Sandra‘s Closet

This year’s Met Gala, which celebrated the exhibition «Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty,» featured plenty of full-on tributes to designer Karl Lagerfeld. From vintage designs by Karl himself to perfect tributes from rival fashion houses and paws-itively incredible Choupette interpretations, there was much to enjoy at this year’s fashion Oscars.

Always taking place on the first Monday in May, the red carpet was filled with A-listers in mostly monochrome black and white looks, with lots of references to the Camellia, plenty of pearls, a touch of tweed and thousands upon thousands of crystal embellishments. Below, I round up my favourite looks from the 2023 Met Gala with a little description why I liked them.

REFERENCES TO THE CAMELLIA

Rihanna in Valentino Haute Couture

My winner! Rihanna is always one of the best dressed Met Gala guests and she did not disappoint for 2023. A nod to the iconic CHANEL flower, Rihanna, who is pregnant and was joined by partner A$AP Rocky, chose a camellia-appliquéd cape and matching gown, both by Valentino Haute Couture.

Bad Bunny in Jacquemus

Personally speaking the strongest menswear look of the night was worn by the «Tití Me Preguntó» rapper, whose all-white Jacquemus ensemble included an ultra long floral train. Inside the jacket was a custom printed picture of Casa Malaparte taken by Lagerfeld in 1997, a nod to the designer’s photography work.

VINTAGE CHANEL

Nicole Kidman in vintage CHANEL

Telling a story with your ensemble can be beautiful, and Nicole Kidman did it by wearing the CHANEL couture gown that she had first worn in 2004 when she starred in the iconic CHANEL No. 5 fragrance advert directed by Baz Luhrmann.

Naomi Campbell in vintage CHANEL

Another Nineties supermodel Naomi Campbell nodded to Karl Lagerfeld by looking stunningly in one of his own creations, a pink satin gown with bejewelled details from CHANEL’s S/S 2010 couture collection.

Dua Lipa in CHANEL Haute Couture

The gala co-chair turned heads in a tweed CHANEL Haute Couture ballgown from 1992, that she combined with a breathtaking Tiffany & Co. set, comprised of a necklace in platinum with a diamond of over 200 carats and diamonds and a ring in platinum with diamonds of over 9 total carats. The primary diamond of this necklace was cut in the proportions of the famed Tiffany Diamond.

CREATIONS INSPIRED BY KARL LAGERFELD’S AESTHETIC FROM OTHER FASHION HOUSES

Kim Kardashian in Schiaparelli

I love this look! Kim Kardashian wore a heavily beaded custom Schiaparelli dress with thousands of pearls draped over her.

Anne Hathaway in Versace

The actress showed up in a floor-length, monochrome, tweed (a nod to CHANEL) gown, complete with Versace safety pins holding it all together. Call it CHASACE – the perfect mishmash of Versace and CHANEL.

Eddie Redmayne in Alexander McQueen

To honour the late Lagerfeld, the British actor opted for classic tailoring, but with a twist and might have set the start for a multi-brooch trend.

THE DESIGNERS WITH THE MOST KILLER LOOKS

Janelle Monáe in Thom Browne

Leave it to Them Browne for the most theatrical fashion moment at the Met Gala 2023. «Glass Onion» star Janelle Monáe wore a supersized version of CHANEL’s classic tweed jacket. Later it was followed by a high-fashion striptease, that revealed a sheer conical wireframe gown atop a black sequined, pearl-studded bikini.

Jenna Ortega in Thom Browne

With its corseted bodice, ruffled skirt and draped chains, inspired by those iconic CHANEL details, the «Wednesday» actress was half goth, and half glam, and definitely an eye-catcher.

Cardi B in Thom Browne

Another camellia reference, Cardi B nailed this trend in this billowing gown that was also inspired by Karl Lagerfeld’s personal uniform.

CHOUPETTE LOVERS

Doja Cat in Oscar de la Renta

The great tribute to Lagerfeld’s cat Choupette came from Doja Cat, who wore a custom made embellished gown by Oscar de la Renta, that she topped off with cat ears on the hood, a prosthetic cat nose and claw-like nails.

Jared Leto

Telling the best tale (tail) of the night, Leto decided to pay tribute to Karl Lagerfeld’s famous Birman cat, Choupette, in a full cat costume, worth a Disney movie appearance.  However, after unmasking, he transformed into an all-black ensemble and a matching cape featuring an ornate detailing around the neckline and shoulders.

I am curious to hear which one was your favorite!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands, Getty Images #ALineOfBeauty
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This week, I followed CHANEL‘s invite to explore and celebrate the new J12 watch models first with a cocktail reception at the boutique on Bahnhofstrasse, followed by a flying dinner and party at at Barfussbar at Frauenbadi. With this beautiful weather finally arriving in Zurich, it was the perfect night for the occasion.

We were spoilt to bubbly champagne, great food, a water ballet show and experienced real magic when discovering the new watches. Later, we danced the night away.

Personally speaking, I have always been a big fan of the J12 watch, especially the white versions. the material is so resistant, you can play tennis or golf with it, it won’t break. Furthermore, the white colour doesn’t change after time. It stays as crisp white as from the beginning.

For the campaign, CHANEL invited nine muses to share their personal experiences about a second that changed their lives. Among them Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell and Ali MacGraw, just to name a few. Everything has always been about seconds for a House created by a woman who knew how to follow her instincts. The instinct of the moment when everything is decided.

The lovely CHANEL team

Whether it is the longest second of a lifetime on the day of an important decision, or preparing a soft-boiled egg with perfect culinary precision, catching an airplane or missing a taxi, our existence is a succession of milestones that are of no coincidence. The new J12 is the watch for these milestones, and the perfect accompaniment for every second.

Everything is a story of seconds for a woman who is in touch with her life and with this intimate timepiece that can shape destiny in a few seconds. The new J12 is the watch for this woman.
To find out more, click here please. And in the meantime, enjoy those perfect seconds of last night captured on the photos…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht
#TheNewJ12 #ItsAllAboutSeconds #CHANELWatches

I am in Marrakesh at the moment and this morning I woke up to the safest news. One of my favorite designers Azzedine Alaïa passed away at the age of 77.

Known for his signature sculptural silhouettes and meticulous craftmanship, plus an exquisite line-up of shoes and bags, he rose to prominence in the ’80s. He was one of the few designers to completely ignore the traditional fashion seasons, creating his must-have pieces at his own pace.

Azzedine Alaïa with me

After moving to Paris in 1957, the Tunisian born Azzedine started his career at Dior, then went on to work at Guy Laroche and Thierry Mugler, before opening his own atelier in the late 1970s.

One of my favorite pictures in fashion history: Naomi Campbell photographed by Herb Ritts in Alaïa

He worked closely with celebrity fans including Naomi Campbell, who opened his last couture show in July in Paris. RIP Azzedine, you will be missed!

TO SHOP A LAST PIECE OF ALAÏA, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Alaïa and © Sandra Bauknecht

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the brutal murder of Gianni Versace in broad daylight in Miami Beach. I will never forget this moment when I saw the news on TV. I was studying fashion design and was at home working on one of my first assignments. At this time, Versace was big. We all dreamt of butterfly prints, safety pins, tight dresses and many more…

Gorgeous as her mother in the nineties… Kaia Gerber, daughter of Cindy Crawford, on the Versace S/S 2018 catwalk.

This week, Donatella Versace chose to stage her S/S 2018 show at Milan’s Triennale museum as a tribute to her late brother’s Gianni’s inspirations and creations. And so, for the first time since being the creative director of the company, she seeked inspiration directly from the house’s archives with all the key prints and pieces from the years 1991–95.

Versace in the ’90s

As I said those years marked the highlights of Gianni Versace’s designs. His most iconic collections included Vogue, Warhol, My Friend Elton, Icons, Baroque, Animalia, Native Americans, Tresor de la Mer, Metal Mesh, and Butterflies.

Beautiful finale of the S/S 2018 Versace: Carla Bruni, Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, and Helena Christensen posing in classic Versace chainmail dresses.

To celebrate «a genius . . . an icon . . . my brother» as Donatella said, the show fulminated in a finale that brought tears to my eyes. Gianni’s favorite models, Carla Bruni, Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, and Helena Christensen, appeared in golden gowns on stage, to the chorus of George Michael’s «Freedom! ’90.» Front row? Alessandro Michele, Anthony Vaccarello and Pierpaolo Piccioli applauded to Donatella’s tribute to the late master of fashion.

Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell and Christy Burlington lipsynching to George Michael’s «Freedom 90» for the finale of Gianni’s Versace’s F/W 1991 show. Back then fashion was truly fun!

The era of the top models: Gianni Versace surrounded by them in 1991.

A beautiful Versace ad campaign from the ’90s.

This moment reminded me why I chose many years ago the direction of fashion and how much the work of Gianni Versace in the ’90s had inspired me to do so.

Thank you, Donatella, for this little reminder, we all sometimes need in this busy life! And thank God that I have kept everything in my closet… time to dust the butterflies off…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Via Vogue.com and Rex Features

Olivier Rousteing, Balmain‘s Creative Director, wrote yesterday on his instagram account: «U made me love FASHION yesterday, U make me love FASHION today, and U re going to make me love FASHION in the future.» In the pictures that he commented on, he was next to Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer and Naomi Campbell.

His #BalmainArmy is in expansion mode and the three ’90s supermodels are the faces of the S/S 2016 campaign shot by Steven Meisel. Posing in the designer’s body-conscious and ruffled new seaon’s creations, they look as stunning as 20 years ago and are a perfect fit for the French Maison. Personally speaking, the three icons are so much more beautiful than Kendall and Gigi, the previous faces. I am sure this campaign will have a lot of success.

TO SHOP BALMAIN ONLINE, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Balmain

Great news! Karl Lagerfeld will present the Chanel Cruise 2017 collection on May 3rd 2016 in Cuba. So next Spring the fashion pack will go on a trip to Havana, the country’s capital.

I expect a vibrant and colorful collection. The early ’90s Chanel shows came immediately to my mind… how exciting!

LoL, Sandra

Chanel S/S1994

Photos: Via Vogue.com

For all makeup lover, I have some great news to look forward to! After dazzling women with his modern but timeless designs on the runway and red carpet for 13 years, New York designer Zac Posen presents his debut colour collection for M·A·C which will hit the stores end of February 2016. The limited edition line will include products for eyes, lips and cheeks as well as brushes.

“Over the past 15 years I have learned a great deal from M∙A∙C about beauty. Fashion and beauty go hand-in-hand and I have always wanted to create a makeup collection to complement my designs and brand. It was only natural to work with M∙A∙C to create my first ever signature collection. I wanted to keep it luxurious, a little mysterious and clean with a large dose of star wattage,” says Zac Posen.

Naomi Campbell on the F/W 2015 runway presenting the final look.

TO SHOP ZAC POSEN’S BEAUTIFUL F/W 2015 GOWNS, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of MAC Cosmetics and via VANITY FAIR,
© Gianni Pucci/Indigitalimages.com

Last week, I flew back to Los Angeles for a week filled with amazing experiences, events and more. Friday night before the Oscars, there was no hotter ticket in town than the Tom Ford show and I was completely excited to attend. There was so much “show” around the actual show as Hollywood’s A-list came to join the designer for his first fashion runway presentation ever held on the West Coast. The catwalk was drenched in real white rose petals that also fell from the ceiling during the show.

“I’m showing to a room full of entertainers,” Ford said postshow. “I’d better give them some showmanship. I thought, It never snows in Los Angeles. Let’s make it snow rose petals.“

The clothes were different from his previous collections. More subtle and less obviously sexy, a very interesting vibe. I truly adored the looks reminiscent of the ’70s. Bohemian patchwork, denim, gorgeous fringes, gowns and lots of fur.

