Sandra‘s Closet

Today’s world offers so many chances for everyone. What seemed unbridgeable before, such as sportswear and evening attire, high and low fashion or even good or bad taste, has fully merged. People have the chance to show and spread their talents via social media.

Hey Reilly’s illustrations of Lagerfeld and Venturini Fendi are on display in Fendi’s store windows.

Here is a lucky punch that just took place in the world of fashion. One of the most hyped collaborations started with a direct message on Instagram when Silvia Venturini Fendi, the house’s creative director of accessories, menswear, and kids, first spotted @hey_reilly’s Fendi + Fila logo on the Instagram artist’s feed in February last year.

The Scottish creative is known for his tongue-in-cheek monikers. Together with Karl Lagerfeld, who designs Fendi’s womenswear line, Silvia took logomania to this new and exciting form this season. The mashup of Fendi and Fila’s iconic typefaces, a truly viral design, was teased at the F/W 2018 runway show and is now at the core of the Resort 2019 capsule collection.

From left to right: Kan I appliquéd leather shoulder bag and Kan I mini appliquéd leather shoulder bag.

Embroidered cotton-jersey hoodie

From left to right: Logo-embossed leather knee boots and the same version in black/yellow.

You can shop the limited edition pieces at NET-À-PORTER, MATCHESFASHION, and MYTHERESA. A little hint from my side, at Net-à-Porter the prices are for some pieces much cheaper than at the other stores.

I am crazy for these pieces and you?

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Fendi and via Instagram @hey_reilly

PRADA opens new spaces in the via della Spiga boutique in Milan, which have been expanded and feature the rolling out of a fresh image, with a new layout and interior architecture. The boutique is entirely dedicated to the women’s collections.

On the corner between Via Sant’Andrea and Via della Spiga, the façade is characterised by entrances on both streets and large windows, inserted in the stone frame of the building. Inside, the new layout of the spaces is on two levels for a total area of 400 square metres.

The space on the ground floor – dedicated to leather goods, accessories and footwear collections – is an original and sophisticated interpretation of the historic Prada display niche. New and elegant design elements stand out, among which the green marble tables sketched by the Milanese design firm BBPR and exclusively reproduced for Prada in a limited series.

The upper floor – reached by a marble staircase – houses the clothing collections and is characterised by the modern design of the ceiling beams and the pearl-grey carpeted floor, combined with the wooden details of the large windows and 1950s furnishings. The walls are decorated with bas-reliefs in shades of pastel green, inspired by the iconic prints of the brand.

On both levels, the display elements – made with details of polished wood – are flanked by furniture designed by Osvaldo Borsani and Giò Ponti, made exclusively for Prada and some special design pieces that pay homage to the masters of Milanese design of the 1950s.

From 10 September 2018, the Prada Sidonie bag, protagonist of the Prada Resort 2019 collection, will be available solely at the Via della Spiga store in two styles made of city calf leather in a different range of colors. The precious skin versions  – crocodile and ostrich – will be available in pre-order only.

Ladies, be prepared, the small shoulder bags are back!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Prada

«It started with our love for animals, it’s where Nicolas and I really connect beyond fashion.» – Grace Coddington

At LOUIS VUITTON’s Cruise 2019 catwalk show amidst the Mirós and Giacomettis of Saint-Paul-de-Vence’s Fondation Maeght, Nicolas Ghesquière, artistic director of women’s collections, presented a too-die-for collaboration with Vogue contributing editor Grace Coddington.

Nicolas Ghesquière and Grace Coddington in a silk pyjama set from the collaboration at the Louis Vuitton Cruise 2019 show last May. 

The line sees the famous redhead putting her spin on the brand’s iconic monogram pattern, embellishing it with illustrations of her two cats, Pumpkin and Blanket. Moreover her designer friend’s dog Léon finishes off the animalistic collection that also includes patent leather bags in the cartoony shapes. I love every single piece!

The full range of items, including handbags, leather goods, and ready-to-wear, will arrive in Louis Vuitton stores in October.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton, via Martien Mulder for WSJ. Magazine

I am in love, yes IN LOVE! This is definitely the  chicest bag you could add to your summer wardrobe, DIOR‘s embroidered Book Tote! A veritable invitation to travel by the House’s creative director, Maria Grazia Chiuri, an evocation of sunshine, inspired by Mexican crafts, it is the perfect luxury staple piece to rock throughout the season. First seen at the DIOR S/S 2018 runway show, it sports geometrical motifs and requires more than thirty-two hours of work and over one million two hundred thousand stitches to create an interplay of arrestingly lovely patterns in mesmerizing shades of green, orange, red, fuchsia, violet and blue. It’s crafted in the fashion house’s studio in Paris.

Rihanna sporting her personalized DIOR book tote

Although the tote has just been released this season, celebrities all over are sporting the brand in a range of colors and customized names.

Check out the photos below to see how the elegant piece is made:

If you are dreaming of a limited edition piece, I recommend visiting DIOR’s pop-up store on the Greek island of Mykonos this summer at the upscale Nammos shopping village until Oct. 15, 2018.

There you can find exclusive pieces, including DIOR Book Tote bags featuring the name of the island woven into the canvas as well as striped bodysuits and sweaters, silk cravats and cotton pareos bearing the slogan «J’adior Mykonos.»

Great news is that the DIOR book tote is here to stay and has been designed in many different versions for F/W 2018 as well as for Cruise 2019.

DIOR Book Totes for F/W 2018

DIOR Book Tote for Cruise 2019

Such a great bag – my favorite is still the S/S 2018 in vibrant shades.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Dior

Today more coming up from Arles as on May 30th, 2018, Gucci showed its Cruise 2019 women’s and men’s show by Alessandro Michele also there. Revealed in an evocative setting of the ancient site of Les Alyscamps, a UNESCO World Heritage site with one of the world’s most renowned Roman necropoleis, which provided a remarkable backdrop for this beautiful collection. This followed Alessandro’s previous Cruise presentations that have taken place in other culturally significant locations, including the DIA-Art Foundation in New York City, the Cloisters at Westminster Abbey in London and the Palatina Gallery in Florence’s Palazzo Pitti.

Les Alyscamps in Arles

Here are some facts about Arles which is surprisingly the largest municipality in France in terms of surface, it is located on the Mediterranean coast, in Provence, between Marseille and Montpellier. Thanks to its rich history spanning 2500 years, Arles is inscribed on the UNESCO’s World Heritage List since 1981 for its roman monuments.

Arles

Positioned on the Rhone delta, Arles benefits from the astonishing landscape of Camargue, considered one of Europe’s most important natural areas. Arles inspired numerous artists, such as Vincent Van Gogh and Pablo Picasso. Fashion designers Louis Féraud and Christian Lacroix (please see this week’s post here) have arlesian origins, consequently culture and creation are economic drivers such as: the publishing house Actes Sud, the photography festival Les Rencontres d’Arles and LUMA Arles, who is currently building a cultural center with architects Frank Gehry and Annabelle Selldorf, in charge of the renovation of the old industrial buildings. For further information about Arles visit www.ville-arles.fr.

Impressions of the Gucci Cruise 2019 show

The city of Arles, also consistently involved in cultural initiatives, was happy to collaborate with a luxury brand such as Gucci. This was the first time that the ancient site of Alyscampshas hosted an event of this caliber. Indeed, one could imagine no better publicity for the city, which is enjoying a renaissance, thanks in large part to Swiss art patron Maja Hoffmann, who was also among the guests at the show along with Christian Lacroix.

Hoffmann has enlisted Canadian-born architect Frank Gehry to build a 185-foot tower that will be the center point of her Luma art foundation, opened in 2013. The sprawling site, with an estimated cost of 150 million euros, also encompasses abandoned rail yards that have been renovated and now house exhibitions. The heir of the pharmaceutical giant Roche has invested extensively in the city, renovating two local hotels, the Hôtel d’Arlatan and the Hôtel du Cloître, and also owns the Michelin-starred organic restaurant La Chassagnette in the neighboring Camargue region.

Please find below some of the best looks from Gucci’s Cruise 2019 collection, for which creative director Alessandro Michele was obviously «fascinated by the idea of death». A haunted runway with lots of cross necklaces, Victorian references, velvet capes, neon lace tights, goth accents, and prints galore. Gucci at its best!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Gucci