Sandra‘s Closet

After NET-À-PORTER hosted a wonderful cocktail party at Nikita in London with Gianvito Rossi to celebrate the Italian Maison’s foray into the world of handbags, I wanted you to have a closer look at the new Valì bag, which I personally speaking find timeless and super fabulous.

SAY ‘CIAO’ TO VALÌ
Elevated Italian savoir-faire brings life to the new Valì bag, the result of Gianvito Rossi‘s well-known passion: the pursuit of perfection through minimalism and quality.

VALÌ NUANCES
Italian craftsmanship and smooth precious leather shape Valì’s truly distinctive silhouette, where minimal lines and sinuous curved edges meet.
Valì is a luxurious accessory for real quality connoisseurs, available in four nuances: the iconic Cipria pink colour, Black, Off-white and Violet.

A MINIATURE SUITCASE
Valì is inspired to an accessory that is close to the history of the brand, the personal suitcase used by Gianvito to carry his precious creations around the world.
The original idea was to reinterpret in a contemporary way that suitcase for celebrities and clients eager to travel with their footwear collections, but here came Gianvito’s deeper intuition: recreating a miniature and turning it into a modern, sophisticated, feminine bag in which women can treasure their precious belongings, just like Gianvito did with his collections.

A SMALL MODERN CHEST
«Thinking about my clients, I recreated a miniature version of the suitcase I carried around the world when travelling with the most precious things to me: my collections. A small modern chest where they can treasure their precious belongings.»
– Gianvito Rossi

TO SHOP THE GIANVITO ROSSI VALĪ BAG, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Gianvito Rossi
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Unlocking the secrets behind French women’s style, the effortlessness, the attitude, the enigmatic and ever-so-coveted «je ne sais quoi». Simplicity is, apparently, key, as French women are never overdone or overdressed. It’s all about hyper-engineered minimalism, and by the way who said men’s shirts are only for men? Combine classic pieces in your wardrobe with something edgy, like breton stripes, a great pair of jeans with a cool sailor cap and you will feel like a true Parisian!

My look: Striped cardigan jacket with leather details, flared jeans in dark union wash twill, cropped boyfriend shirt in blue chambray, and Triomphe wool sailor cap, all by Celine, Mini Dauphine bag by Louis Vuitton, Le Loafer leather penny loafers by Saint Laurent, and polarized pilot sunglasses by CHANEL.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Anouk Bauknecht / Sandra Bauknecht
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.

Certainly, thanks to the ongoing pandemic, S/S 2021 was a season like no other. Therefore I also waited with this report. Most of the presentations were virtual or with not many guests. New York and London opted for predominantly digital showcases, while Milan and Paris held scaled-back showings with strict social distancing measures. I attended CHANEL in Paris for example but it felt very different from before with all the strict social distancing measures and masks.

What are the trends? The common denominator on the runways was a heartfelt 1990s vibe. Furthermore, the new working-from-home routine certainly had an effect on what designers were coming up with. Think barrettes, tracksuits and midriff flossing. Wide-leg trousers offer more comfort and capes deliver that coziness we have been experiencing lately.

In general, there is an urge for vibrant prints and uplifting colors. Stay tuned, I will soon tell you about the F/W 2021 trends, what to keep and what to get.

LoL, Sandra

Everyday pieces, from dresses to sleepwear, have been given a joyful spin by designers who are experimenting with bold, uplifting colors and prints.

S/S 2021 brings a twist to the logomania trend. Designers unveiled new fashion statements with collages, patchworks and neon effects. In any case, this modernity enjoys playing with all manner of styles and colors in fun streetwear looks.

Pantone announced Ultimate Gray and Illuminating in combination as the color of the year 2021. Two independent colors that come together to create an aspirational color pairing, conjoining deeper feelings of thoughtfulness with the optimistic promise of a sunshine filled day.

Candy tops the trends of the season. Sugary candy tones, from cherry to raspberry, bring a dash of rose-tinted energy to summer.

Besides candy hues, orange now also stands out in the trendiest girls’ wardrobes this season.

This summer has a weakness for cape detailing, which is perhaps the ultimate in sartorial fantasy – no one, after all is really requiring a cape, however desirable they might appear.

This year, tie-dye is the print that everyone loves for S/S 2021. It has become the pattern of the pandemic.

This summer, designers looked for monochrome magic, very reminiscent of Coco Chanel’s favorites.

 Skinny jeans and cigarette pant lovers: hear me out. Baggy trousers may not have the streamlining effect of your favoured slim-line silhouettes. But, they’re a bona fide trend for spring, and they’re showing their elegant side this season, taking over as your everyday trouser shape of choice.

With quintessential, luxurious materials and smooth lines, minimalism took on a 1990s look all in white.

Head to toe denim looks are still holding strong. One of my favorite trends.

The tracksuit was also treated to a 1990s vibe. Raw sportswear effects and tech materials teamed up with couture sophistication to play everything down. Who dares win, with track pants about town, day and night.

Envelopping the silhouette in a joyful style, the fishnet style is making a seasonal comeback with a decidedly 1990s aesthetic. It is graphic and minimalist, with raw yet chic flexibility, setting an ultra-contemporary pace.

Brace yourselves for S/S 2021’s most stomach-clenching trend: bralettes are stronger than ever with a ferocity last witnessed in the 1990s.

Midriff flossing can be loosely translating as a series of crisscrossing cords and wraparound details resembling dental floss (hence the name) that can emerge from skirts, from the aforementioned bralette, as well as souping up the middle region of a maxi dress, resistance is futile.

Thanks to the Netflix series «Bridgerton», we welcome the return of the corset. Those body-sculpting pieces will make your silhouette sing, given streetwise attitude. Consider it the very opposite of loungewear – and a chance to blow away the cobwebs of 2020.

Romantic bohemian styles are still all the rage. However, not an ounce of folklore was present, just sheer grace and long transparent dresses with shimmering movements. A true celebration of femininity.

A variation on a decidedly popular theme, fashion contiued to play with shoulders and sleeves. Here, puffy and gathered looks were once again injected with extravagant volumes.

A strong trend since F/W 2020: a silvery glow. The new wardrobe combines fresh energy and old classics resulting in a barrage of sequins, sexy mesh, and crystals ribbing.

The pandemic has been tough on all of us. Designers make us dream and invite us to indulge in a fashion fairytale with these tulle gowns.

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands

Great news for all lovers of art. The Museum of Modern Art and Fondation Louis Vuitton announce the exhibition “Being modern: MoMA in Paris” taking place from 11 October 2017 to 5 March 2018.

Fondation Louis Vuitton presents, in its Frank Gehry-designed building, an exceptional exhibition devoted to the unrivaled collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Featuring more than 200 renowned masterpieces and less familiar, but highly significant works. This exhibition highlights the pivotal role that MoMA, its curators and its exhibition program have played in the history of art in the 20th and 21st Centuries, ranging from the birth of modern art through trends and styles such as American abstraction, Pop art and Minimalism to the most contemporary art.

Now engaged in a significant expansion and renovation of its building, MoMA has chosen Fondation Louis Vuitton as its partner to bring its legendary artistic heritage to Paris, showcasing its mission to be perpetually modern.

Bernard Arnault, President of Fondation Louis Vuitton says:
“I wanted Being Modern: MoMA in Paris to fall within the tradition of our previous major exhibitions such as Keys to a Passion, 2015, and Icons of Modern Art, The Shchukin Collection, 2016. All three have been organised in close collaboration with some of the world’s most prestigious international modern art museums. This exhibition marks, once again, our desire to provide the widest possible audience with the opportunity to engage with some of the world’s most remarkable works of art.”

Paul Signac (French, 1863–1935) Opus 217.
Against the Enamel of a Background Rhythmic with Beats and Angles, Tones, and Tints, Portrait of M. Félix Fénéon in 1890 1890
Oil on canvas (73.5 x 92.5 cm)
The Museum of Modern Art, New York Fractional gift of Mr. and Mrs. David Rockefeller.
© 2017 Artists Rights

Among the 200 works presented at Fondation Louis Vuitton are masterpieces by Paul Cézanne, Gustav Klimt, Paul Signac, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Giorgio de Chirico, Edward Hopper, Max Beckmann, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Marcel Duchamp, Francis Picabia, Alexander Calder, René Magritte, Walker Evans, Yayoi Kusama, Willem de Kooning, Jasper Johns, Yvonne Rainer and Frank Stella.

Constantin Brancusi (French, born Romania. 1876–1957) Bird in Space 1928
Bronze (137.2 x 21.6 x 16.5 cm)
The Museum of Modern Art, New York Given anonymously, 1934.
© 2017 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris

Some of the works will be shown in France for the first time: Constantin Brancusi’s bronze Bird in Space (1928) (see above); Diane Arbus’s Identical Twins, Roselle, New Jersey (1967); Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans (1962); Philip Guston’s Tomb (1978); (Untitled) “USA Today” by Felix Gonzalez-Torres (1990); 144 Lead Square by Carl Andre (1969); Untitled by Christopher Wool (1990); Untitled (You Invest in the Divinity of the Masterpiece) by Barbara Kruger (1982); and Patchwork Quilt by Romare Bearden (1970).

Enjoy some first impressions of the exhibition in this post. To book your ticket, click here please.

LoL, Sandra

Bruce Nauman (American, born 1941) Human/Need/Desire 1983
Neon tubing and wire with glass tubing suspension frames (239.8 x 179 x 65.4 cm)
The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of Emily and Jerry Spiegel, 1991
© 2017 Bruce Nauman/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Cindy Sherman (American, born 1954) Untitled Film Still #21 1978
Gelatin silver print (19.1 x 24.1 cm)
The Museum of Modern Art, New York Horace W. Goldsmith Fund through Robert B. Menschel, 1995 © 2017 Cindy Sherman

Ellsworth Kelly (American, 1923–2015) Colors for a Large Wall 1951
Oil on canvas, sixty-four panels (240 x 240 cm)
The Museum of Modern Art, New York Gift of the artist, 1969.
© 2017 Ellsworth Kelly

OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture) Welfare Palace Hotel Project, Roosevelt Island, New York, New York 1976
Gouache on paper (129.5 x 102.9 cm)
The Museum of Modern Art, New York Gift of The Howard Gilman Foundation, 2000.
© 2017 Rem Koolhaas

Shigetaka Kurita (Japanese, born 1972) for NTT DOCOMO, Inc., Japan, est. 1991 Emoji 1998-1999
Digital image dimensions variable
The Museum of Modern Art, New York Gift of NTT DOCOMO, Inc., 2016.
© 2017 NTT DOCOMO

Rirkrit Tiravanija (Thai, born Argentina 1961) untitled (the days of this society is numbered / December 7, 2012) 2014
Synthetic polymer paint and newspaper on linen (221 x 214.6 cm)
The Museum of Modern Art, New York Committee on Drawings and Prints Fund, 2014.
© 2017 Rirkrit Tiravanija

Photos: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton

It’s easy to forget in the daily madness of Fashion Week that New York is about more than fashion. But the party never stops in the city that never sleeps. So to kick off the S/S 2014 season, many amazing events took place. Here is one ordinary Tuesday night to give you an idea how busy it can get but of course how much fun it is at the same time. I still enjoy those days and nights very much and couldn’t agree more with Holly Golightly in the movie “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” : “I’ll never get used to anything. Anybody that does, they might as well be dead.” Speaking of which…

6:00 pm – COCKTAILS AT TIFFANY’S

The evening started with a cocktail hosted by bloggers to celebrate the new Atlas collection at Tiffany & Co.’s famous flagship store on Fifth Avenue, which has been a magnet for the famous and fashionable. I mean who can resist those diamonds sparkling from streamlined showcases that surround pedestals of granite and burl wood. A place where dreams come true…

8:00 pm – NARCISO RODRIGUEZ S/S 2014 SHOW

Around 7.30 pm, I was heading down to 37th street in the dynamic, up-and-coming Midtown West Hudson Yards neighborhood to see the Narciso Rodriguez S/S 2014 runway show in an intimate surrounding. A study in minimalism, those clean cuts and feminine chiffon fabrics showed that sex appeal doesn’t need much.

Great news, during the next 3 days, you have the chance to pre-order the amazing Narciso Rodriguez S/S 2014 collection straight from the runway here.

9:00 pm – DOM PERIGNON x JEFF KOONS EVENT

Next stop: 711 Greenwich Street. The Stephan Weiss Studio with their spacious, two-level event space were the perfect location to host the launch party for Dom Pérignon’s new collaboration with famous artist Jeff Koons (photo with me below). A detailed post will be coming up shortly.

One thing is always missing at those events, food! So very late at night, I went with a friend to Buddakan to finally eat dinner…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

American actresses Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen launched their hip ready-to-wear and accessories label in 2007.
The brand’s name The Row derives from London’s historic Savile Row which has inspired their line: Traditional tailoring with a strong focus on clean lines, ultra-refined silhouettes and figure-flattering fit. I am completely in love with the leather mini skirt and long cashmere cardigan.

So good news is that the famous twins started their e-commerce business today. With worldwide shipping, the cult label is available to fashionistas everywhere.

The F/W 2010 collection is an understated and classic take on everyday’s wear with an edgy twist to it. The luxurious fabrics underline the effortless chic. This is minimalism at its best.

LoL, Sandra

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