Sandra‘s Closet

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
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This week, I followed Net-à-Porter‘s invitation to Greece for a so-called Aegean Escape at the new One&Only Kéa Island Resort, that will officially open its doors in June 2024. Honestly, I cannot wait to share all these fabulous moments with you. Let me get started with the Aquazzura Alfresco Lunch at Bond Beach Club on the second day.

The setting featuring lemons and tableware from Aquazzura Casa was breathtaking and I matched the yellow striped decor without knowing. On display was the beautiful new Aquazzura Riviera collection, that is exclusively available at Net-à-Porter.

Inspired by Mediterranean summers and La Dolce Vita, we enjoyed a beautiful lunch in an amazing setting on beautifully embroidered linens in an array of joyful patterns and vivid colors. I cannot wait to show you every moment of this trip. Thank you to the wonderful Net-à-Porter team for spoiling me rotten!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Aquazzura
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F1 Arcade has arrived in the USA with Boston being the first spot to experience all the excitement, drama, and glamour of Formula 1 and Washington D.C later in the year. In Europe, you can find the experience in London and Birmingham.

However, if you find yourself hoping over the pond, I recommend visiting the US venue in the Boston Seaport district. F1 Arcade is a thrilling new simulation racing experience, and probably the only place in the world where you can get drunk driving. Not that I recommend this, but here you can bar, dine and race at once.

Featuring full-motion racing simulators, typical American food and a selection of enticing drinks, this is truly unrivaled social gaming. Racing is thirsty work. You can grab a much-needed pit stop at the really cool cocktail bar, that is featuring an impressive list of vintage Champagne cocktails. So, Anouk and I decided not to wait any longer and assemble our pit crew, grab a cocktail, and take the wheel of an F1 simulator for an electrifying experience we’ll never forget.

To book your racing experience, click here please.

F1 ARCADE SEAPORT DISTRICT
87 Pier 4 Blvd Boston MA 02210 United States

Even the restrooms match the theme and feature different light installations of race tracks in every cabin.

Racers, start your engines!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht
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This is a collaboration made in heaven for me. Scents and coffee … two of my most favorite things. Diptyque, in collaboration with the famous Café Verlet in Paris, has unveiled its newest collection, «The Art of Gourmandise / Les Délicieuses», merging the essence of Parisian café culture with the brand’s renowned olfactory craftsmanship.

This collection unveils four elegantly crafted limited edition scented classic candles illustrated by artist Clym Evernden expressing the flavours of a typical French cafe:

Café (Coffee) – embodying the richness of freshly brewed coffee
Chantilly (Whipped Cream) – light and sweet with a dash of vanilla
Biscuit (Cookie) – a spicy, patchouli-infused aroma
Fruits Confits (Candied Fruits) – a tangy plum scent.

The fragrances evoke the rich ambiance of a Parisian café, each a nod to the history of Café Verlet, established in 1880 and acclaimed for its finely tuned flavors.

Complementing the candles are the Coffee Bean Lid and Parisian Café Tray.

Available from the beginning of April 2024, these olfactory delights can be found online, in Diptyque boutiques and at selected retailers, inviting all to indulge in the world of Parisian gourmandise and to enjoy the playful illustrations of a whimsical Paris at your home.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Diptyque and Café Verlet
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Caran d’Ache unveils «Kawaii Sweetness», a new online creative course with Geneva based artist, freelance children’s illustrator and graphic designer Katia De Conti. Mix and layer textures and colours using Gouache paints and Neocolor™ II pastels. This workshop offers enthusiasts the opportunity to discover the basics of the kawaii style, which originated in Japan.

Discover all the secrets of bringing objects to life by transforming them into cute characters (Kawaii in Japanese) using illustrative methods that are both simple and fun. In this class, Katia will take you step by step through the key principles of the Kawaii style and encourage your personal expression. Arm yourself with your Neocolor™ II gouache and wax pastels, and let yourself be guided into the sweet and colourful world of Katia’s studio. The creative online course «Kawaii Sweetness» is available on the Creative Class platform. For more information and to register, visit creativeclass.carandache.com.

Creative Class: An International Creative Hub
Since its launch in June 2023, Creative Class has attracted many colour enthusiasts. With online creative classes available in 3 languages (French, German, and English), Creative Class caters to hobbyists and enthusiasts by offering various online workshops led by illustrators, teachers, or artists. It offers a relaxed and accessible approach for those who wish to enjoy a moment of relaxation and unleash their creativity. This new course continues Caran d’Ache’s commitment to inspire and cultivate creativity for all generations.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Caran d’Ache
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Louis Vuitton’s collection of beautifully crafted connected objects continues its journey with the introduction of the new portable LV Nanogram Speaker, designed to travel with today’s adventurers in self-expression. Developed in three crafted declinations, including a limited ‘Damoflage’ edition conceived by Louis Vuitton’s Men Creative Director, Pharrell Williams. A lightweight, portable fashion accessory that’s packed with features and delivers breathtaking sound, the LV Nanogram Speaker was concepted and designed in the same spirit that has guided the Maison’s creativity for generations.

The LV Nanogram Speaker is fitted with a natural cowhide leather handle pointing back to those trunks and finished with yellow stitching and a red-dyed edge. This is tethered to the speaker with Louis Vuitton engraved steel studs, evoking memories of the fixings that held wooden reinforcement batons in place on the Maison’s early trunk designs. The detail is a melody of elegant, understated touches.

The body carries debossed Louis Vuitton Monogram flowers; the perforated aluminium speaker grille is laser-cut to reveal the LV initials; the rubber ring is decorated with 12 letters spelling out the name of the Maison, each of which is backlit by an LED when the speaker is activated; and the steel buttons are all gently engraved with an icon to indicate their function.

The LV Nanogram Speaker will come in three colourways: essential, timeless «Silver»; soft, natural «Copper»; and statement khaki green «Damoflage». The latter  debuted at Louis Vuitton’s Men’s S/S 2024 show. This exclusive animation takes elements of French camouflage and Louis Vuitton’s emblematic Damier motif and fuses them together in a striking, digitised pattern.

Speaker LV Nanogram Copper: CHF 2’040.-

Speaker LV Nanogram Silver: CHF 2’040.-

Speaker LV Nanogram Damoflage: CHF 2’360.-

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton
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Not quite pink, not quite orange; Pantone’s color of the year has been announced for 2024. The gentle hue — «whose all-embracing spirit enriches mind, body, and soul,» according to a statement by the company — is officially named PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz.

Subtly sensual, this beautiful shade is a heartfelt peach hue bringing a feeling of kindness and tenderness, communicating a message of caring and sharing, community and collaboration. A warm and cozy color highlighting our desire for togetherness with others or for enjoying a moment of stillness and the feeling of sanctuary this creates, PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz presents a fresh approach to a new softness. Capturing our desire to nurture ourselves and others, it inspires belonging, recalibration, and finding peace from within, impacting our wellbeing. An idea as much as a feeling, PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz awakens our senses to the comforting presence of tactility and cocooned warmth. Sensitive but sweet and airy, PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz evokes a new modernity.

Why Was Peach Fuzz 13-1023 selected to be the Pantone Color of the Year 2024?

At a time of turmoil in many aspects of our lives, our need for nurturing, empathy and compassion grows ever stronger as does our imaginings of a more peaceful future. We are reminded that a vital part of living a full life is having the good health, stamina, and strength to enjoy it. That in a world which often emphasizes productivity and external achievements, it is critical we recognize the importance of fostering our inner selves and find moments of respite, creativity, and human connection amid the hustle and bustle of modern life.

The Pantone Color of the Year 2024 expresses the desire to want to be close to those we love and the joy we get when allowing ourselves to tune into who we are and just savor a moment of quiet time alone. Its gentle lightness and airy presence lifts us into the future.

«In seeking a hue that echoes our innate yearning for closeness and connection, we chose a color radiant with warmth and modern elegance. A shade that resonates with compassion, offers a tactile embrace, and effortlessly bridges the youthful with the timeless.»
Leatrice Eiseman – Executive Director, Pantone Color Institute™

PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz in Apparel and Accessories

Visually arresting and inviting, PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz is a nurturing peach tone that inspires us to instinctively want to reach out and touch. Conveying a message of tactility that comes through in sueded, velvety, quilted, and furry textures, luxuriously soothing and soft to the touch, PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz is an enveloping peach hue that awakens our senses to the comforting presence of tactility and cocooned warmth.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands
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My apartment in London is just across from one of my favorite hotels in the city, the Claridge’s Hotel. Each year, the hotel collaborates with a fashion house to decorate their Christmas Tree. This year’s installation by Louis Vuitton brings together two illustrious names who have long celebrated the Art of Travel, and crossed paths throughout their respective histories after both being founded in 1854.

This magnificent sculptural creation is immersed within two large open, emblematic wardrobe trunks towering on top of each other at the height of 5.2 metres. Each signature trunk is adorned with Claridge’s travel stickers of yesteryear and an oversized Louis Vuitton luggage tag.

Exuding a festive charm, the tree is composed of 15 vertically placed chrome trunks of varying heights that tower to create the silhouette of a traditional Christmas tree. Scattered atop the silver trunks and amidst the snowy landscape of the tree are 21 Louis Vuitton Vivienne mascots, all found within the hotel’s distinguished black and white marbled lobby.

The hotel’s Louis Vuitton trunk envelopes the magical Claridge’s Christmas Tree, just as the Maison’s iconic Malle Vestiaire or «Wardrobe Trunk», a hard-sided case created in 1875, was dedicated to transporting one’s most personal and precious effects.

«What an honour it is to welcome such a legendary house as Louis Vuitton to design our Claridge’s Christmas Tree this year. Christmas is the most magical time of year for us here at the hotel and we look forward to welcoming guests and seeing visitors immerse themselves in Louis Vuitton’s world.» – Claridge’s General Manager Paul Jackson

With my Louis Vuitton outfit, I couldn’t have blended in better … all details coming up shortly.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht 
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You might have seen the trend on social media where lots of celebrities and influencers have been posting ‘90s-inspired AI-generated yearbook photos using the Epik AI photo editing app lately. I got curious and wanted to try it myself. Yearbook photos are often looked back at with embarrassment, cringing over the awkward stages of our teenage years. But thanks to artificial intelligence, you have the opportunity for a redo.

The app’s AI Yearbook feature delivers you 60 different images using eight to 12 of your submitted selfies, showcasing different hair styles, outfits and poses. While the app is free to download, it costs between $5.99 to $9.99 (but as of now, it is discounted at $3.99 and $5.99) to access the photos. It’s become the latest AI trend to captivate the internet.

Curly long hair and denim – me in the ’90s…

Once you downloaded the app, you can upload your selfies into the program, select the gender and pay for either «standard» or «express» delivery. Standard wait times are up to 24 hours, while the express option delivers the photos in under two hours. Some are being prompted to try using the app later, due to the high volume of people trying out the feature.

Personally speaking, even that I tried the app myself, AI stuff is getting too crazy for me. I mean people, including me, are paying to train AI with own own pics. If you think about it, there are serious legal and ethical concerns. Especially the younger generations are growing up with a distorted self-image. The app seems preoccupied with giving huge boobs to every woman who uses it. AI is still now perfect. If you look closely at some of the images, you can see that the AI-generated art produces too many fingers or soulless eyes.

Look at the fingers holding the cup or the hands in the pocket below …

«AI Won’t Replace Humans — But Humans With AI Will Replace Humans Without AI, » emphasized Karim Lakhani, a professor at Harvard Business School who specializes in workplace technology and particularly AI.

The dress is not perfectly defined…

Artificial intelligence has been a hot topic in the world of science fiction for decades, and the idea of machines becoming self-aware and taking over the world has been a recurring theme in countless movies. Think about Blade Runner, Matrix or Terminator. Right now, AI can help with a variety of tasks, but it cannot replace human intelligence, creativity, or decision-making abilities. But one day, I am sure it will and then we might be in a scene of Terminator.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht
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Last week, I flew to Paris for a special event to celebrate the reunion between Swiss family-owned company Laurastar and Swiss fashion designer Kévin Germanier. This exclusive capsule collection is available now in a limited edition of 100 pieces. The launch took place during the 2023 Paris Fashion Week at Kévin Germanier’s own fashion show.

With Kévin Germanier backstage before the show.

COOPERATION BETWEEN TWO SWISS ICONS

As a privileged partner of haute couture for several years, Laurastar’s mission is to sublimate all textiles, even the most precious. As I studied fashion design, I know why ironing is so important in sewing.  Seams simply will not lie flat unless pressed, and you cannot achieve clean lines if your seams and hems are bubbling. Not ironing your fabric before cutting can result in inaccurate cuts, and as a result affect the overall fit and of course appearance of the garment. The same goes for your daily outfits. If they are not ironed well, they loose their sophistication.

Driven by the same quest for excellence and innovation, Laurastar and Kévin Germanier have chosen to collaborate to express a common ambition to create beauty while preserving the world around us. Kévin Germanier emphasizes: «Laurastar and I share Swiss origins and common values: a love for beauty, excellence, sustainability and the importance of family. Working together is an obvious choice for me.»

Trying the Laurastar Smart Germanier

A CAPSULE COLLECTION WITH STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY 

By combining Kévin Germanier’s creativity with Laurastar’s expertise, each numbered piece in the collection is an embodiment of a shared vision and seamlessly blends both artistically and functionally. The multichrome color nuances of the collection, which change depending on the angle of ambient light, make the products unique. They are hand-painted in a studio specialized in luxury cars. The ironing board cover, inspired by ‘Fluid Art‘ design, is also hand-stitched in Italy.

As an exclusive addition to the collection, each product is accompanied by a heart-shaped Swarovski crystal jewel crafted from upcycled materials, symbolizing the connection between the two Swiss brands. Kévin Germanier drew his inspiration from the memory of the very first Laurastar product, the iconic ‘Asse di Cuore,’ used by his mother to create the heart symbol of the collaboration.

I am in love with the Laurastar Lift Germanier

The capsule collection features cutting-edge technology, specially developed by Swiss engineers at Laurastar. It includes two unique models carefully assembled by hand of which 90% are from upcycled parts. These products are an ironing system (Laurastar Smart Germanier), a steam generator (Laurastar Lift Germanier), and also available is a unique-designed cover (Universalcover Germanier) that fits most ironing boards on the market.
The collection is now available on laurastar.com and in selective department stores across the world.

A PRODIGIOUS TALENT IN COUTURE

Hailing from Valais, Kévin Germanier is now an iconic figure in both the Swiss and international fashion scenes. His journey has always diverged from conventions. From the outset, the designer disrupted the norms of the fashion industry. He positioned himself as a pioneer of upcycling, breathing new life into materials and fabrics.

Today, he creates dazzling collections and sets new standards in couture through his ethical and daring approach.

LAURASTAR AND SUSTAINABILITY

Since its creation, Laurastar has dedicated itself to innovation and excellence in the pursuit of beauty and durability. With its certified 10-year repair warranty ensuring the longevity of all its products, and its exclusive 100% natural Dry Microfine Steam (DMS) technology that restores the original beauty of fabrics, Laurastar extends the lifespan of your clothes. As a result, Laurastar is committed to a more sustainable fashion alongside brands and designers.

Still family owned: Michael Monney and his sister Julie manage the family business today.

ABOUT THE LAURASTAR GROUP

For the past 40 years, Laurastar has been relentless in its pursuit of innovation, developing products centered around the use of its exceptional steam. The Swiss group’s expertise in this field now extends from ironing and fabric care to hygienic steam systems aimed at protecting users and their loved ones. Its headquarters are located in Switzerland, and with its subsidiaries in Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Hungary, it employs approximately 250 employees.

I had a fantastic time in Paris with Laurastar and Germanier and cannot wait to show you the photos of the runway show. Stay tuned!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Laurastar / Germanier and © Sandra Bauknecht / Nadia Krawiecka
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