Sandra‘s Closet

I cannot believe that it is already October. Time just flies… we were so blessed this year with beautiful weather that I can hardly imagine that we will soon be freezing.

What I love about fall the most is that I enjoy being at home and making myself cozy. I love to spray my house with a yummy room scent that welcomes me every day with summer memories.

LALIQUE Voyage de Parfumeur
Vanille Room Spray

A delicate, delicious aroma of the sweetest of orchids: vanilla – pairing it with a sandalwood heart and a musky amber base for a delectable, enveloping and mouth-watering effect.
CHF 65.00 (100ml)

There are also three new scents on the market that you shouldn’t miss: Yuzu, Figuier and Santal.

In my beauty closet, fall starts when I exchange my fragrances for more opulent ones. One scent I have been loving since many years is:

MUSK RAVAGEUR by Maurice Roucel
Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle

This beautiful oriental rich scent has a intense, warm base of vanilla, amber and musk with top notes of bergamot, tangerine and cinnamon. Complex and lasting, it’s perfect for anyone who loves sensual and powerful fragrances.

TO SHOP MUSK RAVAGEUR ONLINE, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

Moreover, there are two new fragrances on the market that caught my attention. If you get a chance, I recommend trying them – they are both really beautiful. There’s no reason buying a gift shouldn’t be a treat for you, too:-)!

BVLGARI GOLDEA
The Roman Night Absolute

Created by  Alberto Morillas, this scent is a hypnotic modern elixir, a chypre musk with exhilarating power. Orange blossom and black plum provide a stunningly unexpected opening. The majestic floral heart electrifies you with an addictive absolute encapsulation of sensuality. Mysterious and magnetic, blended with black musk, the chypre accord stirs under bewitching patchouli and crystal moss while exuding the scent of infinity.
Eau de Parfum Sensuelle
CHF 78.00 (30ml), CHF 117.00 (50ml) and CHF 140.00 (75ml)

DOLCE & GABBANA
The Only One

A new fragrance that captures the essence of sophisticated and hypnotizing femininity. The Only One’s signature lies in the surprising combination of violet and coffee giving life to an enchanting floral scent. The fragrance is an interesting play of opposites; it is from this fusion of the unexpected that it draws its appeal. The violet opens the fragrance, combining with subtle touches of bergamot to create a lively, surprizing and juicy bouquet. At the heart, seductive notes of rich coffee are blended with charming iris. Finally, the warm base of vanilla and patchouli lends a tactile, comforting quality, enveloping the senses in an opulent embrace.
Eau de Parfum
CHF 86.00 (30ml), CHF 114.00 (50ml) and CHF 159.00 (100ml)

When the fall season starts, I tend to wear darker lip colors – preferably in red. A new generation of care lipsticks with an ultra-silky texture that envelop the lips with a fine, smoothing, contouring and hydrating film. Perfect for the cold season.

SISLEY
Le Phyto Rouge

The intensity of a lipstick combined with a balm-like sensation in an exceptional skin care formula and a stunning packaging that makes it a real beauty accessory. Thanks to the «Hydrobooster Complex» composed of microspheres of hyaluronic acid and konjac glucomannans, lips are immediately plumped up, voluptuous and smoothed.
CHF 53.00 each

TO SHOP SISLEY LE PHYTO ROUGE ONLINE, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photo: © Sandra Bauknecht
Stills: Courtesy of the Brands

Two weeks ago, I accepted a lovely invitation by Silvio Denz, CEO and President of LALIQUE, to join him for an amazing dinner experience at Park Weggis, the partner hotel of Villa René Lalique, that was constructed in 1920 and brought back to life by my host in September 2015. Today, it boasts six exclusive suites and an up-scale gourmet restaurant. Manning the kitchen is none other than two-star chef and autodidact Jean-Georges Klein who had come to Weggis for this evening to spoil us with his dishes that are colourful and rich in contrast, for the eyes, the palate and the bite.

Silvio Denz to my left and Jean-George Klein to my right.

In terms of fashion, I went for an outfit that sported cascading layers of soft silk chiffon with a ‘trompe l’oeil‘ illusion of voluminous, layered ruffles. The feminine colours ensured a party-ready appearance.

My look: Feather cape by Balmain, sequined-bow tiered silk-chiffon gown, fringed cracked-leather pumps, feline earrings with crystals, fringed cracked-leather pumps, gold-tone crystal bracelet and crystal embellished ring, all by Gucci, envelope bag by Céline and diamond ring by Vainard Fine Jewellery.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

One beautiful sunny day last fall, I flew to London to follow Lalique‘s very exclusive invitation to have tea time at Elton John’s gorgeous home. The reason for this once in a lifetime experience was the launch of the ELTON JOHN MUSIC IS LOVE FOR LALIQUE collection that includes four exceptional crystal sculptures. As you can imagine, the estate is breathtaking and Sir Elton John is absolutely lovely to talk to.

Inside Sir Elton John’s beautiful home

«The ultimate goal of this project is to raise money to support urgently needed projects that address the continuing challenges of the AIDS epidemic across the globe. In doing so, we also want to create beautiful and meaningful pieces for people to purchase that speak to the high standards of the Elton John AIDS Foundation and Lalique. Through purchasing one of these crystal pieces, people are also learning something about EJAF’s work and helping to make a real difference in the lives of people in need.»
– Sir Elton John

Inside the house’s art gallery where Sir Elton John and David Furnish officially tied the knot in 2014.

David Furnish and Lalique designer Marc Larminaux listen to Sir Elton John’s speech.

Four Special Editions (the unique Angel Cire Perdue, the Heart in platinum enamelled red crystal, the Heart in gold enamelled clear crystal and the Angel in gold-stamped clear crystal) each signed by Sir Elton John, will be auctioned during this weekend’s 2016 Academy Awards, in partnership with Paddle8, to benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

The unique Angel Cire Perdue.

«I don’t think that I have ever seen a more beautiful piece of glass than the big Angel. It is breathtaking!»
– Sir Elton John

The standing Angel in clear crystal and the Heart in clear or red crystal are available at Lalique boutiques and their select retailers. Lalique will contribute 10% of sales to the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

The socle of the statue engraved by Sir Elton John.

Sir Elton John, the theme of the pieces is ‘Music is Love’. Why do you think music and love have always been so intricately entwined?

Love is one of the primary forces that can unite us and bring us together despite our differences. Indeed, love shows us that the differences dividing us from each other are ultimately very superficial, that we have so much more in common than not. Music is a powerful medium for expressing all the many faces of love, and it is a participatory medium. Music draws us together. It is a universal language. We come together to make music, to listen to music, to share music. This is why I believe that music and love are synonymous, that music IS love.

Music is your passion and your most widely-known medium of expression. How have you found working in sculpture, particularly in crystal?

The process of artistic creation – whether for music or dance or visual art – arises from the same impetus, the same need to express thoughts, feelings, ideas. I found the entire design process for this project – from theorising, to working and revising with drawings, to realising the concept as a three-dimensional object – to be absolutely exhilarating. Working in crystal is fascinating, and Lalique crystal has an amazing way of constantly changing with light and shadow, the time of day… Such a beautiful, magical medium!
The finished piece is even more exciting and beautiful than I ever could have imagined. I’m completely thrilled with it and really looking forward to the auction in February 2016.

You’re a collector of glass and crystal, and have a number of Lalique pieces in your collection. What is it that you appreciate about crystal and Lalique in particular?

For me, Lalique stands for craftsmanship, luxury and a strong tradition of devotion to the art of producing the highest quality, most beautiful objects using these materials. Lalique sets a standard of craftsmanship that is simply unparalleled in the world. I think glass is a much underappreciated art form. That is why I collect it and I love it very much and Lalique to me represents the Rolls-Royce of glass.
As an oral artist who makes music, the visual arts of glass inspire me when I write a song or when I play the piano, because every day I get up and I am surrounded by glass and a lot of Lalique. Subconsciously, it inspires me to do better things, I think.

MUSIC IS LOVE Heart Red Crystal (limited edition of 499 pieces) and Heart Clear Crystal (limited edition of 999 pieces).

«The heart is a universal symbol of love.»
– Sir Elton John

You have also been working with the Lalique design team to create three other sculptures – a smaller angel and two heart sculptures, with part of the proceeds going to the Foundation. What do these symbolise for you?

The heart is a universal symbol of love, as well as the Angel. Love is ultimately what guides and inspires the work of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and love is what we need to end this epidemic. Science has made amazing advances in HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. But unless we love each other enough to make sure that everyone – no matter who they love, what they do, how they look or what they believe – has the resources to stay healthy and prevent further transmission of the disease, then all the science in the world will be for naught. LOVE is the ultimate solution to AIDS.

Thank you, Sir Elton John, for this amazing invitation!

To visit the Lalique website where you can shop the limited edition pieces or bid for the collector’s items, click HERE please.

LoL, Sandra

The beautiful library.

The estate is truly breathtaking.

Sir Elton John in front of the three other sculptures that are available in stores.

Sir Elton John is a dedicated art collector.

Art plays a very important role in the life of the famous singer.

I loved this statue inside the guest bathroom.

With Lalique owner Silvio Denz in front of the unique Angel Cire Perdue.

Being at Sir Elton John’s home was a truly special experience that I will treasure forever. I am wishing Lalique and him good luck this weekend to achieve the best result possible in the auction.

Stay tuned for more coming up from Los Angeles where I will be from Thursday on…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht, Stills: Courtesy of Lalique

This week during Maison & Objet Salon in Paris, Lalique and Steinway have announced the launch of Masque de Femme, a new piano – a work of unique and customized art – designed by the famous French crystal maker.

Nature’s beauty and structure have always informed great design. Lalique worked on an elegant design for Masque de Femme focusing on two of its iconic motifs, ‘Coutard’ and ‘Masque de Femme’.

The Coutard design was created by René Lalique in 1935 for the famous Coutard fountain and represents a geometric motif of water droplets evoking both the Art Nouveau and Art Deco genres through restrained symmetry and shape. To adorn the same fountain, René Lalique created the Masque de Femme pattern inspired by his love of women and nature. This design is a classic and avant-garde work of art that reveals the face of the mysterious nymph, Arethusa surrounded by aquatic life.

In total, 1043 individual Lalique crystals adorn the Masque de Femme piano: – 1025 black crystal Coutard cabochons – 2 Masque de Femme panels: 80×80 mm – 2 Masque de Femme panels: 30×30 mm – 2 Swallow panels – 12 Coutard panels (4 on each leg of the piano).

To make an instrument that combines the best of Steinway & Sons and Lalique, its artisans had to be extremely meticulous. Requiring two years of development to perfect the exact techniques needed to ally the crystal and traditional materials of Steinway, this piano took over 500 hours of work to install the crystal elements alone.

Each Coutard cabochon perfectly blends with the piano, like drops of water that come alive on the black lacquer with an elegantly restrained tactile quality. Each crystal has been worked, shaped, cut, polished and signed at the Lalique factory in Alsace and then placed on the piano in the workshops of Steinway & Sons in Hamburg.

This magnificent grand piano (Steinway Model B) is a wonderfully balanced and versatile piano that does extremely well in intimate settings, teaching studios and mid-sized venues. The Model B is the favourite grand piano among private customers.

Dimensions: Length 211cm x Width 148cm.
The piano, available in black, will be taken on a world tour in 2016 that will include concert dates with renowned artists. At the end of this global tour, the piano will be auctioned off.

Most of you know how much I adore playing the piano and this piece of art would definitely make it even more fun.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Steinway & Sons and Lalique

Zurich has a new hot spot. Last week, HATO opened its doors at Brandschenkestrasse 20 (reservations +41 44 280 1880, zurich @hato-restaurants.com). The restaurant’s chef Nathan Dallimore brings the bold flavors of «Fine Asian Cuisine» and fresh sushi to every dining experience. Before today’s official start, I had the honor to try all the culinary highlights during an intimate lunch. The food is absolutely excellent, my favorite is the vegan «Soya Duck Salad» (see photo below). The interior is stylish and intimate at once, curtains can separate certain areas. There is also a special LALIQUE room for  private occasions. On Thursday, the VIP opening party took place… enjoy the pics.

My look: Wool twill jacket, cutout leather platform pumps and small California leather bucket bag with stars, all by Saint Laurent, scalloped bandage dress by Hervé Léger, Satin Touch 20 denier stay-up stockings by Wolford, tulle and pearl necklace by Lanvin and diamond ring by Vainard Fine Jewellery.

LoL, Sandra

The vegan «Soya Duck Salad», it’s fake duck, so yummy.

An extremely interesting combination that I loved: scallop, pork and artichoke puree.

Fantastic Har Gau Dim Sum.

Photos : © David Biedert Photography and © Sandra Bauknecht

“Beautiful yet functional” is how internationally acclaimed wine critic James Suckling describes his new 100 POINTS glass and stemware collection, which is a joint creation with France’s most esteemed crystal maker, LALIQUE.

The American has tasted more than 150,000 different wines over his 30 years as a wine taster. He dreamt for decades about creating his own collection of wine glasses. With the help of Lalique, his dream came true. The two designed the 100 POINTS universal wine glass, which was launched in September 2012 and that is wonderful to drink any type of wine – white or red, young or old, first growth or “petit château”. Being heavier than most other wine glasses on the market, it is a substantial piece of stemware in anybody’s hand.

With a name referring to the wine scoring system, 100 POINTS is a hand-made collection that embraces a modern design: crystal fashioned by the best glass-masters, “U” shaped bowl and distinctive frosted rib stem to obtain the characteristic contrast of clear and satin-finish.

LALIQUE, which was established by René Lalique over 100 years ago, has a long tradition for making wine glasses beginning with ranges such as BARSAC and BEAUNE, which were both popular in the 1930s and 1940s.

Really gorgeous is the new comprehensive 100 POINTS collection with eight pieces complementary to the universal wine glass: Bordeaux glass, Burgundy glass, Champagne glass and water glass, two tumblers of different sizes, wine decanter and water decanter.

Drinking wine in a 100 POINTS glass is a sensual and delightful experience. It’s an everyday luxury for any wine lover.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Lalique and © Alessandro Moggi