Sandra‘s Closet

I have just received the tragic news that another legend has left the planet. Fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy, who opened his eponymous fashion house in 1952, died past Saturday aged 91 as his partner – former haute couture designer – Philippe Venet has announced today. The couple lived in a Renaissance chateau near Paris.

«Balloon Coat», Hubert de Givenchy, 1958

The aristocratic gentleman was known for his sophisticated and ladylike chic in the 1950s and 1960s and famous for having designed much of the personal and professional wardrobe of Audrey Hepburn, as well as clothing for clients such as Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy and Grace Kelly.

At the age of seventeen, he moved to Paris where he studied at the École des Beaux-Arts. Givenchy’s first designs were done for Jacques Fath in 1945. Later he did designs for Robert Piguet and Lucien Lelong (1946) – working alongside the still-unknown Pierre Balmain and Christian Dior, followed by 5 years working for the avantgarde designer Elsa Schiaparelli before he opened his own design house at the Plaine Monceau in Paris in 1952.

Audrey Hepburn wearing Givenchy in 1954 film «Sabrina».

His style was marked by innovation, contrary to the more conservative designs by Dior. At 25, he was the youngest designer of the progressive Paris fashion scene. His first collections were characterized by the use of rather cheap fabrics for financial reasons, but they always piqued curiosity through their design. Audrey Hepburn, later the most prominent proponent of Givenchy’s fashion, and Givenchy met in 1953 during the shoot of «Sabrina». He went on to design the famous «little black dress» she wore in «Breakfast at Tiffany’s».

In 1961, when Audrey Hepburn got the roll of Holly Golightly, designer Hubert de Givenchy designed the famous black dress which became one of the most iconic clothing items of the 20th century.

He also developed his first perfume collection for her (L’Interdit and Le de Givenchy) and made Audrey Hepburn the face of it. For the very first time a star was the face of a fragrance’s advertising campaign and probably the last time that it was done for free, only by friendship.

At that time, Givenchy also met his idol, Cristóbal Balenciaga. Although a renowned designer, Givenchy not only sought inspiration from the lofty settings of haute couture but also in such avant-garde environments as Limbo, the store in Manhattan’s East Village. In 1954, Givenchy’s prêt-à-porter collection debuted.

1957 Babydoll Dress by Givenchy

The House of Givenchy was split in 1981, with the perfume line going to Veuve Clicquot, while the fashion branch was acquired by LVMH in 1989. As of today, LVMH owns Parfums Givenchy as well.

De Givenchy retired from fashion design in 1995. His successor to head the Givenchy label was John Galliano, followed by a five-year stay from Alexander McQueen and a term from 2001 to 2004 by Julien Macdonald. As we all know, Riccardo Tisci revived the Givenchy brand tremendously from 2005 until 2017. This season, Clare Waight Keller presented her first runway show for Givenchy.

Rest in peace, Hubert de Givenchy and thank you for all those wonderful fashionable moments.
You will never be forgotten!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Givenchy, Getty Images

What an exciting collaboration.
Melissa Odabash‘s signature flattering cuts combined with a touch of Julien Macdonald‘s high-octane glamour, what else could we have asked for?! In search of the perfect bikini, former model Melissa Odabash decided to launch her own line. Her exotic swimsuits, and embellished kaftans are a hit with the A-list, and as fit is just as important as design, the beautiful blonde teamed up with her friend Julien Macdonald to ensure all her creations look and feel fabulous.

My favorite piece is this Hilary embellished silk-georgette kaftan.
Beautiful getaways in mind, you can shop this amazing collection exclusively HERE.

Yesterday I flew to Dubai and today, I will be off to Oman. The sun is shining and I wished, those amazing pieces would be in my little suitcase…

LoL, Sandra

Me with Julien and Melissa at the Rodial Beautiful Awards 2013.
Photos: Courtesy of Melissa Odabash, © Sandra Bauknecht

Two weeks ago, I flew to London to attend the 4th annual Rodial Beautiful Awards held at the trendy St. Martin’s Lane hotel. I was invited by Marionnaud which carry the brand exclusively in Switzerland.

It was such a star-studded night. On the red carpet arrived some fab celebrities including Sadie Frost, Savannah Miller, Amber Le Bon and Melissa Odabash, all of which are embodying the awards’ philosophy in perfection to celebrate women of beauty, style and elegance.

Rodial had put together a truly impressive judging panel, including Mary Katrantzou, Stephen Webster and Jade Jagger. Among the winners were Rita Ora for “Most Edgy Look” and Camilla Babbington for “Freshest Face”.

Me with the lovely Isolde Burtscher (Marionnaud Switzerland)

On display was the latest Rodial launch BEE VENOM that will hit the shelves later this spring in Switzerland. I was lucky to test it already and can only recommend this new anti-aging range. 
A donation will be made from its proceeds to Children on the Edge, a charity dedicated to children in need.

Top Secret! The new must-have range exclusive to men has been revealed during the event with a hilarious video showing the team looking for the perfect Nip+Man! It is said to provide targeted solutions to everyday skin and body concerns, such as tired skin, sore muscles, or abs in need of a lift! Hitting the stores in May 2013.

Fashion designer Julien Macdonald was the host and the birthday boy of the night. He did such a fabulous job, being very funny and entertaining. Later, we were all toasting to him with the yummy gin-litchi cocktails served at the event…

Let me share with you some impressions of the awards ceremony:

Fashion designer Ben de Lisi

Savannah Miller, sister of Sienna Miller, handed the award in the category “Best Beauty Pages Long Lead” to Marie Claire magazine. Being a former fashion editor for German Marie Claire magazine, I couldn’t have been happier.

Maria Hatzistefanis, founder of Rodial, with the winner in the category “Best Make-up Artist” Lisa Eldridge to her left.

Swimwear designer and former model Melissa Odabash to the right with Amber Le Bon, daughter of Duran Duran lead singer Simon Le Bon and Yasmin Le Bon, who accepted the award in the category “Classic Glamour” for her mum.

Two who like each other: Sadie Frost and hairdressing royalty James Brown, who both honoured Kate Moss with the “Special Rodial Beautiful Award”.

The amazing evening ended in true style with a DJ set from the cute Amber le Bon. I had so much fun and after having met the wonderful Rodial team, I am even more in love with the brand! Stay tuned for the outfit post coming up soon…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

As a culmination of the Fashion Days Zurich, the renowned Fashion Rocks event took place on Saturday evening for the first time in Switzerland. The charity party is a combination of music and fashion, raising funds for The Prince’s Trust. Unfortunately, that fact got kind of lost during the night.

Julien Macdonald with me

Absolute highlight was the spellbinding show from Julien Macdonald. The only question that I was asking myself was: Why did the British designer, who worked for Chanel and took over the reins from McQueen at Givenchy before launching his eponymous label in 1998, showed his F/W 2011 collection that I saw and wrote already about in February (for the previous post, please click here) instead of the new S/S 2012 line? I asked him, but he avoided the answer. My guess, the F/W 2011 collection is the much better one, at least for me! But it gets worse….

The final gown on the runway presented by Swiss model Ronja Furrer was worn already by Heidi Klum to the Oscar’s but is from Julien Macdonald’s F/W 2009 collection (see photos at the end of this post)! Excuse me? Zurich might not be a fashion capital like London and Paris, but we don’t deserve this old stuff!

Thumbs down, Mr Macdonald, don’t you have anything new to show?!

Enjoy the backstage and catwalk photos! The Paul Mitchell team was in charge for the hair and the extensions. And if you are more interested in charity than old gowns, I recommend a project in Tansania that the annabelle magazine presented that night. For further information, please click here.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Julien Macdonald, who is half-Welsh and half-Scottish, surprised me with his F/W 2011 show that I truly liked. The presentation took place in a church. The goth athomosphere was amazing, especially with the head-banging soundtrack and light effects rocking the show.

The designer started off with some black looks, followed by delicate layers of spiderweb-like fabrics. My absolute favourites were the beautiful embellished long flowing gowns, romantic but edgy and the lace-up boots. Truly ethereal!

Please enjoy my photo coverage and check out the celebrities who were sitting front row.

LoL, Sandra

Me front row at Julien Macdonald

Me with American actress Juliette Lewis

Model Amber Rose framed by other "ladies" in red

Hilary Alexander, Fashion Director of the Daily Telegraph, going ethno

Swimwear designer Melissa Odabash with me

British socialite Tamara Beckworth with her daughter Anouska that she had at the age of 17 - they look like sisters.

Aren't those Manolos to die for?!

Let the show begin:

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Can you guess where we are in time-travelling after my lastet posts about lace and rocking hot black leather? Yes, we have arrived in the `80s. For some people, the golden decade was the worst one fashionwise but since a few seasons designers have relied on some of the worth recycling styles. The leggings  and skinny jeans came back around 4 years ago and who would have ever imagined their ongoing success?! They have definitely conquered my closet and I never want them to vanish again as the modernized versions are stylish and comfy in one.

Designers have returned 20 years this F/W 2010 to find the `80s ma-ma-material beauty and so can you. Let`s begin!

You might feel like a virgin in a sharp leather pencil skirt, sequined blazer and fishnet stockings. Add lots of accessories like the iconic safety pins, stacked bracelets and big cross pendants for the ultimate killer look!

Balmain launched a real boom with the return of the shoulder pads. The last seasons, fashionistas have crazed all over the world for the must-have blazers and jackets. The hype is definitely not over yet! Party like it`s 1982 in those brocade and patchwork nightclub nostalgia pieces from the F/W 2010 runways. Absolutely screaming hot are red leather leggings, another must for this winter!


The `80s encouraged self-expression with eyecatching neon colours and rainbow dyes. I would not do the complete look but you can easily embed one sparkling bright piece into your daily wear. One thing I am not so sure is about the über-teased hair…. probably a little too much retro-style. But nevertheless the point of fashion is that girls just wanna have fun! So let`s start experimenting….

In case that you are looking for your personal Jesus, try black leather and fringes. So hot! Sequined leggings combined with a denim jacket would turn you also very fast back to the `80s without looking disguised.

If you want to find the fashion cure for this winter`s style heritage, you could opt for a goth look with an asymmetrical cropped sweater or some cut out off-shoulder-tops. And I am sure that this Friday, you will be in love.

My personal `80s-inspired object of desire is this gorgeous suede buckled V-neck dress by Balmain. Available from today at net-à-porter. This is rock glam chic at its best! Hard to beat it.

LoL, Sandra

Me wearing the cutout dress by Gucci

Me wearing Alexander McQueen

This summer, there was no body part safe from the cutout trend. If you think too trashy for you, you will be most likely mistaken. Strategically placed bare spots are glamourous and taking sexy to the next level without being vulgar. Revealing the right amount of skin can be much more sizzling than seeing it all. It is like playing hide and seek.

As the S/S 2010 season is coming to an end fashionwise, I truly recommend getting a cutout or cobwebby knitted dress now. The Gucci version has the must-have tribal print for summer but will not be a classic because of that.
Please find below my pre-selection of the best pieces on sale, available at Browns and Net-à-porter.

Trust me, it will be a good investment. The trend is going to stay for F/W 2010. The only obvious change is that the cutout styles are a little more subtle and smaller which is probably better for the cold winter months. Please see for yourself:

Play discreetly peekaboo and believe me heads will be turning your direction!

LoL, Sandra