Sandra‘s Closet

Last night was probably the best one I have ever had in Tuscany. I was absolutely determined to go to bed early but that didn’t happen. It was so much fun being re-united with my favourite blogger colleagues and of course the LUISAVIAROMA team. The first Firenze4Ever evening started off with cocktails at the store.

Our host, Andrea Panconesi, owner of LUISAVIAROMA, with my beloved Hilary from Lyst and my humble self.

Bryanboy and gorgeous Tina from Bagsnob.

In the car with Hilary on our way to the next stop: La Fattoria Delle Corti, a gorgeous location 20 minutes outside of Florence, in the Tuscany wine region.

Hilary and me with Tiani from Belmodo

My look: Printed jumpsuit with studs, matching chiffon poncho, both by Givenchy, pointed leather Mary-Jane pumps and Betty chain red leather shoulder bag, both by Saint Laurent.

Tiani, Tina and lovely Camilla with me.

Having fun at dinner with Bryan and Tina.

After we left the Fattoria, we went to the pool party at Roberto Cavalli’s mansion which was absolutely amazing. The ambiance, the house, the enormous gardens, every little detail was just beautiful. The music was outstanding and I danced until dawn. Before leaving, I even spoke to Roberto’s parrot as you can see in the last picture.

The decor reminded me a lot of the one that Roberto Cavalli created for the amfAR gala.

I am sure that you are curious how Roberto Cavalli’s palace looks like. It is amazing as you can imagine. I would like to respect his privacy but of course I have some photos for you. Enjoy!

I am off to more adventures today! Firenze4Ever is the best…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Et voilà, here is the second part of the MCM Blogger Makeover 2013. Jumpsuits are a huge trend this summer and I definitely couldn’t resist this one. Doesn’t it look lovely with the new MCM bag? All photos were taken in the studio of Christian Dietrich.

My look: Printed jumpsuit with studs, matching chiffon poncho, both by Givenchy, pointed leather Mary-Jane pumps by Saint Laurent, Veronika Visetos medium satchel by MCM, raffia and macarmé multi-bead earrings by Dolce & Gabbana and ring by Chanel.

If you haven’t seen the photos of the MCM’s Zurich Grand Opening, please click here.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Christian Dietrich for MCM

Each year, the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art holds the Met Gala, the fashion event of the season and the party of the year, to celebrate the newest the exhibition. This spring, it will be about PUNK: Chaos to Couture, on view from May 9 through August 14, 2013, will examine punk’s impact on high fashion from the movement’s birth in the 1970s through its continuing influence today. “Since its origins, punk has had an incendiary influence on fashion,” said Andrew Bolton, Curator in The Costume Institute. “Although punk’s democracy stands in opposition to fashion’s autocracy, designers continue to appropriate punk’s aesthetic vocabulary to capture its youthful rebelliousness and aggressive forcefulness.”

If you want to find out more about the exhibition, please click here.

Enjoy the best looks from the red carpet of the Costume Institute Benefit last Monday. On top, you can see Sarah Jessica Parker who took the night’s punk theme to heart, and went for this stunning Giles Deacon dress, combined with a Philip Treacy punk hat and plaid Christian Louboutin boots. Madonna understood the invitation well and showed up in Givenchy.

Anne Hathaway had the most surprising look with her bleached blond hair which I loved. Of course, the vintage Valentino gown was the perfect match.

And here is an amazing opportunity, you can PRE-ORDER those extremely sexy couture red carpet looks (all F/W 2013) below directly now for seven days. How cool is that?! Just click on the highlighted text to be transferred directly.

Emma Watson in a matte black crepe crossover tie strap gown with high slit by Prabal Gurung.

Kate Bosworth in a short body-conscious dress with 3/4-length sleeves and diamond embroideries on pink lurex jacquard by Balmain Atelier.

Anja Rubik in a lambskin and macrame dress by Anthony Vaccarello.

Gisèle Bündchen in a bonded crepe and macrame one sleeve halter dress by Anthony Vaccarello.

Taylor Swift in a black silk crepe gown with black lace inserts, black chiffon sunburst pleated back and silver-gold embroidered crystal neckline by J.Mendel.

Kate Mara in a short dress with woolen crepe base, heart-shaped neckline and architectural modules by Delpozo.

Christina Ricci in a turquoise silk taffeta McAndrew tartan corset gown by Vivienne Westwood Couture.

And don’t miss Moda Operandi‘s amazing punk pop-up store where you can find all those  must-have pieces. Mmh, Hedi Slimane was obviously not so wrong with his F/W 2103 collection…

LoL, Sandra

Ear cuffs are this season’s hottest accessory. They have made their comeback for the first time on the Chanel S/S 2012 runway last year, and since then those must-have jewelry pieces have been spotted on the likes of Cara Delevingne and Diane Kruger.

The ear cuff is a great investment piece for the summer, it can be worn in multiple styles depending if it is made from feathers, chains, or sparkling diamonds, adding real flair to your outfit in an instant.

Below are the best ones available at the moment. I bought myself the tiger version from the Roberto Cavalli S/S 2013 catwalk. For the post in which I am wearing them, please click here. By the way, the last three shopping suggestions (N°7-9) cost less than CHF 50.00.

1 Crystal-embellished branch earrings by Emilio Pucci
2 Embellished ear jewel by Givenchy
3 Gold-plated Swarovski crystal cuff-style tiger earrings by Roberto Cavalli (my choice)
4 Berbère 18-karat rose gold multi-hoop ear cuff by Repossi
5 Earring with ear cuff by Nina Ricci
6 Maia bronze leaf ear cuff by Pamela Love
7 Feather ear cuff by Anni Jürgenson
8 Double chain ear cuff by Anni Jürgenson
9 Ear cuff by Maria Francesca Pepe

The Swiss based designer Carmen Cita Jones also offers a large variety of ear cuffs. To shop, please click here. Enjoy this fabulous trend!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of the brands and via style.com

For S/S 2013, the designers have come up with some outstanding accessories. The ones I put together for you are like pieces of art, highly collectibles that probably belong more in a vitrine than to be worn. At least, it is fun to look at them.

THE SEASON OF EYE-CATCHING CLUTCHES

Lego clutch by Chanel

Butterfly clutch by Bottega Veneta

Clutch bag with Madonna print by Givenchy

Enameled resin perfume clutch by Lanvin

Jewel plexiglass butterfly clutch by Valentino

THE SEASON OF THE STATEMENT SHOE

Mink pumps by Céline

Magic square slingback pump by Louis Vuitton

Cherie poodle patent sandals by Charlotte Olympia

Strappy sandals by Alexander Wang

Patent-leather ankle-cuff sandals by Gucci

THE SEASON TO INVEST IN FASHION JEWELRY

Necklace by Christian Dior

Ruthenium-plated Swarovski crystal flamingo necklace by Roberto Cavalli

Metal circle earrings by Balmain

Large pom pom and raffia earrings by Dolce & Gabbana

Cuff by Erickson Beamon

I hope that you have enjoyed my little accessory report for S/S 2013.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of the brands

Yippie, another sale has started today and this is actually my favourite one: The NET-À-PORTER INTERNATIONAL SALE with amazing markdowns up to 50% off. As I told you in my previous post, it is much better to look for basics or pieces that will work for the next season.

Some of the big trends for S/S 2013 (as you can see in the pictures to the left) are the combination of black and white and ruffled details.

Here is a look that would be the perfect stylish addition to your summer wardrobe:

Crepe tuxedo blazer by Alexander McQueen, wool-blend and silk-chiffon dress by Giambattista Valli, large Cabas Chyc leather tote by Yves Saint Laurent, ruffle-trimmed suede pumps by Nicholas Kirkwood and splashout painted Swarovski crystal earrings by Tom Binns.

Happy Shopping by clicking HERE!

LoL, Sandra

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

As you know, I am obsessed with Givenchy and the F/W 2012 collection’s gothic feel is just divine. Lead the fashion pack and be the first to shop wow takes on leather, red hot peplum dresses and green accessories, such as the must-have wrap bracelet.

For the new three days you have the privilege to shop exclusively these items before they are available to all mytheresa customers. Just click on the highlighted texts below. Enjoy!

LoL, Sandra

BOXCALF ANKLE BOOTS WITH CUFFED TRIM

FIT-AND-FLARE LEATHER DRESS

MEDIUM ZIP LEATHER CLUTCH

GRAPHIC PRINT TANK TOP

GREEN NIGHTINGALE LEATHER TOTE

RED FLARED PEPLUM DRESS

OBSEDIA WRAP-AROUND LOGO LEATHER CUFF

Photos: Courtesy of Givenchy and mytheresa

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

One evening during the Biennale des Antiquaires, Piaget took us for a gala dinner to the beautiful L’Arc restaurant, that offers a stunning view of the city’s iconic Arc de Triomphe.

My look: Silk blouse (available with or without sleeves) and chain detail skirt (50% off), both by Givenchy, Tribute chain-detailed suede sandals by Yves Saint Laurent, Leopard Nocturne African Queen clutch bag from Louis Vuitton‘s S/S 2009 runway and earrings from Chanel‘s Paris-Bombay collection.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht