Sandra‘s Closet

On Tuesday evening, I was invited to a lovely dinner in Zurich‘s new restaurant Ornellaia (absolutely worth the visit, I loved it!) to celebrate 10 years of ATELIER SWAROVSKI. Nadja Swarovski, Member of the Swarovski Executive Board, who launched the brand in 2007, has collaborated since then with over 75 of the world’s most exciting contemporary designers of which two had come for the occasion to Switzerland: Dutch designer duo Viktor & Rolf.

Partners in shine: Rolf Snoeren, my humble self, Nadja Swarovski and Viktor Horsting.

Swarovski crystals and fashion are a never-ending love story. Nadja’s grandfather Martin Swarovski worked already closely with designers, such as Christian Dior, whom he helped to embellish the famous «New Look». Many fashion designers have used those famous crystals to embellish their collections.

«Working with crystal is like applying fairy dust to the collections.»
– Viktor & Rolf

From the new book «Brilliant: The Story of Atelier Swarovski»:

Left – Maggie Rizer in a look from Viktor & Rolf’s F/W 1999 «Russian Doll» collection, right – a necklace from Viktor & Rolf’s «Velvet Rock» collaboration with Atelier Swarovski in 2014 for which the duo used crystals on the jewelry embedded with velvet flocking.

In 2016 ATELIER SWAROVSKI added a home decor line, in 2017 the first fine jewelry collection first presented at the Oscars. The designs deriving from the versatile collaborations are truly special, adding to ATELIER SWAROVSKI’s success of today.

It was a lovely evening and I had a great time, especially with these two. Isn’t it great when your girlfriends are so beautiful and come in model sizes :-): Nadja Schildknecht and Mimi Mollerus, both wearing ATELIER SWAROVSKI.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Christian Dancker – saltyimages.ch and © Sandra Bauknecht

DIOR‘s “Tribale” earrings have become quite the new must-have in the fashion world. To frame the face with a touch of sophisticated femininity, they feature colorful pearls, sparkling crystals and many different embellishments. The earrings feature two asymmetric balls inspired by tribal piercings of which the smaller orb sits at the front.

Check out the full range available HERE or visit the nearest DIOR boutique.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Dior and © Sandra Bauknecht

Don’t we all love to play around with fashion jewelry? This summer, it’s a tough job to choose which pieces you will be getting: from Chanel’s slogan bracelets and Valentino’s ring stack; to Fendi’s feather watch and Saint Laurent’s dainty hearts, they are all just fabulous. Enjoy my edit of the new must-have jewelry pieces of which some are already available in stores. Just click on the highlighted text to be transferred directly.

The heart charm by Saint Laurent

Make love no war – the dainty necklace makes its comeback! Saint Laurent is one of the hottest tickets of the season – and so is this jewelry must!

The dreamcatcher necklace by Etro

A ’70s inspiration with folky fabrics blend with talisman jewelry, something fashionistas around the globe will want this summer.

The choker necklace by Balmain

It’s not the first time, Balmain has sent chokers down the runway, but this summer they are extremely outstanding, playing with email, transparency and architectural lines.
Pre-order the enameled choker by Balmain here.

Layered gold chains by Moschino

Cheesy and tacky, the Moschino girl pays tribute to the plastic superstar Barbie, and Jeremy Scott vamps us up with a multitude of gold chains.
Pre-order some statement gold chains by Moschino here.

Multiple earrings by Dior

Back to the ’80s when multiple earrings were all the rage! Dior combines long hair tucked back behind the ears with many  piercings – a look that is to become cult again.

Disc hoop earrings by Louis Vuitton

Inspired by the flair of the ’70s, Camille Miceli created retro hoop disc earrings for the French Maison that will complement the hippie luxe trend perfectly.

The safety-pin earrings by Giorgio Armani

Giorgio Armani celebrates the luxurious punk and sends stylized safety-pin pendants down the runway along with his iconic silk ensembles.

The cross earrings by Dolce & Gabbana

The designer duo took advantage of summer’s inherent punk rock potential and brought the cross earring to La Dolce Vita.
Shop Dolce & Gabbana’s cross earrings here.

Slogan bangles by Chanel

Inspired by Chanel’s finale fashion manifestation, the must-have bangles in silver and vibrant colored leather  come with some  demo slogans such as “Make Fashion Not War” and “Ladies First“.

Wide lacquer cuff in black by Céline

How fabulous are tanned arms accented with a glossy black PVC cuff – something that you will definitely wear a lot next season.

The horsebit bracelet by Gucci

A true classic and a great investment, the golden age of the Seventies was brought back by Gucci with the iconic horse bit bracelet.
You can shop the beautiful horse bit bracelet by Gucci here.

Multiple rings by Valentino

Mix and match this season, Valentino offers the right selection to get really creative.

Stacked cuffs at Lanvin

With 125 years design history to draw on, Alber Elbaz plays with the amount of cuffs you will wear. The more the merrier – that is his style motto for S/S 2015.

Statement piercings by Rodarte

Seeking inspiration from the punk-era, the Mulleavy sisters created a row of faux piercings along each brow for an eye-catching effect.

The feather watch by Fendi

Fendi watches have been on my watch list since some time and this delicate feather version is just breathtaking.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Via Style.com and Courtesy of the Brands

This upcoming Saturday, London’s Victoria & Albert Museum‘s hotly-anticipated new fashion exhibition will officially open its doors. Dedicated to ‘The Glamour of Italian Fashion 1945-2014‘, it illustrates the history of Italian Fashion from the Second World War to the present day, and will be held until July 27th 2014. It features many looks from the archives of different Italian designers which pay tribute to the quality of the Made in Italy style.
Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7, +44 (0)20 7942 2000

To celebrate the opening, NET-A-PORTER and the The Victoria & Albert Museum present a 22-piece limited edition jewelry collection that will be available as an online exclusive with 10% of all sales being donated to the V&A. Below you can explore my favorite pieces.

LoL, Sandra

Gold-plated, resin and macramé lace clip earrings by Dolce & Gabbana + V&A

Swarovski crystal and resin necklace by Marni + V&A

Set of two gold-plated knuckle rings by Moschino + V&A

Gold-tone agate clip earrings by Etro + V&A

Set of three palladium-plated woven bracelets by Missoni + V&A

Photos: Courtesy of NET-A-PORTER and The Victoria and Albert Museum

Inspired by the innovation and seductive glamour of 1940s haute jewelry, PRADA presents a collection of cuffs, bangles, bracelets and earrings with a contemporary point of view. Each piece is finely crafted using artisanal haute jewelry techniques and exquisite detailing but is made with unexpected materials in daring colours and forms. The collection brings together PRADA’s signature Saffiano textured leather in rich shades of orange, emerald green and turquoise with bold formations of geometric crystals, inspired by the art deco era and the natural world.

A hibiscus flower motif taken from the S/S 2014 men’s and women’s collections appears in Saffiano leather on bracelets and in crystal on drop earrings. Exotic crocodile skin appears in different colours: jade green and ruby red amongst the others. Luxurious plated gold or palladium finishes the pieces, each a unique interpretation of a new modern decadence.

I love those pieces!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Prada

Hairband encrusted with crystal stones, € 295,-

Here is a sneak preview of Miu Miu‘s fashion jewelry collection for Resort 2012. Available in stores this November. Your chance to outshine the Christmas tree. Bling, bling!

LoL, Sandra

Bracelet encrusted with colourful crystal stones, € 320,-

Necklaces with crystal stones and pearls, each € 450,-

Photos: Courtesy of Miu Miu

Ancient Egyptians considered the scarab beetle to be lucky and obviously Tomas Maier does, too. For his F/W 2010 Bottega Veneta show, he adorned his models with beautiful metallic-green scarab beetle charms.
The lucky animal decorates rings, earrings, necklaces and bangles. My favourite is the multi-strand necklace which is unfortunately also the most expensive one. Those pieces will rock every outfit. Available online, at Bottega Veneta stores and at net-à-porter.

So ladies, start pushing your luck!

LoL, Sandra