Enjoy all my photos of this amazing night, see who was there and which celeb wore the same dress like me.

LoL, Sandra

My fabulous London girlfriends from Net-à-Porter.

Scarlett Johansson wore the same python dress like me. Funny coincidence.

Nicole Ritchie

Amber Valetta and Nicole Ritchie

Gorgeous couple: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Jason Statham

Reese Witherspoon

Gwyneth Paltrow

Miley Cyrus

Jennifer Lopez

Rita Ora with me

Naomi Campbell

Brian Atwood

Amy Adams

Rachel Zoe with me

Julianne Moore

Robbie Williams

Jay Z with Beyoncé

Elton John with me

Anna Wintour with me

What a front row!

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht, Dimitrios Kambouris, Getty Images for Tom Ford, Michael Buckner, Getty Images for Tom Ford

When it comes to lingerie, I absolutely adore La Perla. Therefore I couldn’t have been more excited when I received the invitation to join the Italian lingerie brand’s first haute couture runway show for the S/S 2015 season, presented in the intimate salon setting of Paris’s Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild.

Bridging the gap between haute lingerie and ready-to-wear, Creative Director Emiliano Rinaldi created a collection that couldn’t have been more beautiful. Highlights were the precious allure of an “impossible lace”, exclusively revived from a pattern of the early 1900s by a master lacemaker from Calais or the evolution of iconic La Perla designs, incorporating feathers, crystals, metallic elements and pure gold thread that offer a fresh expression of its fundamental characteristics: silk and floral motifs embroidered using the “frastaglio” technique.

Famous models such as Izabel Goulart, Natasha Poly, Lindsey Wixson looked gorgeous on the runway but the model who closed the La Perla’s debut couture show was definitely the sexiest. At the age of 44, Naomi Campbell proved that she is even more seductive than her  fellow model colleagues that are half her age.

TO SHOP LA PERLA, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of La Perla

AMEDEO TURELLO is one of the most renowed photographers in the world. Since 1999, he has dedicated himself to fashion photography and I have been admiring his work since then. Therefore you can surely imagine how honoured I felt to meet him during the St. Moritz Art Masters 2012. Born and raised in Italy, Amedeo graduated in Architecture from the Politecnico di Torino and in Fine Art from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. His involvement with photography grew from a natural love of the visual arts and from his strong background in sociology, history of art and design.

Through his lens, the charming Italian has revealed the individual personality of a wide range of celebrities, such as Naomi Campbell, Dolce & Gabbana and Roberto Cavalli. Amedeo was one of the first image makers to believe in Dita Von Teese as a fashion icon and it is largely thanks to him and his shooting “The Mistress and her Pupils” that she was launched in the fashion arena. Moreover, he was the author for the now iconic official photograph of HSH Prince Albert II and HSH Princess Charlene of Monaco (one of the most published pictures of the year, seen on Sandra’s Closet in May 2011).
Can you imagine how amazing it felt to be in front of his camera?!

Amedeo is a true professional. He has a great team working with him who took care of my hair and the outfits. Rosanna Trinchese, Fashion and Creative Director of RENE’OLIVIER PRODUCTIONS had some S/S 2013 looks for me to wear.

The dark long dress in the first photos is by Lila Morency, the jewels are by Azhar.

The second look further down is a combination of Rosanna’s pieces and my own: Fringed top by Avaro Figlio, jewels by Azhar, and my structured tuxedo jacket by Balmain, stretch-leather leggings by Gucci and Tribtoo textured leather pumps by Yves Saint Laurent.

All these photos of the shoot were just randomly taken. I am so excited to see Amedeo’s final result and of course, I will keep you posted the minute I have received it. In the meantime enjoy those “behind the scene shots”.

Amedeo has a unique way of portraying the individual character. He is very passionate for his work, extremely concentrated and told me exactly what to do which I appreciated a lot. It was so much fun working with him.

There is a beautiful quote on his website which suits him very well: ” …to my father, who taught me to understand, appreciate and see the small, important things in life.”

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht, Photos of the first Collage: © Amedeo Turello