Sandra‘s Closet

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

Normcore… perfect boring, special normal – whatever you want to name it, there’s no getting away from fashion’s fascination with the mundane lately. Trend leader CHANEL kicked off the style last winter with its supermarket inspired collection and created the perfect pedestrian look –throw on leggings, trainers and a big easy coat. It’s all in the luxe twist. Minimal effort required.

My look: College coat by Saint Laurent, flared crepe skirt by Balenciaga, crystal embellished biker boots by Miu Miu, pink cut-out sweater, shearling bag, candy necklace and chain and padlock necklace, all by Chanel. Diamond ring by Vainard Fine Jewellery.

Let’s just hope that we will get some sunshine soon to finally wear our new summer pieces. It’s time to store coats and boots!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Work it with the colorful prints by Peter Pilotto! Here you see me wearing them in a casual way when I was in Zermatt last month. The London-based label has attracted a huge audience who adores their kaleidoscopic graphic designs in no time. To see how the same prints can be worn in a chic way, click here please.

My look: Geometric print cotton sweatshirt, matching down vest and printed modal and cashmere blend scarf, all by Peter Pilotto, Monogramme embellished shopper tote by Saint Laurent, The Skinny mid-rise jeans by Rag & Bone, biker boots by Miu Miu, Audrey wayfarer sunglasses by Céline and baguette diamond ring by Vainard Fine Jewellery.

LoL, Sandra

  Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Last night, a true football thriller took place in Brazil. I watched the game at a friend’s house and couldn’t be more proud of the outcome. A beautifully taken extra-time goal by Mario Götze helped my home country win the 2014 World Cup final 1-0 against Argentina at the Maracanã. With the win, Germany became the first European side to win the World Cup in the Americas and pulled even with Italy for the second-most titles all-time, one behind Brazil’s record five. The team had not lifted the trophy since 1990, when West Germany defeated Argentina in the final.

I flew in from Berlin yesterday afternoon where I got myself the perfect outfit. Check out Wear Your Flag, a fun website with all sorts of items to show your national pride!

My look: Strapless dress by Wear Your Flag, jeggings by Donna Karan, jelewed nappa leather box bag by Saint Laurent and biker boots by Chanel.

On my nails: I created the flag design with “Need Sunglasses” by OPI, “Valentine Red” and “Tuxedo Black“, both by Bobbi Brown. Start with a layer of yellow and then work your way up with red and black as the last step.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

This is the most stylish I got in Iceland. First of all, it was freezing cold (Thank God, I brought this padded gilet with me!), second of all, I have never felt the urge to dress up or put on make-up. Everything is just laid back and very relaxing.

My look: Grosgrain-trimmed cotton-jersey sweatshirt by Saint Laurent, Pedal Star skinny-leg printed denim pants by Closed, white padded gilet by Moncler Grenoble, large studded backpack by MCM, sunglasses by Marc Jacobs, printed silk scarf by Gabriele Frantzen and biker boots by Chanel. Hat, souvenir from Iceland.

Being on “luxury withdrawal therapy” is kind of fun for one week, but now I cannot wait to bring back some glamour into my life. Stay also tuned for the upcoming post about the most breathtaking sceneries I have seen on the island.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

On Sunday, I flew to Athens, Greece. I was invited by Hermès to a secret location for the launch of an amazing new product. After a three hours ride by car, I arrived in Delphi, which was in Greek mythology the site of the famous Delphic oracle. Enough said, unfortunately I am not allowed to tell you more until February 2013. And believe me, this is hard for me, too.

In the meantime enjoy my look that I wore on the arrival day:
Oversized Rottweiler print tank top and wool gauze Rottweiler scarf, both by Givenchy (Please click here for the previous post when I told you all about this fashion hype), black long cardigan by Gucci, stretch cashmere-blend leggings by Donna Karan and brushed-leather biker boots by Miu Miu.

Stay tuned for more to come up soon…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

This week was my “German” week. On Tuesday, I went to Hamburg to finalize an amazing project for Sandra’s Closet’s upcoming third birthday and then I drove to Frankfurt, which is my place of origin. I was born and raised in the picturesque Taunus, a part of the Central German Uplands, located at the gates of Frankfurt. I love the Hessian mentality and have to admit that I haven’t spent a lot of time here recently but whenever I am back, I feel at home.

I am staying at the beautiful Schlosshotel Kronberg, a five-star luxury castle hotel, that is owned by the Landgrave and Princes von Hessen. It offers you living history to touch and feel. Exclusive furnishings and an impressive collection of antiques and paintings from the private estate of the mother of the last Kaiser convey the authentic ambience of a castle from imperial times and makes me feel like a little princess.

Yesterday, I took a trip down memory lane and showed my daughter the school I went to: St. Angela Schule in Königstein, a private all-girls school, attached to an Ursuline convent. Personally speaking, I loved this mono education and truly enjoyed my time there. Until today, I am close to my five best friends from school. When I saw the pillar we decorated for our graduation, I was so touched that the tears kept rolling down my cheeks.

This morning, another event has touched me deeply: Sandra’s Closet reached over 50.000 likes on Facebook overnight, which means 10.000 likes in 2 months. This is so amazing and I would like to take the opportunity to thank you all for following my blog that has taken me on such a beautiful adventure. I feel very blessed!
If you haven’t liked Sandra’s Closet on Facebook yet, please do so here.

Below you can enjoy some more photos of my outfit and the castle hotel:

My look: Fur vest and biker boots by Miu Miu, red wool dress and gold horsebit necklace by Gucci, wool cashmere gauze Rottweiler scarf by Givenchy and Diorette earrings by Dior Haute Joaillerie and tote bag by Chanel.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht via Instagram

Today, I have an exciting photo shoot in the afternoon, you will soon know all about.

My casual look today: Grey dress by Blumarine, egg-shaped cardicoat by Stella McCartney, blue scarf by Gucci, Boston bag by Céline and biker boots by Miu Miu.

Wish me luck!

LoL, Sandra

Last week, I was invited by Louis Vuitton to explore their F/W 2011 collection very closely. The event took place in Milan and because of  the beautiful sunshine the day started already wonderfully with a pittoresque flight over the Alps.

With his F/W 2011 collection for Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs explored the mysterious allure of fashion and fetish. „Fetish,“ said the designer, „has a positive side. It’s an inexplicable sort of concentration on or obsessing with something. I think that also means commitment and discipline.“

The result was a powerful collection that walked the fine line between modesty and provocation, reason and irrationality – an ambiguity evidenced by the juxtaposition of tightness of focus with richness of detail. For my show report, please click here.

First some looks from the runway. Strict silhouettes suggestive of corsets, mannish, military-style jackets and coats softened by ample drop shoulders and the main focus on tthe waist, reminiscent of Belle de Jour. Marc Jacobs toyed with the idea of French maids and their bourgeois mistresses.

Very importantly, the detail – evidence of an artisanal devotion to craft which, in the words of the show notes, is „the apotheosis of fetish“.

Those mask, shoe and glove motifs, for instance, were not printed, but painstakingly sewn in intricately cut sequins.

The collection’s ultimate and not-so-obscure object of desire was the iconic Lockit bag, created in 1958 and reinterpreted in a myriad guises: in shiny Monogram canvas or total-look shearling, in rubberized leather accented with glossy tape, in jewel shades of patent Monogram bouclette, and in nylon with resin handels.

The Lockit clutch comes with a handcuff which can make it literally inseparable from its weare and symbolizes a women’s attachment to her bag. Might be a good idea to secure your object of desire….

The show’s accessories had fun with the fetish theme. Standouts included officer’s caps in fluffy shearling and masks worn in the hair as neo-tiaras.

Shoes played with the girly charm of round-toe pumps accentuated by delicate bow straps and the fetish appeal of daring bondage straps on the collection’s leg-hugging boots. The shiny rubber boots will definitely be among my must-haves.

Louis Vuitton’s fashion jewelry offers beautiful pieces to finish off your winter looks perfectly. I am in love with the stingray embellished earrings.

Personalised items are bestsellers for Louis Vuitton so that it seems all natural to expand the possibilties.

For Louis Vuitton’s F/W 2011 men’s collection, the studio director Paul Helbers, under the artistic direction of Marc Jacobs, has explored the ultra simplified elegance of Amish style and instilled it with a hint of strangeness, inspired by David Lynch.

The predominantly black tone of this collection is lit with flashes of Motel red. The Amish mix and match tradition shows in details like detachable vests or jackets patched in stripes.

In case that you are wondering what to do with your older Louis Vuitton bags, why not put them together as an art and craft. The artist Billie Achilleos came up with some pretty amazing ideas.

If I have whetted your appetite, please take a look at those beautiful pieces that belong to the Pre-fall 2011 collection and will be in stores starting next month.
The new colours for the leo scarfs are so beautiful and those biker boots are my must-haves.

What an amazing collection, W.O.W.!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht