Sandra‘s Closet

Yesterday, I left for an amazing press trip I had been really looking forward to since weeks. Being invited by Gucci for the launch of their limited edition fragrance GUCCI GUILTY STUD to Nevada is pretty cool, isn’t it?

The trip was long, I flew from Zurich via San Francisco to Las Vegas. During the flight, I watched (couldn’t have been a better attunement…) Last Vegas, a comedy about a wild bachelor party thrown by group of old friends (Michael Douglas, Kevin Kline, Morgan Freeman and Robert de Niro). It is such a funny movie, imagine The Hangover as a geriatric edition.

Avid readers of my blog might recognize part of my look. It is one of my favorite outfits to wear on long-distance flights as I really like to be comfy.

My look: Spencer leather lapel jacket by Saint Laurent, leopard print jacket and matching track pants, both by Dolce & Gabbana, fine-knit cashmere top by Joseph, silk stole and textured-leather Bamboo tote, both by Gucci, suede boots by Balmain, rose diamond ring by Piaget and Spectra trolley by Victorinox.

Stay tuned for more coming up from Sin City. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas… this does not apply to Sandra’s Closet! Promised, you will know everything. As a little teaser, I will enjoy a private concert by Bruno Mars tonight. Excited!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Yesterday, my cute little monster charm had his first excursion through Zurich and dangled from my vibrant Fendi bag. Honestly, my new friend could spike up every one of my existing totes. Buggies are the season’s cutest and fuzziest fashion accessory! A special collection with different facial expressions and luxurious materials, such as fox hair, mink fur, leather and more. Those creatures will eventually become collectors’ pieces, even the swans were impressed. If you have a sense of humor about your personal style from time to time, this is definitely for you!

My look: Duffle coat, classic Plonge leather shorts and printed silk scarf, all by Saint Laurent, Mickey Mouse embroidered top by Marc Jacobs, wool-felt trilby by Gucci, boots with fringes by Balmain, 2Jours medium calf hair, mink and leather shopper and textured-leather and fox monster bag charm, both by Fendi, ring and necklace, both by Piaget.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

It is not Christmas yet but today it feels already like it… NET-A-PORTER‘s semi-annual international sale has gone live! Save up to 50% on designers like Gucci, Stella McCartney, Chloé and many more! I always recommend to get some basic pieces as you don’t want to invest at the end of the season into something too trendy and fancy.

I put together a wish list of basic items, classics that should be in your wardrobe and that could be mixed and matched:

1 Leather over-the-knee boots by 3.1 Phillip Lim
2 Ester cutout suede ankle boots by Giuseppe Zanotti
3 Wool-felt wide-brimmed hat by Gucci
4 Wool-blend blazer by Gucci
5 Wool and cashmere-blend sweater by Chloé
6 Silk and lace dress by Nina Ricci
7 Motocross-style low-rise skinny jeans by Balmain
8 Silk-blend chiffon pussy-bow blouse by Dolce & Gabbana
9 The Falabella crystal-embellished faux leather clutch by Stella McCartney
10 The Pashli medium two-tone shark-effect leather trapeze bag by 3.1 Phillip Lim
11 Geometrie hammered gold-plated cuff by Hervé Van der Straeten

Have fun shopping!

LoL, Sandra

In Paris I was shot by my favorite street style photographer Melanie Galea from The Street Muse for a project with Tank Magazine and Silhouette. She was so sweet to take my camera for more pics of my outfit that was all about Dolce & Gabbana‘s Byzantine moment for F/W 2013.

My look: Blazer by Balmain, lace top and mosaic-print wool and silk-blend skirt, all by Dolce & Gabbana, pointed leather Mary-Jane pumps by Saint Laurent, Stephanie gold-tone necklace by Lanvin, rose diamond ring by Piaget and My Own Code clutch by Valentino and Futura sunglasses by Silhouette.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Melanie Galea – The Street Muse, © Sandra Bauknecht

Yesterday, I flew from Zurich to New York for Fashion Week. I had a very relaxing flight, worked a little and watched Hangover 3, but couldn’t really sleep. After I had arrived, I went straight to the Tibi S/S 2014 show location to go backstage before the event and to interview the wonderful Amy Smilovic. The collection is amazing and I cannot wait to show you everything. In the meantime, here is my comfy outfit I wore for the flight:

Leather biker jacket by Saint Laurent, cashmere leggings by Donna Karan, embellished striped top by Balmain, Susanna studded leather ankle boots by Chloé, Bamboo shopper leather tote by Gucci, Atlas sterling silver bangles by Tiffany & Co., Hapi leather bracelet by Hermès, Limelight Gala watch, diamond rose necklace and ring, all by Piaget.

Stay tuned for more to come from New York Fashion Week and don’t forget to follow me on instagram (@sandrascloset) for live updates.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

The Moto Jacket (aka fall’s must-have item) should be in your closet right now.

Just when I thought it had gone to biker heaven, this topper pops up on most of the major F/W 2013 runways in every way possible, floral at Givenchy, classic at Saint Laurent and sexy at Jason Wu. The biker jacket is a super-easy way to work this season’s grunge trend and to add some edge to any outfit. Try one of these amazing ones below:

1 Leather biker jacket by Balmain
2 Cracked-leather biker jacket by Proenza Schouler
3 Two-tone textured-leather biker jacket by Faith Connexion
4 Hyde paneled leather biker jacket by IRO
5 Jovanna neon stretch-denim biker jacket by Karl Lagerfeld
6 Herringbone wool-blend biker jacket by Junya Watanabe
7 Karle leather biker jacket by J Brand
8 Leopard-print ribbed leather jacket by 3.1 Phillip Lim
9 Trompe l’oeil leather biker jacket by Alexander Wang

Classic leather biker jacket by Saint Laurent (my favourite one as you can see above)

Royal blue nubuck biker jacket by Alexander McQueen (now on my wish list)

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Via style.com, © Sandra Bauknecht

Between my recent trips to China and Iceland, I flew for one day to Berlin to shoot MCM‘ s amazing new collaboration with Craig & Karl: EYES ON THE HORIZON. I love the German capital (and that is not only because I was born in this country), it’s one of the most vibrant, energetic cities in Europe. It’s the combination of two facts that can be felt everywhere: its present anything-goes-and-anything’s-possible vibe and its somber past.

Let me take you on a tour around Berlin. I had so much fun with my very talented photographer Christoph Schemel. See for yourselves:

First stop: THE KURFÜRSTENDAMM
Known locally as the Ku’damm, one of the most famous avenues in the city is home to many shops, such as the MCM boutique, hotels and restaurants. It’s often considered the Champs-Élysées of Berlin.

Second stop: DAS STUE
Located right next to the Tiergarten (central park of Berlin), the stylish design hotel Das Stue offers all the comforts of a quiet urban refuge within the heart of Berlin.

Third stop: CAFE AM NEUEN SEE
Christoph and I had a fabulous lunch at this fun place outside in the garden area with waiter service (there is also a self-service beer garden part directly by the lake) and planned the rest of our shoot. I had a piece of very yummy cheesecake (German cheesecake is the best) that went so fast I forgot to take a picture.

Fourth stop: SIEGESSÄULE
Berlin’s “Victory Column” is a famous monument and probably one of the best known symbols of the city. The “Golden Lizzie,” as it is known in local slang, was originally built around 1864 to celebrate Prussia’s victory in the German-Danish war.

Fifth stop: BRANDENBURGER TOR
Located at the heart of Berlin, the Brandenburg Gate is standing at the western end of the avenue Unter den Linden. It has been a symbol for both, the divided Cold War city and the country’s reunification. Today, it is one of the metropole’s most-visited landmarks.

Last stop: GRILL ROYAL
Before I flew back to Zurich, we went to Grill Royal for drinks. This see-and-be-seen restaurant is still, after opening a couple of years ago, the place-to-dine and very popular with the celebrity crowd. Below you see me before the entrance on Friedrichstrasse.

I hope that you have enjoyed my day in Berlin! Cannot wait to be back soon…

My look: Ivory blazer, cropped metallic leather motocross pants, both by Balmain, black top by Tom Ford, Audrey wayfarer sunglasses by Céline, shoes by Gucci, key ring, clutch and backpack, all from the MCM x Craig & Karl Eyes on the Horizon collection. Rose necklace and ring, both by Piaget.

LoL, Sandra

Photos by Christoph Schemel

Each year, the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art holds the Met Gala, the fashion event of the season and the party of the year, to celebrate the newest the exhibition. This spring, it will be about PUNK: Chaos to Couture, on view from May 9 through August 14, 2013, will examine punk’s impact on high fashion from the movement’s birth in the 1970s through its continuing influence today. “Since its origins, punk has had an incendiary influence on fashion,” said Andrew Bolton, Curator in The Costume Institute. “Although punk’s democracy stands in opposition to fashion’s autocracy, designers continue to appropriate punk’s aesthetic vocabulary to capture its youthful rebelliousness and aggressive forcefulness.”

If you want to find out more about the exhibition, please click here.

Enjoy the best looks from the red carpet of the Costume Institute Benefit last Monday. On top, you can see Sarah Jessica Parker who took the night’s punk theme to heart, and went for this stunning Giles Deacon dress, combined with a Philip Treacy punk hat and plaid Christian Louboutin boots. Madonna understood the invitation well and showed up in Givenchy.

Anne Hathaway had the most surprising look with her bleached blond hair which I loved. Of course, the vintage Valentino gown was the perfect match.

And here is an amazing opportunity, you can PRE-ORDER those extremely sexy couture red carpet looks (all F/W 2013) below directly now for seven days. How cool is that?! Just click on the highlighted text to be transferred directly.

Emma Watson in a matte black crepe crossover tie strap gown with high slit by Prabal Gurung.

Kate Bosworth in a short body-conscious dress with 3/4-length sleeves and diamond embroideries on pink lurex jacquard by Balmain Atelier.

Anja Rubik in a lambskin and macrame dress by Anthony Vaccarello.

Gisèle Bündchen in a bonded crepe and macrame one sleeve halter dress by Anthony Vaccarello.

Taylor Swift in a black silk crepe gown with black lace inserts, black chiffon sunburst pleated back and silver-gold embroidered crystal neckline by J.Mendel.

Kate Mara in a short dress with woolen crepe base, heart-shaped neckline and architectural modules by Delpozo.

Christina Ricci in a turquoise silk taffeta McAndrew tartan corset gown by Vivienne Westwood Couture.

And don’t miss Moda Operandi‘s amazing punk pop-up store where you can find all those  must-have pieces. Mmh, Hedi Slimane was obviously not so wrong with his F/W 2103 collection…

LoL, Sandra

Last Saturday, I spent a beautiful day in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. The sun was shining and I enjoyed exploring the city very much. Below you can enjoy some of my impressions.

My look: Bouclé tweed jacket and matching Lily bouclé tweed shoulder bag, both by Mulberry, stretch-leather skinny pants by Gucci, suede boots by Balmain, Sandra two-tone stretch-cady top and printed scarf, both by Stella McCartney and Portrait sunglasses by Prada.

I stayed at the NOBIS HOTEL, a luxury design hotel, located in two historic late 19th-century buildings on Norrmalmstorg square in the city centre of Stockholm. I have liked its contemporary design very much. Here you see me sitting in the so-called lounge, a quite spectacular room with a ceiling height of 28 meters.

When staying at Nobis Hotel, you have to try their house cocktail, so delicious.

In the bathroom of my hotel room, I was overly happy to find the complete body range of one of my favourite scents: BLANCHE by Byredo.

As I was at the very center of what’s going on in Stockholm in every sense, I had everything I wanted to explore within walking distance. Above you see the Royal Opera House.

Lunch at T-Bar that belongs to the Diplomat Hotel, an iconic Art Nouveau palace by the shore of Strandvägen, another great place to stay at.

My favourite Swedish dish: Löjrom (Bleak Roe or Kalix Caviar), such a delicacy.

A little shopping tour around the famous department store NK.

I had such a wonderful time in Stockholm and will surely be back. Stay tuned for one more sightseeing post coming up soon.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

This morning, I attended the Omega press conference in the presence of Nicole Kidman that I will show you very soon. It was freezing cold today in Vienna so that I didn’t feel like being outside for too long. In the afternoon, I took a “Fiaker”, a horse carriage, to the city’s iconic Sacher hotel to treat myself to the probably most famous chocolate cake in the world: Original Sacher-Torte.

Its story began in 1832, when it was created by a 16 year old apprentice in his second year, Franz Sacher, for Wenzel Clemens Prince Metternich, the chancellor of Austria. The head chef was ill and not able to fulfill the important order so that the teenaged Franz Sacher had to invent something on the spot. That was the day when the victorious career of the renowned Austrian dessert composition began…

The basis is a chocolate cake, thinly coated by hand with best-quality apricot jam. The chocolate icing on top of it is the crowning glory. You can order it online here.

My look: Python-print down jacket by Roberto Cavalli, red knit dress with chiffon ruffles and black scarf with gold threads, both by Gucci, boots by Balmain and my beloved leather tote by Saint Laurent.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht