Sandra‘s Closet

Yesterday, another big name in the world of fashion left us. Esteemed fashion photographer Peter Lindbergh died at the age of 74, as announced in a post on his official Instagram account Wednesday with the above picture.

«It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Peter Lindbergh on September 3rd 2019, at the age of 74,» the post on his Instagram read. «He is survived by his wife Petra, his first wife Astrid, his four sons Benjamin, Jérémy, Simon, Joseph and seven grandchildren. He leaves a big void.»

Born in Poland in 1944, Lindbergh grew up in Duisburg, Germany, where he made his first steps as a photographer before moving to Paris in 1978 to pursue his career. I was lucky to work with Peter Lindbergh at an early stage in my career. Being a young editor at German MARIE CLAIRE magazine, he shot a lot for us under the creative helmet of our fashion director Florentine Pabst. Thanks to her, I was able to meet and observe the work of such amazing talented people, like him or Karl Lagerfeld.

This cover shoot for British VOGUE in January 1990 was one the reasons why I wanted to become a fashion editor. I was 14 at that time and was dreaming to pursue this career that thankfully became true. Thank you, Peter!

Renowned for his cinematic, elegant style, his iconic January 1990 cover shoot for British Vogue, featuring Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Tatjana Patitz, Christy Turlington and Cindy Crawford, Lindbergh is considered to have launched the phenomenon of the supermodel. The creative photographer was also known for his firm stance against re-touching, something that is hard to imagine in today’s world of filters and photoshop.

Peter Lindbergh, IWC Schaffhausen campaign, 2011

Other high-profile works of his include the three Pirelli calendars, in 1996, 2002 and 2017, the advertising campaigns for IWC Schaffhausen and the portraits of actresses such as Lupita Nyong’o, Helen Mirren and Uma Thurman.

British Vogue’s September 2019 issue shares «Forces for Change» covers by Peter Lindbergh.

Before working on Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’s guest-edited edition of British Vogue, he photographed her for the cover of Vanity Fair in 2017. Earlier this year, he shot musician Rosalía for the cover of Vogue España, as well as model Gigi Hadid for Vogue Arabia.

In the introduction to his 2018 photography book «Shadows on the Wall,» he wrote, «It should be a duty for every photographer working today to use his creativity and influence to free women and everyone from the terror of youth and perfection.» Amen to that!

Rest in peace, Peter! You will be missed…

LoL, Sandra

Peter Lindbergh, Vogue 1991

Peter Lindbergh, Vogue, August 1988

Iconic: Anna Winter’s first VOGUE cover photographed by Peter Lindbergh, November, 1988

One of my favorite photos: Nadja Auermann photographed by Peter Lindbergh for German MARIE CLAIRE, June 1996

Devon Aoki photographed by Peter Lindbergh for German MARIE CLAIRE, April 2001

Meghan Markte photographed by Peter Lindbergh for Vanity Fair, October 2017

Photos: Peter Lindbergh / Courtesy of Peter Lindbergh, Paris / Gagosian Gallery
Via VOGUE, © Sandra Bauknecht

Monday morning, I took the early flight to London to attend the first Breitling Summit, where the brand’s new Premier collection and additional distinguished products in all of their four universes, Air, Land, Sea, and Professional were introduced. The day started already beautiful with a breathtaking landing over the city in full sunshine.

A brand with a rich heritage

Breitling was founded in 1884 by Léon Breitling with the mission to create toolwatches with optimum functionality. Based in the Swiss Jura, he specialized in chronographs and precision timers. Until today, the watch company has been famous for its pilot-themed chronographs.
In 2017, Breitling, one of the last family-owned watch brands of note, was sold to one of the biggest private equity firm in Europe, CVC Capital Partners. I was curious how the watch company had evolved during the past 12 months after Georges Kern took over the helmet as CEO and also as an investor.

Breitling CEO Georges Kern

The day started with a presentation about Breitling’s journey over the past year and its vision for the future by Kern himself. For me, he is a marketing genius. In this short amount of time, he managed that Breitling is on everyone’s lips and he is proud of this achievement himself. His mission and energy to create a #legendaryfuture seems well on its way. With him in charge, the brand has a great chance to live up to its own spirit and to be flying high again.

Let’s take for example the #squadonamission campaign that is throughly thought through, celebrating the collective spirit of squads united in pursuit of their mission and featuring leading figures from the worlds of aviation, exploration, cinema, and sport. It was a pleasure listening to iconic photographer Peter Lindbergh who appeared on screen to tell us how much fun he had shooting Charlize Theron, Brad Pitt and Adam Driver for Breitling’s Cinema Squad campaign.

Kern said that «this clearly differentiates Breitling from the rest of the industry as Breitling is communicating with teams instead of individuals.» In a round table discussion he also wheeled out his top team.

My favorite: the new B01 Chronograph in Bentley Racing Green

His first steps to turn the brand around was to simplify the product range to four categories of Land, Air, Sea and Professionals and to speak to a broader customer base. On Monday, Breitling also announced new watches in each segment. One presented during the summit will be launched in partnership with Bentley, a collaboration that has been running since 2003, and that will be renewed in 2018 with the new B01 Chronograph in Bentley Racing Green – my favorite watch seen this Monday in London.

Combining purpose with style, the new Premier collections are worthy of Breitling’s legacy.

It is part of the probably most important launch, the elegant and stylish Breitling Premier collection that will be available from the end of October 2018. A reintroduced name that has a special significance for the brand as it was in the 1940s, when Breitling introduced its first collection of truly elegant watches, which were defined by their fash­ionable flair. Willy Breitling wanted to attract a new customer base and Kern wants to achieve the same with these new watches. Kern is clear about the role the Premier watches play in the brand’s product portfolio: «This is the first modern Breitling collection dedicated to everyday elegance. With outstanding quality and performance, these watches bear our unmistakable brand DNA, but they have been created with a focus on style that beautifully complements their purpose.»

Breitling’s new Superocean Héritage II Chronograph 44 Outerknown

Going with the zeitgeist and focusing on the sustainability aspect, Breitling’s new Superocean Héritage II Chronograph 44 Outerknown celebrates the brand’s partnership with Outerknown, a sustainable clothing company committed to improving environmental conditions for the entire planet. The watch features a first for Breitling: the strap is crafted from ECONYL® yarn, an innovative materi­al created from nylon waste, one source of which is fishing nets from oceans around the world.

Preview at the summit: Navitimer 8 inspired by Curtiss will be launched in 2019

Another very cool model that will hit the shelves in 2019 is for Breitlings’ aviation watch enthusiasts and «flying tigers»: the Navitimer 8 camouflage green dial will be produced in conjunction with Curtiss, an aircraft company best known for its WWII P-40 Warhawk fighter jet that is painted with a shark’s mouth under its nose.

Breitling Boutique in Zurich

During the round table Kern explained a little more about his sales strategy. He will increase their own retail and decrease wholesale. He closed most of the stores in South America and opened new ones in Asia and the US. In Paris, Breitling will open a flagship store in the next weeks featuring the new very masculine look, imagine a loft apartment with a pool table and a living room area with leather sofas, brick and concrete walls. «We call it modern retro,» Mr Kern said. Through their interior design, all stores offer an outstanding buying experience. Something that is key for Kern.

His biggest advantage in his new challenge? The independency of Breitling which gives him the capability to act faster than in a conglomerate. Kern is involved in every little step, even the design process of the watches.

Trying the new Premier Chronograph 42 with blue dial and brown alligator leather strap

An outlook for the upcoming year: Ladies, great news is that 2019 will mark the launch of a designated women’s watch collection. Stay tuned!

To a legendary future… I am wishing the whole Breitling team good luck for this thrilling journey!

LoL, Sandra

Photo: Courtesy of Breitling
Harold Cunningham/Getty Images for Breitling
@Breitling #breitling #squadonamission #legendaryfuture #premierstyle

Why do all great things tend to happen at the same time? This what I am asking myself constantly, for example last week, the Zurich Film Festival has officially opened, Paris Fashion Week has started, and the tempting Oktoberfest in Munich celebrated its end. As you cannot attend everything, I had to decline an exclusive invitation to Paris with a heavy heart.

Last Friday, OMEGA has officially opened its «Her Time» exhibition in the French capital at the city’s historic Hôtel de Sully. Having already been showcased in Milan, Moscow, Shanghai and Sydney, this exhibition displays the house’s evolution of women’s timepieces and changing styles, from early Lèpine pendants and the iconic Ladymatic, through to «secret jewellery watches» and today’s latest creations.

Such a beautiful family, Kaia Gerber, Rande Gerber, Cindy Crawford and Presley Gerber.

As an added highlight for guests, OMEGA also welcomed Cindy Crawford along with her beautiful children, Kaia and Presley, who have recently been announced as the brand’s newest ambassadors. Moreover, a family portrait taken by Peter Lindbergh on Malibu Beach was unveiled to celebrate the occasion. Having joined OMEGA in 1995, Cindy Crawford is one of brand’s closest friends and has been a renowned figure in the house’s advertising and events for over 20 years.

Raynald Aeschlimann at last Friday’s event in Paris with the supermodel family

OMEGA’s President and CEO, Raynald Aeschlimann said about the «new family members» of his brand:«Kaia and Presley represent the next generation of watch wearers. They are good looking, motivated, inspirational and full of energy. It’s incredible to have such a passionate family tradition within our brand and I’m so excited to begin working with these two young people.»

Personally speaking, I couldn’t agree more with Raynald. Kaia and Presley are stunning as their mom, who has been one of my favorite models since ever. I had the chance to meet the family on several occasions and they are all not only super good-looking, but also extremely kind and fun to talk to.

Framed by Kaia and Cindy last January at Nikki Beach in St. Barts.

Fashion soulmates

I liked Cindy’s look a lot. Surprisingly, she decided not to go for something new season but to wear a knee-length dress in iridescent sequined jersey by Givenchy from their Pre-fall 2014 collection that I sported for the Fashion Days Zurich three years ago.

The «Her Time» exhibition can be seen at the Hôtel de Sully until the 15th of October 2017 from 9am to 7pm each day.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of OMEGA and © Sandra Bauknecht

As part of the 10th Zurich Film Festival (ZFF), Swiss luxury watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen invited me for the opening of the “Timeless Portofino” exhibition.

CEO Georges Kern was joined by Hollywood actress Cate Blanchett and renowned photographer Peter Lindbergh to present the amazing result of a photo shoot which involved a host of stars, such as Emily Blunt, Zhou Xun, Ewan McGregor, Christoph Waltz among others and was organized by IWC especially for the launch of its new Portofino Midsize collection. Before the exhibition set off around the world, IWC celebrated the world premiere with around 250 guests and invited them to a glamorous gala dinner (see yesterday’s post here). Enjoy my outfit post and the photos that I took from above upon the arrival of the famous guests as I was already inside the exhibition.

My look: Embroidered wrap-over mini-dress by Balmain, metallic and matte-leather pumps and Sac De Jour Nano leather shoulder bag, both by Saint Laurent, sunglasses by Tom Ford, statement necklace by Dior, «Mitza» ring by Dior Haute Joaillerie and Portofino midsize watch with diamonds by IWC Schaffhausen.

LoL, Sandra

Photos in collage: © Sandra Bauknecht and  Harold Cunningham/Getty Images for IWC
All other photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Today’s outfit post is dedicated to the amazing IWC Schaffhausen gala that took place last September during the Zurich Film Festival. I wore a very colorful gown by Peter Pilotto that I adore. The “mix and match” effect of the fabrics is extremely up to date. Hollywood actress Cate Blanchett, who was the star of the night, sported the floral print trend as well. I have included some impressions of this extraordinary event for you. A huge thank you to Andrea Monica Hug who took some photos of me upon my arrival.

My look: Freya kaleidoscope print crepe gown by Peter Pilotto, laser-cut leather clutch by Christopher Kane, leather platform sandals by Saint Laurent, earrings by Prada, diamond ring and diamond bracelet, both by Vainard Fine Jewellery and Portofino Midsize Automatic watch with diamonds and grey alligator bracelet by IWC Schaffhausen.

LoL, Sandra

Kurt Eschbacher interviews Cate Blanchett during the gala

Lovely Karolina Kurkova (I hosted an intimate lunch with her one day before) framed by IWC Schaffhausen CEO Georges Kern to her right and photographer Peter Lindbergh to her left.

To the sounds of DJ Jack-E, we partied the whole night… definitely another unforgettable night!

Photos: © Andreas Rentz/Getty Images for IWC
© Andrea Monica Hug/ Chic in Zurich 
© Sandra Bauknecht

I love the new print advertising campaign for Dolce & Gabbana The One and The One for Men shot by famous photographer Peter Lindbergh and again starring Scarlett Johansson and Matthew McConaughey.

Lindbergh, a master of black and white imagery, recreated a film set on a secluded beach on the outskirts of Los Angeles. In an unmistakable case of art imitating life, the campaign sees Scarlett and Matthew backstage, surrounded by spotlights, recreating a scene that has striking parallel to their own lives. Wouldn’t they make a cute couple?!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Dolce & Gabbana

As I promised you, here is the exclusive video I was talking about earlier today. Renowned actress and OMEGA ambassador Nicole Kidman stars in the brand’s elegant new Ladymatic campaign launched at the glamorous event in Vienna, Austria “La Nuit Enchantée” tonight. It was truly amazing and I was able to meet Nicole in person. This exclusive video takes you behind-the-scenes of Nicole Kidman’s photo shoot with world-famous fashion photographer Peter Lindbergh. Stay tuned for more…

LoL, Sandra

Photo: © Sandra Bauknecht – Video: Courtesy of Omega

Here is Bottega Veneta‘s S/S 2013 ad campaign shot by Peter Lindbergh on location at Universal Studios in Los Angeles in October 2012. The internationally renowned German photographer and filmmaker has been a hugely influential figure in fashion photography since he first began working for Italian Vogue in the late 1970’s. Known for his narrative sensibility, he has a direct, minimalist approach that captures the individuality of the subject. His images, often in black-and-white, are instantly recognizable for their spontaneity and intimacy.

Bottega Veneta‘s S/S 2013 collection centers on a subtle and complex individuality. A palette of dusty, saturated shades of peach, yellow, blue, red, gray, and plaster is anchored in black and brown. Those butterfly embellished accessories are absolutely on my wish list for summer.

The mood is both tough and sweet, starting with unexpected mixes of materials and prints, mostly florals, and surface embellishments of exceptional quality and varied provenance.
What a beautiful collection inspired by the `40s, Tomas Maier is back in the fore!

TO SHOP BOTTEGA VENETA, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Bottega Veneta

Honouring the 120th anniversary of Vogue, Anna Wintour took a trip down memory lane and shared her Vogue story. While working on this September’s cover (which will be the biggest one ever, be prepared to weight-lift) of a Marc Jacobs–clad Lady Gaga made her think about her first one as the editor of Vogue in November 1988 which starred the Israeli model Michaela Bercu, photographed by Peter Lindbergh and styled by Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele.

As the model couldn’t fit in the skirt, she had to wear jeans which made their first ever appearance on the cover of Vogue, and thus fashion history was made.

“Michaela was wearing a Christian Lacroix jacket with a beaded cross and stonewashed Guess jeans. The jacket was part of a suit, but the skirt didn’t fit Michaela; she had been back home and had gained a little weight. Not that that mattered. In fact, it only reinforced the idea: Take couture’s haughty grandeur, playfully throw it headlong into real life, and see what happens. What none of us expected was to run that picture on the cover, least of all the magazine’s printers, who asked if there’d been some mistake. It was so unlike the elegant close-ups typical of Vogue’s covers back then. This one broke all the rules. It looked easy, casual, like a moment snapped on the street, which was the whole point. Afterwards, people applied all sorts of interpretations: It was about mixing high and low, Michaela was pregnant, it was a religious statement. None of that was true. I had just looked at that picture and sensed the winds of change. And you can’t ask for more from a cover image than that.” – Anna Wintour

She also shared some of her favourite images from Vogue:

Vogue, July 15, 1928 – Photographed by Edward Steichen

Vogue, July 1, 1930 Swimmers – Photographed by George Hoyningen-Huene

Vogue, September 15, 1939 Manboochers corset – Photographed by Horst P. Horst

Vogue, May 1, 1947 One of Irving Penn’s most famous tableaux, often referred to as “The Twelve Beauties.” At this sitting Penn first fell in love with wife-to-be Lisa Fonssagrives, sixth from left. – Photographed by Irving Penn

Vogue, June 1, 1948 Cecil Beaton’s iconic image of Charles James ball gowns, photographed in the salon of French & Co., New York.- Photographed by Cecil Beaton

Vogue, December 1989 Naomi Campbell, Mike Tyson and Don King were all part of a feature on Tyson called “Fight Knight” – Photographed by Bruce Weber

Vogue, August 1990 Cleopatra’s Eye – Photographed by Irving Penn

Karl Lagerfeld’s “city ballerinas” shot in Paris. – Photographed by Ellen von Unwerth, Vogue, October 1991

I hope that you have enjoyed this little retrospective as much as I did. Such beautiful images!
For the complete slideshow, please click here.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Via Vogue

Over one year ago, I told you already about Navyboot’s relaunch and their talented new Creative Director Adrian J. Margelist. For the previous article, please click here.

Today, we can enjoy the outcome. The Swiss company, that is expanding to other European countries now, has presented their F/W 2011 advertising campaign last week shot by Peter Lindbergh and starring Swiss supermodel Julia Saner and Patrick Petitjean. Below you can also find some of their winter must-haves like the Coucous bag and the making of video.
The collection captivates through its beautiful details, like purple stitching, colourful linings and for the gentlemen welt-sewn shoes.

Those boots are made for walking… and for admiration!

LoL, Sandra

Coucous Bag

Platform Bootie with Bow

Wrap Around Boot

Whole Piece Oxford (goodyear welted)

Brogue Boot