Sandra‘s Closet

Albert Kriemler, who was awarded this week by the Couture Council of The Museum at FIT with its award for Artistry in Fashion, is one of the designers who has been impressing me with the creative background of his designs since many seasons. He is taking the term «inspiration» to the next level. For the first time, the Swiss designer showed in NYC at Lever House. The collection, which is one of his best ones, is dedicated to the work of New York artist Carmen Herrera.

Carmen Herrera (b. 1915), Blanco y Verde, 1959. Acrylic on canvas, two panels: 68 1/8 × 60 1/2 in. (173 × 153.7 cm) overall. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase, with funds from the Painting and Sculpture Committee 2014.63 © Carmen Herrera; courtesy Lisson Gallery, London

Albert Kriemler’s sketch for his first look.

The first look of the Akris S/S 2017 collection has obviously been inspired by Carmen Herrera’s work «Blanco y Verde».

“On my first visit to the new Whitney Museum in New York, in June 2015, I saw a painting I could not take 
my eyes off. It was „Blanco y Verde “, from 1959, an off-white plane with a green arrow-shaped triangle, by Carmen Herrera, born in 1915 and living in New York. Her sense of color and proportion,
a blend of euphoria and perfect order, stunned me.” – Albert Kriemler

Albert Kriemler at the finale of his S/S 2017 show.

“The starting point in my creative thinking is pure intuition. It started with „Blanco y Verde “. It is a process of choosing from a multitude of options the one that blends emotion and purpose perfectly. I set out to translate her abstract, geometric lines which captured my mind and heart into a woman’s body language expressed in a relaxed and refined wardrobe.” – Albert Kriemler

„To Albert, My best wishes for a great success, Carmen Herrera, May 31st, 2016“ (her 101st birthday).

“On her 101st birthday, I met Carmen Herrera in her studio and we spoke about our work. I received her approval to design my next collection with the inspiration of her exceptional paintings.” – Albert Kriemler

Albert Kriemler seems to have truly a nose for trends. On September 16, 2016, Carmen Herrera‘s solo exhibition «Lines of Sight» opens at the Whitney Museum. It is her first museum exhibition in New York City in nearly two decades and it will close on January 2, 2017. Find out more about the amazing artist and the upcoming show here.

Below you can enjoy some of my favourite looks of the show!

LoL, Sandra

Carmen Herrera (b. 1915), Iberic, 1949. Acrylic on canvas on board, diameter: 40 in. (101.6 cm). Courtesy the artist and Lisson Gallery © Carmen Herrera

Photos: Courtesy of the Whitney Museum and © Akris

«It’s all about the jacket! The jacket is a parka, a caban and a hoodie, always a blazer, it’s a suit, it could be a vest, a débardeur, a qipao and a redingote, a dress and even a gown.» – Albert Kriemler

AKRIS has come up with a new cool when it comes to dressing. For the last winter collection, creative director Albert Kriemler has quite obviously fallen in love with the jacket. I adore the versatility of his creations. The cropped fur part for example can be removed and the leather vest be worn solo. How cool is that?!

Besides, I am a big fan of the color combination of light grey and olive. Those two hues are a great match, unexpected and interesting together.

My look: Brighton grey kalgan lamb cropped jacket, Valentin grey leather vest and thin grey sweater, all by Akris, Lady Buckle light olive green leather top handle bag
and olive green leather leggings, both by Gucci, Paris laced ankle boots in earth suede
by Saint Laurent, sunglasses by Céline, colorful bracelet by Louis Vuitton and clip on cuff earrings by Dior.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Last Thursday, the launch party for L’Officiel Switzerland took place in Zurich at Kaufleuten. With a stunning atmosphere, reminiscent of 1920s Paris, where it all began over 90 years ago, the fashionable crowd partied until late. Enjoy some impressions of the night and for my outfit post please click here.

Swiss beauties: Sarina Arnold, Ronja Furrer and Fiona Hefti.

Trio infernal: Photographer Marco Grob, cover girl Patricia Schmid, and my humble self. We shot the first cover and fashion editorial for L’Officiel in Paris together.

L’Officiel is still family owned and I was thrilled to have Marie-José Susskind-Jalou and Benjamin Eymère with us at the launch party in Zurich. Mother and son, President and CEO of this legendary family business that started in 1921 and brings together the very best of French heritage in style, fashion and joie de vivre. To the right: Deputy CEO at L’Officiel Magazine Nicolas Reynaud.

Marie-José Susskind-Jalou framed by Albert Kriemler, Creative Director Akris and me.

CEO IWC Georges Kern with his lovely wife Monika.

Getting excited for my speech!

Looking gorgeous in Dolce & Gabbana Alina Kaltsidou-Poprawski with her husband Patrick.

They came especially for the party from Geneva: Julia Pleynes and Mathieu Arsac.

Clifford Lilley and Swiss male model Fabian Pfenninger.

The lovely Piaget ladies with whom I had just been in Los Angeles one week before: Mousse Jacquier, Nunzia Marsella and Nicole Suess.

Beauty power reunited. The teams from Kanebo Sensai, Dior, L’Oréal Luxe and Marionnaud know how to party.

Special performance by Nicola Hunt from London.

Dancing all night to the tunes of DJ Roger Taylor (Duran Duran) who had flown in from London.

The party was amazing and I am very happy with the first edition of L’Officiel Switzerland that is out now. A huge thank you to my dedicated team that made it all happen! You guys rock!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © David Biedert and © Sandra Bauknecht

Paris Fashion Week has started off for me with the Akris S/S 2014 show yesterday evening. I have to admit arriving at my seat is always a treat at this presentation, some yummy chocolate is waiting and the press kit is just perfect.

A sketch by Albert Kriemler with a piece of real fabric pinned to it, plus the inspiration laid out in a moodboard (sandstone lines, algae, honeycombs in the sand, and granite curves) along with a list of all the upcoming looks make my work so much easier.

This eye for detail could also be seen in the stunning collection. Nature was Albert’s main inspiration (something that has been spotted quite a lot here in Paris). “It’s a dream of fabrics and nature – moved forward through technology,” he wrote.

The show started off with some very strong prints on cotton voile, plissé chiffon and leather, inspired by sandstone lines. I loved the see-through and asymmetrical details of the collection and the amazing St. Gallen embroideries in honeycombs of lace, reminiscent of algae. The last pieces in black and gold wave jacquard will surely fly off the shelves.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Akris and © Sandra Bauknecht

Such beautiful photos! H.S.H. Princess Charlène of Monaco wears Akris on the cover of the current issue of VOGUE Japan Health & Beauty and throughout a 6-pages feature about the charitable educational sports program for children organized by her „Princess Charlène of Monaco Foundation“. The Princess was styled by Albert Kriemler, Akris Creative Director, and her hair was down my very own Zurich based hair stylist Charles Aellen.

This is what I would call Swiss power… I love her clothes, her look and of course her hair!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Lauren Dukoff – Editor: Mayumi Nakamura – Styling: Albert Kriemler – Hair: Charles Aellen – Makeup: Tiziana Raimondo

Photos: Courtesy of Vogue Japan

When I heard the news that Akris Creative Director Albert Kriemler dresses Alicia Keys for her “Set The World On Fire” tour, I was completely excited. And when I saw the looks, I was over the moon. For the American pop singer and songwriter it was important that the outfits are not more important than her performance. And as her stylist, Laura Jones, told style.com, her performances are all about the singing, rather than fancy costumes. “Alicia doesn’t like to do a lot of costume changes. We’re not trying to build up some big embellished look [and] we didn’t want her to be hidden by the clothes,” says Jones, who’s been dressing Keys for a year.

Personally speaking, I couldn’t think of a better choice for Alicia Keys. The famous singer recently appeared in the Swiss brand at several high-profile events and always looked gorgeous: During her set at the Royal Variety Performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London, Keys performed in a black pebblestone-embroidery dress. I completely understand Alicia’s love for Akris. The F/W 2013 collection was a dream, stay tuned for a detailed post coming up soon!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Akris

“90 looks, exceptionally once, for the 90th anniversary in a Roberto Burle Marx inspired garden. The Brazilian landscape architect, plantsman and painter invented a new language for modern landscape design. He abandoned the tradition of the straight line and cultivated a passion for curved and sensual lines. His work is, in the detail and as a whole, always one and the same. Inimitable!”

AKRIS is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. A wonderful reason for Albert and Peter Kriemler to throw a party after the presentation of the S/S 2013 collection during Paris Fashion Week. 90 looks were shown on the runway of which many were noticeably transparent. Sexy without being vulgar – Albert Kriemler is one of the rare designers who can make this work in an elegant and sophisticated way. The collection was inspired by landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx and the prints as well as the setting of the show resembled a beautiful greenhouse. Tailoring is the soul of Akris and played a huge role as usual. The colour palette developed from black to basic shades such as white and beige to vibrant hues of green, yellow and fluo coral pink. The only look that was a little too extravagant for me was the shift dress with a gigantic organza leaf appliqué (see collage above). Personally speaking, I like Albert Kriemler’s modern jungle chic, a worthy jubilee collection!

Have a look at the collection below and see which celebrity attended the show:

TRANSPARENCY

PRINTS and LEATHER

COLOUR

“Style is all about the woman; it’s about her personality. You should notice the woman first, and what she is wearing follows.” – Albert Kriemler

Albert Kriemler, Princess Charlene of Monaco, Valerie Steele and Peter Kriemler

Princess Charlene of Monaco, who is a huge fan of  the Akris brand, attended the show and listened to the very emotional speech given by Peter Kriemler, Global President of Akris, in honour of the house’s 90th anniversary. Later, she joined the after party.

At the party: Nora Baldenweg, Kim Dang (NZZ) and Sara Allerstorfer (Bolero Magazine) with me.

« AKRIS » by Valerie Steele 11 x 14 in – 28 x 35 cm |192 pages | 150 illustrations | Hardcover
available in English and German $125 – €100 – £80

Limited Edition of 90 11 x 14 in – 28 x 35 cm |192 pages | 150 illustrations | Hardcover with Horsehair bag
Available in English and German $1922 – €1922
Fall 2012, Assouline

A great book that maps the rich heritage of Akris and its dynamic evolution in the recent years.

Akris is available in Zurich at Gassmann.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Akris and @ Sandra Bauknecht

Last Sunday, Albert Kriemler presented his Akris S/S 2012 runway show during Paris Fashion Week and surprised us with some amazing prints which have become his signature.
Ladies, start your engines!

Like Miuccia Prada, the designer got turned on by cars this season and seeked inspiration from John Frankenheimer’s 1966 film Grand Prix, set in Monaco.

One print is a shot of the Hotel de l’Hermitage at Monte Carlo on a racing day with people watching the event from the balcony:

This dress would be the perfect look for Princess Charlene next May at the Monaco Grand Prix Formula 1 race, don’t you think? The princess, who has been seen many times in Akris, sat front row at the show and I am pretty sure that she was kind of Albert Kriemler’s muse for this collection.

Anna Wintour, Peter Kriemler and Princess Charlene front row at the Akris S/S 2012 show.

Haven’t seen Anna that happy in a long time…she must have really liked the collection.
Princess Charlene, Albert Kriemler and Anna Wintour.

Sport is an important trend for next summer and Akris offers some clean and crisp choices. But my favourite part of this collection is definitely the motor sports section!

Enjoy the looks! For my Zurich based readers, Gassmann carries a large selection of Akris.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Akris

Today is Swiss National Day that is celebrated with fireworks and a public holiday.
August 1st is to the Swiss what July 4th is to Americans, or July 14th to the French. This day was chosen because August 1st 1291 was the date on which three Alpine cantons swore the oath of confederation, an act which later came to be regarded as the foundation of Switzerland.

So for me a good reason to honour our well-known Swiss designer Albert Kriemler (who is loved by Charlene de Monaco) and his Akris collection for F/W 2011. He seeked inspiration from the Vienna Secession movement which was best seen in the beautiful fall colours he used, from a golden yellow to caramel and russet.

My favourite is the photo print of architect and Vienna Secession founder Joseph Maria Olbrich’s Wedding Tower (Darmstädter Hochzeitsturm) that Kriemler put on dresses, shirts and a floor-length cape.

For those of you who are not familiar with the Vienna Secession movement, here is some more information: Also known as the Union of Austrian Artists, or Vereinigung Bildender Künstler Österreichs, the Vienna Secession was formed in 1897 by a group of Austrian artists, among them Gustav Klimt, Koloman Moser, Josef Hoffmann, Joseph Maria Olbrich and Max Kurzweil. The movement included painters, sculptors, and architects.

To all Swiss, Happy National Day!

LoL, Sandra

Charlene Wittstock, the future bride of Prince Albert, is known for her simple and classy elegance. The tall blonde has actually been a huge fan of Giorgio Armani’s work and she is said to tie the knot this July in a gown by Armani Privé.

Albert Kriemler, © Keystone

But recently she has been seen more and more in Albert Kriemler’s designs for Akris that she even wore for her engagement (see photo above) and during the festivities for the British Royal wedding. As for me, the Swiss brand seems to be the perfect match for the future princess.

Charlene once said that she likes Akris so much because of its modern approach to fashion. I would sign that sentence. Albert Kriemler has a huge talent to dress women very classy witout ever looking old or too conservative.

I am truly wondering who will be designing Charlene’s bridal dress and I am actually pretty convinced that Albert Kriemler has settled the race. After having further enquiried, the house of Akris gave me the following statement: „The good relations between Charlene Wittstock and us have further strengthened.“ That sounds pretty promising, doesn’t it?

Please enjoy the photos of Charlene wearing Akris below:

Charlene Wittstock and Prince Albert de Monaco  during their Ireland visit – © Wire Images

Charlene during the day in a casual elegant outfit © Abaca Press

Charlene  & Prince Albert de Monaco during their Ireland visit – © Getty Images

Charlene Wittstock in a double-faced coat and dress by Akris, also in grey, and carrying the house’s Allegra ostrich clutch, British Royal Wedding April 29 2011

Charlene Wittstock in a dove-gray Akris dress in silk dupioni, British Royal Wedding Pre- Dinner April 28 2011
This gives me pretty much of an idea how she would look like in an Akris bridal gown, just amazing!

LoL, Sandra

Engagement Photo: © Amadeo Turello – Courtesy of Akris