Sandra‘s Closet

Sneakers are still trending. Speaking of stylish, forget the ugly Dad sneakers, small details make a big difference this year. It’s more about the «unexpected». One model that has caught my eye is the Odissa – a new Versace sneaker style inspired in its architectural shape by celestial travel and the stars, in a distinctly positive take on futuristic design and fashion.

Basketball sneaker elements are cut-through with futuristic line punctuations and a 3D rubber Medusa plaque that defines the silhouette—its clean, sharp lines recalling the shape of an aerodynamic cycling helmet or dynamic future spacecraft. Seen styled with both casual and more formal looks in the Pre-Fall 2022 lookbook (see below) and Fall-Winter 2022 collection film, the sneaker’s volume and range of tonal colors—in black, white, ultramarine blue, pink, brown, and metallic silver—create an impactful visual identity.

To shop the Odissa sneaker for women, click here please and for men, here please.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Versace
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For all who couldn’t get their hands on the Louis Vuitton x Nike Air Force 1 by Virgil Abloh sneakers, here might be another option from the French Maison: the new version of its iconic LV trainer that pushes the concept of sustainability even further, with its utterly graphic silhouette made of 90% recycled and bio-sourced materials. Available in three colour variations, the LV Trainer is adorned with the Maison’s signature Sustainable Development logo.

A newcomer to the Louis Vuitton collection and the embodiment of the Maison’s innovative spirit, this unprecedented model created by Virgil Abloh marks a new chapter in eco-design. Manufactured in the Louis Vuitton workshop in Fiesso d’Artico, Italy, using a highly complex process, the sneakers blend eco-design with fine craftsmanship, in accordance with the codes of circular creativity.

A true icon in the sportswear world, the LV Trainer is now breaking new records, without ever compromising Louis Vuitton’s standards for creativity and quality. The sole, a key component in terms of weight and comfort, is composed of an unparalleled 94% recycled polyurethane, with unchanged efficiency in terms of bounce, cushion and foot support – most notably thanks to the use of recycled cotton inner pads, and an insole made out of fully recycled polyurethane. As for the upper, it blends recycled polyester with a corn-based plastic material. The laces, made from used plastic, cross over the tongue, which is also recycled polyester, whereas the eyelets contain 91% regenerated polyurethane.

Available in sizes 4 to 15.5 (which means it is also available for women), this LV Trainer boasts the logo designed by Virgil Abloh. A visual example of Louis Vuitton’s upcycling philosophy, it has since become the symbol of the Maison’s commitment to sustainable development. The logo will be released in white with green accents from August, and then in red and black versions this September. The logo also features on the inside of the box, which is made out of entirely recycled and recyclable cardboard and which, thanks to an ingenious handle, turns into a bag – a strategy saving as much as 70% in materials to ensure the lowest environmental impact in terms of transportation and storage. Going even further, Louis Vuitton made the choice to use plant-based inks and to leave the inside of this unprecedented packaging in its original kraft.

Finally, a felt shoe bag in Tencel™ – renewable fibres from sustainably managed forests – acts as a layer of sustainable protection for the LV Trainer.

«Our committed journey» is Louis Vuitton’s sustainable development plan, in line with the LIFE360 (LVMH Initiatives For the Environment) programme. Through six lines of action, it aims to preserve natural resources (sustainable supply of materials, contribution to climate protection, circular approach of creativity) and to have a positive impact on society (diversity and inclusion, commitment to local communities, development of know-how).

Shopping with a good conscience!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton
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Espadrille season is here. Consciously crafted in bold colors, embrace a free-spirited hippy attitude with the flat macramé by Loewe. Venture from the beach to the pool with Gucci‘s wedges, or go out at night with some fun high-heeled espadrille sandals by Castañer.

LoL, Sandra

Logo-embroidered espadrille sandals by Loewe x Paula Ibiza

Triangle logo striped-terry espadrilles by Prada

Logo-jacquard denim espadrilles by Miu Miu

Espananou raffia espadrilles by Christian Louboutin

Paloma heart-print wedge espadrilles by Saint Laurent

GG-canvas and raffia wedge sandals by Gucci

Carina 80 canvas & jute espadrille wedges by Castañer

Rockstud 105 leather wedge espadrilles by Valentino

Sweia 95 embroidered cotton espadrilles by Gucci

Amaia jute espadrille platform sandals by Castañer

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht and Courtesy of the Brands
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Dior presents the CD 1947 capsule

Dior is unveiling an exclusive new men’s capsule, CD 1947, celebrating the infinitely rich dialogue between Kim Jones and the legacy of Monsieur Dior. Inspired by the founding couturier’s love of nature and gardens, the creations are distinguished by their sportswear cuts and technically advanced materials, ideal for the outdoors; thick canvas and polar knits are combined in silhouettes that merge elegance and minimalist spirit.

T-shirts, shirts, sweatshirts and Bermuda shorts are available in a palette of soft, luminous shades, from light blue to beige, including the Dior Gray, a favorite of the House. Emblazoning this new line, the «Christian Dior» signature and «1947» – the year of Monsieur Dior’s first fashion show – feature on ready-to-wear items and accessories.

A bob, a bandana, a belt or even B27 sneakers, reinvented in the colors of the capsule, are adorned with these essential symbols, also embroidered on the Saddle and Dior Lingot 50 bags. A jewelry series and a carabiner embellished with the initials «CD˚ complete this wardrobe, an invitation to travel and adventure.

The ultimate surprise, a gardening set pays tribute to Christian Dior’s passion for the art of gardening. This limited-edition ensemble is composed of a folding leather seat – evoking the curves of the Saddle – and a leather-clad shovel and rake, specially designed for this capsule with the finest craftsmanship; all objects of desire to be discovered from June 2022.

Dior and Birkenstock present an unprecedented collaboration Dior by Birkenstock

«Thankfully, there are flowers,» said Christian Dior. He was known as a gallery owner, an architecture enthusiast, and a passionate fashion designer, but he also delighted in gardening. It was in Granville, in the rose garden of the family home overlooking the sea, that this fascination with the interweaving of nature and culture blossomed in his childhood.

Alongside his mother, Madeleine, the young christian enriched his knowledge of botany among the roses, wisteria, maritime pines and reseda. «I loved more than anything else to learn by heart the names and descriptions of flowers in the color catalogs published by the Vilmorin-Andrieux house», wrote monsieur Dior in his memoirs.

For the Dior Men’s F/W 2022 collection, the house and Kim Jones pay tribute to this passion, joining forces with Birkenstock for the first time to reinvent two of its iconic models. Standing for function and quality, the German brand creates unique shoes – both in form and function – to support walking as nature intended, drawing from a heritage that can be traced back to 1774, the year when shoemaker brothers Johannes and Johann Adam Birkenstock set out on their orthopedically inspired footwear journey – a commitment to craftsmanship they passed down from one generation to the next.

The Milano, launched in 1965, was designed as an outdoor sandal for active people and nature lovers, whereas the Tokyo model was launched in 1987 as protective footwear for walking and professions requiring a lot of standing. Both of the collaboration’s felt or suede models are dressed in the season’s hues, in addition to essential Dior gray.

Celebrating the art of gardening, they serve up functional style thanks to rubber details and industrial buckles. The result of a unique creative dialogue, Birkenstock’s anatomically shaped orthopedic cork footbed is lined with smooth leather, while the outsole combines the Dior oblique pattern with the German brand’s signature bones graphic.

As a final surprise, an exceptional version of the Tokyo, hand-embroidered with delicate flowers, completes the show’s couture silhouettes, a new symbol of Christian Dior’s love for nature. A contemporary ode to functionality and elegance, reflecting several skills of excellence.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Dior
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The second instalment to the sell-out collaboration, Manolo Blahnik for BIRKENSTOCK issues a new collection of boundary-pushing icons.

