Sandra‘s Closet

Here is proof that leopards and snakes can get a long very well. I adore mixing animal prints and hope that you will, too. In my opinion, rain gear couldn’t look any prettier.

My look: Hooded animal-print shell coat, and snake-print high-rise slim-leg jeans, both by Burberry, roll-neck jersey sweater by Dolce & Gabbana, embroidered Ace sneakers by Gucci, vintage Evelyne black canvas and leather crossbody bag by Hermès, Louise long necklace by Louis Vuitton, and Mitza ring by Dior Fine Jewellery.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht
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Fun, iconic, versatile: Louis Vuitton accessories for S/S 2020 play on combinations and Monogram effects, so cute and perfect to elevate every outfit to new heights.

Silk is used in playful new ways and approached from different angles, whether tied around the waist, in the hair, around an arm, or a wrist, worn as a scarf around the neck or simply as a handle for a bag. The collection is punctuated with Louis Vuitton’s signatures and codes: the prints adorning many of the pieces play on the iconic Monogram or showcase the LV Circle signature from the Dauphine bag, referencing the House’s leather goods and know-how.

The Monogram Confidential print (available as a bandeau or a silk square) features chains, clasps and small padlocks on a Monogram background. Available as a shawl or a silk square, the utterly romantic and iconic Tree of Louis takes a look at the history of Louis Vuitton in the form of a Monogram tree blossoming with bags, shoes and accessories that have been designed by the House since its 1854 founding.

So pretty: Louis Vuitton’s Confidential print

More pop and arty inspirations can also be found within the collection, with the ABC bandeau. Spelling out the name Louis Vuitton, each letter is reinvented as a totem, matching an animal or character: the L is for the leopard, a symbol of power; the V is for Vivienne, the House’s mascot. The very contemporary Monogram shawl is reinvented this season in new fluorescent denim colours (pink, yellow or blue/pink).

This contrasting combination of prints, shapes and materials gives each piece unique appeal. A Party Palm Springs calf leather bracelet (my favorite) featuring a miniature version of the Louis Vuitton backpack lives alongside a bandeau that can be worn on the arm, or a look can be customised with two other accessories: the Tie the Knot belt or the Louise smartphone case.

Pilot sunglasses are revisited for the summer with Monogram lenses and fashion jewellery complete this new collection of accessories.

Metal pilot sunglasses

Nanogram brings the Monogram motif to bracelets, earrings and hair jewellery; the LV Planet set, directly inspired by the F/W 2019 show, includes earrings with high graphic impact, composed of two mini-globes linked together and embossed with the LV Circle logo.

LoL, Sandra

Nanogram Sweet Dreams earrings

Photos: © Louis Vuitton

Last night, the awards season officially closed with the 2020 Oscars. The biggest ceremony of the year, now in its 92nd year, was once again being held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

Renée Zellweger in Armani Privé

Some of our favorite A-list nominees were all in attendance, in the hopes of taking home one of the industry’s highest honors: that iconic golden trophy. Renée Zellweger (Judy) in Armani Privé and Joaquin Phoenix (Joker) in the Stella McCartney suit he’s been wearing all season long, won the best actor categories this year.

Joaquin Phoenix in Stella McCartney

Phoenix was not alone showing his environmentalism. The entertainment industry’s push for a more sustainable awards season has made its way to the Oscars red carpet. Vintage dresses made an appearance, following past award show mandates this month, such as the BAFTAs, that have enforced a more eco-conscious dress code.

Saoirse Ronan in Gucci

Saoirse Ronan recycled part of her BAFTA’s Gucci dress for the 92nd Academy Awards red carpet.

Elizabeth Banks in Badgley Mischka

Pitch Perfect star Elizabeth Banks wore the same fire-red dress by Badgley Mischka that she had worn at the 2004 Vanity Fair Oscar Party. She just had removed the jewelry straps in the back.

Kaitlyn Dever in Louis Vuitton

Kaitlyn Dever supported the Red Carpet Green Dress initiative in a custom red Louis Vuitton gown made with ethically sourced and sustainable materials.

Jane Fonda in Elie Saab

Jane Fonda repeated her Cannes Film Festival 2014 outfit at the Oscars 2020 and she has a solid reason to do so. Dressed in an Elie Saab F/W 2013 Haute Couture gown, Jane, ethereal as ever, presented the Best Picture Oscar on stage at the Dolby Theatre. She also carried a red coat that has a deeper meaning behind. In 2019, Fonda, who had been a lifelong activist, had been arrested five times in Washington, D.C. for civil disobedience during her climate action campaign. While addressing the crowd, Jane had said that she will refrain from buying new clothes henceforth. This is why she repeated not just her Cannes outfit at the Oscars but the coat as well. «You see this coat? I needed something red and I went out and found this coat on sale. This is the last article of clothing that I will ever buy,» Jane had said on November 1.

And there was another strong message, Jane Fonda sent down the aisle this award season. When the 82-year old stepped onstage, there was something different about her: Instead of the Hollywood legend’s natural brunette, or the sandy blonde hair colour, her new pixie cut was a beautiful shade of silver. Fair or not, gray hair is not considered an option in La La Land. Going against certain beauty norms in regard to aging in Hollywood, this move is fitting considering the actress is as radical as ever.

Natalie Portman in Dior

Natalie Portman made another important statement about the state of Hollywood, that was stitched into her beautiful cloak. The actress stepped onto the red carpet in a Maria Grazia Chiuri designed embroidered Dior gown and matching cape that paid tribute to cinema’s female creators who weren’t nominated, such as Lorene Scafaria, Greta Gerwig, and Lulu Wang.

The craftsmanship of Portman’s Haute Couture gown is breathtaking. Have a look at the behind the scene photos below… investing in a beautiful piece of clothing and keeping it is a message I have tried to convey since ever. Sustainability was the one theme that ran throughout the Oscars while there was no shortage of glamour.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Dior, via Vogue/Getty

Fashion is a novel. And the Louis Vuitton Pre-Fall 2020 collection embarks on a narrative journey where the garments tell their own tales.
These characters from our wardrobe set the scene for our days, our moods, our lives. This meeting of periods, stylistic movements and anachronistic combinations brings to life a rich cast of costumes.

In such a ‘wearable library’, each outfit writes its own chapter made up of romantic monologues. Peculiar dialogues between stylistic rebellion and fine crafts- manship. An account of sportswear’s encounter with tailoring. Taking the cultural references even further, Louis Vuitton has adorned one of the collection’s t-shirts with the original cover from William Peter Blatty’s 1971 cult science-fiction novel The Exorcist.

To illustrate this collection – a term that works just as well with fashion as it does with literature or on the big screen – the House’s muses proudly take to book covers or film posters as protagonists, fitting perfectly into Louis Vuitton’s history and brilliantly embracing the role of adventurer.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton announces its participation together with Lucara Diamond Corporation and the HB Company of Antwerp, in a unique collaboration to transform a rare and exceptional diamond specimen, a 1758 carat diamond, the second largest rough diamond ever discovered.

April 19th, 2019 will go down as a history-making moment in the long story of the divine diamond: the day when the monumental 1758 carat rough diamond, now named Sewelô, meaning Rare Find in the Setswana language, was recovered at the Lucara Diamond Corp.’s 100% owned Karowe mine, Botswana. It is the second largest rough diamond ever discovered and the largest to come out of Botswana.

Roughly the size of a tennis ball, measuring 83mm x 62mm x 46mm, weighing 352 grams, the Sewelô is the second largest rough gem diamond in recorded history, eclipsed only by the Cullinan, at 3106 carats, discovered in South Africa in 1905, and fashioned into historic diamonds that are now in the British Crown Jewels and royal collection. The Sewelô is also the largest, exceptional rough diamond to be recovered from Lucara’s state-of-the-art Karowe mine in Botswana.

Remarkably, the diamond remained unbroken thanks to Lucara’s high-tech XRT circuit, a highly advanced recovery process that avoids crushing the diamond-bearing rock, a drawback of previous processes. Initial analysis of the Sewelô characterises the stone as ‘near gem quality’ with ‘domains of high-quality white gem’, while detailed studies of the stone, its composition, qualities and potential will continue for several months.

The Sewelô is spectacular not only for its immense size but also for its intriguing characteristics
of shape, colour, formation and composition. The rough crystal is largely covered in a very thin layer of black carbon, enveloping yet hinting at the 2 billion-year-old secrets hidden within; the full extent of variations in colour and clarity of the diamond yield is still unknown. This was exactly the kind of extreme rarity, unconventional and challenging, to appeal to Louis Vuitton’s sense of adventure and creativity: an extraordinary, idiosyncratic diamond specimen, a wondrous miracle of Mother Nature, mesmerizingly mysterious, with its contradictions of darkness and light, and hidden depths of beauty and lustre, waiting for the right expertise and sensibility to be revealed to the world.

Karowe, meaning ‘precious stone’, is Lucara’s 100% owned diamond mine that is situated on the northern fringes of the Kalahari Desert and came on stream in 2012. It is renowned for the quality and size of the diamonds it produces, specifically superlative Type IIA diamonds – chemically pure, and with exceptional limpidity – of over 10 carats. These have included the 1109 carat Lesedi La Rona, and the 813 carat Constellation.

Karowe uses the most advanced processing technology in the world, and puts corporate and social responsibility, sustainability and the safety and welfare of its workers, at the heart of the business. Boasting a workforce which is 98% comprised of Botswanan nationals, the huge success of the mine has brought great economic and social benefits to local communities. Lucara is committed
to ensuring the Sewelô has a positive, lasting impact on Botswana. As part of this mission, when the astonishing 1758 carat rough diamond was discovered last year, the mine invited the people of Botswana to submit ideas for a name. The winning submission, Sewelô, or Rare Find, one of 22,000 entries, was announced and the stone officially named at a gala event last summer in the presence of the President of the Republic of Botswana.

Louis Vuitton is working closely with master diamond cutters, HB Company, from Antwerp, studying the Sewelô in minute detail, using the very latest scanning and imaging technology to assess the final potential of the stone, and plan the optimum yield of individual finished, cut and polished diamonds. The first step is to open a window onto the stone, in order to gain visibility into the heart of the Sewelô, and plot various permutations of size, colour and shape. Diamond-cutting is an age-old, near-mystical blend of art and science, expertise and intuition. Advanced, cutting-edge technology will play a crucial role in the entire process from initial scanning and planning to the cutting and polishing which is estimated to take a year to complete. The unique properties of the Sewelô, its size and black surface coating, mean that new nano-technologies have to be used in place of standard equipment. In a spirit of creative collaboration with HB Company, Louis Vuitton will be involved at every stage, ensuring that the maximum light, life and fire, character and charisma will be unleashed from the magnificent rough crystal. The size of the diamond will enable production of Made-to-Order Louis Vuitton Cut diamonds, each complex, each skillfully fashioned in the form of one of Louis Vuitton’s emblematic Monogram, the rounded flower and star-shaped motif.

Finally, in a characteristically barrier-breaking initiative of innovation and individuality, Louis Vuitton plans to use the extraordinary variety and abundance within the Sewelô to offer clients the opportunity to create bespoke, custom-cut diamonds. This industry disrupting move allows for the ultimate personalisation and exclusivity, remaining entirely in tune with Louis Vuitton’s heritage of special, made-to-order commissions. In this way, the client will be intimately involved in the entire creative process, in the life and story of an extraordinary, magnificent diamond from its source in the famous Karowe mine in Botswana, Africa, to a refined masterpiece, conceived and crafted in Paris, Place Vendôme – from the centre of the earth to the heart of High Jewellery.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton

Love love love this! Let’s go back to the future this summer and get one of those amazing retro accessories from Louis Vuitton’s S/S 2020 collection. Spotted on the runway, there were bags modeled after VHS cassettes and cases.

Not sure if you are familiar with the DVD’s predecessor – VHS, I definitely am. It was all the rage when I was a kid, finally we were able to tape our favorite TV shows. My mum still has her basement filled with a gazillions of this tapes. Quiet a sentimental memory.

The Louis Vuitton S/S 2020 Video Tape Clutch with its faux magnetic tape strip is my favorite and will range around €4200. Obviously Nicolas Ghesquière will be watching «The Backpack is Back» next season as this is written on the cassette sticker with DIY scrawl. Another quite interesting model is the matching tote bag that looks like a shelf with stacked VHS cassettes. Also a wallet will be part of the collection.

It is not the first time a VHS cassette was the style inspiration for a bag. In 2017, Forever 21, that filed for bankruptcy last year, launched a funny clutch for the price of € 25 with the sticker saying «VHS or Chill». Still, I prefer the Louis Vuitton one…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton and Forever 21

«I can’t stop the feelin’
So just dance, dance, dance
I can’t stop the feelin’
So just dance, dance, dance, come on»

Whenever I go clubbing, I prefer wearing some tight pants to be able to move easily and have all my valuables on me with the help of a small crossover bag, a phone holder around my neck and this fantastic lipstick case.

My look: Short sleeved pullover with frills, leggings with monogram elastic belt, vintage long coat with gold piping and leopard collar (Look 14 from the F/W 2005 collection), Petite Malle bag in Monogram Canvas, lipstick case, Louise phone holder, all by Louis Vuitton, and Kangaroo wrap around bow tie lace high heel boots in black (F/W 2016) by CHANEL.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Today I would like to show you the most exceptional jewelry boxes for the connoisseur in your life this Christmas. If you like to collect jewelry, it is also important where you keep it. Security aside, beloved treasures deserve a home as beautiful as they are… and below are some very sophisticated choices to choose from!

LoL, Sandra

Facettes Jewelry Box by Hermès

Beauvais velvet jewellery box by Aerin

Grosvenor leather jewelry box by Smythson

Flora print jewelry box by Gucci

Studded leather-trimmed striped jacquard jewelry box by Fendi

Monogram Canvas Jewelry Box by Louis Vuitton

Mara printed croc-effect leather jewelry box by Smythson

Botanical Heirloom Jewelry Box by Jenny McCormack (comes with the jewelry)

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands

In September, I introduced you to the collaboration between Louis Vuitton and League of Legends, most-played PC game in the world (for the previous post, click here please). Now the french Maison is launching a capsule collection in partnership with Riot Games.

Designed by Nicolas Ghesquière, Louis Vuitton’s Artistic Director of Women’s Collections, this unprecedented capsule features unique and original references true to the universes of League of Legends and Ghesquière’s personal inspirations. This collection follows the special Prestige skins he previously created for Qiyana (already revealed) and for Senna (to be revealed in January 2020).

The collection showcases a unique Monogram Louis Vuitton x League of Legends canvas, revisited across some of the House’s iconic and New Classics bags including the Neverfull, the Speedy or the Boite Chapeau Souple and a Bumbag among other styles.

The Collection also features a new Louis Vuitton signature inspired by emblematic League of Legends character Qiyana’s ring blade, as first discovered on her Prestige Louis Vuitton skin.

This transversal capsule collection is completed by ready-to-wear composed of technical materials like scuba jersey, accessories, as well as iconic Louis Vuitton shoe styles such as the famous Louis Vuitton Archlight sneakers, the Star trail boots and the most recent Beaubourg platform derby shoes.

The Louis Vuitton x League of Legends capsule collection will be available for pre-orders on Louisvuitton.com on a selection of e-commerce platforms worldwide from today, December 9th 2019.

So much going on at Vuitton, but loving it all…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton

Unveiled at Atelier Louis Vuitton in Miami Design District, the hardsided Sneaker Trunk and Sneaker Box, in contemporary Monogram Eclipse canvas, join Louis Vuitton’s Trunk universe and promptly establish themselves as a sneakerhead’s essentials.

Inspired by the iconic Wardrobe Trunk, the Sneaker Trunk is designed to display a large collection of footwear. Impressive double doors open up to eight drawers for high-top sneakers and six drawers for low-top sneakers. Playful in execution, two mirrors have been specifically designed and added to the base of the trunk to admire pairs while trying them on. The Sneaker Trunk’s drawers and Sneaker Box’s walls give way to Monogram doors, revisited in a transparent allure, allowing one’s sneakers to remain on full display. In the Sneaker Box, shoes are placed atop a delicate slope, all the while tucked away in their special case.

The sky’s the limit!
Stackable, the transparent door of the Sneaker Box can be opened from the front allowing boxes to be piled on top of one another, as high as you can dream. The magnetic slope on the Sneaker Box hides two secret drawers, homes to shoe care products and other essential accessories. On the Sneaker Trunk, seven visible drawers home all shoe care products and other necessities.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton