Sandra‘s Closet

CHANEL will present its Cruise 2022 collection with a show that will take place on Tuesday, May 4th 2021 at the Carrières de Lumières, located in the village of Les Baux-de-Provence, in the south of France.

A photo I took inside the Carrières de Lumières.

These white limestone quarries were notably used as the backdrop for the 1959 film Le Testament d’Orphée (Testament of Orpheus), directed by Jean Cocteau, who was friends with Gabrielle Chanel. The Cruise collection has been anchored in the history of the House of CHANEL since the early 1920s, when Gabrielle Chanel first offered her clients lightweight and comfortable designs for various sunny destinations including the Riviera and the beaches of the Lido in Venice.

Scenes from Le Testament d’Orphée

Personally speaking, I adore the Carrières de Lumières and have been there many times, especially because it is located just a few minutes from one of my favorite restaurants in the world, L’Oustau de Baumanière, a three Michelin stars restaurant, known for their amazing ingredients from their organic vegetable gardens and produce from local farmers. I always choose the vegetable surprise menu, which is to die for. Hopefully we can enjoy the show in person in May and the lockdown will finally be over…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht
#CHANELCruise

After a seemingly endless corona year of 2020 that paradoxically also flew by, 2021 has finally arrived. And about time, right? But as we look forward to new, layering-forward wardrobe opportunities, the hottest trend is actually revisiting the best of decades past. Time-honored preppy essentials that feel fresh and exciting with updated silhouettes and boundless styling options that all remind us of the good old times. Have fun getting lost in fashion nostalgia …

My look: Double-breasted frayed checked tweed blazer, and asymmetric frayed checked tweed shorts, both by Balmain, VLOGO silk shirt by Valentino, bow-detailed embellished velvet headband by Philip Treacy, Tanger leather-trimmed tasseled suede ankle boots by Saint Laurent, vintage clip-on blue earrings (S/S 1995) and dark blue 2.55 bag in velvet, both by CHANEL.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: David Biedert Photography
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This body cream is so amazing, that it deserves its own post. CHANEL enriches the GABRIELLE CHANEL perfuming ritual with a body cream, the perfect way to treat yourself to a precious moment just for you. Its creamy texture wraps the skin in the luminous floral notes of GABRIELLE CHANEL and intensifies the solar and voluptuous trail of the fragrance. It also works great in combination with any other scent you like to wear…

The cream moisturizes the skin and gently perfumes the body for a truly pampering experience. Delicately pearly, enriched with a moisturizing active ingredient derived from rose and jasmine, it leaves the skin soft, supple and luminous. Whether a moment of pleasure in the morning, a sensual touch after your bath or a gentle caress at the end of the day, each application becomes a ritual of relaxation and delight. The new square frosted glass jar with a shimmering gold lid only adds to its desirability!

GABRIELLE CHANEL Body cream – Jar 150 g – CHF 106.-
Available Mid January 2021.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © CHANEL

Here is the outfit I wore for my Gstaad experience last week. Cozy and warm, yet stylish, waterproof and protective, wearing a great ski suit makes you look awesome on the slopes and is also perfect for all other activities in the mountains.

Great news is that this ski suit is equipped with the RECCO® system. Since its launch in the 80’s, this rescue system has become the standard bearer in avalanche search and rescue technology. It’s always on and ready to go with no batteries that might run out and lasts a lifetime. For the wearer the system consists of a permanently attached «reflector» which is sewn into the Dolce & Gabbana outerwear pieces. When an avalanche happens, professional rescuers pull out a RECCO® detector which scans the slide area for signals and allows them to easily find those lost under the snow.

My look: Tropical rose print ski jacket, matching tropical rose print ski trousers, printed silk scarf, and roll-neck jersey sweater, all by Dolce & Gabbana, Trekkgirl snow boots by Valentino, vintage white mink ear muffs by CHANEL, medium shearling Bobby bag in grey by Dior, and LV Timeless metallic stole by Louis Vuitton.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise. 

Such sad news before Christmas. Former British supermodel Stella Tennant has died at the age of 50, only 5 days after her birthday. «It is with great sadness we announce the sudden death of Stella Tennant on 22nd December 2020,» the family said in a statement to the PA news agency. «Stella was a wonderful woman and an inspiration to us all. She will be greatly missed.»

Stella Tennant with me in 2016 in Cuba with CHANEL

The circumstances of her sudden death have not been revealed and the family asked for their privacy to be respected which is fully understandable. Stella was married to French-born photographer David Lasnet in in 1999. They had four children together in total, of which the youngest is only 15. In August it was revealed, that they had separated after 21 years of marriage earlier this year.

Stella Tennant and David Lasnet at Oxnam Kirk Church where they got married in 1999.

The granddaughter of Andrew Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire and The Hon. Deborah Mitford, one of the well-known aristocratic siblings, the Mitford sisters, Tennant was born in Scotland and attended St Leonards School in St Andrews. Her parents are The Hon. Tobias William Tennant, son of the 2nd Baron Glenconner, and Lady Emma Cavendish.

Stella shot by Steven Meisel for Vogue UK, December 1993

Tennant studied sculpture at Winchester School of Art. In 1993 she sent photographs of herself to a high fashion magazine, and a friend introduced her to fashion writer Plum Sykes. She had recently had her nasal septum pierced, which was an unusual look for models at the time, and Sykes was taken aback. In the same year, she attracted the attention of photographers such as Steven Meisel and Bruce Weber and soon achieved success as a fashion model, posing for magazines such as French, British and Italian Vogue as well as Harper’s Bazaar and Numero. Later i the ’90s, fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld unveiled her as the new face of Chanel, noting her resemblance to Coco Chanel.

CHANEL campaign S/S 1997

She also appeared in numerous advertising campaigns, including Calvin Klein, Chanel, Hermès, and Burberry. In 2010, she starred in L.K.Bennett’s S/S campaign photographed by Tim Walker. She also starred in the closing ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games alongside fellow British models like Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell.

Rest in Peace, Stella! You will be missed!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht, and via VOGUE

CHANEL presents ROUGE ALLURE LAQUE, the first lip color offering extreme shine and intensity: a comfortable ultrawear texture that is easy to apply and wear, offering a satin brilliance that dazzles non-stop. ROUGE ALLURE LAQUE reconciles all contradictions in a single creation. Its fluid formula fuses with lips and dresses your smile in elegance in all circumstances.
Delicate and creamy, water-resistant, it also withstands the rubbing and smudging of daily life. Its thin, supple mesh is composed of two agents: the first traps pigments for unchanging color radiance, while the second locks in a blend of oils for continuous shine. In a single stroke, this ultra-comfortable second skin imprints lips with lasting color and shine for up to 12 hours.

Each color expresses all of its intensity with a savvy mix of finely ground pigments. Coated in oils, they reveal an extremely pure color presence. On application, a volatile oil evaporates, leaving nothing but vibrant radiance on the lips. In addition to delivering extreme shine and intense color, ROUGE ALLURE LAQUE cares for lips and envelops them in comfort. The skin barrier of the lips is perfectly preserved by an antioxidant complex of Sappan wood and vitamin E.

The packaging comes in a tube that dresses up in a shiny gradation of black lacquer with a sheer finish to reveal the pure, radiant shade inside. Its high-precision curved and streamlined applicator with an ultra-soft foam tip adapts to the shape of the lips to leave just the right amount of product, for application that is easier than ever.

THE PALETTE*
60 Inflexible, a luminous iridescent beige
61 Continuous, a luminous beige
62 Still, a real natural nude
63 Ultimate, a pinky nude
64 Exigence, a rosewood
65 Impertur bable, a brick pink
66 Permanent, an intense rosewood
67 Steady, a light pink
68 Unlimited, a slightly pink luminous coral
69 Rémanence, a bright pink
70 Immobile, a raspberry pink
71 Mythe, a metallic red
72 Iconique, a brick red
73 Invincible, a true red
74 Expérimenté, a strong brown-red
75 Fidélité, a brown nude
78 Tenacious, a light plum
79 Éternité, a deep burgundy red
80 Timeless, a profound cherry red
81 Obstination, a deep brown
* Shades available depending on market

In stores Mid January 2021 for CHF 46.00 each.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © CHANEL

«Look like a girl. Act like a lady. Think like a man and work like a boss… »

Here I am standing at the construction site of my new home, actually what will be my future bathroom. I truly enjoy the creative process of building and designing. Even that it is not possible to live there yet, I can see the rooms already coming to life in my imagination. It is very time consuming, yet extremely satisfying.

My look: Asymmetric open shoulder dress, by Louis Vuitton, Boss Lady pumps in pink by Sophia Webster, Niki mini studded quilted textured-leather shoulder bag by Saint Laurent, CC logo tights by CHANEL, and Lecce leather belt by Isabel Marant.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © David Biedert Photography
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise. 

Unfortunately, due to the current pandemic, CHANEL cannot present its Cruise 2021 Métiers d’Art collection as planned on Tuesday December 1st, 2020 at the Château de Chenonceau (France), also known as the «Château des Dames» in the presence of guests. However, there will be screenings all around the globe for the brand’s fashion-loving clientele and everybody else who wants to tune in on December 3rd at 7pm Paris time. I am excited to attend the event at the CHANEL boutique in Zurich on Thursday evening to watch the show from there.

Since 2002, the Métiers d’Art collection, a Ready-to-Wear collection unique to CHANEL, has been paying tribute to the exceptional savoir-faire of the Maisons d’art and the fashion manufactories, CHANEL’s privileged partners. Uniting the creativity of the House and the virtuosity of the artisans – embroiderers, feathermakers, paruriers, pleaters, shoemakers, milliners and even glovemakers -, the CHANEL Métiers d’art collection contributes to the promoting of French fashion and luxury around the world.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © CHANEL / Jürgen Teller and © Sandra Bauknecht
#CHANELMetiersdArt

Thank you, fall, for all your beautiful colors and those amazing sunny days. Orange combined with turquoise is such an amazing color combination, together they make a statement as soon as you walk out the door. Getting dressed should be all about fun so why shouldn’t our accessories be? This Prada jewelry is for cool girls only, injecting some summer vibes into your fall wardrobe.

My look: Bead-embellished wool coat, turquoise pleated suede mini skirt, crab pendant necklace, and matching crab pendant earrings, all by Prada, turquoise cashmere sweater by CHANEL, 30den tights in turquoise by Dries Van Noten x Fogal, Angel platform boots in turquoise by Gucci, and Clash de Cartier ring in 18K rose gold with amazonite by Cartier.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: David Biedert Photography
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise!

Last Tuesday, I attended the CHANEL S/S 2021 show at the Grand Palais in Paris. Virginie Viard presented a beautiful collection that I will show you shortly. My look was all about CHANEL and I mixed different pieces from different seasons to achieve this kind of ’80s inspired style I truly love.

My look: Short tweed jacket in black (Look 42 Paris – Rue Cambon 31 Métiers d’Art 2020), knitwear top with trompe d’oeil effect (Look 13 Paris – Rue Cambon 31 Métiers d’Art 2020), embellished leggings (Cruise 2020), metal glass pearls leather earrings (Cruise 2020), tweed cap, leather and chain bracelet (S/S 2020), leather and chain logo belt (S/S 2020), small Gabrielle Chanel bag (Paris Cosmopolite Métiers d’Art 2017), and Kangaroo wrap around bow tie lace high heel boots in black (F/W 2016), Coco Crush bracelet in yellow gold, Coco Crush necklace in beige gold with diamonds, and Pétales de Camélia ring in yellow gold with diamond, all by CHANEL, Panthère de Cartier Manchette 22mm 18-karat rose gold and diamond watch and LOVE bracelets, all by Cartier, Baroque polka-dot print face mask by Dolce & Gabbana.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht – Thank you, Hester, for taking them!
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