Sandra‘s Closet

Last week, I attended an interactive digital event to celebrate the awe of nature with the new Aveda x 3.1 Phillip Lim Holiday Collection.

Barbara De Laere, Aveda Global Brand President, and Phillip Lim, Co-Founder and Creative Director of 3.1 Phillip Lim, shared firsthand the inspiration behind the collection, their favorite holiday traditions, and what they see as the future of sustainability for their respective industries. The event was hosted by Aveda’s Global Advocate for Sustainability, Arizona Muse.

«Our shared values to protect and care for the planet will manifest beauty. It is a beautiful cycle, a cycle of gifts.» – Phillip Lim

Aveda’s collaboration with 3.1 Phillip Lim is inspired by a mutual awe of nature, each element a celebration of botanical forms and expressions. The power of nature is in full bloom this holiday season as those two like-minded brands are bringing the botanical world of beauty to life thorough special-edition accessories and gift packaging created with sustainability at heart. The Aveda x 3.1 Phillip Lim collaboration includes four covetable, limited-edition hair accessories – a hair towel wrap & carrying bag, scrunchie trio, detangling comb, and wooden paddle brush –  as well as special-edition gift packaging, all featuring striking prints that combine the joyful colors of the holiday seasons with those found in the natural world.

Made with no compromises, the detangling comb for example is produced with recycled materials as post-consumer recycled polypropylene, and the hair towel wrap is made from 100% organic cotton.

The most amazing part are the gift boxes that can be reused and are made with 100 % recycled paper.  As they are so beautiful, you don’t need extra wrapping paper. Less layers that make the box a gift itself. The artwork that is featured was designed in collaboration with botanical artist, Sophie Parker.

Available globally beginning November 1st at Aveda salons, spas, stores, select retail partners and online, each element of the Aveda x 3.1 Phillip Lim collection pulses with botanical-inspired graphics and vivid colors from nature for a joyous and unexpected expression of the holiday season.

Botanical Repair Light Set – CHF 68.00
Botanical Repair Rich Set – CHF 68.00
Botanical Repair Strengthening Collection – CHF 84.00
Cherry Almond Softening Hair & Body Essentials – CHF 51.00
Hand Relief & Foot Relief Home and Travel Essentials – CHF 77.00
Moisturizing Travel Trio – CHF 36.00 / CHF 28.00
Feed My Lips Lip Gloss Duo – CHF 24.00

As Phillip said, «it is about the 3 Ps. The people, the planet and the products.»

Happy Holidays!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Aveda, © Sandra Bauknecht

Last month, I had the absolute pleasure to fly to Paris with Hublot for the launch event of the House’s collaboration with DJ Snake, who has such a huge presence in today’s musical landscape that he needs no introduction. The electronic music star first came to public attention with the track «Turn Down For What», released in 2013. Since then, the hits have racked up: «Lean On», «Loco Contigo», «Let Me Love You» with Justin Bieber, and «Selfish Love» with Selena Gomez. Diplo, Kanye West, Lil Jon… the collaborations keep on coming!

Framed by Ricardo Guadalupe to the left and DJ Snake to the right.

He became the first French artist to have two songs with over a billion plays on Spotify, and the awards have rained down: Billboard Music Awards, MTV Music Awards, and no fewer than three NRJ Music Awards. Hublot and DJ Snake have been partners since January 1st 2018, when he presided over the decks at Hublot’s closing evening during the FIFA World Cup in Russia.

There is something else that needs no further introduction… when Hublot invites, there is always a dazzling party. The evening started with a cocktail reception at the Accor Arena in Paris.

The big reveal during the cocktail reception.

The exclusive Hublot Big Bang DJ Snake was revealed at exactly at 9:30 p.m., when Hublot CEO, Ricardo Guadalupe and the watch’s namesake, DJ Snake, presented the 100-piece limited model for the first time to the invited guests, among them Adriana Lima, Iris Mittenaere, Didi Stone and Richard Orlinski.

Afterwards, DJ Snake, the most streamed French artist in world and Hublot ambassador since 2018, heated up the crowd with his international hits.

«To be able to wear – and also offer my fans – a watch which reflects my personality is something that has been very important to me since the start of my partnership with Hublot. I am delighted to have been able to combine my inspiration with the expertise of the fantastic watchmakers and technicians at this Swiss brand.»
DJ Snake

The Big Bang DJ Snake is a vibrant watch boasting myriad facets, just like the talented artist who inspired it. The instantly recognisable iconic design of the Big Bang here gleams with a thousand coloured reflections. The bezel and the six titanium components of the 45-mm case are adorned with a «Newton’s Rings» effect. This process, which is technically similar to a black PVD treatment, is achieved through charging with colours and precisely orienting the components to a certain position to obtain the required colour.

At the DJ put: DJ Snake wearing the Big Bang DJ Snake and me wearing the Big Bang Unico Summer.

The result is an optical effect in which the colors change depending on the light and when viewed from different angles. Not only that, but the surface of the parts was hardened before the iridescent treatment in order to improve its adherence. This operation is a complex one as it is difficult to obtain the same gradation of colour on each of the 100 watches being produced. The cut-outs on the outer edge of the bezel were designed by DJ Snake himself. These notches make the Big Bang DJ Snake immediately recognisable, distinguishing it from other collections. An illustration of the «Art of Fusion» philosophy so dear to Hublot!

The upper face of the sapphire dial features a map of the world in the same colours as the case. This globe acts as DJ Snake’s signature. A nod both to his travels across the planet for his concerts and to the fact that his hits have made the world his home. The lower section is skeletonised and treated to create sections with a black fumé finish.

This semi-transparent finish allows a glimpse of the famous calibre HUB1242 UNICO movement, a flyback chronograph with a power reserve of 72 hours.

Limited to 100 pieces, the Big Bang DJ Snake will be supplied with two straps which are easily interchangeable thanks to the patented One Click system. The first is made from rubber, with a grey, black and purple camouflage pattern which echoes the myriad colours reflected by the watch case. The second, also rubber, has a black ribbed structure. The clasp on these straps also features the same «Newton’s Rings» effect as the case and bezel.

I am loving it and hope, that you will do too. Please enjoy more impressions of that fantastic night below. I feel so honored to be photographed by famous photographer German Larkin for Hublot.

LoL, Sandra

With German Larkin who photographed…

Adriana Lima and…

and my humble self for Hublot! I love those photos.

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht, © Hublot, © German Larkin

I am obsessed with this F/W 2021 limited make-up collection: Bobbi Brown x Ulla Johnson – a match made in heaven. Being a huge fan of the Manhattan-born designer that honed her signature style on the streets of New York and when traveling to far-flung destinations on vacation, I was very curious to explore those beauty must-haves. Like her clothing designs, they come with an emphasis on the artisanal and attention to detail. Her bohemian collections are defined by «natural fibers, beautiful finishing, and ease of fit and form,» and so his this beautiful packaging of the make-up collection.

Highlighter Powder in Pink Glow
CHF 69.00 / Mini CHF 36.00

Face Brush
CHF 60.00

Dual-Ended Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick
in Opal & Golden Pink or Sun Petal & Soft Bronze
CHF 48.00

Extra Lip Tint in Bare Pink, Bare Nude and Bare Punch
CHF 46.00

Crushed Lip Color in LouLou, Babe, Bare
CHF 39.00

The collection is available now with products ranging from CHF 36.00 to CHF 69.00 at Globus Zurich, Geneva, Glatt, Bern, Basel, Lausanne, Lucerne, St. Gallen and Globus online. as well as Bobbi Brown online.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Bobbi Brown and © Sandra Bauknecht
DISCLOSURE: This post is not sponsored. However, I received the products to try them.
#BobbiBrownCH

Prada presents the tenth drop of the new Prada Timecaspule, an exclusive product for men and women: exclusively at prada.com the first Thursday of every month, for 24 hours only.

Halloween‘s distinctive color palette and eerie atmosphere inspire the graphic of the new Timecapsule shirt, featuring spiders and webs in a vivid play of black and orange. Faded and irregular along the edges, the placed print creates a distinctive, vintage look, emphasizing each piece’s uniqueness. The shirt is also enriched by a contemporary rubber badge logo on the chest pocket.

An exclusive product for men and women: a limited number of articles, exclusively online, for 24 hours only. The garment is decorated with a special logo created by OMA, the architecture firm founded by Rem Koolhaas, and with a serial number that makes it unique.

TECHNICAL DETAILS
Oversized – Short sleeves – Bowling collar – Breast pocket – Straight hem – Mother-of-pearl buttons – Rubber badge logo on the front pocket – 100% Cotton – Sizes (XS, S, M, L, XL). Made In Italy. Price: CHF 995.

The shirt is available here. Next drop will be on November 4, 2021.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Prada

Louis Vuitton invites six new artists to join its Artycapucines collection.

The 2021 Artycapucines Collection sees six more leading contemporary artists bring their unique visions to Louis Vuitton’s timeless and feminine classic: the Capucines bag. The third chapter of Louis Vuitton’s limited-edition, artist-designed Artycapucines Collection is further proof of the bag’s ability to inspire unbridled creativity.

For this latest collection, six internationally acclaimed artists – Gregor Hildebrandt, Donna Huanca, Huang Yuxing, Vik Muniz, Paola Pivi, and Zeng Fanzhi – have transformed the blank canvas of the iconic bag named after Rue Neuve-des-Capucines, the Parisian street on which Louis Vuitton opened his first store in 1854.

After the first two Artycapucines chapters, the six new bags attest to the collection’s ability to blend the beauty and creativity of the artists’ talent with the ingenuity and absolute craftmanship of the House’s skilled artisans: Gregor Hildebrandt’s stunning black-and-white design with its screen-printed leather and LV signature inlaid with vinyl records; Donna Huanca’s precise, powerful and tactile bag with its hand-painted embroidery and piercing rings; the beautifully embroidered and brilliantly coloured fantasy landscape of Huang Yuxing’s Capucines; Vik Muniz’s characteristically joyful design with its effervescent trompe l’oeil effects and playful aesthetic; the complex leather marquetry and rich gold-leaf gilding of Paola Pivi’s creation; and Zeng Fanzhi’s reinterpretation of a Van Gogh self-portrait brought to life with over 700,000 remarkably worked embroidery stitches.

The Artycapucines Collection, which now contains 18 distinctive designs from celebrated artists including Henry Taylor, Beatriz Milhazes, Urs Fischer, Zhao Zhao, Jean-Michel Othoniel, and Tschabalala Self, once again reveals the House’s long-running desire to use its innovative spirit and artisanal expertise to help creative minds bring their ideas to life.

Each bag embodies the House’s unending commitment to savoir-faire and craft, while affirming the Capucines as the ultimate expression of Louis Vuitton’s timeless elegance.

Each bag in the the Artycapucines collection will be available for CHF 7900 in a limited edition of 200 and released in stores worldwide at the end of October 2021.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton
DISCLOSURE: This post is NOT sponsored. I am absolutely in love with this collaboration.

A match made in heaven! Maison Ladurée and the Olympia Le-Tan brand have teamed up to create a collector’s edition macaron box and an exclusive collection of two embroidered book clutch bags.

Olympia Le-Tan took inspiration from its famous book clutch bags to design a macaron box shaped like a book with gilt-edge pages encasing a cheerful array of scrumptious Ladurée delights. The Ladurée pastry chefs have created a special citrus Rose Champagne macaron for this occasion.

«Le Buffet Festif» box with a selection of 9 macarons is available at Ladurée from September 8th.

The two limited edition Olympia Le-Tan x Ladurée embroidery book clutch bags will be available only from certain Olympia Le-Tan retailers and online olympialetan.com from September 15th.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Olympia Le-Tan / Ladurée

Prada presents the ninth drop of the new Prada Timecaspule, an exclusive product for men and women: exclusively at prada.com the first Thursday of every month, for 24 hours only.

This time, the marine world inspires the graphic pattern of the new Timecapsule shirt, crafted using an original technique reminiscent of tattoos. Faded and irregular along the edges, the placed print creates a distinctive, vintage look, emphasizing each piece’s uniqueness.

The shirt is also enriched by a contemporary rubber badge logo on the chest pocket. Available exclusively online for just 24 hours, the garment is decorated with a special logo created by OMA, the architecture firm founded by Rem Koolhaas, and with a serial number that makes it unique.

TECHNICAL DETAILS
Oversized – Short sleeves – Bowling collar – Breast pocket – Straight hem – Mother-of-pearl buttons – Rubber badge logo on the front pocket – 100% Cotton – Sizes (XS, S, M, L, XL). Made In Italy. Price: CHF 950.

The shirt is available here. Next drop will be on October 7, 2021.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Prada

I have been meaning to show these products since quite some time as I have used them all summer long. The shades are so perfect to get that glow we all love during the summer time. In combination with my new LA DOUBLEJ accessories, a must! Hurry up, they are selling out fast… to shop, click on the highlighted product description.

PINK GLOW LUXE EYE SHADOW PALETTE
Complete with four rich, rosy shades, those shadows can be applied dry for instant impact or applied with a damp brush for a soft, dewy look. Formulated with a light-reflective and pigment-rich blend, this set is made to take you straight from work to the bar. I’m sold.

MINI LONG-WEAR CREAM SHADOW STICK
A must-have—now made mini. Perfect for trying out or taking on the go. A long-lasting, do-it-all eye shadow that’s a stroke of genius—just swipe and go. This budge-proof formula stays put for 8 hours. The best shade? GOLDEN PINK of course.

HIGHLIGHTING POWDER
Pearlescent Glow Highlighter – Create subtle illumination or full-on glow with this silky enhancing powder in PINK GLOW ( a soft pink shimmer).

EXTRA LIP TINT
Lightweight, sheer and ultra-moisturizing, this Extra Lip Tint in BARE PINK has all the benefits of your go-to balm, plus a just-bitten pink stain that brings out the best in lips. Our favorite part? The subtle stain blends in with your natural lip color, so it’s instantly your perfect shade (and everyone else’s, too).

LoL, Sandra

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

Created in 1978 by Henri d’Origny, the Arceau watch lends itself to the expression of Hermès skills. Produced in a numbered limited edition of 24, the white gold and diamond Arceau The Three Graces reinterprets the theme of the eponymous silk scarf designed by British artist Alice Shirley in 2020.

Crafted in wood marquetry and miniature painting on aventurine, the elegant giraffe adorning the dial of Arceau The Three Graces was originally inspired by a trip to South Africa, when Alice Shirley had the privilege of spotting three giraffes partially concealed by an acacia tree. The delicacy and poetry of this gigantic creature, with its ample and graceful movements, is highlighted by the skilled touch of Hermès artisans, who have reproduced its natural harmony.

To transpose the animal’s profile, long neck and mottled coat to the scale of a dial, the marquetry specialist begins by transferring and downscaling the design, then rigorously selecting the type, grain and colour of the wood used to reproduce it. In this case that meant a combination of naturally dark, light, stained or bleached wood – American walnut and maple, European sycamore and tulip tree – chosen for their nuances and textures similar to those of the original design. The artisan cuts out the multitude of tiny elements – 195 pieces in all – forming the portrait that is then assembled like a puzzle, before gluing, sanding and applying a protective varnish.

This marquetry decoration comes to life in the heart of a work that also requires meticulous care and a flair for colours. On a scintillating aventurine base, the painter traces the outlines of the motif before placing the piece in the kiln to fix the colours in place. He then forms the various volumes of the background vegetation using successive layers of micro-painting applied with a brush and heat-dried in a kiln. He proceeds in the same way for the flat areas of colours, before finalizing his composition with small precise touches. The challenge of such an endeavour lies in miniaturising a rich palette of nuances, contrasts and subtle details. Several weeks of rigorous discipline, patience and dexterity are required to produce this dial, which is by nature unique.

Representing a combination of artistic crafts and watchmaking, the Arceau The Three Graces watch is powered by the Hermès H1912 mechanical self-winding movement driving hours and minutes hands. The deep hues of the dial, framed by a precious white gold case set with 82 diamonds, are highlighted by a blue sapphire alligator strap made in the Hermès Horloger workshops.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Hermès

The idea behind CARTIER Clash [Un]Limited was to create a collection that was limitless in terms of creativity, innovation and style; which resulted in limited-edition jewellery pieces including the unique and spectacular Baignoire mitten watch – a watch inserted into a gold and diamond mitten that dares to be extravagant and unexpected.

The Clash [Un]Limited mitten watch has a second-skin effect that covers three quarters of the hand, achieved using 3D printing. This unique piece was developed at the innovation unit of the Maison des Métiers d’Art in collaboration with a master glove-maker who provided the initial design.

Lily Collins sporting the Clash [Un]Limited mitten watch.

Remarkably supple, it is made up of a rose gold mesh set with a constellation of diamonds surrounding a Baignoire Allongée watch with a diamond-paved dial hemmed with studs. It constituted a major challenge for CARTIER’s artisans who meticulously assembled thousands of tiny gold particles, welded together thanks to the extreme precision of lasers and small pliers inspired by microsurgery. It also called for a creative dialogue between all the different crafts and skills, starting with the watchmakers who were faced with the challenge of concealing the watch’s winding crown under the dial, followed by the jewellers who set, on an infinitely small scale, nearly 1600 diamonds. The CARTIER mitten watch took two years to develop and almost 227 hours of work to complete and is a single piece.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Cartier
DISCLOSURE: This post is not sponsored.