Sandra‘s Closet

To attend the Chanel S/S 2013 show, I wore this uber-fabulous “Ivory” dress from Mary Katrantzou’s F/W 2012 collection which is my favourite piece for the season and combined it with different Chanel accessories.

My look: Layered “Ivory” dress with leather sleeves by Mary Katrantzou (If you like the print, you can shop here a simpler version), XXL 2.55 with Mademoiselle Lock bag, glitter bi-colour ankle boots and earrings, all by Chanel.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht and via Marie Claire Magazine

London Fashion Week is always my favourite and the British designers are among the ones I like to wear the most. London is about individuality and the most extraordinary talents are based there. Prints and vibrant colours have been seen once more and the British capital seems to be in a blue mood.

Enjoy my little runway reviews!

LoL, Sandra

Mary Katrantzou makes all the heads turn and my heart leap for joy. I am such a big fan of her designs and her S/S 2013 collection has taken her creativity to a new level. Inspired by stamps and banknotes, Mary paired for example metallic brocades and Swarovski crystal mesh printed with banknote designs to achieve an eye-catching look. Her silhouettes were new and different from previous seasons. There is nobody else that flourishes like her. Thumbs up!

Stay tuned for an upcoming post in which I show you all the beautiful details of the collection that I photographed at Mary’s first own showroom in Paris.

Burberry Prorsum has been the blockbuster show of London Fashion Week since quite some time. The house’s social media forerun gives it a worldwide inimitable presence. For the next summer, Christopher Bailey has made “corsets and capes” his must-haves. Metallics in every shade and superb bags, especially in the translucent version will surely be among the house’s new season bestsellers.

Christopher Kane’s collection for S/S 2013 is certainly something for all fashion monsters, in the true sense of the word. At the first sight, you see simple pieces, all white on white, dresses and skirts in pastel hues – however, with a closer look it is clear that there is something more, some pieces are held together with big transparent plastic screws and there is Frankenstein on a T-shirt which will surely be copied a million times. I love it!

It was 15 years ago that Matthew Williamson launched his brand, and his glamourous cocktail and red carpet designs are still up-to-date. His amazing sense for colour could be seen in his S/S 2013 collection in perfection. Great news: Williamson is launching his own line of shoes for the next season, and he showed off his first platform styles on the runway.

Roksanda Ilincic is the queen of colour-blocking and she reinvents the trend each season new. For summer, Ilincic was inspired by the colour experimentation of the artist Josef Albers, something “rigid, masculine, and precise”.

Personally speaking, Peter Pilotto reminded me a little of Mary Katrantzou‘s previous seasons this time. And I don’t mean it badly, both designers belong to this famous new generation of prints. It was a very rich feast for the eyes, as Pilotto and De Vos created their prints three-dimensionally, while adding all sorts of ruffles and flounces. I like it a lot!

Shop Peter Pilotto S/S 2013 now on Moda Operandi!

After five years of showing in New York, Preen, a.k.a. Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi, returned to the London catwalk this season. Very pretty were the textured designs combining heavy fabrics with sheers to give the illusion of stripes.

Meadham Kirchhoff always reminds me of Vivienne Westwood at her best. This season, Ed Meadham and Ben Kirchhoff outdid themselves, staging a show so opulent and rococo that I just would like to have everything.

Vivienne Westwood Red Label seemed posh compared to Meadham Kirchhoff‘s baroque approach. Her models with full faces of green, blue, yellow, and pink makeupwalked on the catwalk in ’50s inspired clothing, from fine wool twinsets to pink silk jacquard skirtsuits and cocktail dresses.

Antonio Berardi came up with beautiful very feminine designs in all hues of blue, embellished with sparkling sequins. Tailoring has been his main focus since he emerged as a designer in the Nineties.

It’s all about the two piece for Jonathan Saunders who came up with this lovely red sequin look for example. Personally speaking, I have loved the first looks for which he used a kind of hologram-style shiny materials.

Thursday night, during Paris fashion week, an extravagant party launched the AdR at H&M collection with theatrical flair. Hosted by H&M together with fashion icon Anna Dello Russo, the Paradise Ball took place in Paris famed cabaret nightclub Paradis Latin.

The glitzy party married fashion, performance and a live showcase by music star Azealia Banks. Staying true to AdR’s belief that fashion is something that makes you dream, the eccentric party was all about fantasy and decoration.
“Excess for me means success”, said the fashion icon.

Caroline Piccinin (Le Matin), René Zibold (H&M) with me

Wigs and paper masks transformed the fashionable crowd all into Mini-Annas.

Cabaret-style “vogueing performances” as Anna described them, presented the collection in a very distinctive truly Parisian way.

My look: Powder gun dress by Mary Katrantzou, head piece by Christian Dior, pink bag by Lanvin and Tribtoo textured leather pumps by Yves Saint Laurent.

Friends and fashionistas, including Olivier Theyskens, Rachel Zoe, Poppy Delevingne, and super models Karlie Kloss, Constance Jablonski, and Liya Kebede among many others gathered to celebrate. There were so many famous people at the Paradis Latin as you can see below:

Renzo Rosso and Anna Dello Russo in a dress by Fausto Puglisi

Thomas Hayo (Germany’s Next Topmodel) and me

My beloved Mary Katrantzou

Fashion designer Jeremy Scott with me

Peter Dundas, Creative Director of Emilio Pucci, with me

It was a very fun night, the Paradise Ball was such a glamorous way to launch such an eye-catching collection. The playful line of jewelry, shoes and accessories that Anna Dello Russo designed for H&M, will be on sale from October 4, 2012, in 140 stores worldwide and online. Below are some of my favourite pieces.

LoL, Sandra

Photos in the first and last collage: Courtesy of H&M – All other photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

The new season is fast approaching and some of the best F/W 2012 runway looks are available now. This is your chance to be in fashion’s forefront.

Brocade is set to be one of the season’s hottest trends, and Stella McCartney‘s black and cobalt pattern is a typically chic take on the look.

Wool-blend brocade top and Patty brocade skirt, both by Stella McCartney

No one delivers contemporary femininity quite like Christopher Kane, and this rose-flocked tulle dress is a standout piece from his F/W 2012 runway show.

Leather-trimmed flocked tulle dress by Christopher Kane

With his trendsetting vision, Marc Jacobs predicts precisely what women want to wear every season.

Metallic bouclé wool-blend jacket and metallic bouclé wool-blend skirt, both by Marc Jacobs

Mary Katrantzou brings her beautifully mesmeric prints to knitwear this season. Coziness has never been that beautiful.

Wool-blend dress by Mary Katrantzou

Miu Miu‘s acclaimed F/W12 runway collection was a riot of colour and dandy-esque tailoring. Miuccia Prada‘s message was clear: Pants are a must for the new season!

Belted wool-crepe tunic and wool-crepe straight-leg pants, both by Miu Miu

LoL, Sandra

Personally speaking, I am hopelessly devoted to Mary Katrantzou‘s designs and her F/W 2012 collection is my favourite for the next season. During Paris Fashion Week, I went to the London Showrooms to explore her amazing creations. I love Mary. She is so crazily successful but still completely down to earth and took all the photos of me in her to-die-for dresses. We went for lunch and played dress-up afterwards. I have fallen in love with every single piece.

“A pencil, a spoon, a hanger, a chess piece, a hedge, a typewriter: For F/W 2012 Mary Katrantzou discovers the beauty in the everyday, elevating the mundane to the sublime in a collection where product placement becomes placement print.”

For the first time, Mary decides to match: To match everything. The collection is divided into seven distinct sections, each featuring prints composed from objects associated with a single colour in shades of white, blue, green, ivory, yellow, red and black, Models are saturated in a statement hue, from head to toe, working through a colour spectrum as graphic and striking as a Crayola crayon box.

Finally the wait is over! The new-season is here! Prepare to get lost in dizzying detail and sumptuous colour of the princess of print, with luxe embroideries and outstanding cuts that are all highly collectables at the end. Available from today at net-à-porter.com and matchesfashion.com.

Please enjoy all the photos below of my must-haves and see Mary’s love for detail!

LoL, Sandra

WHITE & IVORY

Gleam Coat

Ivory Dress with many layers of chiffon and painted leather sleeves

Powdy Dress with long sleeves, Powdy Biker Jacket and Powdy Scarf

YELLOW

Powder Gun Dress

The most breathtaking dress of the collection: Sprinter Fritz Dress
It came straight from the Ritz for me where Anna Dello Russo had tried it earlier that day. Those bendable pencils are absolutely divine! This dress is a piece of art!

Sweet Mary brought it to perfection on me!

RED

Typo Dress – Let me be your secretary!

Roseterrier Dress, printed leather with pleated skirt – amazing!

BLUE

GREEN

Expandit Dress with bolsters and embroideries by the famous French Haute Couture Embroidery House Lesage who collaborated for the first time with a London designer

BLACK

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

The Met Gala is the party of the year, like the Oscars in fashion. It is also the opening night of the annual fashion exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. After last year’s posthumous Alexander McQueen retrospective “Savage Beauty”, the “Schiaparelli & Prada – Impossible Conversations“ is now on show.

With the met gala being one of the biggest red carpet events, it is quite a task narrowing down the many fabulous gowns to choose my absolute favourites. The ones in the collage above are on my best-dressed list, with the following three being at the top:

Dreamlike: Gwyneth Paltrow in Prada…

…with beautiful jewels by Anna Hu

A piece of art: Elizabeth Banks in Mary Katrantzou F/W 2012

Soulmate: Lizzy Tisch in Mary Katranzou‘s stunning Harp Hazzard dress from S/S 2012

But it wouldn’t be fun if I didn’t point out the more questionable fashion moments or let’s say to show you the most daring appearances. Enjoy!

Bird of Paradise: Florence Welch in Alexander McQueen

Too much bronzer: Leighton Meester in Marchesa

Scene-stealer: Marc Jacobs in Comme des Garçons with Lorenzo Martone

Booty Call: Beyoncé in Givenchy Haute Couture

Unlikely couple: Karolina Kourkova with tiny Rachel Zoe, the designer of her space-like gown

The new Anna? Giovanna Battaglia in Dolce & Gabbana with Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld

The Jolie-leg effect: Anja Rubik in a scary hip-slit gown by Anthony Vaccarello

Daughter of Daphne Guiness? Mary-Kate Olsen in The Row

Which one is your favourite or which one don’t you like at all? You can comment on Sandra’s Closet’s facebook page here.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Getty Images and © Rex Features

This look makes me feel like a princess. It is amazing how Mary Katrantzou expertly placed the vivid prints on her Harp Hazzard dress from the S/S 2012 runway. You can wear the floor-sweeping floral-print train with bare legs and elegant sandals, or detach it to transform this patterned piece into a thigh-grazing mini.
Louis Vuitton‘s tiara from the S/S 2012 fashion show complements the outfit perfectly. You can wear it over the hair to give it more volume (as seen on me) or under.

My look: Harp Hazzard printed silk-twill dress with detachable train by Mary Katrantzou (also available without train), Tribute chain-detailed suede sandals by Yves Saint Laurent and tiara by Louis Vuitton.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Today something for my Swiss and German based readers: The new Weltwoche Style Edition 02-2012 is available now featuring my summer trend report and the captivating story about the amazing Mary Katrantzou. She gave me such a lovely insight into her life and told me so many interesting things about her designs. A must read!

And proving my passion for Mary’s designs, the May edition of German Myself magazine features my personal summer must-haves: Her divine prints, such as the fabulous Salamandra dress.

Stay tuned to see me wearing more of them!
You can shop a large selection of Mary Katrantzou at net-à-porter.com, farfetch.com, matchesfashion.com, luisaviaroma.com and mytheresa.com (Great news for Swiss customers at mytheresa.com, you pay from now on in CHF with all customs duties included. No more unpleasant additional payments.)

LoL, Sandra

It was an Underwater World at many of the S/S 2012 shows. Many of the designers took inspiration from the deep blue and created one of the most important fashion trends for the summer season.

I have outlined the most anticipated collections and pieces for you below, enjoy!

Karl Lagerfeld took the underwater trend to a complete new level with his S/S 2012 collection for Chanel. The scenery of his runway show looked like a stage setting for Ariel’s World. Some of the fabrics shimmered like fish scales.

As usual at Chanel, the accessories played a big role, such as beautiful shell clutches (unfortunately extremely expensive) and wonderfully designed coral-shape heels plus sea world inspired fashion jewlery.

Mary Katrantzou showcased a stellar take on the trend from under the sea with her scene-stealing prints, as seen on the Fishtank dress. Swarming with tropical fish and colorful coral reefs, this punchy piece is a fabulous way to play out your fashion fantasies.

The Versace S/S 2012 collection was all about starfish and seashell embellishments and studded seahorse shapes. The look was a mixture of sweet pastels, ladylike elegance  and studded biker pieces. Those glittering sea goddess gowns will surely be seen on the red carpet.

A great low-budget way to get started on the look is this fun statement starfish gold-tone ring by Versace.

Gigantic shark tooth necklaces were seen on the Givenchy S/S 2012 runway as well as many jellyfish inspired jackets and dresses. One of my favourite collections of the summer season.

You can shop a large selection of Givenchy at Matches and Farfetch.

There are many wonderfully designed blue coloured pieces in stores now that really represent the fairytale world of the deep blue. Stella McCartney drew inspiration from the sea waves for her S/S 2012 collection.

Here are some of best pieces to buy for the upcoming summer (from top left to bottom right):

Candy printed acrylic clutch by Jimmy Choo
Printed scuba-style top by McQ Alexander McQueen
Joan silk crepe-de-chine and lace dress by Stella McCartney
Printed silk kimono maxi dress by Issa
Paillette-embellished silk-georgette dress by Roberto Cavalli
Fish-charm corseted strappy sandals by Tabitha Simmons

LoL, Sandra

The beautiful sunny spring weather has put me in such a good mood and inspired me to wear bold prints and vibrant colours.

My look: Salamandra printed silk-crepe dress by Mary Katrantzou, neon-pink wool-blend crepe biker jacket by Christopher Kane, blue scarf by Gucci, lace pumps by Christian Dior, bracelet by Anselm Reyle for Dior, handle bag by Versace and statement necklace by Gabriele Frantzen.

The  neon-pink wool-blend crepe biker jacket by Christopher Kane is such a versatile piece, one of my season’s favourites.

I am in love with Gabriele Frantzen‘s statement jewelry pieces that take every outfit to a new level of style. Her creations are now available at Saks Fifth Avenue and in Zurich at Gassmann among others.

Tropical fish, fields of flowers and crushed car sculptures were the inspirations behind Mary Katrantzou‘s highly acclaimed S/S12 collection, which took her signature aesthetic to new fashion heights. This precision-cut Salamandra printed silk-crepe dress is the perfect canvas for the designer’s explosive and unforgettable prints. Don’t you agree?

This bracelet is a collector’s piece. Designed by Berlin artist Anselm Reyle for Dior.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht