Sandra‘s Closet

This is the most stylish I got in Iceland. First of all, it was freezing cold (Thank God, I brought this padded gilet with me!), second of all, I have never felt the urge to dress up or put on make-up. Everything is just laid back and very relaxing.

My look: Grosgrain-trimmed cotton-jersey sweatshirt by Saint Laurent, Pedal Star skinny-leg printed denim pants by Closed, white padded gilet by Moncler Grenoble, large studded backpack by MCM, sunglasses by Marc Jacobs, printed silk scarf by Gabriele Frantzen and biker boots by Chanel. Hat, souvenir from Iceland.

Being on “luxury withdrawal therapy” is kind of fun for one week, but now I cannot wait to bring back some glamour into my life. Stay also tuned for the upcoming post about the most breathtaking sceneries I have seen on the island.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

On Saturday morning, I flew to Reykjavík, the largest city in Iceland. The world’s northernmost capital of a sovereign state has been on my “places to see” list since a very long time.

I have completely underestimated the climate. The city’s coastal location makes it prone to wind and it is freezing cold here. As I spent the last weeks only in hot temperatures, it feels even worse. During my first few hours in this beautiful and very colorful city , I went shopping and got myself a wool hat and sweater.

My look: White padded gilet by Moncler Grenoble, green sweater by Abercrombie & Fitch, 620 Photo Ready mid-rise leggings-style jeans by J Brand, large studded backpack by MCM, sunglasses by Marc Jacobs and Jenny brushed-suede ankle boots by Isabel Marant. The hat is a souvenir from Iceland.

Here in Reykjavík, there are many things to do and explore. One of the big highlights is whale watching.

The meat of this large mammal can be found on almost every menu in this country.

View of Harpa concert and conference center from the old harbour.

City center

Panorama of the city and the largest church in Iceland

Central Reykjavík seen from…

… the top of Hallgrímskirkja Church.

Colorful rooftops line Reykjavík.

Approximately 45 minutes’ drive from Reykjavik is the famous Blue Lagoon, a place that you don’t want to miss. Set in the pure heart of the Icelandic landscape, it offers a complete spa experience. The warm waters are rich in minerals like silica and sulphur and bathing is reputed to help some people suffering from skin diseases such as psoriasis. I felt too cold to go swimming but the scenery itself has been worth the visit.

Now, I am off to see some geysers and more…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Trend forecasting in perfumery is very similiar to the world of fashion, it is seasonal in terms of olfactive notes and compositions. This summer, it is all about fruity scents composed of ingredients such as passion fruit, mango, guava and litchi combined with aquatic florals.

Here are the most mouthwatering new flankers:

L’EAU D’ISSEY Summer Eau de Toilette by Issey Miyake

The exotic summer flanker of the original L’Eau d’Issey, created by Alberto Morillas, is carrying us away toward new evocations of scents, flavors, and colors. This year, discover the juicy, sparkling sweetness of exotic fruit.

AROMATIC FRUITY

Top notes: Pink grapefruit and litchi
Middle notes: Guava and passion fruit
Base notes: Vanilla and wood

Available now for CHF 85.00 (100ml).

WOMANITY AQUA CHIC Eau de Toilette Légère by Thierry Mugler

The energetic and sparkling limited edition 2013 summer version of the original comes with a provocative freshness without loosing its identity.

AROMATIC FRUITY

Top notes: Black currant, red berries and coriander
Middle note: Mandarin blossom
Base notes: Spices and woody notes

Available now for CHF 59.00 (50ml).

OH LOLA! Sunsheer Edition Eau de Parfum by Marc Jacobs

Inspired by sun-kissed pleasures, Marc’s summer version of Oh Lola! emits hints of vanilla, peony, and raspberry. It’s more fresh and sheer than its predecessor and I love its delightful green bottle.

FLORAL FRUITY

Top notes: Raspberry, wild strawberry and pear
Middle notes: Peony, cyclamen and magnolia
Base notes: Vanilla, sandalwood and tonka bean

Available now for CHF 115.00 (50ml)

DAISY Sunshine Edition Eau de Toilette by Marc Jacobs

Radiant, colourful, full of joy, dressed in the happiest flowers of the season, this limited edition scent is designed to compliment your summer wardrobe.

FLORAL FRUITY

Top notes: Red currant, guava and mandarin orange
Middle notes: Lily-of-the-valley, litchi and violet
Base notes: Musk and woody notes

Available now for CHF 98.00 (50ml)

LoL, Sandra

Photo: © Sandra Bauknecht, Stills: Courtesy of the Brands

Any clue what those icons have in common? They all have their birthday today!

I have been truly amazed when I stumbled upon this fact. Marc Jacobs for example is celebrating his 50th and Jean Paul Belmondo his 80th birthday. Any astrologist among my readers who can explain me this phenomena please? Being born under the sign of aries, they are all creative and fashionable…

1 Jean-Paul Belmondo, French actor; 1933
2 Martin Margiela, Belgian fashion designer; 1957
3 Anna dello Russo, Italian style icon; 1962
4 Marc Jacobs, American fashion designer; 1963
5 Paulina Porizkova, Czech model; 1965
6 Leighton Meester, American actress; 1986
7 Sara Blomqvist, Swedish model; 1989
8 Kristen Stewart, American actress; 1990
9 Elle Fanning, American actress and Rodarte muse; 1998

Happy Birthday, also to Hugh Hefner (1922) and Dennis Quaid (1954)!

LoL, Sandra

Some exciting news for my Swiss readers: The new Marc by Marc Jacobs S/S 2013 ad campaign was shot in Zurich-Wollishofen by Jürgen Teller at the Rote Fabrik and the male model is no less than Eli, the son of entrepreneur Carolina Müller-Möhl.

His mum told me the story that I found particularly sweet. Carolina was asked to participate in a charity project for the Kunsthaus Zurich in collaboration with Jürgen Teller. She brought Eli to the shoot. The famous photographer saw his potential and started to take photos of him.

When he showed those to Marc Jacobs, they both agreed that Eli had to be the face of the new campaign. Well deserved – what a success story! I am sure that we will see more of Eli in the near future…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Marc Jacobs

I am so tired of winter. Spring fever is in full swing and what better way to greet this eponymous season than with some whimsical butterflies, cute little ladybugs and some vibrant colors.

Butterfly print duchess satin dress by Marc Jacobs, two-tone leather bag by Miu Miu,Botanica Pam platform pumps with rose applications by Charlotte Olympia, Lady Bug leather coin purse by Gucci and Ladybug enameled 18-karat gold ring by Solange Azagury-Partridge.

The perfect scent for spring: CLINIQUE HAPPY IN BLOOM 2013

Clinique has been launching a limited edition every year since quite a while loved by fans of their fragrances all around the world. The latest one for 2013 – Clinique Happy in Bloom arrives in a new flacon with an illustration of cheerful flowers and ladybugs and is reminiscent of a dewy morning. In Switzerland in stores beginning of March 2013.

Top notes: Apricot and frozen fruit
Heart notes: Freesia, mimosa and incense
Base notes: Woody notes and blond wood

CHF 79.00 (50ml) and CHF 59.00 (30ml)

LoL, Sandra

The Dior event in Paris last week was truly amazing. The Dior team spoilt me constantly during my stay with wonderful birthday surprises. How creative they are was clear when we went for dinner Thursday night. Held at the ice rink of the Plaza Athénée which is located at the inner courtyard of the famous Parisian hotel, we were welcomed by a Swiss chalet atmosphere and a cute Saint Bernard dog.

View of the ice rink from the top

As I have done many dinners on the ice in St. Moritz before, I knew exactly what to wear in order not to get cold.
My look: Mink coat by Prada, fur boots by Prada Sport, scarf, bag and bracelet, all by Anselm Reyle for Dior, Diorette ring by Dior Haute Joaillerie and fur hat by Marc Jacobs.

Lovely Montasar Dumas (Dior Paris) and Huda Heidi Kattan with me.

From left to right: Me, Sofie Valkiers and Gala Gonzalez

Raclette prepared by three Michelin star chef Alain Ducasse was a big surprise. Who would have expected having a Swiss traditional dish in Paris?! Very funny, the two Swiss ladies, Manuela and my humble self, were shoveling the yummy cheese in our mouth, whereas most of the other bloggers were a little overwhelmed by the heavy food.

Manuela Pastore (Dior Switzerland) explained enthusiastically how to eat raclette.

Pumpkin soup as a starter

Spotted – the cutest iPhone cover ever, available here.

A surprise birthday dessert. Thank you, Dior, for this wonderful experience!
Stay tuned for all the photos taken during the day for the house’s new beauty launches.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

The combination of black and white is shaping up to be one of S/S 2013‘s hottest trends, namely in the form of stripes. Marc Jacobs, Dolce & Gabbana and Moschino showed one of the most stunning two-tone takeovers. I am convinced that chances are high, that you already have a few black-and-white-striped pieces in your closet, but look for a style update to take it up a notch. To get in on one of summer’s boldest trends, step inside to shop my picks now.

Dresses from left to right:
Scooter striped stretch-twill dress by Marc by Marc Jacobs
Striped cotton-blend sheath dress by Lanvin
Wide stripe sun dress by Dolce & Gabbana

Personally speaking, a striped blazer is my must for this season. An easy way to take your outfit to the next level.

Jackets from left to right:
Striped satin blazer by Balmain
Striped cotton-blend blazer by Lanvin
Stripe-print lurex blazer by Saint Laurent
Striped glossed rayure-effect blazer by Saint Laurent (I couldn’t resist this one…)

Paloma suede and metallic sandals by Saint Laurent
Walk the line and have fun!

LoL, Sandra

The Mytheresa Sale has officially started today, good news is that you can enjoy up to 50% off. But be careful! Markdowns can be a tricky seduction. Opt for something basic that you can wear for many seasons to come and don’t go for the overall print everybody has already seen a zillion times and that is so last season.

Here are some great investment pieces (see collage above):

Bouclé blazer by Mulberry (a classic)
Ribbed sweater with crystal bead embellished collar by Miu Miu (very versatile)
Leather jean-style leggings by Acne (a must)
Falabella hobo bag by Stella McCartney (always stylish)
Leather ankle boots by Gianvito Rossi (an everyday essential)
Metallic scarf by Marc Jacobs (metallics will be huge for S/S 2013)

Happy Shopping!

LoL, Sandra

Print this post

On Wednesday morning, I went to Louis Vuitton‘s S/S 2013 show that was as energizing and different as it was brief because the models walked out in pairs like twins. The setting was once more very special: Four escalators formed the fundamental structure of the presentation inspired by Les Deux Plateaux, a famous installation piece in the Palais Royal by the artist Daniel Buren with columns arranged in a grid.

The collection was very graphic and structured which had I expected after having seen Marc Jacobs’ signature line where minimalistic stripes ruled the runway (for more information, please click here). For Louis Vuitton, the designer went for ’60s silhouettes, gigantic checks and floral embroideries stitched in mini-squares. Even the house’s iconic Speedy bag got cubed, too.

It was the first ever Louis Vuitton collection not to make use of the Monogram. Instead, the Damier pattern provided the house’s signature.

A fundamental duality underpinned the collection, Marc Jacobs used always two colors, shiny and matt textures. He had the image of two very different French icons of the ’60s, Françoise Hardy and Jane Birkin, in mind when creating the collection: Hardy always very covered up, Birkin always revealing plenty of flesh, but both always in long, simple clothes. To reinforce these oppositions, the collection was presented on models in pairs.

For a finale, the models streamed down the four escalators very futuristically like an army of Louis Vuitton cult followers to the music from the opera “Einstein on The Beach” by Philip Glass. The show was different, especially compared to the excesses of last season and also optimistic as the sunshine yellow enlightened the room.

Marc Jacobs almost jumped down the escalator while the audience applauded.

Front row: Delfina Delettrez-Fendi, Natalia Vodianova, Antoine Arnault and Poppy Delevingne

Rachel Zoe and husband Roger Berman

Enjoy your weekend!

LoL, Sandra

Photos used for the collages: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton, all other photos: © Sandra Bauknecht