The CHANEL J12 Boat Race

CHANEL and The Boat Race Company Ltd have announced the signing of a long-term partnership with CHANEL as Title Sponsor and official Timekeeping Partner. The 2025 event will become The CHANEL J12 Boat Race. 

The historic race between Oxford and Cambridge Universities was established nearly 200 years ago in 1829. It is the oldest major sporting event in the UK, with the dark and light ‘Blues’ crews of eight rowers pitted against each other on the River Thames every year in the Spring. 

The 2025 edition of The Women’s Boat Race and The Men’s Boat Race will take place on Sunday 13 April along the 4.25 miles of the Championship Course between Putney and Mortlake in London. The Boat Race is attended by over 250,000 spectators on the riverbank, broadcast live on the BBC, and watched by millions globally on television. It has become a treasured highlight in London’s sporting calendar. 

The long-term partnership is an expression of a shared philosophy, one of an uncompromising pursuit of excellence which relies on collective effort to succeed. Boat Race Day encapsulates the raison d’être of Oxford and Cambridge: to develop and showcase exceptional talent, in the same way the House of CHANEL supports outstanding creative expertise. 

CHANEL has had its roots in sport since it was founded in 1910. Inspired by sporting attire predominately worn by men of the time, Gabrielle Chanel was an active sportswoman herself and used materials such as jerseys, and tweeds and created trailblazing designs. These designs gave women the freedom of movement – to ride horses, cycle, and most importantly to choose how they dressed and who they wanted to be. 

CHANEL was the first luxury house to launch its own fragrance in 1921 and its own high jewellery collection in 1932. Decades later in 2000, CHANEL launched the iconic J12 unisex watch – the name inspired by the J Class 12-metre race boats from the early 20th century. 

The iconic J12 watch is produced in the ‘CHANEL Watch Manufacture’ in Switzerland and is powered by self-winding movements from the Swiss Manufacture Kenissi, co-owned by CHANEL. 

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © CHANEL
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My Look: Never Stop Dreaming

Never stop dreaming! Never take any blessing for granted. Coming back from Milan Fashion Week, I was super grateful for all those amazing moments, encounters and experiences. Even after all these years being in the fashion industry and collecting fashion, I have never lost my spark for it. Here you see me at the Prada S/S 2025 re-see. Exploring all the runway pieces up close is one of my favorite things to do as you really get the essence of the collection. Prada has always been a visionary house and you might only understand a few seasons later what this was all about. It is intelligent fashion. I have an extensive Prada collection and like to mix and match different seasons, combining vintage items with new ones like I did here.

Stay tuned for the full report on the Prada S/S 2025 collection coming up shortly.

My look: Double-breasted cloth jacket with feather detail, knitted top in green, and matching green jacquard skort, sequin-embellished triangle bag, and matching sequin-embellished bucket hat, earrings, and black suede boots, all by Prada.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht / Stefano Facca
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Louis Vuitton – The Art of Dining

Louis Vuitton presents its new Art of Dining collections, testaments to the Maison’s creativity, heritage and savoir-faire. The Maison now offers complete sets of porcelain, cutlery, glasses and decanters, blending the unexpected with a touch of playfulness. These new collections reflect the creativity and expertise of a House that makes every moment a shared experience: the graphic spirit of Monogram flowers on fine porcelain, hand-blown glass, the Épi motif on sparkling silver or the LV initials illuminated in fine gold… Each piece fuses the heritage of the House with contemporaneity, celebrating the art of living in the Louis Vuitton way.

Constellation Collection
This Limoges porcelain collection christened Constellation was designed to bring a lively, artistic touch to every meal. Each porcelain piece is graced with a pointillism- inspired theme, seemingly hand-painted with an infinite number of dots, recalling the iconic Monogram flower.

Splendor Collection
The Splendor service is a tribute to grand dining moments, combining the refinement of Limoges porcelain with the incomparable gleam of fine gold. Each of the seventeen pieces, from the serving plate to the sauce boat and including the rice bowls, sugar bowl and salad bowl, is decorated with a series of dynamic motifs: the Maison’s initials, the letters L and V, endlessly intertwining, echoing and mirroring each other.

Rivet Collection
For the first time at Louis Vuitton, the offer includes a fourteen-piece cutlery line. The Rivet collection was developed around the timeless trunk nail, a tribute to the artisanal savoir-faire so esteemed by the Maison. This collection, both elegant and functional and available in two variations, gives the cutlery the nail’s tubular shape.

I am totally in love with these new additions to the Louis Vuitton offering for the home.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton
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My Look: Club Night

In the first episode of MY STYLE ROCKS this week, I wore this super fabulous fun outfit. The topic of the show was «Club Night» and I couldn’t think of a better look to wear on stage. I had sported this outfit before for a night out with Hublot x DJ Snake in Paris.

My look: Sequined tulle jumpsuiticon by Halpern, Cassandre small suede shoulder bagpatchwork belt with snake head buckleicon, and Bianca leather sandals, all by Saint Laurent, Impatiens silver-tone crystal clip earringsicon by Oscar de la Rentaicon, and Big Bang Unico Summer turquoise watch by Hublot.

Please tune in daily at 6pm at Sport1 to see MY STYLE ROCKS! Every time with a new topic and of course a new outfit from my closet …

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht / Nadia Krawiecka and My Style Rocks / Beyza Babacan
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My Look: Party Time

Party time in Athens with my dear friend Mary Katrantzou. Great memories of a legendary night and the start of an amazing new adventure. My white jumpsuit couldn’t have been a better choice, like a plain white canvas waiting to be filled with something exciting.

My look: White jumpsuit with crinoline legs by Alaïa, Horsebit 1955 mini leather-trimmed crystal-embellished canvas-jacquard shoulder bagiconby Gucci, Tribute woven leather platform sandals by Saint Laurent, and bi-color heart-shaped earrings by Alessandra Rich.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht / Rian Davidson 
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Kim Jones Leaves Fendi

Another designer to make a career move…, Fendi artistic director Kim Jones is leaving the Italian fashion house but will stay on at Dior Homme, LVMH said in a statement, the latest in a series of designer shuffles at big name labels as the industry adjusts to a downturn.

A new creative organisation for the label will be announced «in due time,» the company said. One of the industry’s highest profile designers, Jones succeeded Karl Lagerfeld at the label in 2020, designing ready-to-wear and couture collections.

Demi Moore walking the Fendi Couture runway in January 2021.

Described as «the hardest working in man in fashion» by ELLE UK’s editor-in-chief Kenya Hunt for a December 2023 profile, Jones has previously held the top job at Louis Vuitton (Men’s) having risen up the ranks of the industry by way of non-profit incubator Fashion East.

Last week, LVMH named Michel Rider to succeed Hedi Slimane at Celine, and in September named Sarah Burton to take over creative direction at Givenchy.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Fendi
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My Style Rocks Comes to Germany

Finally I can share the news for you: the most spectacular style battle in the world is coming to Germany presented by Gülcan Kamps and I will be part of it. On October 15, 2024, MY STYLE ROCKS premiers on Sport1 and I am one of the four jurors alongside fashion designer Harald Glööckler, actress and model Larissa Marolt, and beauty expert Andreas Wendt.

The new show is on daily from Monday to Friday at 4:45 p.m at Sport1 and 3+.

MY STYLE ROCKS is a fashion competition show in which twelve stylish, self-confident women fight a daily fashion battle to determine the most stylish woman in Germany. Every day, the participants get a motto that they have to interpret in their own stylish way. From an autumn walk to a sophisticated business appointment to a club night. They can go shopping or present something from their own closet. After walking the catwalk, they will explain their choices and their inspirations to the jury and their fellow contestants.

They will then be commented on and evaluated using a points system by us fashion experts as well as the other candidates based on their creativity, their presentation and their consistency with the theme of the day.

At the end of the week, on the last gala day, they are given a specific theme – such as «Red Carpet Glam», «Feather Fantasy» or «Halloween Queen» – and the candidates have to take it up a notch. At the end of each week, the person with the highest score wins the weekly prize. Those with the lowest overall score, however, are in the danger zone – and one of them is eliminated.

What I really love about this TV format is that viewers have the opportunity to follow the contestants’ development over the weeks and see how they increasingly express their fashion sense and personality through their outfits. They will also learn new tips and be inspired by their fashion sense. It’s not just about being fashionable, but also about expressing their talent, creativity and fashion sense – and ultimately making it to the finals to win the crown. Personally speaking, I will give insights into fashion history, materials, proportions and trends.

Each week one contestant will win the weekly prize of €1500 and at the end of the series only one of them will be crowned as the most stylish woman in the country. She will win the big prize money of € 20,000!

In Switzerland MY STYLE ROCKS will air on 3+. For more information on the show in German, click here please. I hope you will start watching on Tuesday!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht
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Jimmy Choo x Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon 2

After its huge success in 2023, Jimmy Choo x Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon returns. The second instalment of this bold collaboration delves deeper into the story of the Sailor Guardians, bringing to life five more beloved characters from the iconic manga series. The capsule collection featuring footwear, bags and accessories draws on inspiration from the celebrated magical girls und is in stores now.

Personally speaking I am obsessed with the footwear. So many cool pieces.

LoL, Sandra

 

Photos: © Jimmy Choo
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Hedi Slimane Is Exiting Celine

I am in Istanbul at the moment filming a new TV show about fashion for German and Swiss TV, but I don’t want you to miss out on the big news. It’s official: Hedi Slimane is exiting Celine after seven years, owner LVMH confirmed in a statement. The star designer is departing the Parisian fashion house after months of thorny contract negotiations according to BoF. During his tenure, Slimane more than doubled Celine’s annual sales to €2.5 billion.

One thing is for sure Hedi, who is known for his trademark skinny silhouette has transformed Celine. He added menswear for the first time in the brand’s 79-year history to the portfolio, as well as expanding into high perfume and beauty. In womenswear, Slimane reconnected Celine to its historic identity as a purveyor of leather goods that incarnate Parisian bourgeois style and took the accent aigu of the e, which means it is Celine and not Céline anymore.

«Celine has experienced exceptional growth and established itself as an iconic French couture house,» LVMH said in a statement. «The holistic vision of Hedi Slimane, his exigence and rigour have made it possible to redefine the codes of Celine whilst reaffirming its feminine and Parisian roots

Mere hours after the official exit of Hedi Slimane, Michael Rider has been named artistic director of Celine. Rider was a top design deputy during Phoebe Philo’s tenure at Celine and left his role at Ralph Lauren earlier this year. Before that Rider worked under Nicolas Ghesquière at Balenciaga.He will oversee all collections at the LVMH-owned house from early 2025.

CHANEL has not named its new designer yet. I guess that Hedi is heading there … what is your take on it?

LoL, Sandra

PHOTOS: Courtesy of Celine
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My Interview and Photo Shoot in Settedonna

Today, I am super proud to show you the photo shoot and interview I did for Settedonna Magazine. The photos were taken by Michael Orlik at Atelier Dati, where you can find amazing art objects made of steel, for indoors and outdoors, busts, sculptures and paintings by the well-known artist couple Dario Norelli and Tina Itin. A huge thank you to the Settedonna team, publisher Yolanda Risi-Egger for the trust, creative director Patrizia Camardella, and stylist Tosca Hentz for the amazing collaboration and to Michael Tsanidis for the beautiful hair styles.

In the photo shoot I wear some amazing looks by Swiss designers combined with accessories from my own closet. I will post all details during the next days.

PHOTOSHOOT SETTEDONNA

 

INTERVIEW SETTEDONNA

In the interview  you can find photos shot by Felicia Sewerinsson. If you like the looks, you can find all the details in the links under the photos.

SaloniSky BlueRoyal Ascot

I am at the moment in Istanbul for a very special TV project. Stay tuned for an update coming soon.

LoL, Sandra

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