Sandra‘s Closet

Happy New Year 2025 to all of you, my fabulous readers! New year, fresh vibes, and a heart full of gratitude—let’s make it unforgettable! Here’s to a year of sparkle, style, and unforgettable looks. May your 2025 be as fabulous as your favorite pair of heels and as fun as a last-minute shopping spree. Wishing you lots of runway-worthy moments and outfits that turn heads wherever you go!

I am so excited for the next chapter at MY STYLE ROCKS. Cheers to a season of embracing bold choices, and rocking every outfit like a winner, to a closet full of dreams, and a year full of fashion-forward memories!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht / Beyaz @kazmva0
DISCLOSURE: This post is sponsored. We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.

For 2025, the Pantone Color Institute selects PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse, a warming, brown hue imbued with richness. It nurtures us with its suggestion of the delectable qualities of chocolate and coffee, two of my favorites, that are answering the desire for comfort.

«We look to a mellow brown hue whose inherent richness and sensorial and comforting warmth extends further into our desire for comfort, and the indulgence of simple pleasures that we can gift and share with others.»
Laurie Pressman
Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute

Mocha Mousse on the S/S 2025 runways.

With its sophisticated, earthy elegance, PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse can stand alone or serve as a versatile foundation, enhancing a wide range of palettes and applications – from minimalist to richly detailed designs – across all colour-focused industries. It is a very versatile shade infused with inherent sophistication that stands for quiet luxury.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Courtesy of the Brands / © Sandra Bauknecht
DISCLOSURE: This post is sponsored. We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.

Every year, the Claridge’s Hotel in London invites a designer to collaborate on the decoration of their iconic Christmas tree. Last year, it was Louis Vuitton, this year it is no other than Sir Paul Smith, who revealed a traditional 20ft Christmas tree sitting in a Signature Striped barrel and decorated with Paul Smith colourful baubles, ribbon and over 100 bespoke birdhouses.

Sir Paul has collaborated with two friends of the house on the decorations, British artist Nik Ramage, who has made a series of mechanical birdhouses, all with a playful Paul Smith twist, with roofs decorated in playing cards, postage stamps and dice. In Paul’s office, a miniature cable cart hovers overhead and Ramage took inspiration from this and engineered a flying bird to frame Claridge’s reception. Design studio Studiomama, have created a series of their whimsical ‘Off Cut Creatures’ to sit around the base of the tree.

Adding to the festive design, Paul Smith’s holiday Merrymaker fragrance will scent the lobby, and a chorus of birdsong is projected from the tree throughout the day to welcome guests into the lobby of the hotel. Sir Paul has even transformed the hotel lobby into his living room, with a geometric Paul Smith stripe Rug Company Rug, reupholstered Maharam by Paul Smith fabric pieces surround the fireplace to offer guests a warming retreat during the winter months.

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without an element of festive fun and adding to the playfulness, Sir Paul has revealed ‘Paul’s Pick n Mix’ trolley, which will be available for guests to enjoy.

«My wife Pauline and I have been staying and dining at Claridge’s for many years. We have spent so many special moments like Christmas and New Year at the hotel with our grandchildren and so it is often a family affair. It’s a great honour to be asked to create this year’s Christmas tree and it’s something I hope people will enjoy and find fascinating and fun. When designing this year’s tree, I automatically thought of a bird house, friendly and optimistic, a symbol of home which reflects the welcoming spirit of Claridge’s.»

Sir Paul Smith

I truly miss spending my time in London before Christmas, but due to my MY STYLE ROCKS project, I couldn’t find the time this year.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Claridge’s
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The limited edition Dolce & Gabbana x STABILO set features three special versions of the STABILO BOSS ORIGINAL highlighter and a black marker.
The all-over design combines timeless Dolce & Gabbana patterns with the ink colors. The Carretto Siciliano print is paired with Milky Yellow, Leopard with Beige, while the Zebra and Blu Mediterraneo motifs correspond to the Black and Cloudy Blue models.

Encased in packaging adorned with the iconic Carretto Siciliano motif, this vibrant and original design serves as a perfect decorative element.

• The set includes three highlighters and a marker, each featuring different patterns and ink colors
• Dual tip sizes: 2mm and 5mm
• STABILO Anti-Dry-Out technology: lasts up to 4 hours without the cap
• Water-based ink for quick drying.
• Packaging Dimensions:183 x 15 x 35 mm

Available here for CHF 29.90. A great gift for a fashion lover.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Dolce & Gabbana / STABILO
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.

After landing from Istanbul, I went directly to the opening reception of «Hermès in the Making». This outstanding event offers the possibility to meet the artisans behind Hermès’ sustainable craftsmanship. Until November 14, 2024 , you can discover how the French Maison craft objects designed to last and be repaired, to be used and passed down through generations.

Since its founding in 1837, six generations of artisans have safeguarded and nurtured their historic know-how in the Hermès workshops. This heritage is a living, flourishing and constantly evolving treasure trove of artisanal skills. Hermès in the Making brings craftspeople from nearly ten of the house’s métiers to offer a sneak-peek into their expert techniques and exclusive know-how. Their work echoes the heart of Hermès: preserving and developing savoir-faire – expertise which is often linked to a historical tradition or region – a quest for quality, durability and innovation, and respect for the surrounding environments.

With lovely Yvonne Leuthard, Press & Influence Manager Hermès Switzerland 

This 8-day public event features live demonstrations, workshops, interactive activities, and films spread throughout the space. You can customize your visit according to your curiosity and interests.

Lichthalle Maag, Hardbrücke
Zahnradstrasse 22
8005 ZURICH / Switzerland

Until November 14th
(Closed on Monday 11th)
10am – 7pm
Free admission

With my dear friends, Alexandra Kruse, my favorite unicorn and astrologist to the right, and photographer Elena Steness, who captures the best moments as you can see below: 

It was a beautiful evening where we spotted the most amazing bags among the visitors. I can absolutely recommend visiting the exhibition, especially as it has free admission. You just need to book a slot in advance here.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht / Elena Steness
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#HermesInTheMaking

Another designer who steps into the fast food trend this season is Saint Laurent with its latest bag that will capture the attention of It girls everywhere. As the name suggests, Saint Laurent’s Take-Away bag finds inspiration in takeaway containers. Mimicking the well-known box that comes bearing your favourite cuisine, this embossed piece promises to add some fun to your accessory rotation, while the logo hardware reinforces that it is the most expensive happy meal daily.

⁠
It’s a little more pricey than your average cheeseburger and french fries combo meal. The style comes in camel with gold hardware and black with silver hardware, engraved with the diamond-shaped YSL monogram.⁠

The Embossed Take-Away Box Bag by Saint Laurent is available here.

However, this style has been sported before by CHANEL (Paris – Shanghai Pre-fall 2010) and Moschino (F/W 2014). As I always say, keep your pieces, there will always be a time again!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © YSL and © Sandra Bauknecht
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This must-have is no cheap date! The vibrant floral design on this LOUIS VUITTON Flower burger box will brighten up any table or countertop. Inside are six practical coasters in colors inspired by different hamburger ingredients, such as crisp green for lettuce and a tomato red. A push-stud design allows the piece to open and close with ease. I am loving it!

The LOUIS VUITTON FLOWER BURGER BOX is exclusively available at 24s here.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton 
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.

The Wimbledon Championships, commonly called Wimbledon, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is widely regarded as the most prestigious. It’s also a showcase for fashion and style.

Since 2006, Ralph Lauren has been the official outfitter of Wimbledon, providing uniforms for on-court officials, including umpires and ball boys and girls. The brand’s classic, preppy style aligns perfectly with Wimbledon’s traditional aesthetic. You can also stand out off the court in elegant, authentic and distinctly Wimbledon styles from the women’s Polo Ralph Lauren apparel and accessories range that pays tribute to the timeless sophistication of tennis.

I was at Centre Court yesterday before heading to Johannesburg and cannot wait to tell you all about it.

 YOU CAN SHOP THE POLO RALPH LAUREN WIMBLEDON COLLECTION HERE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Ralph Lauren
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.

This summer, the Missoni Resort Club lands in Sicily, bringing its iconic patterns to the Verdura Resort by Rocco Forte Hotels to mark its 15th birthday. The collaboration combines creative energy and relaxation in a stunning landscape where to experience the Missoni lifestyle.

Plan your visit in summer and see this pristine beach pop with Missoni Resort Club prints inspired by the endless turquoises of the Mediterranean Sea. Recline beneath cabanas on sunbeds, towels, and chairs in sea blue and cool white accents that epitomise summer and combine Missoni’s energy and imagination with Sicily’s coastal tranquillity.

The Boutique
Visit the dedicated Missoni pop-up boutique offering a selection of the fashion house’s signature patterns. Fall in love with bold and beautiful designs that marry Missoni’s vibrant aesthetic with the serene ambience of Verdura Resort, and return home with a limited piece from this partnership, adding a touch of Italian flair to your poolside look.

The Cocktail Collection
Keep cool with a bespoke cocktail, such as the Kandinsky Escape or Missoni Breeze, served at the beach bar and at the newly refurbished Ondina pool bar and restaurant, overlooking the infinity pool. Admire breathtaking sunsets with a stylish poolside sundowner, inspired by Missoni’s dazzling colours and bursting with fresh, local botanicals. A multisensory celebration of your unmistakably Sicilian summer.

Just looking at the pictures, I get this amazing holiday vibe we all enjoy so much!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Rocco Forte Hotels
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On our last evening at the beautiful One&Only Kéa Island Resort, we enjoyed a wonderful farewell dinner at the hotel’s Atria restaurant hosted by Net-à-Porter and YSSO, the London-based, Greek jewlery brand that I told you more about in the previous post.

The table setting with olives and green hues was once more breathtaking and the rising full moon made the scenery completely poetic. The dress code said «Greek Chic». Alexia Karides, who co-founded YSSO with her mother, explained us a little bit about her inspiration and limited-edition collaboration with the brand.

We received the iconic Flower Bud earrings as a gift. A blooming flower, captured in sweeping gold arches, the earrings depict the light and energy stored within a flower bud before opening.

An amazing trip – a huge thank you to Iona and her team –  for all these magic moments and memories to take home.

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

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht and © Sandra Semburg
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.