Sandra‘s Closet

It is December 1st, are you getting antsy for Christmas? Like last year, I have created a little online Advent calendar to make the wait a bit easier. Every day I will surprise you with one or two deliciously fashionable must-haves, or an inspiration for a lovely gift, even for yourself.

Get caught up in some fabulous offerings and don’t forget to shop them fast. Some things will sell out so quickly that even Santa can’t bring them. Hello, wait list!

To celebrate the Advent season in style, Monnier Frères offers to Sandra’s Closet readers a special 10% discount from today until December 15, 2012. Enter promo code XMAS10SCL at checkout. Delivery before Christmas is guaranteed for any order placed before noon on the 20th of December, 2012.

I am not dreaming of a white Christmas but of a…
1 20 Year silk twill square by Christian Lacroix
2 Maraini Faith leather bag by Jil Sander
3 Red hat by Borsalino
4 Tuyet embroidered clutch by Balmain

Have fun shopping and enjoy your 10% discount!

LoL, Sandra

AMEDEO TURELLO is one of the most renowed photographers in the world. Since 1999, he has dedicated himself to fashion photography and I have been admiring his work since then. Therefore you can surely imagine how honoured I felt to meet him during the St. Moritz Art Masters 2012. Born and raised in Italy, Amedeo graduated in Architecture from the Politecnico di Torino and in Fine Art from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. His involvement with photography grew from a natural love of the visual arts and from his strong background in sociology, history of art and design.

Through his lens, the charming Italian has revealed the individual personality of a wide range of celebrities, such as Naomi Campbell, Dolce & Gabbana and Roberto Cavalli. Amedeo was one of the first image makers to believe in Dita Von Teese as a fashion icon and it is largely thanks to him and his shooting “The Mistress and her Pupils” that she was launched in the fashion arena. Moreover, he was the author for the now iconic official photograph of HSH Prince Albert II and HSH Princess Charlene of Monaco (one of the most published pictures of the year, seen on Sandra’s Closet in May 2011).
Can you imagine how amazing it felt to be in front of his camera?!

Amedeo is a true professional. He has a great team working with him who took care of my hair and the outfits. Rosanna Trinchese, Fashion and Creative Director of RENE’OLIVIER PRODUCTIONS had some S/S 2013 looks for me to wear.

The dark long dress in the first photos is by Lila Morency, the jewels are by Azhar.

The second look further down is a combination of Rosanna’s pieces and my own: Fringed top by Avaro Figlio, jewels by Azhar, and my structured tuxedo jacket by Balmain, stretch-leather leggings by Gucci and Tribtoo textured leather pumps by Yves Saint Laurent.

All these photos of the shoot were just randomly taken. I am so excited to see Amedeo’s final result and of course, I will keep you posted the minute I have received it. In the meantime enjoy those “behind the scene shots”.

Amedeo has a unique way of portraying the individual character. He is very passionate for his work, extremely concentrated and told me exactly what to do which I appreciated a lot. It was so much fun working with him.

There is a beautiful quote on his website which suits him very well: ” …to my father, who taught me to understand, appreciate and see the small, important things in life.”

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht, Photos of the first Collage: © Amedeo Turello

Before leaving for Venice to interview Blake Lively, I spent two days in the mountains for the fifth edition of the St. Moritz Art Masters. So-called SAM has become an integral part of the annual art calendar, attracting many contemporary artists from all over the globe.

Steve McCurry
The Pirelli Calendar 2013
Original making of image printed on Canvas

I was invited to the “Tribute to Photographers” event where I met some of the most distinctive photographers of the world, such as Albert Watson, Amedeo Turello, Steve McCurry, Matteo Basilé and many more. Each artist gave an introductory speech in the afternoon at the Posthaus before being honoured themselves during the “Tribute to Photography” evening at the Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains. This was very exciting for me because I had the honour to present Yossi Loloi with the award. More about the night to be posted soon.

At the Posthaus: Albert Watson and Steve McCurry

The next day, the two-day photo workshop “The Expression of Identity” started in which renowned photographers such as Jock Sturges, Steve McCurry and Amedeo Turello gave their insights on portraiture, figurative and fashion photography. It was such an amazing experience and I will be showing you so many photos during the next days.

The most exciting part: Famous photographers, Steve McCurry and Amedeo Turello, did each a photo shoot with me which felt like a dream. Experiencing their individuality and visual expression of identity and style was photography in its most exquisite form of art.

Monty Shadow, founder of the St. Moritz Art Masters, is a true visionary. We had tea at Badrutt’s Palace hotel together and I was deeply impressed when he showed me some of his work. He used to be a very successful photographer himself, shot a lot for the Playboy magazine and Anna Wintour started her career as his assistant.

As Leica being one of the main sponsors, there was a photo booth inside the lobby of the Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains where you could have your photo taken.

My look: Structured tuxedo jacket by Balmain, wool and silk-blend sweater and printed modal and silk-blend scarf, both by Stella McCartney, stretch-leather leggings by Gucci and Tribtoo textured leather pumps by Yves Saint Laurent.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht, © Steve McCurry

My visit to the Biennale des Antiquaires last week was absolutely amazing. I was surrounded by outstanding beauty, extraordinary antiques and exquisite jewelry. Karl Lagerfeld has staged, decorated and created the visuals for the event as well as the backdrop. And being such a talented artist, he came up with a temporary world within the Grand Palais (the home of his Chanel shows) that was as beautiful as the thousands of objects d’art.

My look: Structured tuxedo jacket by Balmain, floral and cherub-print dress by Dolce & Gabbana, flap-over zip bag by Tom Ford, Rockstud suede and leather ankle boots by Valentino, cuff by Céline, Lady Excalibur watch by Roger Dubuis, Diorette earrings and ring by Dior Haute Joaillerie plus Velvet de Luxe 66 tights by Wolford.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Yesterday, I left for the Cannes Film Festival, a truly amazing adventure for me. I am invited by the famous Geneva-based watch and jewelry company Chopard, the official partner of the Cannes Film Festival for the 15th consecutive year.

The Palme d’Or, created every year since 1998 by Chopard’s craftsmen

In 1998, the President of the Festival asked Caroline Scheufele, Co-President and Artistic Director of Chopard, to redesign the prestigious trophy, the Palme d’Or. Ever since, Chopard and the Cannes Film Festival have remained inseparable.

Caroline Scheufele drawing the Palme

You can see the details of my look on the arrival day below.
Printed satin-jersey harem pants by Balmain (please click here for a post on the print pants trend), white T-shirt by J.Crew, collarless leather jacket and studded Pyramide bag, both by Prada, black shopping bag by Chanel, studded ballet flats by Gucci and printed skull scarf by Alexander McQueen.

Stay tuned for some amazing photos of the opening ceremony last night. I could totally get used to walking on the red carpet. What an amazing event! Now, I am off to new adventures…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Chopard and © Sandra Bauknecht

The S/S 2012 collections deliver us explosions of prints and ladies, get ready to throw any sort of caution to the wind. Your summer pants should be all about wild prints in bold colours, in cuts from slim to palazzo. 
Here are the best ones to shop at the moment, directly from the runway:

1 Printed stretch-silk straight-leg pants by Roberto Cavalli
2 Paisley-print silk pants by Stella McCartney
3 Printed wool and silk-blend straight-leg pants by Prabal Gurung

In the the ’80′s wearing floral print trousers was absolutely trendy. This summer, the floral fashion legacy is leading the runways and the streets. Designers plunged into a garden of Eden and have started to infiltrate our wardrobes with the most beautiful flowers.

1 Floral print cropped pants by H&M
2 Printed silk crepe de chine tapered pants by Gucci
3 Printed silk straight-leg pants by Tucker
4 Floral cotton pants by Céline

During fashion weeks, silk print pants have already been seen on the most stylish fashionistas all around the globe. Punchy prints rendezvous with standout shades this season.

1 Printed satin-jersey harem pants by Balmain
2 Sequin-print silk tapered pants by Lanvin
3 Pressage floral-print twill tapered pants by Sandro
4 Printed stretch silk crepe de chine pants by DKNY

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Tommy Ton, net-à-porter and style.com

Yesterday, I had a pretty busy day with different events and the opening exhibition of the Gunter Sachs Collection at Sotheby’s in the evening. After many days of bad weather, the sun was shining for a change. So I chose this look that worked day to night perfectly:

Python-print silk dress by Chloé, double-breasted blazer by Balmain (a similar great piece is this military coat by Balmain which is available now), tri-colour Trapeze bag by Céline, Lady Excalibur watch by Roger Dubuis, belt and boots by Gucci.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

This was my look at the Tommy Hilfiger F/W 2012 Women’s show:

Lurex-weave silk-crepe vest and plunge-neck stretch-jersey jumpsuit by Balmain, resin bead necklace by Marni, high boots by Gucci and Laurent studded bag by Yves Saint Laurent.

Hope that you like it!

LoL, Sandra

Yesterday, after having arrived in New York City, I went straight to the IFB conference and later on to the 3rd annual Fashion 2.0 Awards that took place at the SVA Theatre. It was an amazing night where I ran into many familiar faces.

The Fashion 2.0 Awards, launched in 2010 by Style Coalition, are designed to recognize and honor the most innovative fashion brands in the online community. (The Europeans can learn a lot here!)

DKNY took the top honours at the Fashion 2.0 Awards.
Please see below the list of last night’s winners:

Best Twitter: @DKNY

Best Facebook: Bergdorf Goodman

Best Blog by a Fashion Brand: DKNY PR Girl

Best Website: Marc Jacobs

Best Mobile App: Tiffany & Co. Engagement Ring Finder

Best Online Video: Prada S/S 2011 Video Campaign

Next Big Thing in Tech: Instagram

Top Innovator: Kate Spade

Online media expert and entrepreneur Yuli Ziv who founded Style Coalition in 2008 with me.

The lovely Oscar de la Renta PR-Girls, Erika (@OscarPRGIRL) and Martha, with me.

My look last night: Fuchsia wool coat by Balenciaga (50% off now), lurex-weave silk crepe vest by Balmain (70% off now), cropped crepe pants by Vanessa Bruno, Laurent studded bag by Yves Saint Laurent, resin bead necklace by Marni, silk crepe de chine blouse and studded leather ankle boots, both by Chloé.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Sian Oflaherty, © Sandra Bauknecht

Here is your rockstar look:

Satin-trimmed wool-crepe jacket and stretch-leather skinny pants, both by Balmain, printed cotton-jersey tank and skull leather box clutch, both by Alexander McQueen and Masako silk-satin pumps by Charlotte Olympia.

Here is your rockstar scent:

Paco Rabanne Black XS L’Excès and Black XS L’Excès For Her embody the excess of the rock world.

Black XS L’Excès combines top notes of Calabrian lemon and lavender with an ozonic, cypriol and citrus accord and a deep, sensual amber woody base.

Eau de Toilette Intense
100ml CHF 99.00 
50ml CHF 77.00

Black XS L’Excès For Her opens with top notes of neroli and black pepper, leading to heart notes of jasmine queen of the night and rose absolute and a base of cashmere wood.

Eau de Parfum Intense
80ml CHF 106.00 
50ml CHF 87.00
30ml CHF 62.00

Available now!
With a skull on the packaging and the bottle!

Punk rock icon Iggy Pop is the face for Black XS L’Excès and the beautiful Sasha Pivovarova stars in the video campaign alongside Nick Rea, see below.

Now it is time for you to put your rocker face on!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Paco Rabanne Fragrances