Sandra‘s Closet

As summer begins, Gucci presents a special selection of ready-to-wear and accessories from the House’s latest collections envisioned for warm season. Mixing light fabrics with bright pops of color, the Towards the Sun pieces evoke the easy-going cadence that comes with sunny days.

Upon bags, shoes, and accessories, pattern comes to the fore with the House’s emblematic GG monogram woven from a raffia-effect material. Houndstooth and seersucker also become defining motifs, enriching signature items such as bags from the House’s archive- inspired Beloved lines. The women’s ready-to-wear proposes practical femininity in muslin slip dresses accented with lace, as well as a selection of bathing suits.

The men’s lineup ranges from the casual to the sophisticated with jogging shorts, patterned pants, nylon jackets, and double-breasted blazers.

The Towards the Sun selection is captured in a special campaign shot on the coast of Provincetown—the Summer escape of choice for many artists and creatives. The campaign captures a cast of characters partaking in a series of activities on the quaint northern tip of Cape Code, such as swimming, sunbathing, and strolling around the lighthouse. As an ode to the act of vacationing, the photographs also feature the Gucci Ophidia luggage, which progresses the House’s century-long legacy in travel.

Now available in Gucci stores worldwide, Towards the Sun will be presented in dedicated window displays and Pop-Ups with a creative concept that riffs on the houndstooth design found across the selection. The offering will also be available online at gucci.com.

I love Cape Code and the photos make me dream of my latest vacation there…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Gucci #GucciTowardsTheSun
Creative Director: Alessandro Michele Art Director: Christopher Simmonds Photographer & Director: Julie Greve Make up: Lauren Reynolds
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After four cities, countless runway shows, it’s time to reflect on the themes and trends that emerged, both within the fashion industry and the cultural vibrations in general. So what’s new for next winter? Plenty. Easywear continues to be big, we’ll still see lots of ’80s references, and real fur has almost disappeared.  The overall trend might have been towards real clothes that are easy to wear in daily life. Next winter will be determined, celebrating individuality and style with a multitude of trends that are dying to be worn. It’s all about having fun!

Below is a summary of the most important trends for F/W 2018. Enjoy and choose yours!

LoL, Sandra

Layering is the absolute must next winter, with plays on texture and volume in a masterful game of accumulation.

After Gucci announced that it won’t be using any more real fur, many brands have followed the movement.

The only «real» fur trending next season is sheepskin which seems to be the natural choice for a cold weather wardrobe.

One of my favorite trends: the comeback of the cape, so versatile and easy to put over even the biggest sleeves.

Checkmate! Checks are at its best in fantastically mad all-over and color-blocked looks.

Classic Saville Row fabrics such as herringbone, glen plaid, and houndstooth look richer than ever. Enter the season with some swagger and a great men’s overcoat.

Wild West feeling!  Fashion looked to America to discover the New World through Western accents.

Black leather is out in full force. Rock your glam power woman silhouette with an sophisticated attitude to take the idea from Matrix remake to decidedly modern.

With a sensual masculinity and a boudoir elegance, those runway looks proved once again that nightwear is not restricted to an evening in.

From Brigitte Bardot’s beehive to Jackie Kennedy’s pillbox hat, and Mary Quant’s geometric prints, every ’60s fashion icon’s style has been revisited this season.

I don’t remember one season without any florals on the catwalks. F/W 2018 is no different -perennials come in every charming varietal – most important update is the three-dimensional effect.

This season, scarf prints are worn all over the body for a vibrant and flowing appearance.

With all these vibrant looks on the runway, clean, lean, and chic-white seems to be a very welcome alternative. Think: Maxi in length and slim in silhouette.

Ultra-reflective, high-shine materials – holographic, futuristic looks are big this winter. 

Think Dynasty in the ’80s where the focus was on glamorous eveningwear: sensual and festive frills.

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands

I have this desire to explore the world, therefore I love traveling. Last month, one of my favorite trips was my visit to Les Sources de Caudalie in Bordeaux. The whole report will be coming up shortly. Here is a little teaser in form of an outfit post. When we took the photos, it started raining but you still see the beauty of the surrounding.

My look: Cropped houndstooth wool cardigan, matching wool pleated mini skirt, crystal embellished butterfly earrings and crystal embellished biker boots, all by Miu Miu, tiered ruffled crepe top by Alexander McQueen, long bi-colour scarf by Chanel, python print nylon bag with leather bows and wool jacket with ruffles, both by Prada, merino wool-blend tights by Wolford.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Here is your exclusive preview of Mulberry‘s F/W 2014 ad campaign that has been released this morning. The British fashion house returned to its roots in the countryside with a blast of fresh air to invigorate its new and very British winter collection through the lens of one of my favorite photographers Tim Walker. Cara Delevingne is once more the face of the campaign and presents the Mulberry Cara Delevingne Collection, which is infused with her own style.

Mulberry has designed a beautifully classic and very elegant collection for F/W 2014 with argyle and arran-inspired knitwear and iconic Houndstooth and check, all influenced by traditional British tailoring, textures and prints. Even the footwear references two key British styles – the all-purpose rain boot, beloved by country-dwellers and city-commuters alike, and the quintessential lace-up brogue.

The F/W 2014 bags were inspired by the brand’s interpretation of how to make everyday life feel more beautiful, and how to make beautiful things practical. The new Tessie embodies the mood of simple, unfussy elegance and is among my new season’s must-haves.

The team stayed in a Scottish lodge and woke up every day to early morning mists, huge breakfasts, homemade shortbread and wild Land Rover rides across rushing rivers and up off the beaten track, arriving to a place of serenity and calm at the location for the shoot, with no phone signal, miles from anywhere and with not a soul in sight apart from the local gamekeepers’ dogs and a flock of sheep. One little lamb quickly became Cara’s favourite!

So cute! Such a great campaign and lovely collection…
TO SHOP THE NEW MULBERRY COLLECTION, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Mulberry

Without doubt, one of my absolute favourite collections for F/W 2013 is DIOR. Raf Simons takes the French Maison to new heights with this literally speaking very artistic collection. It is the story of affinities between the founder, Monsieur Christian Dior, and the designer himself.

I have fallen in love with the new looks already on the runway and during my re-see in the showroom during Paris Fashion Week, I have been completely taken by all the beautiful details that I will share with you today.

This season, Raf Simons focuses on this notion of memory and how it shapes the nature of design at the house; how this works for himself and how it once worked for Christian Dior.

“This collection is more connected to passions we share,” says Raf Simons. “Like a real interest in art – Christian Dior started his career as a gallerist and represented both Dali and Giacometti early on. The connection to certain periods of time is also significant, his obsession with the Belle Époque in his case, the Mid-Century modern in mine. Here the connections made are important, the very idea of them rather than what they are made to; the attraction and obsession is the significant part.”

The collection functions in the form of a visual scrapbook, a collage of clothing containing significant moments in time both for Raf Simons and the house of Christian Dior. A Dior coat can function easily alongside a further exploration of the Bar jacket in wool denim, itself teamed with a new take on Oxford bags.

Dior’s iconic houndstooth motif is explored and transposed, emerging frequently as a wool bustier. A notion of asymmetry, begun in the haute couture collection, can be seen throughout, resulting in a abundance of permutations in the silhouettes that can go from short to long in one look. The collection is full of unexpected juxtapositions and visual non sequitur; a free association, like a personal scrapbook, both playful and profound, it embraces idiosyncrasy, culminating in what Simons refers to as “memory dresses.”

Here, a typical twenties shift shape (Think of the The Great Gatsby‘s influence!) is embroidered and appliqued with motifs that point to parts of the personal history of Dior; a Surrealist style free association culminates in these clothes and is up for open interpretation. They also display the new graphic sensibility that is introduced in this collection and permeates throughout. This is most significantly displayed in the unique collaboration with The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts in the collection.

The early hand drawn work from the 1950s of the artist Andy Warhol is found as a recurring motif of the mid-century style printed or embroidered on the clothing and accessories.

“For me Warhol made so much sense,” says Simons of this collaboration. “I was interested in the delicacy and sensitivity in the early work he did, I was drawn to that graphic style naturally in this collection. It was that notion of hand work and personal signature that fitted throughout.”

These notions of Surrealism and Pop are brought together in the dreamscape of the show set. As a Magritte-style cloud path meanders around the gigantic mirrored spheres of the space, the mix of memory and desire in the collection is brought to dream-like culmination.

Below, you can enjoy some of the accessories that are to die for. The embroidered boots are definitely on my must-have shopping list.

Dior’s amazing F/W 2013 collection will hit the stores aproximately end of August, beginning of September 2013. If I have whetted your appetite for some serious shopping, you should have a look at the house’s extremely beautiful Pre-fall 2013 collection which has started to arrive.

A collection which shows the new juxtapositions in perfection: a billowing very couture-like skirt that is tied at the waist and reaching to the floor in back is paired with a cashmere-silk knit tee (see collage below to the right) or a sort of wool fabric belt that elevates the look to a new level of style. I imagine Raf’s casual glamour will become his signature. One thing is for sure, we will see more and more Dior on the streets and the house jacket will be identifiable everywhere. Personally speaking, I am madly in love! My collection for the upcoming season!

LoL, Sandra

Runway photos: Courtesy of Dior, Showroom pictures: © Sandra Bauknecht