Sandra‘s Closet

In the magnificent setting of the famous Forte Belvedere in Florence with stunning views over the Tuscan city, Salvatore Ferragamo launched their newest fragrance. A creation dedicated to women who like to play with their different characters. “My life is a play” is their credo.

When I arrived in my hotel, a game waited for me: a little bag filled with wooden letters. I was asked to come up with the possible name of the new fragrance that would be presented in the evening. As I love playing scrabble, I did a pretty good job and wrote the actual name «Misteriosa» which I didn’t know at that time yet. I took a photo on instagram as proof.

Luciano Bertinelli, CEO of Salvatore Ferragamo Parfums, unveils the new scent.

“My life is a play” was also the theme of the exclusive cocktail party and gala dinner. We were welcomed above the city of Florence with stunning installations by Patricia Urquiola. The perfect backdrop for the newest addition to the Signorina family, «Misteriosa». The new oriental fruity scent offers an innovative olfactive interpretation of black shades with a strong gourmand core.

Top notes: Wild Blackberry and Neroli
Middle notes: Orange Blossom and Tuberose
Base notes: Black Vanilla Mousse and Patchouli

Photographer Zhanna Bianca, Massimiliano Giornetti, Grace Hartzel and my humble self.

A dance performance, a gourmet menu and many more surprises waited for me. I had the honor to be seated next to Massimiliano Giornetti, Creative Director of Salvatore Ferragamo, and the special guest star on scene: top model Grace Hartzel, the new face of Signorina, with whom I had a lovely conversation.

What does it mean to you to be the face of this new fragrance?
It makes me feel so wonderful! It has always been my dream to be the testimonial of a luxury fragrance brand. Working with the Salvatore Ferramamo team was so amazing, they are all fantastic and we had so much fun.

What was your immediate thought/emotion when you smelled Signorina Misteriosa for the first time?
I could feel the unpredictable, daring and mysterious belladonna phantom and become her.

You like Mangas, you cut a bang yourself which gave you a lot of success, you seem to do everything your very own way. Today, you were the star on the dance floor. Are you a Signorina Misteriosa? And if you feel like it, please tell me why.
Yes I do feel like a big part of me is her, because I love to be independent and do things my own way.

What do you like most about Mangas?
I love how it’s such a different world. It’s so fantasy. The characters are very inspiring, and the artwork is beautiful.

What would be the best advice you would give to a young upcoming model friend?
To express your own style and personality. Have inner strength and be kind.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? What would be your biggest dream to come true?
I want to pursue music and acting.

Graze in 3 words.
Joy , groovy, cosmic.

On stage: Luciano Bertinelli, CEO of Salvatore Ferragamo Parfums, with Grace Hartzel.

What a great night. Later, Grace and I went on the dance floor. That is the beauty of life. We can choose every day which one of our facets we are going to interpret. Let the play start, but always remain the same person!

Signorina Misteriosa is available now as Eau de Parfum 30ml (CHF 69.00), 50ml (CHF 99.00) and 100ml (CHF 129.00), as Duschgel 200ml (CHF 40.00) and as Bodylotion 200ml (CHF 45.00).

LoL, Sandra

Photo: © Zhanna Bianca
The perfect backdrop for Misteriosa: Florence

One of my favorite dishes in Florence: the traditional pappa al pomodoro – bread and tomato soup.

Beautiful dance performance with spectacular views of the Duomo in Florence.

The new ad campaign and below the video:

Photos: Courtesy of Salvatore Ferragamo, © Sandra Bauknecht, © Zhanna Bianca, @ Grammio
A huge thank you to my fellow Marionnaud blogger and friend Katrin Roth for taking all the photos of me! Love traveling with you!

During Haute Couture S/S 2016 fashion week in Paris, Jean Paul Gaultier hosted a show that took the audience to the the wild clubbing days of the 80s, when Le Palace in Montmartre, was the center Parisian night life such as Studio 54 in New York. It was an homage to the creatures of the night, models with big hair were smoking cigarettes and drinking champagne while strutting down the runway in signature looks such as tuxedos, pajama suits, lingerie dresses and bomber jackets.

Gaultier’s style is unique and so are his catwalks. Nobody else is able to transform a fashion show into a party. I am always leaving in a good mood, ready to dance and party myself.

In the evening, to celebrate the occasion, Jean Paul Gaultier invited a few lucky ones for a spectacular dinner at the Grand Colbert. A night to remember, and not only by the surprises. A contortionist painted in gold welcomed the attendance while they had a cocktail.

Talking heads out of food cloches got lost in a surreal very funny conversation. The surprise showcase of Beth Ditto and Allanah Star, a Parisian night figure, popping out of a cake to wish the House of Gaultier a happy 40th anniversary, were some of the highlights of the dinner. Complete craziness abounded at the Paris brasserie, which gathered longstanding close friends including Farida Khelfa, Victoria Abril and Blanca Li, who at one point began chanting in unison “Jean Paul, Jean Paul.”

Among the fashionable guests was also Daphne Groeneveld who stars in Jean Paul Gaultier Classique‘s new fragrance campaign captured by fashion photographer Miles Aldridge.

Later the evening evolved into a dance fest, after each guest was given a cardboard mask with an image of Gaultier’s face to sport. A night to remember. Have fun exploring all the fun moments.

The scene at the Jean Paul Gaultier party

Alexina Graham, Daphne Groeneveld and Soo Joo Park

Jean Paul Gaultier with Blanca Li, Victoria Abril and Farida Khelfa

Manuel Puig and Marc Puig

Allanah Starr

Jose Manuel Albesa and model Hugo Marquez

Talking to Farida Khelfa

Marc Zaffuto and Emmanuel d’Orazio

Here you can spot me to the left taking great shots of Beth Ditto’s performance.

Beth Ditto

She is such a love! Beth Ditto, you literally rock!

A great honor to be invited by Monsieur Gaultier to such a spectacular dinner.

DJ Kiddy Smile

Reunited with Catherine Baba after our trip to Columbia last December.

Swiss girls: Erica Martinez and me

Alongside four decades in fashion, 2016 marks the first year the Gaultier fragrance label is being developed by Puig. The television ad is for both perfume blockbusters — Le Male for men and Classique for women. Its backdrop is a factory but, of course, with a twist à la Gaultier. While all of his iconography is evident — think women in corsets and men sporting striped shirts — the setting is industrial. Gaultier himself also appears in the clip, appearing at the very end of the advert.

LoL, Sandra

The new advertising for Jean Paul Gaultier Classique

The new advertising for Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male

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Photos: Courtesy of Jean Paul Gaultier, Images by Saskia Lawaks – Vogue, Images by Thomas Kelly – Say Who,  Access Fashion Media and © Sandra Bauknecht

Olivier Rousteing, Balmain‘s Creative Director, wrote yesterday on his instagram account: «U made me love FASHION yesterday, U make me love FASHION today, and U re going to make me love FASHION in the future.» In the pictures that he commented on, he was next to Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer and Naomi Campbell.

His #BalmainArmy is in expansion mode and the three ’90s supermodels are the faces of the S/S 2016 campaign shot by Steven Meisel. Posing in the designer’s body-conscious and ruffled new seaon’s creations, they look as stunning as 20 years ago and are a perfect fit for the French Maison. Personally speaking, the three icons are so much more beautiful than Kendall and Gigi, the previous faces. I am sure this campaign will have a lot of success.

TO SHOP BALMAIN ONLINE, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Balmain

The House of Dior has written history. It was 1985, I was a little girl and absolutely fascinated by that gorgeous green box and the curvy aubergine bottle: POISON. Either you have loved it or you have hated it.

I wanted it so badly but I was obviously too young. My time would come. 1998, HYPNOTIC POISON was launched. A rebel on the perfume market. The first so to say aphrodisiac scent. A vanilla oriental, tempting and with so much sex appeal, lush and beautiful.

2016 marks a new chapter in the Poison story: POISON GIRL. A bitter sweet floral, scandalously delicious. Camilla Rowe is the face, a young femme fatale. She is a party girl full of power. She is a pop-feminist who seduces and fulfills her dreams. Enjoy this short interview with Dior’s newest face:

Did you know the mythical Poison perfume universe?

I’m too young to have experienced the Poison “phenomenon,” but entering a house as legendary as Dior already means so much!

Do you like the Poison Girl scent?

Yes, I really like sensual, assertive perfumes. I really like the idea of noble raw materials. You need to know how to strike a balance with this type of perfume, but I adore its instant personality.

Your favourite music?

Difficult!! I have so many. At the moment I’m listening to Lee Hazelwood and Nancy Sinatra’s album again and again.

The Stones or the Beatles?

Oh I hate that question! But I do have an answer. In fact, I love all the Stones’ albums but I don’t love all the Beatles’ albums. But, in my opinion, the Beatles’ music that I do I like beats everything else!

A director you like?

I like Jim Jarmusch for the way he derides her characters. They are very funny, without being in a comical register. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen “Down By Law”!

An unforgettable journey?

Definitely Iceland. I went there one day on a sudden impulse. Since then I’ve been back several times. I adore the country and I adore the Icelanders. They are incredible and genuine. Today they are still steeped in their magical folklore. They don’t have any problem talking to you about trolls! I love that capacity for imagination, and for keeping a fresh open mind.

Any particular diet?

I eat everything in moderation, but I don’t follow any particular diet. I avoid fast food because I don’t like it, but I allow myself everything else.

Any particular sport?

I do Yasa Yoga every morning in New York. I also go surfing in Montauk and Rockaway near New York.And a close friend and I have got into the habit of going “speed” walking, and we cross the Williamsburg bridge together. Generally I like to stay active.

Best Shopping?

I like really comfortable clothes. I love Jane Birkin’s style: jeans and a shopping basket. I have a pretty impressive collection of jeans and t-shirts.

Best Make-up?

When I go out, just a beautiful red lipstick. And Diorskin Star foundation by Dior, which I love. I really like their concealer too.

Skincare?

In the plane before a shoot I hydrate my skin enormously as it is hyper-sensitive and reacts to everything. In fact I have adopted Dior’s “Hydralife” line which I love.

Regarding your online life (you have thousands of followers), do you think it would be so intense if you weren’t a top model?

My Instagram is mostly personal. The fact that my name doesn’t appear proves it – I use my pseudonym, “Fingermonkey.” I’ve never wanted to use my real name, even when Victoria’s Secret asked me to so that I would have even more followers.

I hardly ever post anything work-related unless it’s something I really care about. All the content is very personal – I’m not looking for the perfect photo. I don’t think my followers are the same ones that follow other models. My Instagram is coherent with who I am, and that also enables me professionally to attract houses that appreciate who I really am.

Why the name “Fingermonkey” for your Instagram account?

Matt Jones, a photographer with whom I work a lot, has always called me “Monkey” because I’m very… boisterous!

One day, on set with him, I had just discovered this new app – it was in the early days of Instagram. I wanted to create my account immediately with the nickname “monkey” but it was already taken, so we came up with “Fingermonkey”! So this weird name began as a joke, but today there are lots of people who only know me through my “Fingermonkey” account!

POISON GIRL will hit the shelves in Switzerland on January 27, 2016.

Eau de Parfum 100ml (CHF 187.00), 50ml (CHF 133.00) and 30ml (CHF 85.00).

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Dior

Alexa Chung has announced her first venture into tech by launching social style app ‘VILLOID’, inspired by the computerized wardrobe in the 90s movie Clueless.

VILLOID is a new social style app set to revolutionize the way you get dressed in the morning. Similar to Instagram but specifically for fashion and with a buy button, it’s a virtual dressing room on the user’s phone.

