Sandra‘s Closet

Great news, the first luxury fashion designer has launched custom-print unisex medical-grade masks, the same kind doctors and nurses wear in the hospital. Peter Dundas has transformed what is typically in a shade of icy blue into something fun, and insisted on black straps instead of white. In vibrant florals and animal prints plucked from his runway collections, the face masks are extremely soft and comfortable to wear, much better than the usual medical-grade ones we know.

«We’ve always wanted to be a feel-good brand,» Dundas said to Vogue. «I truly believe our colors and patterns make you happier. They light up your life like a bouquet of flowers. Wearing a mask and hiding your face is a challenge, and if we can make people feel better about it, that’s a good thing.» I couldn’t agree more.

Peter Dundas with me

Dundas sat at the helm of Roberto Cavalli, Emilio Pucci and Emanuel Ungaro, before he gave fans what they wanted by launching his own eponymous label. He made the announcement in such a cool yet unconventional way, debuting his first designs with three custom-made looks for Beyoncé at the 2017 Grammy Awards. Created with partner Evangelo Bousis, the brand is inspired by the duo’s travels and the glamorous, jetsetting women in their inner circle.

After placing an order on dundasworld.com, the face masks arrived the next day from Italy. They will also launch on Amazon Fashion in the coming weeks. A pack of 50 masks costs €85.

He and Bousis are also donating boxes to children’s hospitals, the Art of Elysium, and the LGBTQ Center in New York, so health care workers and patients alike may have a little dose of that Dundas glamour all love! Bravo!

LoL, Sandra

Stills: Courtesy of Dundas, Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Jennifer Lopez and Shakira dazzled audiences during this year’s Super Bowl halftime show wearing bespoke Swarovski crystal outfits by fashion designers Versace and Peter Dundas.
Two of the world’s biggest musical icons, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira, took to the famous Super Bowl stage at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium for a unique performance elevated with bespoke Swarovski-crystallized looks.

Shakira opened the show in a sparkling three-piece set with fringe details featuring fiery red Swarovski crystals, created by Norwegian designer Dundas, with boots crystallized by The Dan Life. Over 123,000 crystals in three shades of red were incorporated into the look and applied by hand, while 70,000 jet hematite Swarovski crystals encrusted Shakira’s Gibson guitar to add a glamorous rock ‘n’ roll feel to the show.

Puerto Rican reggaeton singer Bad Bunny made a surprise appearance during Shakira’s set, wearing a Swarovski crystal outfit by Berlin-based designers Last Heirs featuring the artist’s iconic third eye logo.

Jennifer Lopez lit up the Hard Rock stadium in two bespoke Versace looks embellished with over 75,000 Swarovski crystals. The singer’s 11-year old daughter Emme was also one of the 60 young girls who joined Lopez on stage wearing outfits with Swarovski crystal.

The dazzling duo closed the show with Lopez in Versace’s Swarovski crystal-encrusted costume and the Columbian star wearing a gold crystal embellished two-piece set and matching bomber jacket designed by Dundas along with Swarovski-covered Adidas Superstar trainers.

Jennifer Lopez’s stylist and long-time collaborator of Swarovski, Rob Zangardi commented: «Swarovski has always been top of mind for any Jennifer Lopez performance. For this year’s Super Bowl, we are extremely excited to collaborate once again.»

Shakira’s stylist Nicolas Bru, who enlisted Swarovski to add the sparkling touch, commented: «Shakira embodies the word ‘superstar’ so Swarovski crystals were an obvious choice. The crystals are the perfect balance between sophistication and playfulness, just like Shakira».

With a long history dressing the world’s most legendary musical talents, Swarovski has recently added trademark crystal embellishment to costumes for Jennifer Lopez’s It’s My Party Tour, the Spice Girls’ Spice World’s Tour and Beyoncé’s On the Run Tour.

Please have a look at the video below to enjoy the show of the two Latinas. I watched it now many times, it just puts me in an amazing mood…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Swarovski

Print this post

Norwegian designer Peter Dundas trained at Parsons in New York before moving to Paris in the early 1990s. He then moved to Italy where he worked his way to the top of Italian fashion, helming some of the country’s biggest design houses, such as Roberto Cavalli, Emilio Pucci and Emanuel Ungaro.

With Peter Dundas

 So it was only a matter of time before he gave fans what they wanted by launching his own eponymous label. He made the announcement in such a cool yet unconventional way, debuting his first designs with three custom-made looks for Beyoncé at the 2017 Grammy Awards, who was pregnant with twins at that time.

Beyoncé in Dundas at the 2017 Grammy Awards

Created with partner Evangelo Bousis, the brand is inspired by the duo’s travels and the glamorous, jetsetting women in their inner circle. Dundas’s designs became a red-carpet favourite thanks to his brand of high-octane glamour that championed feminine silhouettes and intricate embellishments – an aesthetic he carries through to his own label. The selection of thigh-skimming dresses, suits, and separates are a study in dramatic decadence.

You can shop Dundas at NET-A-PORTER, MATCHESFASHION, FARFETCH and MYTHERESA.
Here are some of my favorites available at the moment:

Ruched sequined tulle and lace mini dress by Dundas

Embroidered chiffon mini dress by Dundas

Lace-paneled embellished silk-georgette mini dress by Dundas

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Dundas, Vogue and © Sandra Bauknecht

The Met Gala is an annual fundraising event for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art‘s Costume Institute in New York City and marks the grand opening of its annual fashion exhibit. Celebrating this year’s theme “China, Through The Looking Glass”, it seems to be one of the most challenging yet. See below who honored China’s heritage and its present culture on the red carpet best.

This year’s award to best dressed of the night goes to:

Rihanna wearing Chinese designer Guo Pei

The butt girls:

Jay Z and Beyoncé in Givenchy

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West in Roberto Cavalli

Donatella Versace and Jennifer Lopez, both in Atelier Versace.

Best Chinese inspirations:

Zendaya Coleman in Fausto Puglisi

Karolina Kurkova in Tommy Hilfiger

I am always looking forward to seeing Sarah Jessica Parker‘s outfit because she has never let us down in pulling off the best looks. And let’s just say the headpiece combined with her H&M dress is divine.

Georgia May Jagger in Gucci and Alessandro Michele

Chloë Sevigny in J.W. Anderson

Very sophisticated: Tom Ford and Rita Ora in his design.

Alexa Chung in Erdem

George Clooney and Amal Clooney in Maison Margiela

Not so inspired by the Chinese theme… but great to watch:

Jeremy Scott kissing Kate Perry‘s hand who is wearing Moschino.

Also Madonna wore Moschino.

Stella McCartney framed by Cara Delevingne, Sofia Richie, and Zhu Zhu, all dressed in her designs.

Alexander Wang kissed by Lady Gaga in Balenciaga

Miley Cyrus and Zoë Kravitz dressed in Alexander Wang.

Kendall Jenner in Calvin Klein Collection

Robert Pattinson and FKA twigs in Christopher Kane (definitely not my favorite gown of the night).

Supermodel Joan Smalls arrived at the Met Gala in a black tulle and purple silk one-sleeved Roberto Cavalli gown with cutouts and sheer paneling. Her date was the newly appointed designer of the Italian fashion house Peter Dundas. Isn’t this gown to die for?!

Anna Wintour in Chanel

LoL, Sandra

Photos via: Alessandro Garofalo / Indigitalimages.com, Moschino, Vogue and Style.com

After Friday’s news that Peter Dundas had departed Emilio Pucci after 7 successful years at the design helm, the Florentine brand, which is controlled by the LVMH Group, announced the appointment of Massimo Giorgetti to the position of Creative Director effective April 2015. Hailed by the international press as one of Italy’s most talented young designers, Massimo Giorgetti emerged on the fashion scene with a maverick aesthetic that gravitates towards irreverent, joyful prints and bold colour.

Massimo Giorgetti embodies the entrepreneurial spirit and ingenuity of a new breed of designers. In 2009, backed by Paoloni Group, Giorgetti launched MSGM and in just a few short years brought the company to international success. He will continue to design for his own brand, MSGM, dividing his time between Pucci’s Renaissance-era Florentine headquarters and MSGM’s Milan offices.

Founded by Florentine aristocrat Emilio Pucci in 1947, the brand came to epitomize a lifestyle that expresses freedom, boldness, youth and a legacy of ready-to-wear, mixing luxury and sophistication with humor and innovation. It operates a global store network of approximately 50 boutiques across 4 continents. (If you are interested, I recommend a previous interview I did with Laudomia Pucci. To read it please click here.)

The first picture that popped up in all social media channels. A declaration of intention by Massimo Giorgetti: white T-shirt like a blank canvas – a new story to tell.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Emilio Pucci

After weeks of rumours, Roberto Cavalli has announced the appointment of Peter Dundas as Creative Director of the group. After 7 years at Pucci, the probably best looking designer has returned to the Florentine House where he worked side by side with Eva and Roberto Cavalli from 2002 to 2005.

“This is a homecoming for me. It is an honor for me to continue to evolve the wonderful world of Roberto Cavalli and I am very excited by the possibilities and potential of this unique brand. I cannot wait to get started“, said Dundas.

“The choice of Peter Dundas was made with the desire to evolve a style that combines glamour, tradition and innovation, recognized worldwide as the signature of Cavalli since the birth of the house”, commented Roberto and Eva Cavalli.

The debut collection of the Norwegian fashion designer – who also enjoys a special relationship with the world of celebrities, another of Cavalli’s distinctive features – are set to be seen on the Milan catwalks in September. Peter Dundas will be directly responsible for the creative direction for the RTW Women’s, Men’s, and Accessories collections, as well as all the licenses. He will also be directly involved in the marketing and communication strategies of the brand – a portfolio of roles that will enable a repositioning of the house established by Roberto Cavalli in the early 1970’s.

One thing is certain: Dundas’ spirit of sexy-cool style makes him the ideal fit for Cavalli.

LoL, Sandra

Photo: © Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images

THE EVENT

Last Thursday, I was invited to attend the prestigious annual amfAR gala at the Hôtel du Cap-Eden Roc, which was probably THE most high profile event I have ever been to. From sitting at Paris Hilton‘s table, having dinner with A-listers such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Nicole Kidman and Sharon Stone, enjoying musical performances of the likes of Duran Duran or Shirley Bassey to witnessing Anna Dello Russo‘s best dance moves during the unbelievable ULTIMATE GOLD COLLECTION FASHION SHOW curated by Carine Roitfeld. Everything was superlative. For a ticket price of around €8000.00 it should be, shouldn’t it?!

Below, I put together my very own photo diary of the event with of course some exclusive footage. The invite said that nobody was allowed to take pictures, that if you were seen, the camera would be confiscated immediately. But I managed to get some great shots! Enjoy!

MY OUTFIT

As gold was a dominant detail of the event, I went for a look in this radiant colour.
Python leather dress (every scale is handsewn on this piece) and matching heels by Tom Ford, Twenties stay-up in black by Wolford, Catwalk patent leather bag with crocodile print by Saint Laurent and earrings by Chanel.

THE CELEBRITIES

VIPS in attendance included: Sharon Stone, Jessica Chastain, Carine Roitfeld, Bonnie Wright, Aishwarya Rai, Paz Vega, Rosario Dawson, Goldie Hawn, Janet Jackson, Milla Jovovich, Heidi Klum, Kylie Minogue, Nicole Kidman, Audrey Tautou, Kristen Scott Thomas, Christopher Waltz, Leonardo di Caprio, Dita von Teese, Paris Hilton, Adrien Brody, Zachary Quinto, Thom Browne, Daniele and Roberto Cavalli.

THE COCKTAIL RECEPTION

If you have ever been to the beautiful gardens of the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc, you know how gorgeous the atmosphere is. It was amazing to enjoy a glass of bubbly while watching all the celebs arrive.

Milla Jovovich

Golden Girls: Anne Meyer-Minnemann (German Gala magazine) with me

THE DINNER

Roberto Cavalli was the official decor sponsor of the 2oth amfAR Gala 2013 with iconic pieces of his Home Collection. Dinner was a feast for the eyes, but unfortunately not a culinary delight. The food was unpalatable.

THE AUCTION

During the gala dinner, celebrities such as Heidi Klum, Nicole Kidman, Goldie Hawn and Janet Jackson went on stage and gave a little speech. The auction conducted by Simon de Pury included one-of-a-kind items, such as a trip to space with Leonardo DiCaprio that went for 1.2 million euros, a week at Donna Karan’s resort home in Parrot Cay, and a family portrait sitting with Annie Leibovitz. But these were just a few of the items sold at amfAR’s most successful benefit event to date. Cinema Against AIDS XX exceeded all expectations, raising nearly $25 million in a single night, helping amfAR in its continued fight against HIV/AIDS.

Janet Jackson

I was seated at a very fun table with Paris Hilton and her boyfriend River Viiperi…

…model Toni Garrn joined in the fun…

…as well as American jewelry designer Dawid Yurman who was also at the table.

Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen (The antagonist in Casino Royale) with me

Paris Hilton

Gorgeous Jessica Chastain (The face of Yves Saint Laurent’s Manifesto).

THE MUSICAL PERFORMANCES

After placing their bids during one of amfAR’s legendary auctions, the charitable crowd was moved by musical performances that ranged from Dame Shirley Bassey singing “Goldfinger” to Ellie Goulding and a rare live performance by Duran Duran. As John Taylor and Simon Le Bon, surrounded by swaying models, rocked on the stage, I leapt from my dinner table and began dancing.

Simon Le Bon rocking with Alessandra Ambrosio

Anna Dello Russo was also moving to the beats

Would love to know what Giovanna Battaglia just heard?!

THE ULTIMATE GOLD COLLECTION FASHION SHOW

Personally speaking, the highlight of the event was the fashion show curated by Carine Roitfeld. Forty top models participated in a spectacular runway presentation of one-of-a-kind gold looks with gold jewelry from emerging and established designers. See my favourites below:

Karolina Kurkova in Roberto Cavalli

Joan Smalls in Givenchy

Toni Garrn in Vionnet

Julia Restoin-Roitfeld in Valentino

Ashleigh Good in Chanel

Angela Lindvall in Burberry Prorsum

Anna Dello Russo danced down the runway in Pucci and Bvlgari

…and Pucci’s Creative Director Peter Dundas cheered along with Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld.

After the runway show, Sharon Stone auctioned off this amazing gold collection in a very witty and entertaining way, exhorting the crowd to bid higher and higher. “The bid is a million dollars—I mean euros,” she said. “Won’t someone give more?” Yes, this night somebody did. All the outfits went for 1.2 million euros. You can see the lucky couple below.

THE AFTER PARTY

Moncler was sponsoring the after party that seemed a little boring compared to the gala dinner. Most of the celebrities left and that might have been also due to the terrible weather conditions that had occurred all of a sudden. The wind was beating like crazy as you can see.

I was having so much fun that it felt like I already flew to space with Leonardo. Stay tuned for more upcoming post from Cannes with Chopard!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of LoveGold, © Getty Images and © Sandra Bauknecht

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

Italian luxury label Emilio Pucci launches its first ad campaign since the brand’s inception. The campaign was shot by fashion duo Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott and features model-actress Amber Valletta as muse.

The moody and evocative images are set amidst ornate and sumptuous backdrops inspired by Palazzo Pucci, the maison’s Renaissance-era headquarters in Florence.

Valletta, with her classic features, Italian roots and unobtrusive celebrity, was a natural choice for Pucci. An iconic face in fashion, she embodies the Pucci Woman, exuding a stylish self-assurance. Mert and Marcus capture the sultry, sophisticated, yet slightly subversive theme running through the F/W 2012 collection designed by Creative Director Peter Dundas.

The campaign will be launched in the September issue of select publications in the US, France and Italy and will pave the way for a more amplified reach in 2013.

To shop a great selection of Emilio Pucci’s fall 2012 collection, please click here.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Emilio Pucci

This is your invitation to the Emilio Pucci F/W 2012 fashion show!
Watch it tonight at 7pm CET (1pm EST ) here on Sandra’s Closet livestreamed from Milan’s Palazzo Serbelloni.

I am so excited to see what Peter Dundas has come up with for the next season. See you later!

LoL, Sandra