Sandra‘s Closet

Yesterday, an Hermès Niloticus Birkin bag made «fashion history» when it sold for a record price of HK$2.98 million which is around US$383,522 at Christie’s in Hong Kong. As South China Morning Post reports it became the world’s most expensive handbag ever sold at an auction, the Holy Grail for bag lovers so to say.

The muse: Jane Birkin

Yesterday’s auction at Christie’s in Hong Kong

We all know that a Birkin bag is a safe investment due to its long waiting list and probably even more lucrative than stocks. According to the Independent, there was a study published in January 2016 that compared three different types of investments: the S&P 500 (an index that reflects the stock market and is said to be the leading indicator of U.S. equities); gold; and Hermès Birkin handbags. The research concluded that the latter are by far the safest investment of the three as they’re not subject to fluctuations in the market. Fans of the iconic piece tend to beat the lines by scoring it at one of those auctions where it has been continuously breaking price records.

In yesterday’s case, a matte white Niloticus Crocodile Himalaya Birkin 30 with a diamond-encrusted white-gold buckle and hardware was auctioned by an anonymous collector, who won the bid by phone and who is surprisingly not from Asia.

Object of desire: A rare exceptional Matte White Himalaya Niloticus Crocodile Birkin 30 with 18k white gold diamond-encrusted hardware.

What is so special about this Niloticus Crocodile Himalaya Birkin bag? It is one of the most coveted bags due to its extreme rarity, status symbol and exquisite craftsmanship. A similar style was auctioned for HK$2.94 million at Christie’s last year. The gradation of the color of the crocodile leather resembles the majestic, snow-capped Himalayas, from smoky grey to pearly white. The diamond-encrusted hardware make it of course extra scarce. 

So beautiful and rare: the Niloticus Crocodile Himalaya Kelly 28 bag with Palladium Hardware, approximately €60,000–80,000.

Apart from the Birkins, Hermès also started to craft a few Himalaya Kelly bags for top clients, which are fabled as «the rarest handbags in the world».

Personally speaking on top of my wish list…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Via Hermès, South China Morning Post

Fall into the holidays with the 2014 Gucci Gift Guide, inspired by a whimsical story about finding the perfect gift, even in the most unexpected moment. From contemporary trends and iconic accessories in their Wish List Section (with picks for him and for her) to elegant looks for the season’s chicest invitations to the ultimate in no-holds-barred holiday opulence, as seen in Handle with Care, the curated selection has something for everyone on your list. With pint-sized picks from Gucci Kids, chic designs for sunny escapes, and small luxuries designed to delight, a sensational season is guaranteed. Explore all this and more on GUCCI.COM.

A piece of art: Gucci‘s Floral Knight Bamboo Shopper is definitely on my wish list. As I am already a huge fan of this line (check out this previous post here), I couldn’t have been more excited about this new printed version. Perfect for the next season.

Overly cute: these Mini Bamboo Shoppers are made from supple textured-leather and finished with a detachable strap. It’s the perfect size for your cell, makeup essentials and wallet. 
Did you know that Gucci’s iconic bamboo handles were originally created in 1947 using a patented method to heat and bend them into shape. (If you are interested, I would like to invite you to have a look at a previous post about my visit to the Gucci manufacture in Casellina, Italy).

Love at first sight: sophisticated style with a retro edge, the Bamboo Sac Backpack
makes a defiant comeback. Available in many different colors, its spacious drawstring style has plenty of room for your essentials. Really one is spoilt for choice, which color is your favorite?

Ultimate luxury: a wallet in crocodile leather. The perfect gift for the distinguished connoisseur.

Those studded heels make every fashion lover’s heart leap with joy. Play with colors to elevate your outfit to the next level.

Dear Santa, please be good to me, all I want for Christmas is Gucci…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Gucci

How hard is it to find your perfect black clutch? Depending on your own taste, it has to meet different criteria: from sophisticated, fashionable to functional or timeless. Such a little black bag is essential to complete your closet! Here is my selection of the best ones available right now.

1 PURE LUXURY Patent-crocodile clutch by Bottega Veneta
2 FASHIONISTA’S MUST-HAVE Monogramme leather clutchby Saint Laurent
3 ROCK CHIC Rockstud leather clutch by Valentino
4 INTO THE WILD Embellished suede fold-over clutch by Roberto Cavalli
5  ALREADY A CLASSIC Falabella faux brushed-leather clutch by Stella McCartney
6 LADYLIKE Chandra chain-embellished shimmer-suede clutch by Jimmy Choo
7 FOR EVERYDAY USE Antigona envelope clutch in black grained leather by Givenchy
8 GREAT WITH JEANS Broadway fringed suede clutch by Gucci

UNDERSTATED AND TIMELESS Marche leather and suede clutch by Nina Ricci
My personal favorite is accented with gold hardware and has three internal compartments – perfect for keeping your belongings organized. Carry it cross-body by day, swapping to the hand strap after dark.

LoL, Sandra

Stills: Courtesy of the Brands

Welcome to Tuscany, where the Gucci headquarters are based in a little town called Casellina, at the gates of Florence. Here Frida Giannini’s beautiful designs come also to life.

Please follow me on an exclusive tour through the bag manufacture:

The first stop is the leather department where the research of fabrics is taking place. When the doors opened, I thought that I had arrived in paradise. Two tables full of the most luxurious materials, from matte crocodile to suede ostrich and colourful python leather. Gucci only uses exotic skins that have a certification to make sure all the guidelines are met.

Crocodile and alligator skins

Matte, rubberized crocodile leather

One of my favourites: The matte suede-effect ostrich leather to the left.

Among the beautiful python samples,…

…I spotted the emerald-coloured one used for my 1973 bag.

The famous interlocking GG started 10-15 years ago with Frida Giannini. Before that time the signature fabric was the one to the right. Frida lives and works in Rome.

One of the most expensive fabrics is still handmade on a wooden loom in a procedure dating back to the 18th century.
It takes the Gucci’s craftsmen one hour to create a maximum of 15cm.

It is truly impressive to see how much work, time and dedication is going into the creation of the right fabrics for a Gucci bag. And all made in Italy!

Next stop is the cutting department where all the important skin materials, such as anaconda, python and lizard, are cut. The artisans have to spend many years working with standard leathers before being allowed to cut noble skins.

The reason is clear: You need lots of skins for an excotic leather bag as the craftsmen have to match the colour and pattern of the skin to achieve maximum beauty. And when it comes to these fine materials, you want to limit the wastage to a minimum.

Third stop: The prototype room. We were not allowed to take photos in there as the Gucci team works one year ahead. My eyes spotted prototypes for 2013 (how exciting!). But I am very sorry, my lips have to be sealed!

90% of the work is done manually in this department. Everything starts with a design. From the paper pattern, the artisans develop a product which after the designer’s, in this case Frida Giannini, final approval will become a sample.

In the prototype room, we were also introduced to the amazing travel trunk which is exclusively done here. Two craftsmen work one entire month on this piece. Design by Tom Ford.

In 2011, ten pieces were done. Among the lucky owners are  John Travolta and Jennifer Lopez.
The price for the travel trunk in fabric as seen here is € 30.000 (special order).

Here are the photos of the crocodile version made out of 23 skins for € 240.000. Divine!

Paulo (in front), who has been with Gucci for 38 years, and Marco are the two artisans producing the travel trunks.

Final stop: The room where the iconic Bamboo handles and accessories are produced.

Gucci uses exclusively Chinese bamboo because of its quality. There is still a lot of wastage as it is very important that the bamboos have a fairly regular diameter and that distance between the noses is equal.
Please enjoy the procedure:

1. Choose the right bamboo and smooth it.

2. Bend it with heat.

3. Give it the burnished colour.

4. Cut and finish it.

5. Apply the sealing wax by hand.

6. The protection will help to maintain its shape.

7. Prepare the wholes for the metal parts to be attached.

Once you see all the work going into a bag, you appreciate it even more. The Gucci people are truly dedicated to their work and you can feel their passion for the product which comes with a very high level of perfection.

No, I didn’t need a doctor even that I went into raptures over the Gucci manufacture. Similiar to a science lab: Some of the workers wear white coats embroidered with the Gucci logo.

Thank you, Gucci, for letting me be part of this amazing experience!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

An incarnation of sobriety and elegance, Prada presents its new Galleria bags in classic shapes. The new accessories capsule collection is named after the brand’s first, historic store.

A tribute to the heritage and research that Prada enhanced since 1913 in accessories design and material research, thus making – amongst others – centred crocodile and ostrich become iconic materials.

In order to further highlight the uniqueness of these products, that are available in some select worldwide boutiques, Prada will provide some colour variations of ostrich and crocodile exclusively on a Made to Order basis.

Saffiano leather starting at € 1.600.-
Ostrich leather starting at € 5.980.-
Crocodile leather starting at € 22.260.-

Which one is your favourite?

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Prada