Sandra‘s Closet

Designer duo Viktor Horsting & Rolf Snoeren were both born in 1969 in the Netherlands not far away from each other. They met during their studies at the Arnhem Academy of Art and Design and began working together upon graduation. In 1993, they won a talent contest and launched their namesake label VIKTOR & ROLF.

Today, they focus on their creative Haute Couture collections and their bestselling fragrances. Below you can enjoy their insider tips for their vibrant hometown Amsterdam.

Your favourite city?
Amsterdam

Your favourite hotel?
No idea, we never stay in a hotel in Amsterdam, we live here! Having said that, the new WALDORF ASTORIA seems nice. Quiet, and with a lovely big garden.
Herengracht 542-556, 1017 CG Amsterdam, Phone: +31 20 718 4600

Your favourite restaurant?
We always end up at GEORGE on the Leidsegracht because it’s around the corner and convenient. DE GOUDFAZANT in Noord is also nice, we should go more often. Great atmosphere and food in a laid back setting.
Café George, Leidsegracht 84, 1016 CR Amsterdam, Phone: +31 20 626 0802
Restaurant Hotel de Goudfazant, Aambeeldstraat 10 H, 1021 KB Amsterdam (Noord), Phone: +31 20 – 63 65 170

Your favourite bar or nightclub?
PARADISO because it has such a varied programme, from café chantant via indie pop to hardcore gay technoclub.
Weteringschans 6-8, 1017 SG Amsterdam, Phone: +31 20 626 4521

Your favourite museum?
THE RIJKSMUSEUM. All the Dutch masters under one roof.
Museumstraat 1, 1071 XX Amsterdam, Phone: +31 900 0745
HET STEDELIJK MUSEUM. Cutting edge contemporary art + an amazing collection of modern art
Museum Het Schip (Amsterdamse School architecture). Great example of this particularly Dutch style of architecture.
Museumplein 10, 1071 DJ Amsterdam, Phone:+31 20 573 2911

Your favourite sightseeing spot?
HET STADSARCHIEF BY DE BAZEL. An underrated monument.
Vijzelstraat 32,1017 HL Amsterdam, Phone: +31 20 723 0560

DE REGULIERSGRACHT. It doesn’t get more picturesque than this.
Reguliersgracht 78c, 1017 LV Amsterdam, Phone: +31 20 344 9247

Your favourite park?
VONDELPARK. Anything goes in there.
1071AA Amsterdam, Phone+31 20 678 1678

Your favourite beach?
ZANDVOORT, behind beachbar ELDORADO. Because clothing is optional.
Strandpaviljoen, Zuidstrand 6, 2042 AD Zandvoort, Phone: +31 23 571 8229

Your favourite shop?
All the FLOWER SHOPS and stalls in town! You gotta love ‘em.

Your must-have accessory?
SPICEBOMB!

The best soundtrack for this destination?
IBIZA SONICA RADIO. Happy vibes.

The best book to read while being on vacation there?
ALI SMITH «THERE BUT FOR THE». One of the best contemporary authors.

Thank you, Viktor & Rolf, for sharing your insider scoop on Amsterdam with us!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Viktor & Rolf, ©Kristina-D.C.-Hoeppner, © Barbara Walsh

Amsterdam has so much more to offer than its famous Red Light District. With over one million residents, it’s the largest city in the Netherlands and a creative, cultural hub. The Stedelijk Museum for example is absolutely worth a visit with its great exhibition of modern and contemporary art as well as design from the early 20th century up to the 21st century. It features artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Wassily Kandinsky, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse, Jackson Pollock, Karel Appel, Andy Warhol, Willem de Kooning, Marlene Dumas, Lucio Fontana, and Gilbert & George.

Me in front of the Stedelijk Museum

The Stedelijk is located at the Museum Square in the borough Amsterdam South, where it is close to the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum, and the Royal Concertgebouw, that are all must-sees when being in the Dutch metropole.

My look: Floral print long cardigan and matching floral print T-shirt, both by Givenchy, Le Skinny De Jeanne mid-rise jeans by Frame Denim, biker boots by Miu Miu, Boy bag with chains by Chanel, diamond bracelet by Vainard Fine Jewellery, hoop earrings by Dior, rose diamond ring and Limelight Gala watch, both by Piaget.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

One of the best ways to have some fun in Amsterdam is to get on a bike or vespa as I did and see the city on a set of wheels. I had heard about the city’s famous Red Light District well before my trip. In Amsterdam, both marihuana and prostitution are legal. Leaving nothing to the imagination, some stereotypes about this area are true, there are plenty of sex shops, peep shows, brothels and prostitutes in red-lit windows. The area is bustling with visitors and groups of tourists.

My look to explore the town: Black cotton parka by Balmain, dress with leather and lace appliqué by Saint Laurent, biker boots by Miu Miu, Boy bag with chains by Chanel, diamond bracelet by Vainard Fine Jewellery, rose diamond ring and Limelight Gala watch, both by Piaget and sunglasses by Marni.

Tulips are also an integral part of the Dutch city’s life and you see them everywhere.
Stay tuned as I will show you more from Amsterdam soon…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Visiting Amsterdam, the Venice of the North, was truly a lot of fun. Thanks to its 400-year-old waterways, which are criss-crossed with tons of bridges, the city offers lots of picturesque places to enjoy. Here you see me heading to dinner at Izakaya, a culinary hot spot in Amsterdam, Japanese food at its best.

My look: Studded leather dress, knit cardigan with stud embellishments, Janis embellished suede ankle boots, all by Saint Laurent, Boy bag with chains by Chanel, Limelight Gala watch and rose diamond ring, both by Piaget and diamond bracelet by Vainard Fine Jewellery.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

As with any royal occasion, I am always curious about the outfits. Today, Dutch King Willem-Alexander took the oath next to his wife Queen Máxima during a religious ceremony at the Nieuwe Kerk church in Amsterdam, marking the abdication of Queen Beatrix and the investiture of her eldest son. He became the first king of the Netherlands since 1890.

Queen Máxima of the Netherlands wore for the inauguration of her husband, a custom royal-blue gown by Dutch designer Jan Taminiau. Her floor-sweeping lace embellished dress was combined with a matching floor-sweeping cape, which reminded me a lot of Gwyneth Paltrow’s 2012 Tom Ford Oscar gown appearance.

But I couldn’t take my eyes of Willem-Alexander’s royal mantle, decorated with silver lions and ermine fur, it is a piece of art. The original dates to 1815, but it has been repaired and altered over the past century, and had been also worn for the investitures of his mother and grandmother.

I would love to have such an outerwear and thought immediately of Valentino‘s beautiful F/W 2013 collection where I spotted something similar on the runway, like a modernized version of the royal coat, made of red mink with an ermine collar.

I am sure that I would feel like a real princess in it. More of Valentino will be coming up soon, so please stay tuned. It has been one of my favourite collections for the next season and I took some great pictures in the showroom in Paris as you can see in this little preview below.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: REUTERS/Lex Van Lieshout/Pool, Valentino and © Sandra Bauknecht

Time flies. One year ago, I was one of the advertising faces for the Closed F/W 2011 ad campaign. So I was very curious to see what the Hamburg-based brand has come up with this season. Shot by Max Farago in Amsterdam, the team set out with no fixed agenda or timetable to follow. And the Dutch capital presented them with plenty of spontaneous opportunities. In the end, they said, it became hard to depart.

Closed looked to other aspects of the city than those so instantly recognisable such as the iconic canals and gabled housing and realised that the texture of the streets was providing an ideal backdrop for the seasonal collection. And, of course, the easy going laidback attitude that the city is most known for resonated perfectly with the clothes and the four chosen individuals that comprise theCLOSED F/W 2012 campaign.

Find out who this season’s Closed ambassadors are:

Clara Cullen

Born in Argentina and based in New York where she makes film, Clara describes her life: “I love cooking. I have a horse named “El Zurdo”. I write my dreams. I like taking pictures of old women and dogs. My mum is the example of a woman. And dad is my number one fan. Travelling is part of my life. The Metropolitan museum in New York and the Musée d’Orsay in Paris are my favourites. Icons are, Yves Saint Laurent, Sonia Rykiel, Rita Mitsouko, Delia Derbyshire. Buenos Aires, New York. I’m obsessed with miles. I had a hard time communicating when I was a kid. I didn’t like school. It’s important to break the rules.”

Karta Healy

Introducing himself as a conceptor is typically modest of Karta. Probably the only person to successfully persuade a bunch of stiff British politicans to loosen their ties and enjoy bike riding in London’s House of Commons, Healy has been referred to as a cycling scientist. Educated in political science and then trained in industrial design, he is evangelical about the freedom of two wheels over the pollution of four wheeled vehicles and consults with city councils globally on congestion. His Sikh upbringing and nomadic travelling has given him an open outlook on life. As he says, “I have always lived ‘off-the-grid’.” True enough, Karta currently resides on a converted boat in London, “to escape the city within the city.”
Freedom could well be his middle name.

Pernille Teisbæk

Copenhagen-based editor, blogger and TV host, Pernille describes herself: “I’m a fashion blogger and freelance stylist. I just turned 28 years and I feel better and stronger than ever before… because I’m doing what I love. It all started when I was 12 years old and got my grandmother’s old sewing machine. I started to think about making something new – creating clothes that only I could have. Then I started looking in the magazines to find inspiration. After modeling, I started as fashion director at WOMAN magazine. I’ve since gone freelance. I really like the process of creating a universe around a specific look. I guess that is why I feel at home in front of the camera and behind it.”

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Closed and © Sandra Bauknecht