the Italian men because we appreciate them. The Swiss men are sometimes too dry.

You have many different labels, from the main Roberto Cavalli line to Just Cavalli and Class by Roberto Cavalli, all three in different price levels. Dolce & Gabbana will be stopping their D&G brand and integrate it in the main line because they experienced that consumers didn’t understand the difference.
What about you? Is there a risk of confusion that costumers don’t understand why they should pay more for the Roberto Cavalli runway collection.

No, there is no risk of confusion. Obviously there are a lot of similarities, aesthetically speaking, between Just Cavalli and my main line Roberto Cavalli, because they are both part of the same Cavalli world and vision. But there are very basic and obvious differences too—Just Cavalli has a very young mindset— youthful, free-spirited, carefree! It’s an experimental line, and it obviously has a lower price point, so it’s more accessible than Roberto Cavalli mainline, whereas Roberto Cavalli is more formal and is taking the direction of demi-couture, the artisanship, the attention to detail—this is the fundamental difference.

What is your main target group for Just Cavalli? What is for you the big difference compared to the runway label?

Firstly, Just Cavalli is also a ’runway’ brand! We always have a fashion show, equally as beautiful as for the first line Roberto Cavalli. It may be the second line, but it is my baby! I love designing for Just Cavalli, because for me it’s a world of experimentation, researching and discovering new shapes, styles, materials! Just Cavalli has a ‘younger’ target, I don’t mean ‘younger’ as defined by an age bracket, but a younger philosophy—it’s very free-spirited and carefree and is highly competitive in the market segment known as “designer contemporary”. Roberto Cavalli is obviously accessible to a narrower target, it’s more exclusive of course, but I put the same amount of love and thought into each line.

The Just Cavalli line will not lose its distinct style codes, which have led to its success over the years, but will however evolve.

Is Just Cavalli your favourite son? Speaking in a metaphor.

I have three sons and two daughters. So yes, probably Just Cavalli is my fourth son. He is a little son but he grows very fast. But for a few seasons he was making me a little nervous, he was not good in school. But now, we have changed school and it is fantastic. And I enjoy teaching my son Just Cavalli. The DNA Cavalli is definitely there. He is a good son. He made so much progress.

Which do you think was the most important advice you have given your children? Did you expect them to work for you? Or did it happen naturally?

I got to where I am by believing in myself and following my heart, so I encourage my children to do the same! I’m proud to say that despite leading a very hectic life, I’ve always been very present in my children’s lives and I love having them around me in the work-place…but! If one day they decided “Papà, I want to leave the company to follow a different dream“, they would be leaving 100% with my blessing!

What was the most important thing you have learned from your father?

Sadly, I lost my father when I was very young, four years old. Luckily for me I had my outstanding mother! What a fantastic, marvellous person, a very brave woman … she was also present, by my side, in every phase of my life. She encouraged me to always carry on in the face of difficulties.

Please describe yourself in three words.

Passionate, curious, optimistic!

The secret of your success.

Self-belief and passion.

What makes a woman irresistible and sexy?

It’s not just how a woman looks but how she feels. I design my clothing so that the woman wearing my dress feels confident and believes in her beauty … it empowers her and this makes her fascinating. And last but not least the eyes. They are the soul of a woman!

Who is the most beautiful woman in the world? The sexiest woman alive?

Oh! What a question, there are too many beautiful women to name! Honestly I think that the sexiest woman alive is someone with great personality and strong character, a woman who knows who she is and what she wants! And, of course, she is even more beautiful if she is wearing a Roberto Cavalli dress, no?

Please tell us something about your iconic printed photographs on your materials!

Absolutely. That is my style. This makes the difference. Therefore they all like to copy me. I am the designer of the animal prints. Why? I remember one night in Kenia. I took a photo of a leopard. When you look at my prints, you can see the hair on it. Today, all the other designers copy me and do it my way. Two days ago, they opened a new store on Via della Spiga. So I thought: Ohmygod a new Cavalli store? It was no Cavalli, it was another designer but it looked completely Cavalli. My style is my style! This makes me nervous.

You have so many different projects and licenses, like the Just Cavalli restaurant in Milan, the Caffè Giacosa In Firenze, your own chocolats, vodka, wine, eyewear, clothes for dogs, childrenswear.
You have created a Cavalli universe? Where does the inspiration come from? Where are the limits?

Limits? This word is not in my vocabulary! The inspiration comes from everywhere, when you are a curious person you find everything you look for and more. I travel a lot, I’m a lover of the outdoors, of nature—my creations always have a connection to nature! What a beautiful world we live in!

Thank you Mr. Cavalli!

My dear readers, I hope that you have liked the interview!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Meet Tom Pecheux, the Creative Makeup Director for Estée Lauder. The internationally acclaimed make-up artist was in charge for the Derek Lam S/S 2012 runway beauty looks.

I was invited to go backstage before the show to interview Tom which was just wonderful. His thoughts on makeup
 are so modern, he has an amazing aura.

Tom Pecheux with me

The best compliment for the Parisian beauty guru that is loved by celebrities and top photographers all over the world?
To hear someone say “I feel great” and not “this make up is great”.

Enjoy the photos I took backstage and the interview! You will be up-to-date how your makeup should look like for next summer.

What was the inspiration behind your makeup look for the Derek Lam S/S 2012 show?

The inspiration was sort of that modern relaxed archtitecture on the West Coast, California, sunshine, earth – this kind of juxtaposition between both. The juxtaposition between masculine and feminine. If you look at the make-up, you have a very bright yellow which is generally a very feminine colour, but it is in a masculine finish. It is almost matte, a light satin finish, instead of being shimmery. The cheeks are very softly sculpted. Sunkissed, bronzey. I took the pink out of the lips by using a yellow tone which neutralized the pink, so that you get a „not-so-girly“ finish.

When Derek showed me his collection and he told me about his inspiration, I felt immediatly the warmth of the West Coast. When you go to L.A., you see colours that you don’t see anywhere else, the sand is special. So I wanted the yellow to present the warmness that you find in California.

How do you apply it?

It is super easy to apply. First the concealer with the finger. Some loose powder. After we start with the colour to apply. A powerful eyebrow mixed with a little bit of black and brown depending on the skin tone. A brown shimmery shadow just under the brow bones to create a even darker and stronger look. I really want the girl to feel powerful.

The yellow shadow I am using on the eyelid for a nice contrast. It is a colour that many people are afraid off so I took that challenge to make it look good. For the transparent, high-shine pout I just put a sheer, shimmery yellow gloss without a lip liner.

What is your beauty must-have for the next season?

This is hard to say. If you are a makeup artist, you don’t stick to just one thing. But the focus for the S/S 2012 is definitely on the eyebows, you should concentrate on getting them beautifully shaped and defined.

I do love the yellow. I love to find a way to use colour a little bit frightening, to make it work. To make a girl look gorgeous, to show that it is not weird. It is basically challenging myself not to get bored.

Estée Lauder’s spokewoman Hilary Rhoda with me

Do you have a favourite face?

No, not really. I mean I love beautiful women. But what I truly find interesting is to work on women that are not models and to realize how much you can give like for example during Fashion’s Night Out.

Estée Lauder’s slogan is „Every Woman can be beautiful“. Not every woman will look like Constance or Hilary. But every woman in her own world will look gorgeous. It is also not about trying to look like somebody else. It is more about feeling good, happiness and confidence.

In your opinion, should a woman always wear makeup when she leaves the house?

If you feel good, you can leave the house without. I don’t like the rules, I like to break them. Try different things, like an unusual colour. You may like it or you may not but the most important thing is to not get stuck. Enjoy exploring new things and you will feel beautiful and confident.

I couldn’t agree more with Tom! So I am ready for the yellow eyeshadow and you? Unfortunately we will just have to wait until January 2012 to get our hands on Estée Lauder’s limited edition Pure Colour Gloss in Citron Kiss and Pure Colour Eyeshadow Palette.

But isn’t anticipation the greatest joy?

LoL, Sandra

Photos:  © Sandra Bauknecht