“I suppose that scene in Clueless where the computer puts an outfit together from Cher’s wardrobe really stayed with me.“ says Alexa Chung. “Clothes are fun, making mistakes is fun, being inspired is fun. VILLOID celebrates the process of getting dressed and showing your friends.”

VILLOID offers users a platform where they can share their style by uploading products and photographs onto a mood board, follow friends and fellow style mavericks, love boards and individual items. For anything they can’t live without – there is the option to click the handy buy button and purchase the item. Consider this the paper dolls for the modern age.

It’s the British style guru’s first delve into the world of technology, an area she didn’t know a vast amount about when she teamed up with tech entrepreneur Jeanette Dyhre Kvisvik and her team who had been working with a similar idea.

“Alexa and I immediately bonded, merging our ideas and utilizing her style genius, we have managed to make the best dressed app on the market.” says Dyhre Kvisvik.

“I wanted to get to learn something about a field I knew nothing about and I felt I could offer the tech field something I knew a lot about….clothes. Most decisions I make when it comes to new projects are based on whether it could further my education. The tech world was something I was incredibly curious about. Silicone Valley sounds like a bouncy castle I want to play on.” says Alexa.

Think of window shopping as a social game, only this this time it exists in the palm of your hand. VILLOID offers an opportunity to view a curated feed of style choices chosen by you, the user. Take yourself on a journey into the VILLOID world, discover people, endless brands and ways of pairing items together that until now, only ever existed in your mind.

Early adopters of VILLOID include model and singer Pixie Geldof who has already crowned VILLOID as “the most addictive app in life.” The app is now available in App store globally. The Android version is in planning, set to launch late 2015/early 2016.

Needless to say that when I read about this new app this morning, I had to sign up immediately to know what they are talking about. I have to admit that it seems quite fun but I am not sure if I will get completely into it…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Alexa Chung, Villoid and © Sandra Bauknecht
Instagram: @Villoid

It was love at first sight: Tom Ford‘s newest scent for women, TOM FORD NOIR POUR FEMME. Sensual and extravagant, this oriental-floral fragrance is absolutely divine. Inspired by the theme of duality, it evokes the twin facets of the modern woman, capturing the feminine play of exposure as well as the masculine strength of seduction.

The face of the advertising campaign shot by fashion photographers Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin is no other than supermodel Lara Stone.

TOM FORD NOIR POUR FEMME
Top notes: Mandarin Oil, Bitter Orange Oil, Ginger Extract
Middle notes: Rose Absolute, Jasmine Accord, Orange Flower, Indian Kulfi Accord
Base notes: Vanilla Madagascar, Amber, Australian Sandal Wood

Available now as Eau de Parfum 30ml (CHF 90.00), 50ml (CHF 132.00) and 100ml (CHF 200.00) and Hydrating Emulsion 150ml (CHF 75.00) at all Tom Ford counters.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Tom Ford

Lily-Rose Depp becomes the new CHANEL ambassador. For her first collaboration with the House, Karl Lagerfeld has chosen the 16 year-old to be the face of the Pearl eyewear collection where the young actress plays a baby-doll in a world imbued with sweetness and femininity.

The daughter of Johnny Depp and his former partner Vanessa Paradis perfectly embodies the youth, modernity and daring that characterise the House. “Lily-Rose is stunning, she’s a young girl from a new generation with all the qualities of a star,” announced Karl Lagerfeld.

Vanessa Paradis, Karl Lagerfeld and Lily-Rose Depp

Lily-Rose Depp is treading in the footsteps of her mother, herself a friend of Karl Lagerfeld, ambassador of the House since 1990, the year of her first campaign for the perfume COCO, and the face of the Girl CHANEL handbag. Both were part of the CHANEL F/W 2015 Haute Couture show that took place at the Grand Palais on July 7th, 2015.

Stay tuned for the Pearl eyewear collection advertising campaign photographed by Karl Lagerfeld in September 2015.

LoL, Sandra

Lily-Rose Depp hits the roulette table at Chanel’s Haute Couture show.
Photos: Courtesy of Chanel and © Getty Images

Sometimes you have to carve out that important time you need to slow down, enjoy life, and rejuvenate yourself. I love to have a bath, light a candle, read a good book and indulge in the fabulous smell of the foamy water.

Jo Malone has the most amazing products to bring us a moment of tranquility in the midst of our crazily busy lives. The newly launched Bath & Body Collection features a new packaging design with frosted vertical stripes.

One sniff of this amazing Peony & Blush Suede Body & Hand Wash makes me want to fill the bath now!

As this new collection is all about taking a moment for yourself, I love to treat myself with the Wood Sage & Sea Salt Body Cream that leaves your skin subtle and instantly perfumed.

A breath of fresh air could be felt last week when Jo Malone announced their first Jo Malone London Girl ever: socialite and model Poppy Delevingne.

Her favorite fragrance since she has been 22 is Red Roses which is also available as Red Roses Body & Hand Lotion, one of my favorites.

In Switzerland Jo Malone is exclusively available at Jelmoli Zurich and Globus Geneva.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Jo Malone and © Sandra Bauknecht

Mother’s Day came early at Dolce & Gabbana’s F/W 2015 show, it was obviously another of the designer duo’s beautiful celebrations of the Italian family. The collection was simply titled “Viva la Mamma” and inspired by the woman who’s the heart of the family.

Celebrating motherhood on so many levels, designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana sent models down the runway with their babies and kids, including the perennial D&G muse, Bianca Balti, who is highly pregnant with her second child, to roaring applause. Being pregnant seems to be the next season’s trend, so ladies get ready!

The collection on display matched the mother-loving theme: decidedly feminine dresses and skirts adorned with roses, lace and even embroidered doodles by their own nieces and nephews (in the same vein as Angelina Jolie’s wedding veil). Great news is that Moda Operandi is inviting you be to relive the magic with their newest trunkshow which includes all of our favorites, fresh off the runway!

Whether you gravitated towards the children’s doodles or the roses – they now have it live. It is your chance to get your favorite pieces in your size and no wait list required!

TO PRE-ORDER THE DOLCE & GABBANA F/W 2015 COLLECTION, PLEASE CLICK HERE.
The trunkshow ends on March 16 at 10 am EDT.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Dolce & Gabbana, Pietro D’Aprano/Getty Images and Moda Operandi

While you are reading this, I am on my way to the SIHH, Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, in Geneva. I love this watch fair where this year 16 brands exhibit their new creations in an outstanding and extremely luxury environment. IWC Schaffhausen is one of them and I know that their booth as well as their party will once more make history.

Celebrating the 75th anniversary of the brand’s iconic Portugieser watch line and launching a new collection at this year’s SIHH, I will of course keep you posted with some essential information.

To raise your enthusiasm, I would like to show you some very exclusive photos (some of you might have seen some in the October issue of L’Officiel Switzerland) of the amazing Ladies Lunch “Timeless Portofino” during the 10th Zurich Film Festival Georges Kern, CEO of IWC Watches (co-partner of the ZFF), and my humble self hosted at the Widder Hotel in Zurich to celebrate the new IWC Portofino midsize watches.

IWC CEO Georges Kern framed by Karolina Kurkova to the right and myself to the left

You have seen my new beautiful watch in many outfit posts. Thanks a lot to those who sent me your lovely comments about this new beauty in my closet.

Special guest of the event was Karolina Kurkova, the charming blonde chatted over lunch about her life with my girlfriends and took a souvenir photo with each guest. As an additional gift, there was a handwritten card with a personal dedication of the famous top model. Karolina is truly an amazing woman!

Enjoy all the pictures below and stay tuned for more…

LoL, Sandra

Karolina was checking on the photos (a true pro) to make sure all of them were immaculate.

Karolina framed by Monika Kern to the left and Margarita Forster to the right.

Having fun with David Biedert backstage taking some pics.

Photos: Courtesy of IWC, © David Biedert and © Sandra Bauknecht