Sandra‘s Closet

Marc Jacobs dedicated his final collection for Louis Vuitton to the women who inspire him. In the same spirit, the S/S 2014 advertising campaign is devoted to a series of portraits of the designer’s muses.

Catherine Deneuve, Sofia Coppola, Gisele Bündchen, Fan Bingbing, Caroline de Maigret and Edie Campbell, the model hand-picked by Marc Jacobs to open his final runway show, are photographed by Steven Meisel.

The simple studio backdrop and restrained color palette turn the spotlight on the personality of each, as well as on the season’s variations on the iconic Noé bag – embroidered with feathers, crystals, alligator or Sprouse sequins, in supple calfskin, or in Monogram canvas trimmed with black leather.

Just as Marc Jacobs’ valedictory show was intended as a celebration, so this, his final campaign for Louis Vuitton, offers a vibrant homage to women and to enduring style.

On the S/S 2014 runway, a single bag appeared in a myriad different guises, the NN14 – the season’s statement update of the iconic Noé bag, famously designed by Gaston-Louis Vuitton in 1932 in response to a request from a champagne producer for an elegant way of carrying five bottles of fizz.

The limited-edition NN14 was created through what Marc Jacobs described as a “cleaning” of the original design – smaller, more streamlined, but still recognizable as a “bucket” for champagne. In addition to Les Extraordinaires, the extremely rare and precious editions whose extravagant embellishments – feathers, crystals, sequins, studs, alligator appliqués – testify to Louis Vuitton’s exceptional savoir-faire, several simpler versions of the NN14 bag will set the tone of the next season.

All share the NN14’s distinctive details: a hand-pleated leather tassel closure, a Louis Vuitton-embossed leather handle, and the emblematic LV padlock and key bell. Inside the bag, a matching removable zippered pocket is perfect for stowing valuables.

The NN14 in Monogram Idole combines canvas with calfskin trim in black, dark red or deep blue. The bag comes in two sizes: small for elbow and hand carry (also available in classic Monogram canvas with natural cowhide trim), and large, which can additionally be worn on the shoulder.

This bag will surely fly of the shelves… question is which one is your favorite?! I am crazy for this embellished one…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton

Last Wednesday, I was invited by Louis Vuitton in Zurich for a style night in collaboration with annabelle magazine to celebrate an iconic bag: the NOÉ.

The Zurich store last Wednesday

Everybody knows the Noé. In strictly chronological terms, it is the second oldest Louis Vuitton iconic daily bag, its birth date of 1932 placing it at the start of an exceptional decade that saw the creation of the Speedy, the Alma and the Keepall.

In spirit, however, Noé is as young as any bag around, still tinged with the carefree air of those newly liberated women who wore short skirts, shorter hair and carried it – just so – swinging from their shoulder.

At the event: Daniella Gurtner (Fashion Director annabelle) framed by Anna-Christina Raab to the right and me to the left wearing the new Noé BB in citron

The story of its creation? Well, that’s the stuff of legend. Looking for a stylish way to transport his valuable vintages, a champagne producer placed a special order with Gaston-Louis Vuitton. He designed a timelessly simple bucket shape, which could hold four bottles upright and a fifth upside down, secured with a supple leather drawstring. He called the bag Noé – in reference, it is said, to the biblical hero who, when he left the Ark after the Flood, planted vines on the mountains of Ararat.

The original Noé was crafted from natural leather, pale gold like the champagne it was destined to carry, and light as its exuberant ribbons of bubbles. Since then, Noé has appeared in many guises – most famously, of course, Louis Vuitton’s emblematic Monogram canvas, which by the 1960s could at last be made supple enough to do justice to the bag’s generous forms.

Petit Noé in indigo, fuchsia and piment

Today, Noé and its cousin Petit Noé can be found in a myriad incarnations, from Damier Azur to colourful Epi leather – each time different, yet still, somehow, the same.

Florence Amiguet (Store Manager Louis Vuitton Zurich) with a selection of the new Noé BB

So, everybody knows Noé. But now there is a new Noé: Noé BB. Irresistibly cute, unmistakeably contemporary, a diminutive replica of the original which comes with its own innovation: an extra-long shoulder strap that enables it to be slung casually across the body.

Noé BB in Monogram and Damier Azur

In Monogram or Damier Azur canvas and candy-bright Epi, Noé BB is just waiting to be discovered by a new generation. Will it, one day, like its larger namesake, be handed down from mother to daughter, its distinctive drawstring symbolic of an enduring bond of elegance?
Noé, Petit Noé, Noé BB. The legend lives on.

Noé BB in figue and citron

And while you are reading this, I am already off for a new adventure with Louis Vuitton in Munich…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton and © Sandra Bauknecht

In December, I followed Louis Vuitton‘s wonderful invitation to celebrate the inauguration of the house’s new “winter resort”. After the opening of its first store in Gstaad in 2004, the stunning new shop on the renowned Promenade reinforces its ties with the famous Swiss ski resort.

Built on a single level, the store is a special example of Alpine design, featuring unique and luxurious furniture. At its heart, a marble, stone and wood fireplace creates a welcoming atmosphere.

Before leaving from the Alpina Gstaad to the cocktail reception at the new store, I had the honour to interview Roberto Eggs, President Louis Vuitton Northern Europe. Find out why Louis Vuitton products are never going on sale, hear more about the house’s first fragrance and which will be the strongest markets in 2013.  Enjoy this insight into the world of the famous French Maison!

Roberto Eggs, President Louis Vuitton Northern Europe with me

What are the Louis Vuitton core values?

The main one belongs to travel. The story of travelling started a long time ago when the young Louis Vuitton at the age of 14 left home for a very long trip on foot from his native Anchay to Paris in 1835. After having arrived at the French capital, he started to create a company for box-making and packing for people to travel.

Linked to the DNA of the brand, there is the travel, the most important today for us, the canvas, the leather and the new metier, a breath of fresh air, is related to fashion thanks to Marc Jacobs.

How can you ensure the durability of the Louis Vuitton image of luxury and exceptional quality?

It is a challenge every day. I believe in every single action, from ourselves, from our employees. It is important to create unique products and an unique experience for our clients in the store. We have a luxury for everyone and a luxury for each one.

Could you tell us a little bit about the new store concept for Gstaad?

I challenged the approach for resorts because Louis Vuitton has got the highest amount of those, for both summer and winter. Our first one was Crans Montana, which opened in 1996. First, I was thinking about the experience. People like to buy when they are on holidays and are sometimes disappointed by the limited selection they find compared to the big cities. Therefore I wanted to create an experience that clients for example cannot have in Champs-Elysées.

We started with St.Tropez, followed by Gstaad to create the same feeling for winter. Before, the store held the record to be the smallest Louis Vuitton shop in the world with 18m². So, first of all, I looked for a suitable space. In Singapore, it is an island, in St. Tropez a villa, so in Gstaad, it had to be a chalet. We found this fantastic place on the historic Promenade, and created the perfect mountain style by building a modern chalet. In 1996 we didn’t have the ready-to-wear collection or shoes because Marc Jacobs hadn’t been working yet for Louis Vuitton. But today, we can offer a specific capsule collection in our “winter resorts”.

Are you planning to change other stores, too?

We will rennovate the St. Moritz store followed by Crans Montana and integrate the new concept.

Moreover, we have two cities in Switzerland with strong potential. In Zurich, we are planning to offer ready-to-wear for men in the future and in Geneva, an “apartment” is foreseen to present the haute maroquinerie collection.

Another “apartment” that we are going to open in April is in Moscow’s GUM that will have the most amazing view, overlooking the famous Red Square.

How far can the luxury market go?

The limits are the limits that we have in our minds. You are setting the limits yourselves.

For me, there is still a lot to do on an international scale, last fall, we opened our first store in Kazakhstan in the city of Almaty. The 700 m²shop sells all of our brand’s lines and is workling very well. We have not been present in Poland yet and will open Warsaw this upcoming June.

Personalization is the trend of the future. We started with some new products, such as unique haute jewelry pieces,and haute maroquinerie. Six very peculiar shapes that are available in 30 different types of leather, including exotic leathers, and 30 different colours. Customers can create their own bag in a very special ceremony, that will take 6 months to be produced. I am planning to bring this outstanding service to Switzerland.

The same goes for our made-to-order men shoes that are available at our global store in Milano, and now also at London’s New Bond Street. Russia will follow this year.

Speaking of the international development prognosis, which will be the strongest market in 2013?

As I said, we are working on expanding the concept of haute maroquinerie and made-to-order shoes. The strongest market next year might be Russia, that is growing very fast.

And what about Asia?

Of course, there is China, and plenty of other markets are developing very well like Thailand and Taiwan.

How do fake products influence the house of Louis Vuitton?

Clearly it is bad because counterfeiting is linked to child labour and black money that we have no tolerance for. Last year, we had 30.000 counterfeiting acts, from physical actions, websites and so on. It is a war that is very difficult to fight. The success is linked to the support of the local authorities, like France does for example.

The change in legislation in Switzerland has been also very helpful. When you enter the country and wear something fake, it has become a crime, there is no more tolerance, it is not for personal use anymore. That has helped a lot.

How different in terms of products are the sales in the European countries that you supervise?

Leather is the strongest category in every country. That is what clients are expecting when the enter the world of Louis Vuitton. Russia is more about ready-to-wear and shoes, and the explanation is very easy. Since 1997, Marc Jacobs has been designing the  house’s prêt-à-porter collection. Ten years ago, when we entered the Russian market, we did it with the complete range of clothing, shoes and leather. For Russian clients, Vuitton is fashion. Whereas for example, in Switzerland, where we entered 30 years ago, it is still more about the trunks, the monogram and less ready-to-wear. Here in Switzerland, we have 8 stores, but only two of them are selling the ready-to-wear line, Geneva and Zurich. This will change now…

Why are Louis Vuitton products never going on sale?

There are two parts of the sale. Obviously the one, when you are benefitting from it, but there is also the other side, when you are not happy with it because you bought something full price and a week later you see it marked down on sale.

For us, we are not going to do it as we value the work that is done by the artisans in our ateliers. By going on sale, it is like taking something off from these values.

Of course, it is a more challenging way of managing the business. You have to have restrictions and not make everything available everywhere. Louis Vuitton is managing its level of production versus what is sold in a very efficient way. We have people in charge that are giving the most specific attention to the level of what is sold and in which country, in which sizes and so on. They are following the stores, the buying and the collection and are monitoring the sales on a daily basis. If something is not selling well in one shop, it will be moved to another one where the demand is high for it.

What is Switzerland’s bestselling product?

There is something totally special. The Zurich store has got the highest sales worldwide of the Noé bag (see above).

The story of the Noé bag is very interesting. It was a special order for a customer to carry champagne bottles. The construction of the bag was so clever, that it has become one of our bestsellers.

Great news for the Zurich customers and of course all others worldwide. The Noé bag will be launched in some amazing new colours for this summer (as you can see in this sneak preview above).

I have heard some rumors about an upcoming Louis Vuitton perfume? Is it true?

Yes, there is one project that we have started to work on, to build our atelier in Grasse. It is foreseen to be launched in the beginning of 2014. We have thrown in many ideas, but it is to early to say it is going to be a feminine or masculine perfume but one thing is for sure, it is going to be unique.

Thank you, Mr Eggs, for this wonderful interview!

If you are interested to know what I was wearing for the event, here is my look. I combined different Louis Vuitton items from different seasons to create a “winter resort” outfit with a touch of cocktail allure.

Knitted dress with sequined belt from the S/S 2011 runway collection, fur necklace and earmuffs (F/W 2010), boots (F/W 2009), long black coat with golden trimmings and oversized leopard-printed fur collar (F/W 2005) and my beloved personalized Sac Louis.

Spotted in the window: The beautiful bi-colour fur vest in a new interesting combination.

In the other window, a Christmas Trunk, limited to three pieces worldwide, filled with the most exquisite ornaments showed the know-how and magic of the Maison’s special orders.

After the cocktail reception in the new store, we went on a very romantic coach journey in a horse-drawn carriage covered with Louis Vuitton blankets with a little bit of snow falling from the sky. We arrived at a beautifully decorated cowshed where we were spoilt to a gourmet menu.

A huge thank you to the whole Louis Vuitton team for this very special time in Gstaad! I have enjoyed every single minute of it!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton and © Sandra Bauknecht