Sandra‘s Closet

Welcome to Marjendi! Initially presented as a part of the multi-collab Resort 2023 collection at New York Fashion Week last September, which saw the Italian luxury house partner with the likes of Tiffany & Co., Sarah Jessica Parker and Porter to co-design key classics to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the FENDI «Baguette» Bag, the FENDI by Marc Jacobs capsule collection will be available online and in-stores starting on May 11.

First, though, a word on the New York connection. Sex & the City made the Baguette famous. Secondly, Marc Jacobs and Jones go back to their days together at Louis Vuitton, when Jacobs hired Jones to come on board as LV’s menswear creative director in 2011. Thirdly, thinking back, Marc Jacobs was one of a the first serial collaborators himself, see Stephen Sprouse, Takashi Murakami, Richard Prince, and Yayoi Kusama. So it all comes perfectly together.

«I called Marc up and asked him if he wanted to design a collection for Fendi. I haven’t been involved at all,» Jones said to US Vogue. «We worked side by side during fittings. We were doing ours, he was doing his. I’m looking very much at 1997 and I think Mark’s is fresh and now.»

For his take, Jacobs developed a «Fendiroma» logo. He mixed up his own brand codes with Fendi’s, creating a calfskin Baguette emblazoned with the words «The Baguette,» playing off his «The Tote» designs. Marc Jacobs’ Fendi collection sees exaggerated, platformed, oversized, monochromatic silhouettes, with florescent touches across men’s and women’s ready-to-wear.

«In its sinuous lines and elongated forms, the ready-to-wear collection echoes New York’s ‘Gilded Age’ in shape and yet these are ‘everyday’ items of today made into part of the mythology of the city. Here, both fantasy and reality come into play,» the Italian fashion house shared in a press release. Colors range from silvery, glittering, grey, white, fluo yellow, and black with a total Y2K vibe.

I personally love the baguette hoodies, where the front pocket features the full dimensions of the Maxi Baguette bag. The collection also includes jewelry that takes the bow motif taken from the runway, double sole Fendi Domino sneakers (so ’90s), cat-eye sunglasses and extravagant, gigantic, upcycled fur hats.

The Fendi x Marc Jacobs collection is a fashion dream coming true…

CLICK HERE FOR YOUR EXCLUSIVE PRE-ACCESS TO THE COLLECTION.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Fendi
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Every season, CHANEL releases what I like to call a unicorn bag, a very beautiful and special bag, which is hard to get and very desired. With the increase in pricing and the lessened supply, there is even a higher demand for CHANEL bags.

For the 23C (Cruise 2023) collection, it is in my opinion this stunning CHANEL Rainbow Classic Flap bag. As the name suggests, the classic flap comes in the colors of the rainbow, in yellow, orange to red, pink, purple and green. In one bag, you have many different colors, which means it is a very versatile model to carry. If you love vibrant colors, then this is a must-have for you.
The bag retails at CHF 11240.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © CHANEL and © Sandra Bauknecht / David Biedert Photography
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A longstanding mainstay within the House’s collections, «The Jackie» experienced a well-chronicled rise to icon status—ever since its debut in 1961, the handbag’s perpetual presence on the arms of celebrated figures around the world crystallized its everlasting association with their signature sophistication. Jackie Kennedy was spotted in the ’70s carrying the G1244 bag by Gucci, that was the perfect accessory to match her iconic tortoiseshell glasses. Eventually, Gucci renamed the bag in her honour, dubbing the style the «Jackie» bag.

Today, Dakota Johnson finds herself at the latest inflection point of the line’s celebrated chronology in which a certain attitude encounters a certain era, marking the beginning of a new chapter through the House’s latest campaign. Johnson makes her way through everyday moments in Los Angeles with different versions of the Jackie 1961, each with its own personality, each perfectly paired to the occasion. The film and imagery, captured by Glen Luchford, pay homage to the style’s storied origins as spontaneous snapshots highlight the silhouette’s intrinsic versatility and enduring elegance, reflecting a state of co-existence that spans decades and personas.

The Jackie 1961
Following a distinguished line of reiterations, each emblematic of its time, today’s Jackie 1961 emerges to transcend the traditional with its sleek silhouette and universal attitude. The selection is presented in three different sizes—mini, small, and medium—in a wide range of colors that highlights the design’s inherent versatility. Clean lines bring the focus to the unique piston closure, as well as the quality of the material itself, whether natural grain, patent, or precious leather, or the emblematic GG Supreme canvas.

A beautiful new iteration: The Jackie 1961 crocheted raffia and leather shoulder bag

A longer, removable shoulder strap, either in leather or as a chain, enhances the Jackie 1961’s adaptable personality and practicality. Within each collection, the House introduces creative interpretations, including in woven raffia and straw as well as with velvet tapestry patterns for Cruise 2023.

My favorite this season: The Jackie 1961 small leather shoulder bag in green

The original model introduced in 1961 became expressive of the 1960s and 1970s jetsetter lifestyle for which Gucci was known and new sensibilities were brought to the signature style in 1999 and 2009, drawing from a contemporary intuition and attitude and ever- assuming new characters that defy definition – fitting seamlessly in any wardrobe.

TO SHOP THE GUCCI JACKIE 1961, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Gucci and Getty Images
Art Director: Christopher Simmonds Photographer & Director: Glen Luchford
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THE PEARLS
Omnipresent on the CHANEL costume and fine jewelry, they regularly punctuate the accessories, Ready-to-Wear and Haute Couture. They are intimately linked to the history of the House and to the elegance of its founder. As sautoir necklaces proudly worn by Gabrielle Chanel, pearls have become an important element of the House vocabulary.

This season, they adorn four pairs of sunglasses and optical glasses. Rounded with a 1970s spirit, butterfly, rectangular and even pantos* in acetate, they are held in place by a removable long strand of pearls extended by a fine chain and a gold double C. Ivory, black, taupe, amber and burgundy: their pearlised shimmer is pigmented with opaque or transparent shades, in harmony with the colour of the frame. Held at the end of the temples by a logoed clasp system, the sautoir necklace can be worn in a number of ways: under the face, resting on the shoulders, or around the neck, transforming the glasses into a veritable bijou.

THE QUILTING
CHANEL continues the story that first began at the S/S 2022 Ready-to-Wear show by unveiling new sunglasses with temples swathed in the emblematic quilting of the House. In a play of contrasts, the double C is once again featured on a square frame in acetate with slightly raised lines, dressed entirely in black or in black and white two-tone.

The CHANEL Spring 2023 eyewear collection are available in boutiques from now.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: @CHANEL #CHANELEyewear #CHANELSunglasses
*Also available with Blue Light lenses.
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There are fashion collaborations and there are major fashion collaborations. Louis Vuitton & Yayoi Kusama‘s 2023 partnership is very much of the latter, encompassing both the universes of women and men through ready-to-wear, bags, shoes, accessories, luggage and trunks and fragrances, these wide-ranging and intricate collections appear in two parts, with distinct thematic directions reflecting Yayoi Kusama’s motifs and motivations.

Cruise 2023 Show

Yayoi Kusama has partnered with Louis Vuitton two times now. Kusama, who’s consistently produced variations of her signature polka dot art since the 1970s, is one of the world’s most famous artists thanks to the enduring popularity of her Instagram-friendly Infinity Rooms and instantly-recognizable polka-dotted pumpkins.

The last time that Louis Vuitton met the magic of Yayoi Kusama was in 2012. Yet this relationship never ended – ten years after, it evolved, and expanded with conversations continued and extended.

For collectors and Kusama fans alike, Louis Vuitton’s capsule offers once more a rare opportunity to get luxury goods laden with the artist’s touch. There is the appeal of the artisanal process applied to certain items — Louis Vuitton’s craftspeople developed a special technique to make some of the 3D paint daubs look «wet,» as if they’d just been painted by Kusama’s hand — and that this is the first time that Kusama’s art has been applied to LV menswear.

Kusama’s touch even extends to a special edition of three perfumes, complete with matching monogrammed canvas case.

Drop 1 will launch on 1st of January 2023 in China and Japan, followed by the rest of the world on 6th of January 2023.
Drop 2 will be available in Louis Vuitton stores starting 31st March 2023.

Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama’s collaboration will be celebrated within a fully immersive visual landscape, ranging from window displays, to Pop-ups, to anamorphic billboards, alongside AR experiences, an XR game and a dedicated advertising campaign.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton
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Last night, I got spoilt by CHANEL. The French Maison had staged its Cruise 2023 Paris – Monte Carlo collection in an amazing setting at Galerie Gmurzynska for me. As I hadn’t been to the show that took place in May on the pebbled beach in Monaco, it was a great opportunity to browse and try all my favorite looks from the runway before they will be officially in stores.

Inspired by the Formula One, CHANEL was heading a destination that is an integral part of its history, Monaco. It was a beautiful nod to Gabrielle Chanel who had built her villa La Pausa in 1929 on the heights of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, and also to the late Karl Lagerfeld, who loved to visit in the summer, from the late 1980s to the early 2000s, at La Vigie, his famous villa overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

The collection? Imagining the luxurious and cosmopolitan beach lifestyle of the Côte d’Azur, as well as the Grand Prix and the ballet that Monaco is so famous for, Virginie Viard came up with some kitsch Formula-One inspired fashion (my favorite part of the show – the first jumpsuit in red and white is to die for), embroidered baseball caps, black-and-white swimsuits, glamorous sequins and ensembles in breezy crochet.

The accessories were playful and fun. Enjoy the photos to explore more.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht and © CHANEL
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Balenciaga presented his off-schedule Resort 2023 show on Sunday in the Big Apple. It took place at The New York Stock Exchange – a place the fashion crowd normally doesn’t have access to – and began with the ringing of the opening bell.

The French brand embarked on the unusual timing for a company first, under Demna’s direction, to hold a show in NYC. The invitation was a fat stack of fake 100s. And one thing is for sure, you need a good income to get those new pieces that will surely become a hit as Balenciaga revealed his collaboration with adidas in the last part off the show. Latex bodysuits fully covered models’ faces and send all focus on Balenci-adidas. Classic adidas pieces like Three Stripes tracksuits, hoodies, jerseys, and tees get the Balenciaga treatment, boasting updated oversized silhouettes.

The Balenciaga Triple S sneaker comes with the famous adidas stripes, either in white/black and blue/white colorways for CHF 975. However, for me the best pieces of the collection and something that will make its way into Sandra’s Closet.

The tight classic mini dress costs CHF 55 the adidas way (left) and CHF 1390 with the Balenciaga treatment (right). Sorry guys, but this is ridiculous. There I am out!

Balenciaga x adidas is now available only for one week until May 29 on Balenciaga’s webstore. So, act fast, but save some money as Gucci x adidas will officially drop in June. Gucci and Balenciaga both belong to Kering and they obviously like the German manufacturer of athletic shoes and apparel.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Balenciaga
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Ten years after its global collaboration, Louis Vuitton launches chapter two of its partnership with Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, hitting stores worldwide in January 2023.

Since the creation of Louis Vuitton in 1854, the Maison has nurtured strong ties with the art world, collaborating with a series of artists who have brought their unique vision to Louis Vuitton. These close relationships have produced often radical reworkings of the Maison’s most iconic creations, in the process rewriting the rules of creative collaborations between luxury brands and artists. Yayoi Kusama’s collaboration in 2012 (Part one in July 2012 –  Part two in October 2012) flourished through various universes of the Maison, from exhibitions, products and a series of unique window installations, which included a startingly life-like mannequin modelled after the artist herself.

Finale at the Louis Vuitton Cruise 2023 show in San Diego and some detail shots:

Yayoi Kusama, born in March 1929, is an avant-garde artist whose perspective is expressed through myriad techniques from sculpture, painting, installation, filmmaking, photography, and happening, to writing in a variety of styles. She is regarded as a precursor to Pop and Minimal art, yet her diverse art practices resist any singular classification. Yayoi Kusama’s artworks originated from hallucinations such as where the red flower patterns on a dining table’s tablecloth started to spread across the walls, floor, and even across herself…She has been battling her inner fears and obsessions and pursuing the mysteries of life by depicting the hallucinations she has experienced since her childhood. Please click here for a post about her retrospective in Berlin last year.

Look 51 Louis Vuitton Cruise 2023

As a celebration of the Maison’s relationship with the artist and to mark the 10-year anniversary of the first collaboration, a handful of leather goods were premiered during Artistic Director of Women’s Collections Nicolas Ghesquière’s Cruise 2023 fashion show at the Salk Institute in San Diego. These exclusive bags feature a reinterpretation of the artist’s obsessive dots across Louis Vuitton signature shapes as well as on new models. A true first taste of a transversal collaboration that, come January 2023, will radiate through all Maison categories.

More information will be disclosed at a later date.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton
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Gucci opened the doors to its fully renovated store in Zürich, Switzerland this month at a new location. The boutique spans over 746 square meters across two floors and a terrace and showcases a full array of Gucci’s products including men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, handbags, luggage, small leather goods, shoes, jewelry and watches, silks, eyewear as well as Décor and Lifestyle collections.

With a look that invites customers to feel welcome and relaxed, the interior design is discreet. It is a new concept, first presented in Zurich. Contemporary luxury is suggested not only by the employment of beautiful and idiosyncratic materials, but also through a determinedly spare use of space. In keeping with the elegant and contemporary eclecticism that characterises Gucci’s collections, the store sees the combination of traditional and modern, industrial, and romantic. This reflects in the refined marble staircase contoured by Bronzed aged brass railing and Salvia Green satin panels.

On the terrace of the new Gucci store in Zurich, dressed head to toe in the Italian brand.

The terrace on the first floor pays tribute to the original architectural features of the store. The existing historical window frames are complemented by dark green metal aviaries, inviting customers to take a seat and enjoy the outdoors, surrounded by the greenery. The concept effortlessly complements the product-offer from the House.

The mood within the store is one of discretion, where understated drama is created by the surprising and unexpected combination of materials. Juxtaposition of this sort, where opposites forge a new connection, is repeated ubiquitously: technical, mechanical display contrast with the softness of the rich fabrics that adorn the rooms; round tables offset rectangular ones; Salvia Green and ivory satin panelling elegantly complement the optical marble flooring. Throughout the store, one finds sumptuous chairs and sofas while vintage oriental rugs are layered over each other for a textured effect. The result is a space that entices, surprises and feels personal to Gucci.

Gucci Zurich
Location: Bahnhofstrasse 39, 8001, Zurich, Switzerland
Opening Hours: Monday – Friday, 10:00 – 19:00, Saturday, 10:00 – 18:00

Mark your calendar! The Gucci Cruise 2023 show will take place on May 16, 2022 at 8.00 pm CEST at Castel del Monte in Puglia, Italy. You can watch it live here. It will be full moon and the invitation revealed a cosmological theme, so stay tuned for #GucciCosmogonie. On behalf of each guest, the House has adopted a star and registered it under their name. How cool is this?

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Gucci
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