The ultra-modern sensibility of the Arizona and the Boston are once again included in this collection, comprising of four new styles reinterpreted through Manolo Blahnik’s absolute and archetypal flair. The second drop introduces a newly designed style Rodra delivering eye-catching new editions in polka dot and PVC.

Rodra polka dot
The Rodra sandal in all-over polka dot is a new style created for BIRKENSTOCK by Manolo Blahnik, reflecting the playful attitude of the house. An elegant cross between the creativity of both brands, and a nod to the robust function of BIRKENSTOCK’s footbeds, the Rodra elevates the sandal for a new era.

Boston polka dot
Manolo Blahnik makes a bold statement with the polka dot print adorning calf hair Boston styles. This timeless polka dot is a signature of the collaboration and has featured across many of Blahnik’s past collections. The round-toed Boston slide has legendary status now amplified by the all-out ostentation of this new print.

Arizona pvc black & pvc white
The iconic PVC style of celebrated shoemaker Manolo Blahnik harks back to his classic 1970 designs, embodying a lightness in a structural and tactile sense. Now, Manolo Blahnik combines his transparent designs with a see-through spin on the Birkenstock Arizona sandal, arriving in two black and white PVC styles.

Presenting their most striking designs to date, the new styles in the Manolo Blahnik for BIRKENSTOCK collection will be available June 23rd at 1774.com, manoloblahnik.com, all Manolo Blahnik retail locations, as well as selected retailers worldwide.

Prices will range between € 345 and € 395.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Birkenstock / Manolo Blahnik
#manoloblahnikxbirkenstock
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There is so much hype about the release of the Louis Vuitton and Nike «Air Force 1» designed by Virgil Abloh. Now, finally in June 2022, 9 editions of the sneaker – first presented as part of the S/S 2022 Men’s Collection – will be launched globally through an inclusive digital activation, with members of the Maison’s community offered early access to order the shoes.

Until May 31, 2022, the 47 editions of the «Air Force 1» imagined by Virgil Abloh were exhibited to the public in the showcase Louis Vuitton and Nike “Air Force 1” by Virgil Abloh in New York City. This event coincided with a number of corresponding art installations around the city. Manufactured in the Maison’s Manufacture in Fiesso d’Artico, Venice, Italy, each design fuses the sneaker’s original codes with the Maison’s finest leather, materials and insignia of Louis Vuitton, and the distinctive visual grammar of Virgil Abloh.

Celebrating its 40th year, the classic Nike «Air Force 1» was designed in 1982 and is one of the most successful shoes ever created. A cultural symbol in its own right, Virgil Abloh viewed the sneaker as an objet d’art emblematic of self-generated cultural provenance. The 47 expressions of the Nike «Air Force 1»  were created for a Louis Vuitton collection rooted in the Amen Break, a little-known drum break of a B-side created by the funk-soul group The Winstons in 1969, which would be sampled and go on to underpin the hip-hop and jungle genres, and splinter into thousands of the pop tracks most familiar to us today.

In June 2021, Virgil Abloh explained his approach: «The Air Force 1 is a sample like the Amen Break. A t-shirt is an ‘Amen Break’, a suit is an ‘Amen Break’. We’re all iterating on the same ideas. But, in my canon, the Air Force 1 puts the edge on the blade. This object happened way before me, but to get to a context where it’s adjacent to the t-shirt and the suit, its logic has been forty years in the making,» he said.

In February 2022, 200 pairs of the sneaker designs were sold at auction, to benefit The Virgil Abloh™ «Post-Modern» Scholarship Fund.

The 9 editions selected for Louis Vuitton in-store release cover mid-tops (EUR 2,500) and low-tops (EUR 2,000), and will be made available in Nike sizes ranging from 3.5 to 18. The launch includes the classic all-white sneaker embossed with the Louis Vuitton Monogram, and a riff on the same design in black suede. Two-tone editions in white with either green, red or blue detailing nod at the rainbow motif key to the work of Virgil Abloh at Louis Vuitton. Likewise, a metallic gold sneaker pays homage to the designer’s debut collection for the Maison, while patchworked multi-colour renditions celebrate his distinct graphic language.

Finally, a Damier edition is adorned with a «Louis Vuitton» graffiti motif created by the artist Ghusto Leone. The full launch includes:

• White mid-top in Monogram embossed plain calf leather.
• White low-top in Monogram embossed plain calf leather.
• Black low-top in Monogram embossed calf suede.
• White and Gym Green low-top in a trompe-l’oeil canvas executed in printed Monogram leather and Monogram embossed calf leather.
• White and Comet Red low-top in a trompe-l’oeil canvas executed in printed Monogram leather and Monogram embossed calf leather
• White and Team Royal Blue low-top in a trompe-l’oeil canvas executed in printed Monogram leather and Monogram embossed calf leather
• Gold low-top in Monogram embossed metallic canvas.
• Silver and multi-colour patchwork low-top in Monogram embossed calf suede and monogram embossed metallic canvas.
• Sail and Multicolor mid-top in Damier leather with an Azur graffiti print (available in sizes 5-18)

As a way of building bridges between countries and cultures, the late Virgil Abloh merged the worlds of high fashion and streetwear. The Louis Vuitton and Nike “Air Force 1” by Virgil Abloh can be seen as another unifying motif. Hard to get your hands on, but absolutely worth it! It is a piece of fashion history. I attached for you the making of the sneakers. So interesting to experience the craftsmanship going into the shoes.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton / Nike
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Another year, another adventure! Follow Christian Louboutin as he embarks on a modern-day Odyssey through Athens and the Cyclades.

Playing tour guide to the designer, Mrs. Tependris, and her faithful poodle Pepe – created by Konstantin Kakanias, Christian’s dear friend and multi-faceted artist and illustrator.

Inspired by the land and the sea, the two limited-edition styles of Greekaba also play out in a variety of sizes and silhouettes. A rich artwork that tributes to the rich cultural heritage and craftsmanship of the Mediterranean.

You didn’t think they’d forget the shoes, did you? Explore the capsule that puts Greece’s rich cultural heritage firmly in the spotlight.

Consider this your one-way ticket to Greece!
To shop Christian Louboutin online, click here please.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Christian Louboutin
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A fresh talent reflecting new horizons and showcasing different perspectives. Prada collaborates with the artist Cassius Hirst – known as Cass – to imagine the Prada America’s Cup sneaker anew, through a customised capsule collection of four styles, in 22 variables.

«I was painting shoes, taking photos, and turning those photos into complex vinyl stencils that became abstract designs. I would mask off part of the body of the shoe, and then wrap the whole shoe in the stencil. It looked crazy. I sent a photo to my dad [Damien Hirst], and then he sent a photo of that to Miuccia [Prada]. And she said, «This looks amazing, let’s do something» The best part about this project – this collaboration – was how willing Prada are to invest their time, to be open to ideas, to challenges. And to really commit to something new.» said Cassius Hirst.

Cassius Hirst painted his first pair of sneakers when he was 14 – a gift for his father, the artist Damien Hirst. Growing up in a household where exposure to art was inevitable, sneakers became his canvas: sculptural objects whose topographies were reworked through hand spray-painting, no two pairs exactly alike. His work has garnered a cult following, purchased by the likes of A$AP Rocky, Playboi Carti, Offset, Rihanna, AJ Tracey and the late Virgil Abloh.

«The Cass x Prada collection finds parallels between the bold work of this fresh talent and the heritage of Prada – the sense of the hand, an excellence in manufacture, a constant search for innovation, a restless urge to re-examine and reinvent our history. Here, the iconic silhouette of the Prada America’s Cup sneaker becomes a canvas for creation, offered in a special capsule. Something unique, something new.» said Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada Group Marketing Director and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility.

In a unique project with Prada Linea Rossa, Cassius collaborates to reinvent the America’s Cup sneaker across a full range of special pieces, reconfiguring its distinct surfaces to rework a 20th century design classic for a 21st century generation. The capsule is showcased in a still and motion- image campaign by Axel Morin – a surreal performance invading a pristine space, showcasing the Cass x Prada sneaker styles and custom-made, one-of-a-kind masks – each character simultaneously anonymous, yet unique. The soundtrack to the campaign film features music specially created by Cass.

The four Cass x Prada sneaker styles draw their names from the world of music, reflective of the interests of Cassius and the passions of his fans. ATT4CK, D3CAY, SUST4IN, REL3ASE are all named after the ‘envelope‘ or life of a sound, the stages of its evolution, reflecting this new evolution of the America’s Cup sneaker. The title of each style suggests their look and feel: the hard-edged, molded spikes of ATT4CK, sprayed with neon; the distressed leather of D3CAY, stripped and intentionally faded; the solid brights of SUST4IN, with overpainted white relief details; and the neon- spray finish of REL3ASE.

All styles are hand-worked in Italy by Prada in a meshing of traditional craft and cutting-edge imagination – wholly unique, no two pairs exactly alike, with signature labels each with a distinct CASS signature. Each pair is sold in a co-branded Prada box, featuring the logo of Cassius Hirst – a scan of his brain.

«The brain scan represents hope and knowledge in a world of shadows and uncertainty. The brain is where the thoughts happen – for me it all became about creativity and the creative process. I’ve learned that sometimes we have to look inside ourselves to see what’s really going on. We shouldn’t be afraid of that.» declared Cassius Hirst.

At the core of each of the Cass x Prada styles is the iconic America’s Cup sneaker: invented in the late ’90s for the sailing crew of the Luna Rossa, in all-leather, or leather with distinctive cross-hatched breathable bike fabric inserts. Ergonomic, technically innovative, the silhouette is immediately recognizable – the perfect canvas for seemingly endless reinvention.

The Cass x Prada collection is an edition limited to 3,000 pairs globally, sold through a selection of Prada boutiques and via prada.com.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Prada
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Created by Virgil Abloh and part of his Pre-Fall 2022 collection silhouette, this male wardrobe essential has been refreshed for Louis Vuitton. Available in two versions, the aptly-named LV Driver is the most contemporary driving moccasin yet.

Two material combinations are offered. The first model boasts Monogram grained calfskin, creating a play on contrasts between the Maison’s traditional motif and the bright colour of the sole, which matches the LV branded lace tips (white, orange, green, Ébène or Éclipse). A second design is available in suede embossed with the Monogram, in either navy blue or mocha. On the rubber sole, traditional nubs have been transformed by pads. While based on the Monogram flowers, their design was also inspired by the unique harmony found in French gardens.

As the very first driving moccasin by Virgil Abloh, the LV Driver is the perfect embodiment of Louis Vuitton’s savoir-faire. On each pair, no less than one hour is required for the stitching of the vamps, done entirely by hand. The shoe’s tubular design, ultra-flexible rubber outsole and lack of insole guarantee unparalleled comfort. With a hint of Italian elegance, the LV Driver is above all the epitome of urban modern fashion.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton
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Ladies, are you ready for Easter? Throw away your comfy old bunny slippers for a bunnylicious upgrade. Meet STREETZIES High Heel Bunny Slippers that are fun, glamorous, and definitely sexy.

Sometimes it is good to discover your inner child and to play dress-up. Those shoes are synonymous with all the endearing qualities of innocence, youth, fun, whimsy, and personal charm.

Those heels also come as Kitty and Panda slippers.
Bad taste? Yes, maybe. Great fun? Yes, definitely.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: @ Streetzies @ KhrystyAna
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