Sandra‘s Closet

In celebration of London Fashion Week, I was invited by La Perla to a wonderful breakfast and panel discussion hosted by Top Stylist Sophie Goodwin and Chief Design Officer at La Perla Nicole Rendone at luxury member’s club Annabel’s in London. Exploring the brand’s rich heritage and craftsmanship, while highlighting key iconic brand moments, the two ladies indulged in a wonderful conversation how La Perla had followed the evolution of the female body through different fashions and trends becoming the lingerie and beachwear brand synonymous with «Made in Italy». On display we could admire many different and stunning archive pieces.

With Sophie Goodwin to the left and Nicole Redone to the right.

It all started in 1954 when Ada Masotti, an Italian woman full of talent and courage, began the journey towards her dream: creating an atelier of corsetry in the name of the best Italian tradition. Beginning in a small laboratory in Bologna, the Italian town renowned for its solid tradition of silk factories and textile manufacturers, Ada used her talent as a skilled corset maker to create works of art enhancing feminine beauty.

La Perla ’90s, Outwear Corset

We all agreed that lingerie has the ability to make women feeling empowered. For Sophie «putting on her underwear is like the foundation of the house.» It all starts there. For Nicole «lingerie is like autocorrect, it can accentuate, fix or leave it as you want it.»

With lovely Biliana Rangelova, Global Client Engagement Director La Perla Global Management

La Perla 2013: Jean Paul Gaultier Rubans Body Suit

In the ’60s women burnt their bras, in the ’80s they wore cone bras, today it is sexy on another level. Lingerie is like jewelry, you can show it. It is sensuality on another level. The trend of blurring boundaries between public and private has emphasized the gradual ascent of lingerie to the world of fashion. We wear pajamas to go to the nightclub and show our bra lace under a pant suit. Times have changed and so has the Italian lingerie brand.

Left: La Perla 2007, Golden Cage Bustier – Right: La Perla 2014, Paisley Body Suit

La Perla’s ability to transmit the spirit of its creations across each decade is certainly the secret to the brand’s success, proving that what would be considered as a historic brand, can adapt, innovate and transform in the face of competition and the obstacles that affect the societies we live in.

LoL, Sandra

La Perla 2007, Black Label Bodysuit

La Perla 2008, Black Label Collection

La Perla 2012: Jean Paul Gaultier Frou Frou Lingerie Set

Photos: Courtesy of La Perla / Shaun James Cox and © Sandra Bauknecht
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Halloween hits – loosen the reins and strip off your inhibitions with Agent Provocateur‘s spooky collection. From deep plum tulle tie-side briefs and mini-tulle pom-poms with gold tone embroidered «Spooky» to rear, to the punk rock infused Devlinn T-Shirt, provocation is the common thread.
No tricks, just treats.

TO SHOP THE SPOOKY COLLECTION, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

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

Expanding on their mission to merge conscious design with spectacular beauty, the avant-garde designer duo Viktor&Rolf join forces with the Swiss premium underwear label CALIDA to present an innovative and vibrant collection crafted out of carefully curated materials.

The two bring their creativity and expertise together to create a truly green story – the first of its kind. This 100% compostable collection embraces a unique Cradle to Cradle CertifiedTM approach to design, which follows nature’s model of circulating resources in a healthy, efficient way.

The 100% compostable collection for a better world will appear in stores in two drops, one in May and one in October 2020.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Calida

Not sure what a C-string is… google at your own risk! Here is a little explanation, it is a specific type of thong (see collage above to the right), an undergarment for people who think everything else covers up way too much skin. It’s also known as «invisible underwear» and probably something celebrities wear under these breathtaking high-slit dresses.

This S/S 2019 season, no shoe was more daring than Christopher Kane’s: a kitten heel with a C-string tongue. On the runway, the British designer took the idea one step further and used C-strings as straps for this amazing lace-bonded satin dress.

To shop, just click on the highlighted text.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands and via Getty

Yesterday, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show returned to its New York City home after three years. I was really eager to see it, especially because I was curious to see my beloved Mary Katrantzou‘s creations on the runway of angels. This year was a true glittery catwalk extravaganza that dazzled with over 850,000 crystals from Swarovski as Victoria’s Secret and Swarovski proudly introduced new facets of their iconic 16-year partnership.

Gigi Hadid in one of the Mary Katrantzou’s designs for the show.

It’s the most-watched fashion event of the year with around 800 million tuning in annually. And for a good reason! Atelier Swarovski created this year’s spectacular Dream Angels Fantasy Bra embellished with over 2,100 Swarovski Created Diamonds and Topaz. On another exciting note, fans will be able to purchase a replica version of the Fantasy Bra made with Swarovski crystals. 

Halsey performed on the runway in this blockbuster show…

… as well as Rita Ora and Shawn Mendes.

«In this year’s show we had 90 looks, and more than half of them have Swarovski crystals,» said Monica Mitro, EVP Brand Communications and Events for Victoria’s «It’s a really special show for both of our brands because it represents a true partnership. This year we had the greatest number of Swarovski crystals ever used in a show: these included the fully crystallized Swarovski look, plus over half of the other looks. And for the first time ever, we created the Fantasy Bra with Atelier Swarovski using sustainable, Swarovski lab-created diamonds, as well as producing a replica of the Fantasy Bra made with crystals from Swarovski, which we’ll be selling in our stores and online.»

Wearing the coveted Dream Angels Fantasy Bra is the ultimate honor for the Angels, and this year’s lucky recipient was Elsa Hosk, who described the delicate Atelier Swarovski designed bralette style as «very cool, very simple, modern, and so sparkly. If I had designed it myself, it would have looked just like this.»

Swarovski Created Diamonds are responsibly grown in a state-of-the-art lab according to the highest environmental, safety and labor standards, and yet they have the same optical, chemical and physical attributes as mined diamonds: both are 100% carbon, with the same hardness and brilliance. The Swarovski Genuine Topaz comes from traceable sources in Brazil and Sri Lanka. 

The replica bralette will retail at $250 and its matching panty at $98, with the total set featuring over 1,000 Swarovski crystals. Customers will be able to purchase their replica version on November 29 at select Victoria’s Secret stores and online at victoriassecret.com, before the show airs. 

«Swarovski’s partnership with Victoria’s Secret has brought major sparkle to the runways for over 15 years. We’re especially proud of our 2018 collaboration, because we’ve been able to add sparkle to women’s everyday lives by creating a commercial version of the Dream Angels Fantasy Bra,» said Alexander Wellhoefer, SVP for Swarovski Professional North America. 

The show closed with the sumptuous «Celestial Angel» section of the show, where Angel Romee Strijd’s official Swarovski Look transformed her into a shooting star. Made with over 125,000 crystals from Swarovski, the full outfit consisted of a sheer bodysuit hand-beaded with over 70,000 Swarovski crystals and framed by a seven-pointed star wing that took a team of experts over 250 hours to create.

More than 55,000 Swarovski crystals were placed on the celestial star wing.

«Victoria’s Secret and Swarovski have always been such a brilliant collaboration. Once the looks have Swarovski on them they’re elevated to another level. That’s what we look for in every show we do and in every piece we present. When we conceive the looks it’s always with Swarovski in mind because for us, the crystals bring a sense of luxury to the outfits—without them we just wouldn’t have that opulence. It’s essential to have Swarovski crystals in the collection,» said Sophia Neophitou, the show’s Creative Director.

Enjoy more looks and impressions below…
Happy Weekend!

LoL, Sandra

Adriana Lima

Aiden Curtiss

Alexina Graham

Barbara Palvin

Bella Hadid

Candice Swanepoel

Cindy Bruna

Devon Windsor

Duckie Thot

Estelle Chen

Jasmine Tookes

Josephine Skriver

Jourdana Phillips

Kendall Jenner

Lais Riberio

Leomie Anderson

Liu Wen

Martha Hunt

Mayowa Nicholas

Nadine Leopold

Sara Sampaio

Sui He

Toni Garrn

Winnie Harlow

Zuri Tibby

Photos Courtesy of Swarovski/Victoria’s Secret
Thomas Concordia/Getty Images for Swarovski

“Everything that Victoria’s Secret creates is about a woman feeling confident and empowered—and also having fun with what she is wearing, This collaboration is going to be bold, fun and playful.” – Mary Katrantzou

Consider it THE collaboration of the season: my beloved Mary Katrantzou has teamed up with Victoria’s Secret for a capsule collection that will make its debut on the runway at this year’s VS Fashion Show, which is returning to New York City on November 8, 2018 after previously holding shows in Shanghai and Paris. Immediately after the show airs, the Mary Katrantzou-designed pieces will be available to shop both online and in stores for holiday.

The collaboration marks the second time Victoria’s Secret has partnered with a luxury fashion brand for its annual show. The first was last year’s capsule collection with Olivier Rousteing of Balmain. I adore Mary’s colorful, feminine designs and out-of-this-world floral prints, perfect pieces to be worn under and over!

At this year’s VS Fashion Show, it is said that at least 18 new models will make their debut in the show, including Winnie Harlow, Duckie Thot, and Sadie Newman. It will also be the first Victoria’s Secret show in 17 years without Alessandra Ambrosio, who retired from the runway last year.

The most important question is still: who will wear the million-dollar Fantasy Bra this year? Mmh… I am thinking who needs a million-dollar bra if you can have one by Mary Katrantzou?!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Mary Katrantzou
AP Photo/Kristian Dowling

Unfortunately, society deems it unacceptable to roam the streets naked. Even that it looked different at this weekend’s Street Parade in Zurich. However, Alexia Hentsch has come up with the perfect solution, which effectively gives you the thrill of being naked with a sprinkle of modesty in the form of cleverly-placed appliques and embellishment. Repeat after me: bodysuits are best.

TO SHOP ALEXIA HENTSCH ONLINE, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Browns and Alexia Hentsch

Ladies and gentlemen, this is amazing! For the festive season, Kilian Hennessy and Jennifer Zuccarini unveil a capsule collection of scented lingerie, combining the expertise and aesthetic unique to each brand. And it is perfumed with one of my favorite fragrances: KILIAN’s LOVE, don’t be shy.

KILIAN Love, Don’t be Shy Eau de Parfum –
Orange Blossom, Vanilla and Marshmallow, 50ml

Each piece in the collection features handcrafted Leavers lace from the Solstiss lace mill in Caudry, France that is woven from threads scented with microcapsules holding KILIAN’s LOVE, don’t be shy fragrance. Taking inspiration from the marshmallow, this fragrance is a sweet treat for sensuous connoisseurs that perfectly compliments Fleur du Mal’s feminine chic designs and continues KILIAN’s mission to make perfume visible.

Great news is that you can wash your lingerie pieces up to 10 times by keeping the encapsulated fragrance within the lace.

Those will vamp up every outfit: Lace cuffs by Fleur du Mal x Kilian

The pieces are now on sale on the fleurdumal.com website and will be as well available in Kilian boutiques and exclusively at Printemps department store (Boulevard Haussmann) in Paris from November 15, 2017.

So sexy: Thong and collar by Fleur du Mal x Kilian

I am so in love with this collection, sexy, sophisticated and scented. Why would you ask for more?
TO SHOP THE COMPLETE COLLECTION NOW, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Fleur du Mal x Kilian

When it comes to lingerie, I absolutely adore La Perla. Therefore I couldn’t have been more excited when I received the invitation to join the Italian lingerie brand’s first haute couture runway show for the S/S 2015 season, presented in the intimate salon setting of Paris’s Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild.

Bridging the gap between haute lingerie and ready-to-wear, Creative Director Emiliano Rinaldi created a collection that couldn’t have been more beautiful. Highlights were the precious allure of an “impossible lace”, exclusively revived from a pattern of the early 1900s by a master lacemaker from Calais or the evolution of iconic La Perla designs, incorporating feathers, crystals, metallic elements and pure gold thread that offer a fresh expression of its fundamental characteristics: silk and floral motifs embroidered using the “frastaglio” technique.

Famous models such as Izabel Goulart, Natasha Poly, Lindsey Wixson looked gorgeous on the runway but the model who closed the La Perla’s debut couture show was definitely the sexiest. At the age of 44, Naomi Campbell proved that she is even more seductive than her  fellow model colleagues that are half her age.

TO SHOP LA PERLA, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of La Perla

Marketing genius Calvin Klein knows definitely the best way to sell underwear and to keep everyone busy. Get hot models and celebrities, such as Miranda Kerr and Nicole Richie, to pose in your product and post photos to Instagram. The so-called “show yours. #mycalvins” campaign, a riff on the label’s iconic 1981 commercials starring Brooke Shields, is an image-driven initiative which simultaneously taps into the power of the pop culture “selfie” phenomenon and the reach of key digital leaders.

Thanks Calvin Klein for my new undies, here is my share to the campaign! And now it is your turn to post…

TO SHOP CALVIN KLEIN UNDERWEAR, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

LoL, Sandra

Amulette Necklace by Cartier
Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht