Sandra‘s Closet

No need to fight it! Emily in Paris is here to stay and even if you don’t like it, it is quite entertaining, especially in terms of outfits.

On December 21, 2022, Emily returns for a third season with her world in chaos. Aren’t we all curious what’s happening for Lily Collins‘ fashionable character in the City of Love?! Emily Cooper (Collins) navigates her marketing job, complicated love life and friendships in Paris while always looking ultra stylish. The looks are not always new season and come also from thrift shops which adds to the eccentric style Emily is known for.

Lily Collins and Stéphane Rolland on set.

This season, couture designer Stéphane Rolland‘ s collections are presented in a Haute Couture retrospective. In the first episode, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu and Kate Walsh are sublimed by Stéphane Rolland designs.

Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu (right) and Kate Walsh (below) wear a Tuxedo disc-dress in black caviar-crepe and satin embroidered with crystals.

In the season’s premiere lots of rainbow colored outfits are featured. Here is a sneak peak:

In this scene, Emily Cooper is wearing a multicolor diamond pattern sweater by Essential Antwerp, metallic mini skirt by Dundas, metallic green tall boots by Maison Skorpios, and hot pink Monogram trunk shoulder bag by Louis Vuitton.

Later in the episode, Emily Cooper is wearing a neon checked blazer by Mira Mikati and a letter ‘E’ pendant necklace by Vanrycke.

Enjoy the show and get inspired!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Netflix and © Sandra Bauknecht
DISCLOSURE: This post is sponsored. We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise!

As FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ fever takes hold, Hublot announced a dedicated the official «Hublot Loves Football» campaign with 15 football icons and 15 one-of-a-kind football designs created by my beloved friend fashion designer Mira Mikati.

Hublot will serve as the tournament’s official timekeeper, timing all 64 matches, right through to the final in Doha’s Lusail Stadium on December 18. With more than 1 billion viewers, the FIFA World Cup™ tournament is the world’s most watched sports event.

Designer Mira Mikati and Kylian Mbappé  during a creative session for Hublot Loves Football.

To illustrate the campaign, Hublot’s love of football, and the brand’s commitment to beauty in diversity, Hublot invited Lebanese fashion designer Mira Mikati to design a special, happy, colourful «Hublot Loves Football» campaign logo that brims with optimism. Her hand-drawn and painted design captures a youthful, hopeful enthusiasm and communicates a spirit of unity.

Mira with me during Paris Fashion Week.

«Play is at the heart of all my designs. When I’m not playing with colour, I’m playing with words. Just as football sparks joy on the pitch, I want my work to be a constant supply of happiness. Dreams really can come true. Meeting Hublot’s ambassadors and discussing their dreams, passions and how far these drivers can take you was very special. By interpreting every player’s dream, with Hublot we want to inspire other to dream just as big. Whether it’s playing for your country or designing your own collection, we want to inspire the next generation to believe they can achieve anything.» – MIRA MIKATI

In addition, Hublot brought Mira together with 15 Hublot Ambassadors and Friends of the Brand to create 15 unique designs to represent the football of their dreams. Each is a one-off, a piece of art created to capture the themes of hope and universal respect, as well as the individual personalities of the football stars and their shared passion for football. Some are hand-drawn and painted, others crocheted, representing the human element in football. Football is the people’s sport.

My Mira Mikati looks: Back to the ’80s – Santa Monica – Greetings from Verona – Vacation – Never Rest – Mira Mikati

The colors of the rainbow, playful, happy and above all else, colorful – something that perhaps best describe my lovely Mira Mikati. Her designs exude happiness in every detail and love wearing her creations. I am so proud of her for designing those footballs in a rather male dominated field.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: @ Hublot/ Mirą Mikati and © Sandra Bauknecht / Nadia Krawiecka
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise!

If you’ve been to Verona and you’ve fallen in love with the city like me, you will like today’s outfit post. Besides the famous Arena di Verona Opera Festival, the picturesque Italian town has a lot to offer, from beautiful restaurants, little piazzas and many historic monuments to visit. Furthermore, Verona still feels like its Shakespearean legacy, and it is possible to recall the main moments of the timeless love story of Romeo and Juliet. When you overlook the city, you realise that there really could have been no other place more perfect than Verona to have set the story.

My look: Appliquéd denim jacket, Ace embroidered low-top leather trainers, and square-frame glitter sunglasses, all by Gucci, Allure ruffled silk-chiffon blouse by Temperley London, printed stretch-cotton wrap skirt by Mira Mikati, Kan I leather shoulder bag, flower fur key fob, ABClick letter key charm and embellished leather bag strap, all by Fendi.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

I love going on vacation by car as you can pack as much as you like. On the other hand, with the right hand luggage, flying can be also very convenient. For me, there is nothing quite like my new chic Lexicon Hardside Global Carry-On by Victorinox to induce that sense of wanderlust. The champagne coloured trolley is not just impossibly pretty, but also unbreakable and packed with lots of smart features. These include an interior compression system which allows you to make the most of the space inside, TSA-approved lock, built-in battery pocket for charging your USB devices, as well as premium 360° wheels for a smooth, easy roll.

My look: Appliquéd cotton-twill jumpsuit by Mira Mikati, pink satin bow hairband
by Prada, vintage white black rasoir cut-off cat-eye sunglasses by Miu Miu, faux-pearl tassel earrings by Oscar de la Renta, silver-tone beaded choker by Isabel Marant, Ace sneaker with crystals by Gucci, and Shopper Bistrot Panier S straw tote by Balenciaga.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Never rest – keep rising. Publishing an online magazine means you never have a free day. You have to upload new content on a daily base. Funnily enough, I never had a day where I didn’t know what to write about. It is more that I don’t find the time to feature everything I like. I love what I do and therefore I do it often.

In terms of fashion, I adore the pajama trend. Face it, everyone loves something cozy to go to work, or for just running errands. The velvet material makes it look stylish while being comfortable.

My look: Embroidered velvet shirt and matching velvet straight-leg pants, both by Mira Mikati, Pineapple jacquard pumps with mouse face by Gucci and embroidered book tote by Dior. Gold-plated Swarovski crystal clip earrings by Dolce & Gabbana, 18K diamond nameplate necklace by Louis Vuitton, daisy necklace and Mitza ring, both by Dior Fine Jewellery.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Today is MARY KATRANTZOU‘s birthday and with this post I want to congratulate my dear friend who also happens to be one of my favorite designers. From her first presentation, I have been collecting her outstanding designs and I am proud of my extensive collection. It’s hard to believe that it’s a decade since her designs made their catwalk debut as part of the annual Central Saint Martins MA graduate show. Her digital trompe-l’oeil prints of oversized jewellery placed on colour-block dresses were an instant hit and her label is one of London’s most loved. Since then, she has constantly evolved. The so-called «Queen of Prints» surprises me each season how she masters print and plays with proportions.

Princess Beatrice of York, Mary Katrantzou, my humble self and Federica Fanari

On top of her talent, Mary is an amazing woman, so warm-hearted – it is always so much fun spending time with her. Therefore, I hopped on the plane in the beginning of October to attend her 10 Year Anniversary Party at MATCHESFASHION‘s newly opened retail space at 5 Carlos Place in London.

To celebrate the occasion, a limited edition collection was exclusively launched on MATCHESFASHION.COM. The capsule features 10 iconic looks from past collections, all reissued for this exclusive collaboration. And needless to say, I have most of the featured pieces in my closet. Here are a few examples:

Left: Caramolengo jewel-print silk dress (click here for the post from September 2011)
Right: Serendipity print crepe and chiffon mini dress (click here for the post from June 2011)

Left: Harp Hazzard printed silk-satin gown (click here for the previous post from May 2012)
Right: Powdy printed silk mini dress (click here for the previous post from December 2012)

Part of the exhibition: my beloved Jewel Tree dress from Mary’s F/W 2011 collection that I wore to her launch event with Longchamp at Collette in January 2012.

So divine: Mary Katrantzou S/S 2019

Also Mary’s S/S 2019 collection is celebrating 10 years of her eponymous label. It explores the urge to collect, catalogue and organise, infused with themes and motifs from Mary’s decade of designing. A collection of collections! Among the highlights is a dress inspired by her perfume-bottle dress from her first London fashion week collection.

Below you can enjoy some of my impressions from this amazing event. Amazing people gathered together from the world of art and fashion to celebrate our beloved Mary.

Favorite editor: Sarah Mower

With my lovely Federica Fanari

With another great designer Mira Mikati

Mary Katrantzou framed by Jasmine Hemsley and Candice Lake

With Mary Katranzou and jewellery designer Eugenie Niarchos (Venyx)

Girls in Mary: Magdalena Gabriel and me

Sandra Choi of Jimmy Choo

With Juliet Angus

The beautiful night ended at Annabel’s which is my favorite club in London… here with my gorgeous Brazilian friend Polyana Santos.

A little thank you note with lots of memories I made for Mary!

«The next decade,» Mary said, «is about taking the brand DNA and allowing men and women to buy into it in different ways, whether it’s homeware, jewellery or accessories.» No matter the medium, I am looking forward to having more Mary in my life!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of MATCHESFASHION and © Sandra Bauknecht

A wonderful walk along the beach, from Santa Monica to Venice Beach, is something you have to do once in your life. Embark on a stroll in the California sunshine as you explore those iconic seaside communities filled with tarot card readers, sand sculptors and collage artists, performance artists, street hustlers, and bodybuilders. It’s definitely one of the best places in Los Angeles for people watching. I started from my favorite hotel «Shutters on the Beach» and went all the way to Muscle Beach.

My look: Appliquéd wool-blend and ribbed crochet-knit coat by Mira Mikati, appliquéd distressed printed cotton-jersey T-shirt, Ace embroidered low-top sneakers, and Linea G 2 leather-trimmed canvas shoulder bag, all by Gucci, printed low-rise skinny jeans by Givenchy, and Vogue Tribute sunglasses by Versace.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

The ’80s are back. But not everything is making a comeback, absolutely trending are sneakers, vibrant colors, strong-shouldered or asymmetric silhouettes and high side ponytails. I know, when you hear the term: side ponytail, hair nightmares of the ’80s may start dancing in your head, but I am here to change that. They are a welcome change from the hairstyles of today. Take this look as your guide on how to pay homage to the ’80s in 2018.

The message is clear «Girls just wanna have fun» exactly as Cindy Lauper warbled in 1983. And believe me, you will feel so young again…

My look: Cloudbust logo-embossed rubber and leather-trimmed mesh sneakers and asymmetric intarsia wool sweater, both by Prada, ruffled crinkled silk-chiffon blouse and Sylvie mini buckle leather shoulder bag, both by Gucci, rickrack-trimmed stretch-cotton jersey track pants by Mira Mikati, and two heart-overlay round-frame sunglasses by Miu Miu and cocktail ring by Etro.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

I love going to press previews for beauty products as it is always fun to explore the newest innovations before their official launch date. Here you see me in December at the Shiseido press day hosted at Zurich’s Sihlcity in a loft dominated by urban concrete walls, which was allowing the colorful product packaging to take center stage. If you are wondering, Nars, Azzedine Alaïa, Issey Miyake, Narciso Rodriguez, all belong to the Shiseido Group and I am looking forward to sharing those new must-haves with you during the coming weeks.

Just as much as I enjoy discovering new beauty products, I adore spotting new fashion designers. One that I truly enjoy wearing is London-based designer Mira Mikati who began her fashion career as co-founder of concept store Plum. Her eponymous collection was born of a collaboration with Parisian brand Façonnable and a desire to create «something fun that was also beautifully tailored». Her jackets, pants and sweatshirts are emblazoned with emojis, cartoons and playful graphics. I absolutely love her frenzied innocence that shows in a melange of smile-inducing detailing. You have no idea how many compliments I got that day for my outfit!

My look: Rainbow Wave striped faux fur coat, lace-up grosgrain-trimmed merino wool sweater and sequined silk pants, all by Mira Mikati, Kan I Mini studded leather chain shoulder bag, striped silk-twill and leather bag strap, rainbow colored bag bug pompom and bag bug «Karlito», all by Fendi, embroidered «Fusion» sneakers by Dior.

Saving the best for last: what a surprise for me to be reunited with my beloved Montasar Dumas who works for Shiseido in Paris (my avid readers might recognize him from his days at Dior when we always had a lot of fun together).

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Gucci‘s Alessandro Michele has truly set a trend by embellishing his designs in all sorts of ways.
Many designers are following his playful approach to fashion. Featuring embroideries, patches, slogans on all sorts of classic silhouettes, this lovely outerwear will keep you warm and chic this fall.

Calf hair-paneled embellished denim jacket by Gucci

Painted metallic leather biker jacket by Mira Mikati

Cityscrape embroidered leather and satin jacket by Coach

Embellished leather-trimmed shell bomber jacket by Opening Ceremony

Embellished appliquéd wool-felt bomber jacket by Miu Miu

Embellished silk-satin bomber jacket by Valentino

Leather biker jacket with appliqués by Saint Laurent

Enjoy your Sunday!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands