Sandra‘s Closet

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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On Thursday evening, the Houses of CHANEL, FENDI (LVMH) and KARL LAGERFELD all came together at the Grand Palais in Paris to pay tribute to Karl Lagerfeld at a celebration designed, directed and staged by Robert Carsen.

The many facets of this extraordinary man were evoked through a tapestry of videos filmed throughout his life, interspersed with testimonials from people who knew him, as well as the generous «live» contributions of highly talented actors, musicians, dancers who interpreted some of the music and literature Karl loved so much.

Charlotte Casiraghi, H.R.H. Princess of Hanover, Andrea Casiraghi and Madame Emmanuel Macron paying tribute to Karl Lagerfeld.

Actresses Tilda Swinton, Fanny Ardant, Cara Delevingne and Helen Mirren, friends of Karl Lagerfeld, recited and read excerpts from works by his favourite authors, such as Virginia Woolf, Stéphane Mallarmé, Colette and Edith Sitwell.

Pianist Lang Lang at Karl Forever at the Grand Palais in Paris.

The extraordinary Jookin dancer Lil Buck, the brilliant violinist Charlie Siem (who played Paganini, one of the favourite composers of Karl Lagerfeld’s mother Elizabeth), Argentinian choreographer German Cornejo, accompanied by his troupe of 17 tango dancers and his 7-piece orchestra from Buenos Aires (Carlos Gardel was Karl Lagerfeld’s favourite singer and the tango was his favourite dance), the celebrated pianist Lang Lang (who played Chopin on the grand piano designed by Karl Lagerfeld for the 150th anniversary of Steinway), and American artist Pharrell Williams were also on stage to pay homage to the man who had deeply marked them and who was their friend.

The Steinway designed by Karl Lagerfeld on display.

These artists – as well as the 2,500 guests present at the Grand Palais to celebrate Karl Lagerfeld – were immersed in a spectacular exhibition of 56 giant enlargements of portraits taken throughout his life by some of the most famous photographers in a setting designed by Robert Carsen, inspired by Karl’s favourite colours: black and white enhanced with a touch of red.

In turn, the participants also paid tribute to the aesthete, this man of culture, photographer, creator… in an exceptional moment as grand as his talent.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Karl Lagerfeld, © Luc Castel and Julio Piatti

«Volez! Voguez! Voyagez!» literally translates as «Fly! Sail! Travel!». Those three words written across a vintage Louis Vuitton advertisement poster summarize the spirit of the brand and are the title of an upcoming exhibition that will take place at the Grand Palais from 4th December 2015 till 21st February 2016.

Curated by Olivier Saillard, this exhibition retraces Louis Vuitton’s great journey from 1854 till today, through depictions of the Maison’s founding members and those who create the Louis Vuitton of tomorrow.

Monsieur Louis Vuitton

The Grand Palais was constructed in 1900 during one of the most spectacular Universal Exhibitions in Paris which welcomed 48 milllion visitors. At this turning point of the century, George Vuitton was in charge of organizing the entire section dedicated to “Travel & Leather goods“.

The Louis Vuitton booth, surprisingly in the shape of a merry-go-round, presented the Maison’s most innovative luggage and elegant bags and was the center of attention.

“Louis Vuitton has always been at the avant-garde of creation. More than a century after,
if Louis Vuitton remains at the helm of fashion, it’s because we continously inspire ourselves from
the past while anticipating trends of our times. For this exhibition, Olivier Saillard has immersed
himself in the archives of our Maison to decode its secrets. He delivers a fresh vision of our past, present and future“, says Michael Burke, CEO of Louis Vuitton.

The thematic journey conceived and designed by Robert Carsen navigates through 9 chapters, opening with the absolute symbol of Louis Vuitton: an antique malle. An innately modern design, it foresaw what were to become the Maison’s emblematic codes and epitomised Louis Vuitton’s audacious spirit. The exhibition presents objects and documents from Louis Vuitton’s Patrimony
as well as a selection of pieces lent by Palais Galliera, Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris.
A section dedicated to Craftsmanship closes the exhibition.

SUMMARY OF THE 9 SECTIONS OF THE EXHIBITION

I. THE TRUNK OF 1906, an innovative design
II. WOOD, a gateway to freedom.
The roots of the Louis Vuitton house
III. THE CLASSIC TRUNKS, a catalogue
of refined canvases, shapes and locks

IV. THE INVENTION OF TRAVEL:
– The rise of yachts, a taste for cruises.
The inauguration of the Steamer bag
– The motor cars, speed at one’s fingertips
– The train, outbound travel

V. THE ABSENT HOUR,
fine writing in line with Louis Vuitton

Artist Cindy Sherman with the colorful trunk embellished with hotel labels she designed for Louis Vuitton.

VI. THE PORTAIN TRUNK,
a conversation with art
VII. ECCENTRIC/CURIOUS TRUNKS.
Gaston-Louis Vuitton’s antique personal collection

VIII. FASHION AND BEAUTY
– Beauty essentials, fine fragrances,
delicate jewellery boxes
– Celebrity luggage. Superstar trunks
– Elegant dandies, the men of today.
Examples of masculine luggage
– Fashion and design, a mirrored present day
IX. THE MUSIC ROOM.
Special orders, dreams are made of these

EXHIBITION DETAILS

GRAND PALAIS 4th December 2015 till 21st February 2016
Salon d’Honneur, Entrée Square Jean Perrin, Champs-Elysées, Avenue du Général Eisenhower,
Paris 8th
Monday, Thursday and Sunday, from 10am – 8pm
Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, from 10am – 10pm
Closed on Tuesdays except during school holidays
Free admission
AUDIO GUIDE
A mobile phone application allows visitors to enrich their tour.

As a big fan of the House of Louis Vuitton, I am truly looking forward to this exhibition.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: ©Archives Louis Vuitton Malletier

I truly had a sparkling good time with Piaget at the 27th Biennale des Antiquaires. To ‘counterbalance‘ all the sparkles of the amazing jewelry inside, I went for this whimsical and sci-fi-esque galaxy print. Isn’t it fun when fashion takes you to outer space?! I got quite often stopped to get my pictures taken…

My look: Galaxy-print silk-chiffon biker jacket and matching silk-satin and leather dress, both by Christopher Kane, Boy bag with chains by Chanel, sunglasses by Céline, pointed leather Mary-Jane pumps by Saint Laurent, rose diamond ring, necklace and Limelight Gala watch, all by Piaget, emerald-cut diamond ring and diamond bracelet, both by Vainard Fine Jewellery, Pure Matt 100 denier tights by Falke.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Every second year, the Biennale des Antiquaires takes place in Paris in the gorgeous halls of the Grand Palais. Whenever I look at its sinuous, cast-iron Art Nouveau balconies and curlicue stairways, I feel like being in another century. Personally speaking, it is one of the most fascinating places in the French capital and I couldn’t imagine a better backdrop for the most important event in the jewelry calendar. I was invited by Piaget as in 2012 (for the previous post, please click here) and was able to discover the house’s amazingly beautiful EXTREMELY PIAGET collection firsthand.

For the 27th edition of the Biennale des Antiquaires, interior designer Jacques Grange paid homage to Versailles and its French gardens with flowerbeds and foliage. The most stunning part was the scented indoor fountain in the center under the gigantic glass dome that master perfumer Francis Kurkdjian had transformed into an olfactory experience.

At the Piaget booth, I indulged in the most stunning High Jewellery pieces you can imagine. This year, Piaget is celebrating its 140th anniversary and to celebrate this occasion, the company seeked inspiration for its EXTREMELY PIAGET collection from its stellar period in its creative history from the 1960s and 70s. The pieces are enhanced by the most precious materials: diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, hard stones and gold.

The collection is also characterized by great freedom of movement and multiple ways of beings worn. Personally speaking, it was the youngest and most modern collection at the Biennale des Antiquaires this year. You could easily imagine to wear it to a black tie gala or with jeans and a white tee like for example this beautiful bracelet with turquoises from Arizona above.

Let me show you my favorite pieces of the 125 that were presented:

Necklace in 18k white gold set with 46 turquoise beads (approx. 301cts), 48 chrysoprase beads (approx. 42cts), 1 emerald-cut cabochon (approx. 23.14cts), per-shaped chrysoprases, pear-shaped turquoises and brilliant-cut diamonds.

Sautoir exceptional High Jewellery watch in platinum set with 195 marquise-cut diamonds (approx. 66.20 cts), 282 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 33.20 cts), 35 cushion-cut diamonds (approx. 16.30 cts) and 16 pear-cut diamonds (approx. 7.60 cts).  Piaget 56P quartz movement.

Necklace in 18K white gold set with 84 blue sapphire beads from Sri Lanka(approx. 127.40 cts), 490 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 41.69 cts) and 1 cushion-cut emerald from Columbia(approx. 19.39 cts).

Sautoir watch fishnet mesh in 18K white gold set with 404 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 31.30 cts).  Piaget 56P quartz movement.

Bracelet in 18K pink gold set with 8 pink opal plates (approx. 23.25 cts), 18 turquoise beads (approx. 5.31 cts) and 220 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 1.81 cts).

Cuff watch in 18K white gold set with 1’699 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 20.50 cts) (snow-setting). Natural opal dial. Piaget 56P quartz movement.

Ear cuffs in 18K white gold set with 28 marquise-cut diamonds (approx. 11.59 cts) and 20 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 4.48 cts).

Ring with a sapphire (approx. 7 cts) and 10 diamonds in pear cut and 2 marquise diamonds (approx. 7.5 cts together).

I fell not only in love with this piece… The EXTREMELY PIAGET collection marks the continuity of the brand’s presence in the world of High Jewellery. The 1960s and 70s were some of their most innovative years – and the same is true of 2014. Congratulations, Piaget, for this amazing collection!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

During the last two weeks, the Grand Palais hosted the flagship exhibition dedicated to the spirit of Miss Dior, the house’s famous and first fragrance. To celebrate the opening night, celebrities such as Natalie Portman, the face of Dior, Sophie Marceau, Karl Lagerfeld and many more came to see the exhibition themselves, followed by an amazing after party also hosted at the Grand Palais. I felt very honored to be invited to such an exclusive event.

Arriving with Mary Ma, international model and Chinese fashion designer.

Christian Dior himself, a creative and visionary genius, managed to unite couture and perfumes. During my visit to the exhibition, I enjoyed exploring the designer’s life and work plus his artistic influences.

To illustrate his passion for art, it also presented the works of fifteen contemporary women artists, who were inspired by the iconic scent Miss Dior. Below you can see my favorite artworks.

ALYSON SHOTZ
” I love that idea of there being no surface, no inside or outside. Surface is structure, and vice versa. These shapes are created by assembling a large whole, piece by piece. The observer visually combines all the little parts and when he walks around the sculpture, his eyes and brain assemble these shapes in different ways.”

For New Yorker Alyson Shotz, the rose theme, a flower dear to Christian Dior, also inspired her sculpture Infinite Rose with its reflections of steel and dichroic film, which changes color and shape depending on the movement of light, and that of the observer.

MARIA NEPOMUCENO
“I decided to bring the bottle of Miss Dior perfume, which for me is an object related to elegance and delicacy, to my own universe. I transformed the shape of the bottle into an object made of clay, from which tentacles and roots protrude, but also crevices with emerging organic elements.”

Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1976, Maria transcends the Miss Dior bottle to create an organic and sensual installation using different material. Spirals of nylon, rope, straw and woven pearls are rolled up in an endless process, like a living sculpture, moving matter that bonds everyday life, cosmology and genetics.

JOANA VASCONCELOS
“I enjoyed being able to merge with the Miss Dior spirit, and its combination of extremes, that engage the world of couture and playfulness, architectural rigor and cotton candy lightness.”

My avid readers might recognize Joana Vasconcelos from her current solo exhibition at the Gucci Museo in Florence. For Dior, she has imagined a carbon fiber bow some 3 meters wide adorned with almost 1.665 perfume bottles and LED lights. This is probably the most impressive installation of the exhibition.

NIKA ZUPANG
“Starting out with a vision of the idealized and somewhat conservative Dior woman, I wanted to shake up her image. I didn’t want to distort it, I just set out to highlight the strengths of her unique, singular character.”

Recognized the world over for her objects midway between fantasy and narration, the Slovenian designer explores femininity from every angle with a series of pieces and collaborations, highlighting sensuality and seduction. Here, she created a fairy-tale pavilion dedicated to women and their aspirations. This was one of my favorite artworks of the exhibition.

KAREN KILIMNIK
“When seeing this piece, I would like visitors to the exhibition to want to take a look through the archives of Dior.”

Born in Philadelphia, Karen Kilimnik dramatizes today’s consumer society and the world of images through her paintings and lyrical installations, with a profound sense of romanticism. Inspired by the 18th century Drottingholm Theater in Sweden and the design sets for Alexei Ratmansky’s production of Psyche, but also fascinated by the Dior archives and first models, she has taken a new look at the follies and gloryfiers.

CAROLE BENZAKEN
“In Miss Dior, I don’t see a woman, I see colors and landscapes. It is a relationship between skin and veins, heart and heartbeat, music, life.”

With Carole Benzaken, media – drawing, painting, photography, video -, intertwine and overlap each other. She designed a majestic but fragile opalescent glass sculpture spanning one meter, surrounded by seven back-lit vats decorated with wooded landscaped drawings, like the idea of a liquid and immaterial fragrance that takes up and appropriates space.

POLLY APFELBAUM
” I decided to create a work that reflected Dior’s audacity and the brand’s tradition of allying the new with the classical.”

It was the houndstooth pattern that inspired the American artist’s large-scale installation, hand-woven in Mexico using the traditional weaving techniques of Oaxaca.

LEE BUL
“Smell is the most closely related sense to memory. A sense that appeals to emotions more than a reason.”

An unmissable figure from the Asian artistic scene, she created a dozen monumental sculptures in crystal and aluminum. For this exhibition, she has taken a new look at the olfactive memory of Miss Dior, its light and modernity at the center of an installation designed as a manifesto, standing 5 meters high and weighing almost 500 kg.

I stepped inside this suspended cocoon for a private journey on self-reflection.

CARLA MATTI
“I chose to interpret the theme of Dior’s beloved rose in my own poetical way.”

Under a venomous hybrid appearance, the works of Carla Matti are about nature and reality, the world and its virtual dimension. This young Italian artist scanned then recomposed and computer printed in 3-D the legendary Miss Dior rose which is transformed into a sculpted rose garden full of original flowers taken from a bend of five different floral varieties.

At the after party: Having fun with the fabulous Montasar Dumas.

It was such a fabulous event and I truly had a blast. If you like my look, here are all the details: Black strapless dress by Prada, pointed leather Mary-Jane pumps by Saint Laurent, skirt belt, feather stole, handbag and pearl necklace, all by Dior.

Thank you Vanity Fair for featuring me among the most amazing celebrities!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Dior, Vanity Fair and © Sandra Bauknecht

My visit to the Biennale des Antiquaires last week was absolutely amazing. I was surrounded by outstanding beauty, extraordinary antiques and exquisite jewelry. Karl Lagerfeld has staged, decorated and created the visuals for the event as well as the backdrop. And being such a talented artist, he came up with a temporary world within the Grand Palais (the home of his Chanel shows) that was as beautiful as the thousands of objects d’art.

My look: Structured tuxedo jacket by Balmain, floral and cherub-print dress by Dolce & Gabbana, flap-over zip bag by Tom Ford, Rockstud suede and leather ankle boots by Valentino, cuff by Céline, Lady Excalibur watch by Roger Dubuis, Diorette earrings and ring by Dior Haute Joaillerie plus Velvet de Luxe 66 tights by Wolford.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

For its second participation in the Biennale des Antiquaires in Paris, the House of Piaget completely developed and crafted in-house, the new Couture Précieuse collection that pays homage to feminine beauty. It was such a pleasure, a true feast for the eyes, to see those magnificent high jewelry creations.

I absolutely loved the decor of the booth. David Downton, famous fashion illustrator and confidant of the world of Haute Couture, created eight sketches immortalising some of the models presented by Piaget. His work that is involving the use of gouache, acrylic paint and Indian ink, created splendid showcases for the jewelry sets.

The Couture Précieuse collection was inspired by three different motifs:

Radiant Laces:
The jewelry sets borrow from the field of corsets and ribbons and celebrate the beauty of feminine curves.

Diamond Embroidery:
Piaget dresses the skin with diamonds, as light and vaporous as a breath of air. Like sumptuous lace or stunning guipure dresses, the creations reveal the smoothness of a glimpse of skin beneath golden fabric and stones.

Magnificent adornments:
In these elegant and refined models, Piaget draws its inspiration from men’s dress suits, with the precious “brandebourg” motifs.

The quintessence of seduction is embodied in a sumptuous necklace embroidered with gold filaments and diamonds. Its entirely openwork, articulated structure makes it look like lace. This centrepiece of the collection is made in the same way as a Haute Couture dress, on the bias and finished with a smooth cut. It took more than 800 hours of work to create.

Gorgeous Embroidery Necklace (Ref.  G37LJ938)
White gold with 1513 brilliant-cut diamonds (44.19 ct), 133 baguette-cut diamonds (16.77 ct), 11 rose-cut diamonds (5.96 ct) and 4 pear-shaped diamonds (7.55 ct).

And the absolute star of the show is the necklace inspired by a traditional fan which merely hints at what its wearer wishes to reveal. The contrast between a delicate central rubellite motif and the finely fashioned net motif on the fan creates a transparent play on light and shade. Each of the fan sections was separately crafted being assembled, and which looks as if it is ready to open and close with the next passing breeze.

Fan Temptation Necklace (Ref.G37LJ240)
White gold with 728 brilliant-cut diamonds (47.13 ct), 5 pear-shaped rubellites (10.95 ct) and 1 cushion-cut rubellite (20.95 ct).

A re-edition of a vintage 1970s model, the cuff-watch is inspired by knit dresses. Its bracelet highlights the historical expertise of the chainmaker-jewelers of the House of Piaget. Gold is hand twisted, knit and formed into a mesh entirely by hand, much like the work of a fashion couturier. This provides an opportunity to emphasise the know-how of the Piaget artisans who, after patiently fitting each gold link on very tiny pins, give rise to these wonderfully supple and unique gold fabrics. It is a real nod to Piaget’s of the 1970s.

Gold Chain Cuff Watch (Ref. G0A38211)
White gold (189.5 g), Calibre 56P, Piaget Quartz movement
400 brilliant-cut diamonds (1.9 ct), diamond-paved dial and white gold bracelet

Personally speaking, my three favourite pieces are the ones below. I have especially fallen for the Lace Mystery Necklace. Its shape enhances the feminine curves of the body and draws all eyes to its dazzling brilliance. It is such a sensual piece of jewelry that could transform every evening gown in seconds to show-stopping appearance.

Lace Mystery Necklace (Ref. G37LM942)
White gold, 303 brilliant-cut diamonds (24.43 ct), 1 pear-shaped diamond (0.53 ct), 30 pear-shaped rubellites (7.34 ct), 29 round rubellites (6.03 ct), 50 round pink sapphires (4.17 ct) and 1 pear-shaped rubellite (10.61 ct).

Sublime Embroidery Earrings (Ref. G38LK800)
White gold with 378 brilliant-cut diamonds (4.44 ct).

Splendid Embroidery Necklace
White and pink gold  with 2395 brilliant-cut diamonds (24.54 ct), 10 square-cut diamonds (2.03 ct), 5 marquise-cut diamonds (2.21 ct), 1 triangle-cut diamond (0.09 ct), 1 pear-shaped diamond (1.50 ct), 1 cabochon pink sapphire (0.86 ct), 146 round pink sapphires (14.21 ct) and 3 pear-shaped pink sapphires (8.19 ct).

Seeing all the craftsmanship that has gone into those outstanding creations, it makes you appreciate the work even more. Stay tuned for more beautiful pictures from the Biennale des Antiquaires 2012.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht, Making of Photos: Courtesy of Piaget

Tuesday afternoon, I arrived in Paris for the city’s famous and oldest antiques fair, the Biennale des Antiquaires, at the Grand Palais which takes places from September 14 to 23, 2012. I am invited by Piaget and totally excited to be here.

For the 26th edition of the Biennale, designer Karl Lagerfeld has been decorating and creating the visuals for the event, plus a contemporary world within the Grand Palais. The exhibition will take place at the main part as well as in “Le Salon d’Honneur”.

This was my look on the arrival day:
Silk blouse and cardigan by Prada, wide wool pants by Stella McCartney, ankle boots by Fendi, Monogram Aviator bag from Louis Vuitton‘s Pre-fall 2010 collection, statement necklace by Roberto Cavalli and Diorette ring by Dior Haute Joaillerie.
On my nails: Dominatrix by Tom Ford.

On the first evening, we had dinner at Hotel Costes. Stay tuned for many beautiful photos coming up from my stay in Paris.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht