Sandra‘s Closet

LVMH has announced the appointment of Sarah Burton as creative director of Givenchy, effective immediately, according to a news release this week. Burton will oversee the women’s and men’s lines and will present her first collection for the house in March 2025.

Givenchy is back on the radar as LVMH has named Sarah Burton creative director for women’s and men’s collections, with immediate effect. She stepped down from Kering owned brand Alexander McQueen last year after two decades at the brand, and since 2010 as creative director.

Hubert de Givenchy

Sarah Burton said: «It is a great honour to be joining the beautiful house of Givenchy, it is a jewel. I am so excited to be able to write the next chapter in the story of this iconic house and to bring to Givenchy my own vision, sensibility and beliefs.»

Her first collection will be presented during Paris Fashion Week in March 2025. Givenchy named also a new CEO, Alessandro Valenti, in July. Burton becomes the eighth designer at the French luxury house founded in 1953 by Hubert de Givenchy, who stayed on until 1995. She is its second female creative director. History repeats itself as her predecessors at Givenchy include Alexander McQueen, who designed at the Paris fashion house from 1996-2001.

Sarah Burton with Lee Alexander McQueen

Sarah Burton was born in Macclesfield and educated in Manchester, before studying Fashion at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London, graduating in 1997. She rose to fame when she created the wedding dress for Kate, the Princess of Wales. In 2012, she was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to the British Fashion industry. During her 13 year tenure as Creative Director at Alexander McQueen, Burton produced women’s and men’s collections to great critical acclaim, as well as establishing an extensive education programme supporting young creatives. In December 2023, Burton was awarded the Special Recognition Award at The Fashion Awards, honouring her outstanding contribution to the fashion industry. Owner Kering said upon her exit that she had left «an indelible mark.»

Personally speaking, Sarah was on my radar for CHANEL. I am a big fan of her work. I hope John Galliano could be the one for CHANEL, despite everything that happened. His talent is just outstanding and he would be such a great choice for the French Maison!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © GIVENCHY
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They were already a huge trend in 2012, when Kim Kardashian sported them in a nude beige and black: Givenchy‘s Shark Lock Boots. Now, they are back, and even in a full-on sparkly version (see last pair in this post)! The Maison’s most iconic silhouette is seducing It-girls all over the world who like to add a tough-luxe edge to their ensembles.

The sleeve of the boot that looks like part of the pants elongates legs to the extreme. So no wonder, other brands have been jumping on the trend. Here are the best ones available.

LoL, Sandra

DG buckle knee boots by Dolce & Gabbana

Suede leather boots with sleeve by CHANEL

Cowboy boots with sleeve by R13

Shark Lock leather knee-high boots by Givenchy

Shark Lock beige leather knee-high boots by Givenchy

x Disney® Shark Lock knee-high leather boots by Givenchy

Shark Lock embellished knee-high boots by Givenchy

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands
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You can never have enough lipsticks… therefore meet GIVENCHY‘s new LE ROUGE INTERDIT INTENSE SILK. Housed in a rechargeable leather case, this timeless and elegant fashion accessory comes with a modern texture that glides effortlessly over the lips like silk, while delivering a luminous, semi-matte finish. And, thanks to its formula enriched in hyaluronic acid spheres and Acmella Oleracea extract, lips are instantly smoothed and the inner water is locked for up to 24 hours, for absolute comfort. The intense color is impressively long-lasting, staying vibrant for up to 12 hours.

A lipstick inspired by Givenchy’s iconic scent L’Interdit. 

«There is a power of just wearing a red lipstick, it always suits everybody, always looks amazing and GIVENCHY offers a red for everyone. With red lipstick you can also use it on the cheeks, it’s the perfect weapon.» – Thom Walker, Creative Director of Givenchy Makeup

THE MASTER OF REDS
Available in 25 silky shades (all refillable), Le Rouge Interdit Intense Silk’s highly-pigmented color palette includes the most iconic and the most fashionable reds. Discover Givenchy’s signature brown-toned red Rouge Graine (N°37), the ultimate suits-all neutral red L’Interdit (N°333), and the most luminous red with a hint of yellow Carmin Escarpin (N°306).

In Switzerland available at SEPHORA at Manor Geneva, Vevey, Chavannes, Lausanne, Vésenaz, Basel, Lugano, Zurich main station, Bern, and Sihlcity as well as online at manor.ch.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: #LeRougeInterdit @givenchybeauty
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise!

With an unduly cheerful, optimistic, or favorable view of things: now you can literally see everything through rose-colored glasses. Being a huge trend this season, designers offer a large selection of sunglasses in all shades of pink to choose from. The choice is yours!

As I love pink, I couldn’t resist myself…

LoL, Sandra

Cat-eye acetate sunglasses by Givenchy

Twist cat-eye acetate sunglasses by Balenciaga

DiorSignature B1U cat-eye acetate and gold-tone sunglasses by Dior

Venessa cat-eye sunglasses by The Attico x Linda Farrow

Medusa Biggie sunglasses in pink by Versace

Pink heart-shaped frame sunglasses by Moschino

Loulou heart-shaped acetate sunglasses by Saint Laurent

Oversized sunglasses in pale pink by Gucci

Dynasty oversized geometric-frame sunglasses by Balenciaga

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

To get ahead of the fashion game, I prepared a list of must-have shoes that are inspired from the S/S 2022 shoe runway trend report. Just click on the highlighted text to be transferred directly to the respective online shop. Don’t forget, Cinderella is proof, that one shoe can change your life...

LoL, Sandra

FLATS
Lilli grosgrain-trimmed recycled neoprene platform sandals by Chloé

GLADIATOR
Rockstud No Limit leather sandals by Valentino

OPEN LACE
Moonlight ankle boots by Louis Vuitton

OVERKNEES
G-Clog leather over-the-knee boots by Givenchy

PLATFORM
Belle glittered-leather platform sandals by D’Accori

POINTY
Pointy pink high heels by Versace

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.

One of the best press happenings of the year is always the famous Sephora Christmas event to discover the most exciting beauty novelties for this holiday season.

I discovered exclusive holiday collections, limited-edition beauty sets and the bestselling products of the year. In this post, you will find a lot of fun products to show you care or just indulge yourself. Get ready for the holidays with beauty advent calendars and some amazing gift ideas.

One of my favorites. The famous «Holiday Vibes» advent calendar is a must for every beauty lover. 24 surprises for only CHF 49.90.

The «All Beauty Stars» advent calendar in gold and pink contains 12 new beauty brands that Sephora specifically casted for the holiday event. 7 original sized products along with 2 surprises, once the box is empty, you can reuse it every year. Available for CHF 159.90 (worth around CHF 450 if you bought the products alone).

The «Holiday Vibes»  Sephora collection includes many amazing gift ideas, such as the set of 8 face and body masks to pamper your skin from head to toe.

The Too Faced Cinnamon Swirl Holiday 2021 collection offers so many amazing products in warm brown shades.

Prepare yourself for New Year’s Eve with the Too Face Hangover Collection. I love the Replenishing Face Primer that can repair a beauty hangover. The replenishing skin booster hydrates, smooths and brightens for a dewy, refreshed, and revitalized complexion.

In the mood to try a new mascara? I can recommend this mudge-proof, easy to apply and intensely black, award-winning Volume Disturbia Mascara by Givenchy.

Completely obsessed with the Naughty Nude Eyeshadow Palette by Huda Beauty. A versatile palette with 18 shades in five ultra-wearable textures to create dramatic smoky eyes, as well as a variety of natural and sultry looks.

3 Little Wonders® by OLEHENRIKSEN promises to transform your skin in 7 days: The signature professional-strength age-defying regimen brightens, firms, evens skin tone, smoothes skin texture and reduces the look of fine lines and wrinkles.

The cutest Christmas decoration… get a mini ornament for maximum effect under the tree.

All these products are available now at Sephora. Hurry up, as they will be selling out fast.

LoL, Sandra

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

The Met Gala is typically held on the first Monday in May, but this year, the event was postponed due to COVID-19 and falls right in the middle of fashion month. As Iris Apfel once said: «When we were small children, we all played dress-up and everybody had a good time, so why stop?». This is how Met Gala is for me, a huge party for everyone who loves to dress up and has never stop to indulge in fashion.

Ensemble, Christopher John Rogers (American, born 1993), F/W 2020; Courtesy Christopher John Rogers. Photo: HAPPYMONDAY / Courtesy of the Costume Institute

Also referred to as «fashion’s biggest night out,» the Met Gala is a fundraising benefit for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. This year, the Costume Institute will host its first two-part exhibition, on the theme of American fashion, during 2021 and 2022. Part one, «In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,» will open in the Anna Wintour Costume Center on September 18, 2021, and will remain on display when «In America: An Anthology of Fashion,» opens on May 5, 2022 in the period rooms of the American Wing. Both shows will run through September 5, 2022.

Below, you will find my personal selection of outfits, that I loved or didn’t like and hope you will enjoy it.

LoL, Sandra

Fashion that makes us dream – my favorite look of the gala: Iman in Harris Reed

Cracking the codes: Kim Kardashian in Balenciaga

Rihanna in Balenciaga Couture and Maria Tash jewelry and A$AP Rocky in ERL

Wild West: Jennifer Lopez in Ralph Lauren

Fitting the American theme of the upcoming exhibitions perfectly: Helen Lasichanh and Pharrell Williams in CHANEL

Sporting the American flag: Debbie Harry in and with Zac Posen

Trio infernal with an American «Statue of Liberty» touch: Sienna Miller in Gucci, Hamish Bowles in Thom Browne, and Emily Blunt in Miu Miu

Feathers were also a trending theme: Serena Williams in Gucci

One of my favorites last night: Zoë Kravitz in Saint Laurent

And another one of my favorite looks: Kendall Jenner in Givenchy

Julia Garner in Stella McCartney

Hailee Steinfeld in Iris Van Herpen

Donatella Versace in Versace

Whoopi Goldberg, Pierpaolo Piccioli and Carey Mulligan in Valentino

Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello in Michael Kors Collection

Literally eye-catching: Hunter Schafer in Prada

Gigi Hadid in Prada

A great look, but somehow not for her: Diane Kruger in Prabal Gurung and Jimmy Choo shoes

Beautiful: Emily Ratajkowski in Vera Wang

Mmh… definitely not my favorite look: Vera Wang in Vera Wang

Playing dress-up: Erykah Badu in Thom Browne

Making a statement: Cara Delevingne in Christian Dior

Flowers were a huge theme: Lili Reinhart in Christian Siriano

LOVE: Irina Shayk in Moschino

YouTuber Nikkie Tutorials (Nikkie de Jager), who came out as transgender last year, paid homage to activist and drag queen Marsha P. Johnson with this «pay it no mind» sash.

Anna Wintour wore a floral Oscar de la Renta gown.

Stunning in Oscar de la Renta: Karlie Kloss and designer Wes Gordon

Billie Eilish in Oscar de la Renta. Her bombshell gown symbolizes her activism for animal rights. According to The New York Times, she agreed to work with Oscar de la Renta on the condition that the designers would no longer use fur in their pieces.

Dan Levy in Loewe

Designer Virgil Abloh in Off-White

And here comes the golden king in his amazing outfit that revealed different layers: Lil Nas X in Versace

Photos: via Vogue.com

Yesterday, Givenchy announced the appointment of its new designer, effective of today. Matthew M. Williams, the 34-year-old founder of luxury streetwear-inspired label 1017 ALYX 9SM, known simply as Alyx, will be its new creative director. Matthew M. Williams will take on all creative responsibilities for Women’s and Men’s collections. This marks the designer’s first major director role and a new direction for the LVMH-owned brand. He succeeds Clare Waight Keller after her exit in April, and will present his first collection in Paris in October. Williams will continue to operate Alyx independently.

Matthew M. Williams by Paolo Roversi

It is the second time a designer rooted in street fashion has taken the helm of a major legacy luxury brand, following Virgil Abloh’s hiring at Louis Vuitton in 2018.

It is an interesting and troubled time for the fashion industry in general. According to BoF, «the pandemic is expected to shrink the luxury market by as much as 35 percent this year due to store closures and decreased travel and consumer spending.»

«I believe [Williams’] singular vision of modernity will be a great opportunity for Givenchy to write its new chapter with strength and success,» said Sidney Toledano, chairman and Chief Executive of LVMH’s Fashion Group, in a statement.

Williams will surely focus on materials and sustainability which might attract also new Givenchy costumers as consumers were already demanding more transparency about the environmental impact of fashion products before the pandemic. In light of the recession, quality and craftsmanship will likely take on even greater weight for shoppers. Let’s see what the future brings…

Matthew M. Williams states: «I am extremely honored to join the House of Givenchy. The Maison’s unique position and timeless aura make it an undeniable icon and I am looking forward to working together with its ateliers and teams, to move it into a new era, based on modernity and inclusivity. I am grateful to the LVMH group for trusting me with the opportunity to fulfill my lifelong dream. In these unprecedented times for the world, I want to send a message of hope, together with my community and colleagues, and intend to contribute towards positive change.»

Matthew M. Williams will present his first collection for the House of Givenchy in Paris in October.
TO SHOP GIVENCHY ONLINE, CLICK HERE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Paolo Roversi for Givenchy
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Hello June! Lift your mood with quirky colors of the ’70s. Green, yellow and blue mixed together look great on those chilly summer days.

My look: Shearling-lined appliquéd suede vest by Miu Miu, ribbed-knit sweater and ribbed leather platform mules, both by Givenchy, Cassette Intrecciato leather cross-body bag by Bottega Veneta, metal and leather necklace with glass beads by Gucci and Carlina round-frame gold-plated sunglasses by Chloé.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht
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I love peonies, they are my favorite flowers. It is such a pity that their season is very limited, usually May to June. I love their frilly ruffles of petals and it always amazes me how such a beautiful flower can bloom from such a small tight hard bud. To me, they are the most beautiful right before they die. My daughter said something very sweet to me recently: «Mum, if you were a flower, you would definitely be a peony as you get more beautiful with age.»

Today’s look is inspired by this gem of nature. Burgundy and pink worn together is a colour combination that I personally absolutely adore. When the two hues meet, it’s pure magic.

My look: Katerina merino wool sweater and Wade high-rise flared jeans, both by Ulla Johnson, platform patent-leather loafers by Givenchy, Aby Lock small printed leather shoulder bag by Chloé, stingray sunglasses by Louis Vuitton, Royal Oak 37mm 18-karat frosted rose gold watch by Audemars Piguet, JUSTE UN CLOU bracelet in rose gold with diamonds, LOVE bracelet SM in white gold, LOVE bracelet in rose gold with 4 diamonds, and CLASH DE CARTIER bracelet SM in rose gold, all by Cartier, Coco Crush bracelet in yellow gold by CHANEL, gold chunky necklace by Dior, Rose Céleste necklace in 18k yellow and white gold, diamond, onyx and mother-of-pearl, and Astro Dior aquarius necklace, both by Dior Fine Jewellery.

By the way, in floriography, the language of flowers, peonies represent all the good stuff: good fortune, happy marriage, riches, honour, and compassion and surprisingly, bashfulness. Cheers to that! May we all have a little peony-wisdom in our lives this spring.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht
DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission.