Sandra‘s Closet

Still haven’t been to the Polo Bar, RALPH LAUREN‘s first restaurant in New York City? The designer’s Kipton Mixologist Box lets you bring the designer’s signature cocktail style with you wherever you go. The travel set includes a hand-cut crystal decanter, four matching glasses, a leather-bound book full of cocktail recipes, a bottle opener, six cocktail picks, four coasters, and a silver-plated brass jigger and nut bowl. The elegant saddle leather carrying case is lined with our signature Wexford plaid wool, which is featured in the dining room’s décor.
Such a great gift for cocktail cognoscenti…

TO SHOP THE KIPTON MIXOLOGY BOX ONLINE, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

The famous Polo Bar
1 E 55th St, New York, NY 10022, USA – Phone: +1 212-207-8562

Photos: Courtesy of Ralph Lauren

One of my favorite hotels in the world, the iconic Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, which is part of the Oetker Collection, has come together with HUBLOT to create a limited edition of fifty Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph Eden Roc watches in a to die for blue shade.

With this unique creation, HUBLOT joins the prestigious Eden Being collection, with its exclusive and bespoke pieces. A wonderful homage to a legendary place where artists, writers, film stars, royalty and other distinguished figures have all been inspired over time.

In its black ceramic dinner jacket, polished and glossy, the Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph Eden-Roc has a laid-back look. The markers, hands and hour counter are all in elegant shades of blue, inspired by the Mediterranean Sea. It is worn on the wrist with a strap in aged blue leather or perforated black calfskin with blue topstitching.

The second counter at 3 o’clock is inspired by the iconic buoy of Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, the very buoy which looks out over the seawater pool hewn into the rock, with its blue tone, merging with the colour of the sea, which inspired the watch’s various shades. The HUB1155 self-winding skeleton chronograph movement has a power reserve of forty two hours.

The Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph Eden-Roc watch is a limited edition. Just fifty numbered models, presented in a varnished mahogany case: an exquisite rendering of the hotel’s pier, stretching out into the infinite blue of the Mediterranean Sea, dotted with boats moored in the bay. Personally speaking, a match made in heaven!

YOU CAN PRE-ORDER THE CLASSIC FUSION AEROFUSION CHRONOGRAPH EDEN-ROC HERE FOR €19.500.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Hublot, Oetker Collection and © Sandra Bauknecht

If you’re wondering how to win your football-crazy guy’s heart, here are a bunch of ideas to turn the World Cup 2018 in a romantic love story. Watching him looking all stylish in front of the TV might help the relationship as well! I’ve found cool cufflinks, retro shirts and a vintage football that even you will want to display. And promised there is absolutely no dull coffee table books about lionised managers from bygone eras. Apologies if that’s your thing…

Football cufflinks by Paul Smith

Archive-print football V-neck T-shirt by Versace

Predator 18+ football trainers by Adidas by Pogba

Football-print cotton T-shirt by Vetements (50% 0ff)

Footballs socks by Saks Fifth Avenue Collection

Vintage World Cup ’98 football by Louis Vuitton

LoL, Sandra

Stills: Courtesy of the Brands

Paul Surridge, Creative Director of Roberto Cavalli, designed 11 footballs for the Pitti Immagine Uomo 94 project “Fanatic Feelings- Fashion Plays Football“, a broad multimedia presentation that will highlight the pioneering impact football has had on the world of men’s fashion, curated by Marcus Ebner, founder of German fashion magazines Achtung Mode and Sepp Football Fashion and contemporary art critic Francesco Bonami.  These unique “one of a kind” footballs will be sold for charity in the dedicated “Market” pop up store.

“Men’s fashion is going through crazy times where the worlds of tailoring, sports, active and street wear are one big melting pot. Football Fashion as an expression of style will be manifesting itself more and more. Why not wear your team’s jersey with a great suit? The show will give weight to this argument” says Markus Ebner who has been one the football fashion trail since 2002.

The 11 footballs by Roberto Cavalli represent the powerful language of graphics in sport, especially in the football world and these prints are part of the S/S 2019 men’s collection. The flamboyant designs are a craft of very graphic and camouflage effects along with the prominent Roberto Cavalli logos.

Paul Surridge’s first collection for Roberto Cavalli Men S/S 2019

The footballs are made out of genuine leather and exotic python skins hand crafted one by one by the Italian artisans within the Roberto Cavalli supply chain. They are aspirational luxury design objects rather than sport gears.

Some of the 11 footballs will be showcased and retailed in top Roberto Cavalli flagship stores such as Milan, Rome, Paris, London and Berlin to celebrate the Soccer World Cup 2018.

The generated revenues will be donated to The Foundation “Together To Go ONLUS”, supporting children with a free of charge rehabilitation program to recover from affects by Central Nervous System lesions in Milan.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Robert Cavalli and Pitti Imagine Uomo

Chunky sneakers are trending as never before – that is a fact! But over the past couple of months, you may have noticed the term «dad sneaker»all over. If you follow the fashion world, you’ll be well aware what this is. However some of you may still be in the dark, therefore I am about to inform you with this post. Meet the most important version: Balenciaga’s sneakers «Triple S» are the epitome of dad shoes that are sold out everywhere (still popping up from time to time).

Triple S sneakers by Balenciaga

Those sneakers perfectly capture the street-style look of the moment. The toe is embroidered with the size of the shoe, while the side has the brand name embroidered for recognition.

Triple S low-top trainers by Balenciaga

How did the «Triple S» got its name?
Taken from running, basketball and track shoes, molds were stacked to create the silhouette of this heavily padded, triple-soled design. The name «Triple S» comes from its three layers of soles. The shoe was originally presented at the Balenciaga men’s F/W 2017 show by artistic director Demna Gvasalia in Paris.

Multi-coloured Triple S sneakers by Balenciaga

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Finally there is something that really gets me excited for football. LOUIS VUITTON celebrates the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ with three unique projects of which one has really caught my eye. Gosh, I would love this to be my new living room centerpiece…

The FIFA World CupTM Official Match Ball Collection Trunk is a remarkable
celebration of the shared savoir-faire of Louis Vuitton and adidas’s. The result of this collaboration is an instant collector’s item based on Louis Vuitton’s classic wardrobe trunk. Handmade in the workshops at Asnières, the new trunk is covered in Monogram canvas and has traditional brass corners and lock. Once opened, however, it reveals its surprising contents of 14 footballs: 13 specially made reeditions of all the Official adidas Match Balls used at the FIFA World Cup™ – from the original, iconic Telstar first made in 1970 to this year’s Official Match Ball – each displayed on a shelf made of beech wood and with descriptive tags in Louis Vuitton’s trademark natural cowhide leather.

An additional Louis Vuitton football made in natural cowhide leather will accompany the collection. Only the second football ever made by Louis Vuitton, the ball will also be available to purchase separately.

Since 2010, Louis Vuitton provides a travel case for one of the world’s most sought-after, legendary trophies of the world which will be unveiled when the FIFA World Cup™ Trophy is presented at the opening match and at the final of this year’s tournament. Thanks to intelligent openings at the top and the front of the case, the trophy can be easily accessed when it is presented before the final in Moscow on July 15th.

But this is not enough. Moreover Louis Vuitton launches for the first time a 2018 FIFA World Cup™ official licensed product collection – a new leather good collection inspired by the legendary official match ball of the 1970 FIFA World Cup™, the capsule will showcase unique versions of Keepall and Apollo bags, and a selection of small leather goods.

Made with the House’s iconic Epi leather first introduced in the 1920s, most of the styles will be proposed in 3 colour combinaisons. The hexagon design is created using a three-stage embossing procedure that is both innovative and based upon the House’s historic savoir-faire, allowing each coloured hexagon to have a richly textured feel, reminiscent of classic footballs.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton

BUCHERER PRESENTS THE MOST EXQUISITE – AND RACIEST – MOTORCYCLE OF ALL TIME
The tradition-steeped Swiss watch and jewellery company Bucherer presents the Harley-Davidson BLUE EDITION, the latest – and most unusual – member of the Bucherer BLUE EDITIONS watch collection that comprises 17 models so far all in collaboration with renowned brands such as Audemars Piguet, Chopard or Piaget just to name a few.

The custom motorcycle of Bündnerbike, the boutique Harley-Davidson workshop, is both a luxury one-of-a-kind product and a real beast. The rumble of 100 PS, an exciting, individual design and unique embellishments lend this motorcycle par excellence a magical, animalistic power of attraction. The one-of-a-kind model was produced in Switzerland in cooperation with the family company Bündnerbike and with a value of CHF 1.888 million it is the most expensive motorcycle in the world.

It took the watchmakers of Carl F. Bucherer, the jewellers of Bucherer Fine Jewellery and the specialists of Bündnerbike a year to design and produce the Harley-Davidson BLUE EDITION. A team of eight employees from both companies contributed all of their expertise. More than 2,500 working hours were invested in this project, which combines Swiss craftsmanship and the passion for exclusive, tailor-made and very cool products.

COOL STYLE – CUSTOMIZED
The Harley-Davidson BLUE EDITION is based on a Harley-Davidson Softail Slim S. However, there is not a great deal left that is reminiscent of the initial model with its cool vintage style. Every metal element found on this one-of-a-kind motorcycle has been produced, welded, beaten, ground and polished by hand. The complete frame of the motorcycle is welded seamlessly, and even the rims are custom-made. The rotating camshaft is visible through a window in the camshaft housing, as are the valve control and the gold-plated throttle valves. Heat-resistant LED lights illuminate the scene.

The Harley-Davidson BLUE EDITION is thus the world’s first motorcycle to have a motor that is lit up from the inside. Various parts of the motorcycle are also gold-plated. The cowhide saddle has been sewn by hand in Switzerland. A special detail: the iridescent colour. A specific technique had to be employed to illuminate the Harley-Davidson in this intense blue. In a first step, the entire motorcycle was silver-plated, before six colour coatings were then applied using a secret coating method.

COMBINING CUSTOM MOTORCYCLE DESIGN AND ART OF JEWELLERY MAKING
This unique piece is perfected by the incorporation of the arts of watchmaking and jewellery making. This is also a world first: never before have a manufacture watch and jewels been integrated in a motorcycle. The Dizzler rotating ring from the Bucherer Fine Jewellery collection was adapted for the Harley-Davidson BLUE EDITION to allow it to be mounted on the hand grips.

“That was a technical challenge,” says Jürg Ludwig Jr, Managing Director of Bündnerbike. “To ensure that the rings really stay in place, a special method was applied that guarantees a very strong hold. How this works remains a secret of the Bündnerbike blacksmith,” explains Ludwig. A further pair of Dizzler diamond rings can be found on the forks, while a large version of the Dizzler ring is located in the left half of the tank.

Underneath a glass dome made from armoured glass, another piece of jewellery of special value can be found in a retractable safe: a six-prong Heaven solitaire ring with a 5.40-carat diamond.

This is also a unique feature, as is the watch from Carl F. Bucherer at its side. This special custom-made watch, which is based on the Patravi TravelTec II model, is located in a second safe in the right half of the tank. The dial of this unique piece is adorned by elements of a motorcycle engine. To ensure that the vibrations of the engine do not damage the mechanical movement, the watch is housed in a cage with an elaborate holder made from silicon rings.

“It was a long road,” says Samir Merdanovic, Head of Manufacture Movements at Carl F. Bucherer, about the development process, which demanded a great deal of thinking. “The holder, for example, also serves as a watch winder. The watch is therefore wound regularly and continues to run, even if the motorcycle is not ridden for an extended period,” explains Merdanovic.

The owner can also look forward to wearing a further unique Carl F. Bucherer watch on their wrist. This has been created by the manufacturer exclusively for the buyer and also incorporates design elements of the motorcycle and its engine on the dial. Even when not riding the motorcycle, the buyer will therefore always have a piece of the pinnacle of Swiss watchmaking at his or her side.

A testimony to the passion of craftsmanship, and probably the first motorcycle that makes the heart of every woman leap with joy! I definitely would like to turn the Dizzler rotating diamond ring…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Bucherer

Momentum and possibility, movement and progression have always been the forces behind Shayne Oliver’s vision, driving the artistic direction of his collections and collaborations. These elements have informed Oliver’s overall point of view, which he brings to his new collaboration with Longchamp. The founder of New York-based cult menswear label HOOD BY AIR joined forces with the luxury French leather goods and fashion house, Longchamp, to develop an inventive capsule collection of travel accessories and ready-to-wear that merges the distinct creative spirit of both collaborators.

Taking the concept of travel gear into a new era, the collection Longchamp by Shayne Oliver merges Longchamp’s history of craftsmanship and French elegance with Oliver’s transformative aesthetic, resulting in a dynamic offering for both men and women. The collection includes leather goods, footwear, ready-to-wear and garment bags, as well as a new iteration of Longchamp’s iconic Le Pliage® tote, reimagined by Oliver.

«I really like the idea of working with brands that are masters of their craft,» Oliver shared. «Longchamp has a prestigious history of providing luxury travel essentials with expert craftsmanship. It made total sense to work with them on my first all accessories project.»

Throughout the collection, proportions are challenged and silhouettes are altered, disrupting the preconceptions of modern day travel. Travel takes on a new art form, underscored by unwavering freedom and temporal mobility. «While this is not the first collaboration for Longchamp or Shayne Oliver, it was a particularly energizing experience to work with Shayne in order to offer an unexpected collection to our customers,» said Longchamp Artistic Director and granddaughter of the founder, Sophie Delafontaine. «Designing Longchamp product through Shayne’s lens was an exciting challenge that allowed us to create product that is truly original.»

Sophie Delafontaine and Shayne Oliver

ABOUT SHAYNE OLIVER

Trinidad and Brooklyn raised, Shayne Oliver is the founder of the creative cult label Hood by Air based in New York City. Oliver’s interest in fashion and experimentation began at an early age where he founded the HBA creative collective in an underground warehouse dance community that subsequently emerged as a major fashion house in 2013. After exponential success and collaborations with the brand, Oliver decided to expand his vision by guest designing at major fashion houses under the legacy series A.S.S.O. (As Seen by Shayne Oliver) in order to promote his core concepts of individuality, high/low juxtaposition and expression. 2018 sees A.S.S.O.’s major collaboration with French luxury fashion brand, Longchamp, in a redesign of the capsule. The A.S.S.O. series will continue to work with designers who are considered Masters of Craft in their industries. These partnerships will propel conceptions of Oliver while paying homage to the brands’ heritage and legacies.

 As a designer, how did this collaboration with Longchamp enrich your personal point of view? 

I like to challenge myself and do things that are unconventional, I think that can be very liberating. I liked how this project had a strong sense of heritage and a different perspective that was based in people’s everyday lives. I was inspired by this. For me, living in New York, Longchamp is part of the, dare I say, streetwear, because a lot of people own Longchamp bags. It has a language that feels very organic to me. 

New York is my home and it will always be what I am inspired but Paris is fashion. 

How did this collaboration with Longchamp come about? 

The first thing that interested me about the project was the garment bag and from there, and I began to think about how travel influenced me in my own collections from the past. I came to think about the travel ties that we did for my previous brand HOOD BY AIR. (HBA) and bringing that into the language of Longchamp via the graphic. 

What do the graphics symbolize? 

HIATUS means ‘a gap’ or ‘a break’. The HIATUS logo relates to the period when we began working on this collaboration, at the time it was very important that I took a break. It was specifically the right time for this collaboration to happen so I feel like it was a great way of speaking about what was going on in my life – about needing to take a hiatus from the project I was working on and focusing on where I was heading, which is this new project ‘by Shayne Oliver’ – a series of collaborations with brands that have great heritage and renowned craftsmanship and putting my own spin on it. 

These bags are meant for the realness of life, it is less about having it be logos. 

This capsule collection brings some interesting styles, what inspired them? 

The collection is made to be used in multiple different ways, it is multipurpose. This multi-functionality is how I like to live my life in general and so I tried to make that as much a part of this as possible. 

SLING BAG 

For one, a lot of things that were happening to me at the time that involved healing, including physically being injured. We used the idea of an arm sling, like a sling you use when you are healing yourself, and turned it into a bag but it can still be used both ways. 

DOUBLE LE PLIAGE® 

This came from the idea of having a bag that was more personal and having one bag that was more business. You know which side you are using by the graphic on the front. The HIATUS side is meant for having fun and the other is more business. I was trying to make the Le Pliage® consistent with this idea of the new world. 

T-SHIRT 

We introduced a t-shirt style for the collaboration that speaks to the usage of the Longchamp graphic. I felt like it was important for that to be printed on a t-shirt as part of this new aesthetic for the collaboration. We then added the handles from the iconic Le Pliage® so it is branded in a way that mixes the new idea of branding and the old idea of branding. 

Longchamp By Shayne Oliver will launch at select Longchamp stores including the Longchamp Soho store in the US and on Longchamp.com before rolling out to Longchamp stores internationally in early May 2018.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Longchamp

The ugly sneaker trend is everywhere right now, and available at all price points. And now it looks like it’s even more trending as one of the world’s most influential fashion designers, Nicolas Ghesquière, put a ton of futuristic runners on his S/S 2018 runway for Louis Vuitton. Consider the so-called LV Archlight Sneakers one of high-fashion’s biggest style musts this season.

I love this model: LV Archlight Sneakers

V.N.R. Sneaker – available in four colours

For men, this month, the V.N.R. (Vuitton New Runner), a full knit sneaker, is launching in four new colour ways, combining classic, elegant design and the House’s signatures with ultimate technical innovation.

V.N.R. Sneaker in blue

Twelve months of meticulous research and development have led to a shoe that is light and flexible. In total, each pair of shoes requires three hours to be assembled with keen attention to detail. Now in stores.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton

LVMH has appointed Off-White designer Virgil Abloh, who came to prominence as Kanye West’s creative director, to lead men’s design at Louis Vuitton. His first show for one of the oldest and most powerful European houses in the luxury business will take place in June during Men’s Fashion Week in Paris.

The appointment, widely rumoured in recent months, follows the departure of Kim Jones, Abloh’s predecessor at Louis Vuitton, in January. Last week, it was announced that Jones would become the men’s designer at LVMH-owned Christian Dior, replacing Kris van Assche.

Kim Jones, Abloh’s predecessor at Louis Vuitton is now at LVMH-owned Christian Dior.

“Having followed with great interest Virgil’s ascent since he worked with me at Fendi in 2006, I am thrilled to see how his innate creativity and disruptive approach have made him so relevant, not just in the world of fashion but in popular culture today. His sensibility towards luxury and savoir-faire will be instrumental in taking Louis Vuitton’s menswear into the future,” said Michael Burke, Louis Vuitton’s Chairman & CEO.

Virgil Abloh with Naomi Campbell at his Off-White™ S/S 2018 show.

“It is an honor for me to accept the position of Men’s Artistic Director for Louis Vuitton. I find the heritage and creative integrity of the House are key inspirations and will look to reference them both while drawing parallels to modern times,” stated Virgil Abloh.

Who is Virgil Abloh?

Born in Rockford, Illinois in 1980, Virgil Abloh is an artist, architect, engineer, creative director, and designer. After earning a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Wisconsin Madison, he completed a Master´s Degree in Architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology in a curriculum founded by Mies van der Rohe. It was here that he learned not only about modernist design principles but also about the concept of multi-disciplinary working.

Virgil Abloh’s brand Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh™ was started in 2012 as an artwork titled “PYREX VISION.” In 2013, the brand premiered a seasonal men’s and women’s fashion label showing runway collections during Paris Fashion Week since 2015. Abloh has also presented his work at major design institutions around the globe by the likes of Harvard Graduate School of Design, Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation and the Rhode Island School of Design.

In 2019 he will have a major exhibition of past and current work at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Chicago, Illinois. In 2015, Virgil Abloh for Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh™ is among the finalists of the LVMH Prize. He has been awarded various prizes, most recently winning the British Fashion Awards Urban Luxe award and International Designer of the Year at the GQ Men of the Year Awards in 2017.

Off-White™ S/S 2018

 For Off-White™ ‘s S/S 2018 collection, Virgil re-imagines what Princess Diana’s wardrobe would look like if she were alive today – right down to the much-anticipated shoe collaboration with Jimmy Choo, which is available to shop here.

Plastic-covered stilettos:  Jimmy Choo x Off-White collaboration campaign image.

Get the look: Crepe blazer, crepe mini skirt, Diana silver-tone crystal clip earrings, and C/O Jimmy Choo Anne 100 PVC-wrapped satin pumps, all by Off-White™.

LoL, Sandra

Photo: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton, © Fabien Montique, Courtesy of Pyrexforsale and Off-White™