Sandra‘s Closet

I am spreading the love with my curation of heart shape bags you will want to have and to hold. If you’re looking out for a quite literal take on a romantic gift for the one or a little treat for yourself, brands are rolling out something for you in their S/S 2022 collections. Heart shape bags are a must this summer with CHANEL leading the trend as they already did over 25 years ago… You will be astonished for how much the vintage heart shape edition is selling on Farfetch. Just scroll to the end to explore it… I am keeping mine for sure. I have always known it is a great investment piece.

LoL, Sandra

Heart shape wicker bag by Dolce & Gabbana

Heart shape design tote bag by Kate Spade

Heart shape mini bag by MSGM

Heart shoulder bag by Gucci

Le Coeur leather shoulder bag by Alaïa

Heart shape biker-style leather tote bag by Moschino

Heart shape bag by CHANEL

S/S 1995 vintage CC heart shaped vanity bag by CHANEL Pre-Owned

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

The bucket hat has perhaps had one of the biggest fashion glow-ups in the accessories market. Personally speaking, I love this relaxed style that has become a summer must-have for me, easy to pack and very lightweight, much easier than a big straw hat that hardly fits in your suitcase.

High-fashion brands, like Celine, Etro and Kate Spade took the bucket hat to the S/S 2021 runway, showing how trendy it is.

There’s no one way to wear a bucket hat anymore, as the style is as brilliant paired with a mesh beach cover-up as it is with a luxurious tropical print dress. Below you can find my favorites.

Happy Monday! To shop, just click on the highlighted product description.

LoL, Sandra

Mesh small brin bucket hat by Dior

Printed linen-twill bucket hat by Zimmermann

Roman Stud faux straw bucket hat by Valentino

Printed cotton-terry bucket hat by Dries Van Noten

Haley embroidered cotton twill bucket hat by Isabel Marant

Faux straw bucket hat by Fendi

Asymmetric printed canvas bucket hat by JW Anderson

Leather-trimmed embroidered cotton-blend bucket hat by Loewe

Logo embroidered woven bucket hat by Prada

White bucket hat by CHANEL

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

Yesterday’s news really got me and my outfit post from Le Dîner en Blanc has to wait another day… Around 10am New York time, fashion designer KATE SPADE, 55, was found dead by a housekeeper in her bedroom at her Park Avenue apartment in N.Y.C. Apparently she hang herself with a red scarf from a doorknob. She was pronounced dead at the scene, according to The New York Times.

The Spade family

What really gives me chills is the fact that she is survived by her husband of 24 years and her 13-year-old daughter. Being a mum myself, I cannot imagine the pain that has to be inside you to do this to your family. It is said that she left a note behind with messages for them to explain her actions. Her husband Andy was at home while their daughter was in school.

Message on the Kate Spade website 

KATE SPADE‘s story is a successful one at least when you read it. Neé Katherine Noel Brosnahan, founded her namesake brand in 1993 with husband Andy Spade after working in the accessories department at the fashion magazine Mademoiselle. While having dinner at a restaurant, both were identifying a market for quality stylish handbags which led to a fashion revolution in the 1990s by establishing one of the first modern accessories brands that did not rely on European roots.

Detachable tag tote by Kate Spade

Spade’s reasonably priced, box-shaped bags, covered in modest fabrics like microfiber and grosgrain, became quickly became popular, and the company expanded into other product lines, such as clothing and shoes.

Kate Spade amongst her handbags in 1999.

In 1999 she sold a 56% stake in KATE SPADE New York to Neiman Marcus Group; in 2006 she sold the rest of her shares, opting to focus on family over fashion as she had her daughter at quite a late age in 2005. «I needed a break and I really wanted to raise my daughter,» she told PEOPLE magazine in 2016. «People asked me, ‘Don’t you miss it?’ I really didn’t. I mean, I loved what I was doing, but I didn’t miss it as much as I thought I might.»

Pieces from Kate’s new label Frances Valentine 

Two years ago, she began another accessories brand, Frances Valentine, named for her daughter, Frances Beatrix, together with her husband. For this reason, she legally changed her name to Kate Valentine Spade to match her new label. «I thought it was important to distinguish who I am now,» she said. «I’m the same person, but there’s a difference.»

The difference might have killed her. R.I.P. Kate Spade! I am wishing the family a lot of strength to cope with this terrible strategy.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Kate Spade, © Sandra Bauknecht, Getty and People magazine

Our time machine is moving further. After the glam references of the past decades, some designers also saw the impact of architectural purity during the 90s and there is something intrinsically cool about today’s new minimalism.

The creations are great investment pieces, very versatile, less extreme and more functional. You could go through decades wearing the same thing and looking great.

If you want to add some 90’s minimalist sophistication to your wardrobe, think more about tailored silhouettes in superb quality. Draping, asymmetry and unusual fabrics give maximum choice for minimal style.

The colour palette is mostly muted with a lot of white, camel, grey and black. But if you love the bright hues, it does not mean that you cannot buy into minimalism. There were lots of beautiful choices on the runways.

To conclude our trip through time, those pure outfits have more longevity than any other seasonal looks. But wether or not, trends never really go out of fashion, it just takes a while for them to resurface and each decade has the same key factor, the need to be fashionable.

With this in mind, enjoy the comeback of 90’s great fashion moments!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands

Welcome to the most fashionable book-of-the-month club ever! Coming out this August, Kate Spade puts a new spin on the book club idea by turning vintage book covers into adorable clutch bags. Retailing for $325.-, one “new” book will debut every month including The Great Gatsby, Emma, The Importance of Being Earnest, Great Expectations, and A Tale of Two Cities.

Very sophisticated, very collectible and very brunch, these clutches will make you look so intellectual and they are also perfect for interior decoration.

Required reading for fashionistas!

LoL, Sandra