Sandra‘s Closet

Debuted at the PRADA F/W 2022 womenswear show by Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons, the Prada Supernova handbag reflects the heritage of the brand, historical and contemporaneous.

Executed in luxurious, highly-polished Spazzolato leather, the Supernova bag expresses the artisanal expertise in leather craft that has been the hallmark of Prada since its founding in 1913. The trapezoid shape and sensuous curved top handle recalls a timeless lineage of classic accessories – a history of women reflected through fashion – and also Prada’s own archive of innovative modern handbag design spanning almost five decades.

Proposed in a trio of proportions, dexterously moving between different moods, between shifting purposes and attitudes, the Supernova is ever-transforming – angular yet curvilinear, strong and feminine. Its construction emphasises freedom: the external zipper detail falls free, defined with enamelled Prada triangle emblems at each side.

The Spazzolato leather, a signature of Prada, is here approach anew: hand-sprayed with pigment along the perimeter in contrasting colors, like a shadow of itself, it emphasizes line and shape, silhouette and form. Pure Prada.

TO SHOP THE NEW PRADA SUPERNOVA BAG, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Prada
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New Alaïa, new denim! I am such a huge fan of Pieter Mulier‘s first collection for Alaïa. Four years after Alaïa’s passing, the Belgian designer, who was Raf Simons right hand before, created a collection with so many amazing pieces that pay homage to Azzedine Alaïa‘s greatest hits, including body-sculpting knitwear, multi-strap corset belts, and hooded silhouettes evocative of Alaïa’s North African roots. As Pieter said, he wanted his first collection for the French house to be «a return to foundations.» I bought many pieces, among them this beautiful denim look that I photographed on the streets of Paris and that you will hopefully like as much as I do.

My look Hooded denim and stretch-knit thong bodysuit, and high-rise straight-leg jeans, both by Alaïa, Yigit silk-satin platform pumps by Amina Muaddi, Milena embellished metallic embroidered tulle and satin bra, and Milena black lace thong, both by Agent Provocateur, video tape clutch by Louis Vuitton, and cat-eye tortoiseshell-acetate sunglasses by Bottega Veneta.

LoL, Sandra

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

I got so many lovely messages regarding my two last Prada outfit posts and lots of you were curious about the locations I shot the looks in Milan. Thank you for your interest!

For Prada‘s F/W 2021 campaign #FeelsLikePrada, the Italian fashion house came up with an amazing concept. The patterns of the show decorate buildings, houses and walls in different cities around the world. You can find them in Paris, Milan, Florence, Rome, Shanghai, Tokyo, New York and Hong Kong until October 21, 2021.

Left: Feels Like Prada – Milano – Corso Garibaldi 95 – Building artwall
Right: Dinner with Prada – Milano – Via Spallanzani – Viale Regina Giovanna (Porta Venezia) – Building artwall

Feelings – emotions and senses, intimacy and tactility. The Prada F/W 2021 campaign, showcasing the collections for women and men designed by Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons, is an exploration of the evocation of feeling.

To feel has connotations both sensorial and emotional – rather than intellectual discourse, it is about instinct, spontaneity. Photographed by David Sims, each image is implicitly a fragment of an independent narrative – yet presented in serial, laid side-by-side, these photographs form a new abstract story of their own, expressing emotion. Deeper than appearance, this campaign is about what feels like Prada.

Building in New York

This narrative will come to life through a variety of experimental activations during Fall 2021, spanning digital and physical – life, re-fashioned, through the lens of Prada. Real-world spaces and quotidian objects will be enveloped in tactile patterns drawn from the Prada F/W 2021 collection, alongside building façades also featured in the campaign imagery – objects and places that can be touched, felt.

Prada objects at the Wet Market in Shanghai

The campaign as a whole is a proposition, a proposal – positing a vision of a brand, intentionally multi-faceted, to reflect its complex and ever-transforming nature. It is that which – always – feels like Prada.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht / Nadia Krawiecka
Prada F/W 2021 Campaign
Photographer: David Sims – Creative director: Ferdinando Verderi
#PradaFW21 #FeelsLikePrada #Prada

Last week, I spend a beautiful day with Prada in Milano during fashion week. The Italian fashion house treated me to many exciting moments. It was definitely the most anticipated show for S/S 2021. Miuccia Prada has teamed up with Raf Simons. Two exceptional talents working together to debut their first collection together meant for me, I was taking part in fashion history.

The show took place virtually in a yellow (one of Raf’s favorite colors) curtained backdrop one day before at the Fondazione Prada. TV screens were hanging from above, filming the whole thing and presenting the names of each model, all of whom had never walked a fashion show before. Everything new at Prada. Or probably not. After the show, Miuccia and Raf sat down to answer questions that fans submitted beforehand. Raf talked about the «Prada-ness», which is for him «a community that has a very specific attitude, intellect, aesthetic. You can’t really answer what it is, but it is, it exists, it’s present, it’s clearly there.»

Asked about the idea of newness in fashion, Raf Simons stated: «When you work for a long time in the industry, it is important that you are able to refresh your own body of work. I personally feel that the pure definition of new is something we have never seen before.» Miuccia jumped in: «It is nearly impossible. Our presence is done with our past. New, new, new means an incredible revolution, for instant the mini skirt when there was the women’s liberation. You just don’t wake up in the morning and design, you need to do something that makes sense and it comes from society. You have to react to reality and what is happening.»

My favorite 10 looks from the Prada S/S 2021 runway

When I watched the show in the live stream, I was not immediately blown away. Personally speaking, being a huge Prada fan since almost 30 years, many collections had to grown on me. Once you explore the details, the meaning, the hidden intellect, you have to fall in love. I loved this season’s idea to fully explore the collection with time in a private atmosphere in the show space itself. The music from the presentation was playing in the background and transformed me immediately in what I had seen the day before. 40 looks, building the new Prada uniform.

The new Prada S/S 2021 uniform: swinging skirts and hoodies in jersey

«The thing I have talked most about with Miuccia through all these months was uniforms. Not uniforms how as how we literally perceive them—not an army uniform, police uniform—but true metaphorical ones,» Raf stated after the show.
Miuccia, who has always been famous for her «Prada uniform», went on: «I think what we want to say about uniforms is that it’s interesting if you know that you can find something from which you know that you feel good in and you know that you express what you want to express without it being too much of a very specific fashion item in whatever moment in time. A uniform needs to also express something that is more timeless.»

Amazing details: Prada S/S 2021

For their collaboration, both designers referenced their past through the eyes of the other. «How Miuccia dresses is very often a kind of uniform one way or another, and that was direct inspiration for me for the show,» Simons said in the interview.

However, the show began with this sort of new Prada uniform, very inspired by Simons’ style. Long, narrow, ’90s-style pants combined with sleeveless tunics. All were combined with capes that were held by the models, a gesture that is reminiscent of Miuccia. Speaking of newness, the capes, or «clutch coats» as you may call them, felt so new, so modern to me, especially the way they were structured. I could picture myself wearing them for a night at the opera or throwing them over a bikini at the pool. Absolutely fabulous! Most importantly, the collaborators both love statement outerwear, and the oversized coats will surely be among the bestsellers.

The «ugly prints» of Prada’s era-defining S/S 1996 show appeared on hoodies and matching full skirts. This is definitely for me the new uniform, inspired by the current pandemic. When we want to be comfortable and stylish at once.

As Simons and Prada are both art lovers, they teamed up with Peter Potter to create artwork for the show.

The famous triangle logo appeared supersized, made from petal-folded fabric and imprinted with the logo. So breathtaking when you see it from close.

The pointy-toed slingback kitten heels in a contrasting color are back. Honestly, nobody does colour combinations better than Miuccia.

My favorite looks integrated holey turtlenecks that were used as layering pieces throughout so that the holes match each other. Combined with the swinging ’50s-style skirts, it will be my new Prada uniform.

The bags come with the new logo and are extremely light, nylon backpacks were presented as well. The mini-logo triangle earrings will also surely be spotted among influencers around the globe.

New era, new faces, new Prada. I was raving about the collection during lunch with Ignazio Gomez and Marco Pruneri at Torre restaurant inside the Fondazione Prada.

After that, I was driven to the PRADA Store in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II the to discover the «100 covers, 100 people, 100 stories» which is part of the September Issue of Vogue Italia. Inside the shop, there is an interactive wall, where you could explore this amazing project in detail. Never done before, the shoot that took place in only 4 days and involved 100 people for 100 covers: from models, actresses and actors, activists, Instagram stars, writers, artists and common people. Each one of them with a story to tell was photographed in a look from Prada’s F/W 2020 collection.

After that, we went to Pasticceria Marchesi next door, which is one of the oldest and most famous pastry shops in Milan, and that belongs to the Prada Group. In keeping with its history and tradition, the interior design is divine and already worth the visit, not to speak of all those yummy treats you can indulge in.

A beautiful day, exploring the new Prada, that I will always remember! Thank you!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Prada and © Sandra Bauknecht

Prada Timecapsule is an exclusive product drop of 50 items, occurring once a month, each first Thursday. Today, on July 2nd, 2020 the monthly Prada Timecapsule will be launched on prada.com – at 3pm CET – for 24 hours only. Forget the slow movement of our times, here you have to be fast. Stepping into the footsteps of Riccardo Tisci for Burberry, who used the so-called 24h «drop», a word mainly used in streetwear, for Burberry already, (for the previous post, click here please), Prada is finding new ways how to promote their products. However with Raf Simons at Prada, who is sharing with equal responsibilities for creative input and decision-making with Miuccia Prada, we will see a lot of interesting projects coming up.

Prada Timecapsule previous drops and the new July one

Enabled by the new Prada e-commerce platform, unveiled November 2019, this new section is now available solely in Europe (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom), Japan, South Korea and for the first time in China, USA and Canada, reaching other markets over the course of 2020 following the new prada.com layout-relaunching calendar.

This series of drops offer a classic boxy shirt, one of Prada’s wardrobe essentials, presented as unisex in an original printed version. The print’s motif is inspired by a theme related to the month of launch and includes a specific limited edition number 1/50, 2/50….

For this release, scheduled July 2nd, Prada presents a new cotton popeline shirt for both women and men, featuring an exclusive print inspired by the cycling world. Available in XS, S, M, L, XL for €790,00 here for only 24h.

Mark your calendar: the next drop will be on August 6th, 2020.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Prada

Today, I received the breaking news that Raf Simons will join Prada starting April 2, 2020. Rumors had been out since quite some time and now it is official. The Belgium designer will join the Italian fashion house as co-creative director alongside Miuccia Prada with equal responsibilities for creative input and decision-making. Their first runway presentation together will be for S/S 2021 in September 2020. «It’s a new wind,» said Miuccia Prada and I have to admit that I agree with Tim Blanks who wrote: «I cannot think of anything like this in the history of fashion.»

In 1978, Miuccia Prada inherited the label that was known for luggage making and transformed it into a global fashion brand with her creative designs. Prada has been a true trendsetter for decades, sometimes too fast thinking for the fashion world, she is often a few steps ahead of the game. Her iconic black nylon backpack launched in 1985 caused a real fashion frenzy and has been popular since then. In 1989 she added ready-to-wear to the offerings. Simons, who will continue to design his namesake menswear label, is the first designer from outside the Prada family to join the house since its inception.

Trendsetting: Prada S/S 2012 ad campaign photographed by Steven Meisel

Today at the Prada press conference, Simons announced: “Prada is a brand that I have been interested in my whole life. I cannot wait to express to all of you the dialogue I will have with Mrs Prada and her team. To be really honest, Mr Bertelli approached me right after my exit from Calvin Klein. Miuccia and I had a conversation about creativity in today’s fashion system. And it brought me to open dialogue with many designers, not just Mrs Prada. We have to re-look at how creativity can evolve in today’s fashion system.»

Power couple: Patrizio Bertelli and Miuccia Prada

Simons, who had worked with Prada and her husband Patrizio Bertelli before, when he was hired as creative director of Jil Sander in 2005. Prada had bought the German label and was looking for someone to fill the shoes of the namesake designer at that time. Simons’ seven-year tenure at the brand was an absolute success, and the Prada Group sold it to a London private equity firm in 2006.
Simons later worked at Dior and his latest venture was at Calvin Klein, where he was chief creative officer, and abruptly excited in December 2018.

Presented in Milan last Thursday: Miuccia Prada’s last single show for F/W 2020

Miuccia Prada has still a very strong view on fashion. Yet, it seems hard for her at the moment to translate this into sales. Rumors had been that the family is planning to sell to one of the big conglomerates. With the appointment of Simons, it seems that the Prada family will keep it a family business that also owns Miu Miu and Church’s.

Good luck, Raf!

They will have all my support – I have been collecting Prada pieces since a very young age and have always been very fond of the brand. Good luck to Raf, I am really excited to see what the two creative masterminds will come up with…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Prada and © Sandra Bauknecht

Already in April this year, I had the the pleasure to visit one of the most beautiful exhibitions ever, a must for every fashion lover: Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. This retrospective celebrates the founding couturier’s avant-garde spirit and the international destiny of his House, shepherded, after his passing in 1957, by the talent of the Creative Directors who succeeded him.

You still have one week left to indulge in the universe of the French Maison as the exhibition has been extended to September 1st after it sold out within 19 days of its opening.

ABOUT CHRISTIAN DIOR

Christian Dior was born into a wealthy Normandie family in the French seaside town of Granville on January 21, 1905. As a child he shared his mother’s love of gardens. is early passions included architecture and designing fancy dress costumes for his friends. Sent by his parents to study political science in Paris, Dior gravitated towards a bohemian group of friends, including composer Henri Sauguet and artist Christian Bérard.

In 1928, he opened and art gallery, but the business foundered when the Dior family fortune collapsed following the 1929 financial crisis. Forced to find a new way to make a living, Dior took up fashion drawing, eventually working with top couturiers Robert Piguet and Lucien Lelong.

In 1946, Dior founded his own couture house with the backing of textile manufacturer Marcel Boussac. On 12 February 1947, the House of Dior launched its first collection. Dubbed the «New Look» by the press, the collection had an instant and unparalleled influence on fashion around the world. The House of Dior grew rapidly. By 1955 it accounted for over 50% of overseas exports of French haute couture.

In the prime of his career, Christian Dior died suddenly on 24 October 1957. His legacy has continued under the creative directors who have succeeded him at the head of the House of Dior: Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons and Maria Grazia Chiuri.

THE EXHIBITION

Based on the highly successful Musée des Arts Décoratifs exhibition Christian Dior: Couturier du Rêve (on view from 5 July 2017 to 7 January 2018), the show charts seven decades of the continuing importance, influence and creativity of the House of Dior in the fashion world, with an additional section showcasing the story of Dior in Britain.

The famous «Bar Suit» and hat, Haute Couture S/S 1947

Drawn from the extensive Dior Archives, the exhibition presents over 500 objects, with over 200 rare Haute Couture garments shown alongside accessories, fashion photography, film, vintage perfume, original make-up, illustrations, magazines, and Christian Dior’s personal possessions. Unfolding across eleven themes, this unique event invites visitors to immerse themselves inside Christian Dior’s world, tracing the highlights of his life, from his childhood to the creation of his couture house at the end of 1946. A voyage through time that continues with the starring role played by such timeless icons as the eternal «Bar Suit», and legendary looks designed by the visionary tastemaker the couturier was.

Celebrating the Dior art of color, accessories, hats, bags, illustrations, miniature dresses, lipsticks and emblematic fragrances together form a spectrum of colors dear to Christian Dior and, in turn, enrich this exciting encounter with the House. The culmination of this immersive exploration, an exhibit called «Le Salon» showcases the splendor of society soirées, illustrated by spectacular dresses that testify to the virtuosity and savoir-faire of excellence of the Dior haute couture ateliers.

THE NEW LOOK

Christian Dior unveiled his first haute couture collection on 12 February 1947, amid excited anticipation within fashion circles. Offering a radical alternative to the boxy, masculine style of women’s fashion after the Second World War, Dior’s designs caused a sensation. Carmel Snow, editor in chief of Harper’s Bazaar, declared: « It’s quite a revolution, dear Christian, your dresses have such a new look!» The Dior Line showcases ten defining looks made between 1947 and 1957, Christian Dior’s own tenure at the House.

DIOR IN BRITAIN

Exactly to this day, 72 years before, on 26 August 1947, a small group of people stood together in London’s Claridge’s Hotel, hovering around a smartly dressed middle-aged man holding a trilby hat. The celebrated couturier Christian Dior, who just six months earlier had revolutionized fashion with its first «New Look» collection, was in the process of being ambushed by the press. One journalist grilled him as to how he was able to persuade a world short of fabric to embrace his audacious new fashions, to which Dior replied: «I am giving the women the dresses they want. They’re fed up with war restrictions… My full skirts are a release.»

«I adore the English, dressed not only in tweeds which suit them so well, but also in those flowing dresses, in subtle colours, which they have worn inimitably since the days of Gainsborough.» Christian Dior, 1957.

Christian Dior designed this couture dress in 1951 specially for the 2st birthday of Princess Margaret.

In his autobiography, Dior affirmed his love for all things English. He was particularly enamoured with the English aristocracy and he admired the grandeur of the great houses and gardens of Britain, as well as British-designed ocean liners, including the Queen Mary, and Savile Row suits.

HISTORICISM

Christian Dior often cited historic periods in his designs – the sinus lines of Belle Époque dresses from the late 1800s and early 1900s: the tightly waisted mid-nineteenth-century styles worn by the French Empress Eugénie, Napoléon III’s wife. The sumptuous silks and dramatic silhouettes of the eighteenth century held a particular fascination. Dior’s premises at 30 Avenue Montaigne in Paris had a neo-classical façade, medaillon-backed chairs, and white and grey panelling like that of Petit Trianon at Versailles, a colour Dior is said to have revived.

«I thank heaven I lived in Paris in the last years of the Belle Epoque.» Christian Dior, 1957

In front of one of my favorite Dior dresses, Look 24 from the F/W 2004 Haute Couture collection by John Galliano.

TRAVEL

Travels explore how travel and different countries and cultures have consistently inspired the various designers at the House of Dior. This section focuses on five of the countries that provided a source of reference for Christian Dior and his successors at the House of Dior: Mexico, India, Egypt, Japan and China.

THE GARDEN

Flowers are emblematic of the Maison and have inspired silhouettes, embroidery and prints, but also the launch of Miss Dior in 1947, the first fragrance created alongside the very first show.
From horticulture to global travel and historicism, the show reveals the sources of inspiration that defined the House of Dior’s aesthetic.

Look 47 from the F/W 2012 Haute Couture collection by Raf Simons for Dior. It was worn by actress Natalie Portman, the face of Miss Dior perfume.

DESIGNERS FOR DIOR

Designers for Dior spotlights the work of the subsequent six key artistic directors since Christian Dior’s death in 1957.

Since 1957 the House of Dior has been led by:
Yves Saint Laurent 1958-60
Marc Bohan 1960-89
Gianfranco Ferré 1989-96
John Galliano 1996-2011 
Raf Simons 2012-15
Maria Grazia Chiuri 2016 to present
Each creative director has brought a new perspective.

THE ATELIERS

The Ateliers showcases toiles from the Dior Ateliers in a stunning «cabinet of curiosity» style.

«Everything created by human hands expresses something – above all the personality of the creator. The same thing is true with a dress. But since so many people are working on it, the real job is to get all the hands that cut, sew, try on and embroider to express all I have felt.» Christian Dior, 1954

DIORAMA

Diorama examines the breadth of the House of Dior, from accessories including costume jewellery, hats, shoes and bags, to illustrations, miniature dresses and archive lipstick and perfume, bottles, collected in a kaleidoscopic display. This section spotlights the key creative partners of the House from the past 70 years, including Roger Vivier Stephen Jones, René Gruau, Serge Lutens and Swarovski, Christian Dior’s first choice for crystals to embellish his creations.

How cool! My own outfit was part of the exhibition.

THE BALLROOM

Drawing on his love of costume, it was in his evening dresses and ball gowns that Dior could indulge his imagination and showcase the diverse skills of the haute couture ateliers. Until today, a Dior gown, synonymous with allure and opulence, demonstrates the formidable talents and techniques of Parisian haute couture. It is no wonder that such striking creations have graced numerous red carpets as the choice of film stars and prominent personalities over the past seven decades.

I hope that you have enjoyed following me on my tour through this beautiful exhibition.

LoL, Sandra

Photos taken of the exhibition: © Sandra Bauknecht

Breaking news last night: Raf Simons and Calvin Klein part ways after less than two years and eight months before the end of his contract. But the fashion world saw it coming after PVH (which also owns Tommy Hilfiger) chief Emanuel Chirico criticised last month the brand’s bumpy financial performance and high-fashion approach for which on the other side Simons won multiple awards from the Council of Fashion Designers of America during his time at Calvin Klein.

With Raf Simons in 2014 when he was still at Dior.

Here lays exactly the problem. The Belgian designer, as well known for his cult menswear label as his well-regarded times at Jil Sander and Dior, was clearly committed to the cause of the iconic brand that consumers know for its denim, underwear and provocative marketing campaigns. He was given a multi-million-dollar salary and the title of chief creative officer. He oversaw all aspects of marketing and design for the American megabrand, a degree of control he did not have at Dior.

Calvin Klein 205W39NYC F/W 2018 ad campaign shot by Willy Vanderperre

Unfortunately, the brand, that was renamed Calvin Klein 205W39NYC under Simons (sorry, but I have hated the name from the beginning), hoped to create a marketing effect through the high-end ready-to-wear collection for its lower-priced products. But this transformation didn’t take place. Personally speaking, I liked the looks Simons designed but I didn’t buy one single piece. Somehow I never felt the urge.

Calvin Klein 205W39NYC F/W 2018 show in NYC

For the American fashion industry, it is a big loss to see Simons go. But on the other hand, it is the only way to go. The brand will NOT even stage a runway show in February which is truly sad as his show definitely got a lot of international attention.

#MyCalvins – bestselling items the brand will focus on even more.

What will happen now with Calvin Klein? Needless to say, probably not another big designer name. but a strategy that will shift the focus of its marketing campaigns from high-fashion to more affordable items. Cobbler, stick to your trade!

Calvin Klein 205W39NYC F/W 2018 runway collection

TO SHOP A LAST PIECE FROM RAF SIMONS FOR CALVIN KLEIN 205W39NYC, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Calvin Klein and © Sandra Bauknecht

Growing up in Germany, «Christiane F. – Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo» (1978) was a must-read. This non-fiction book portrays the drug scene in West Berlin in the 1970s. It is about 13-year-old Christiane Felscherinow who lives in a multi-story, concrete social-housing building in a dull neighbourhood in the outskirts of West Berlin. She’s sick of living there and has a passion for rockstar David Bowie. After meeting the wrong people, Christiane starts taking LSD in addition to abusing pills, and later heroin.

After her 14th birthday, she even stops going home and spends more and more time at Bahnhof Zoo, a large train and subway station notorious for the drug trafficking that takes place in its underpasses and back alleys. Christiane also starts to prostitute herself. Eventually she recovered and is still alive today, but most of her cohorts either died or are still addicts.

In 1981, the film inspired by the book and directed by Uli Edel immediately acquired cult status (which it still retains today). It features David Bowie as both himself and the soundtrack composer, which gave the film a commercial boost.

Now, Raf Simons, previous designer at Dior and now Chief Creative Officer at Calvin Klein besides his own line, seeked inspiration from this sad story and will launch its collaboration with the story «Christiane F. – wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo». These exclusive pieces will be available at shop.rafsimons.com and in selected stores worldwide. With this project the designer will support organisations that help those in recovery from addiction.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Raf Simons

January blues? Forget those and plan a weekend trip to Antwerp. Last Monday, I was invited by Visitflanders to celebrate the launch of the first direct flight from Zurich to Antwerp. From now on, Flyvlm is heading on a daily basis to the Belgium hot spot. In 48 hours, I explored the city with a population just over 500,000 (of which I know surprisingly many:-)) and fell in love! Would you like to know why? Here you go!

Brussels is Belgium‘s capital, but the second biggest city, Antwerp, is without a doubt the country’s hot spot of cool. Best known for its gigantic seaport, diamond district, beer and being home to the baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens, it has a dazzling variety of attractions. And personally speaking one of the most important ones, is fashion! Antwerp’s renowned fashion school, the «Royal Academy of Fine Arts», is the prolific birth place of world-famous designers, of which six became known as «The Antwerp Six».

The Antwerp Six

Under Linda Loppa, who now serves as the dean of Polimoda fashion school, Walter Van Beirendonck, Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Van Saene, Dirk Bikkembergs and Marina Yee graduated between 1980–81. In times where everything was a «little too much», the fashion collective presented a distinct, radical avant-garde vision for fashion that established Antwerp as a notable location for fashion design. The breakthrough occurred in 1986 as the group rented a truck and set out for London Fashion Week with their collections that immediately became a huge success. Within just three days, they found themselves stocked at Barneys, Bergdorf and Liberty of London, and propelled into the media stratosphere, even without Instagram.

Martin Margiela, another Belgian contemporary, was not actually part of the group that showed in London, although he is often mistakenly described as one of the Antwerp Six; he had moved to Paris, initially working for Jean Paul Gaultier. Another Belgium fashion celebrity is Raf Simons, who originally graduated in Industrial Design and Furniture Design from a college in Genk in 1991, when  he got encouraged by Linda Loppa to become a self-trained menswear designer and launched his Raf Simons label in 1995.  He began working as a furniture designer for various galleries, having previously interned at the design studio of Walter Van Beirendonck between 1991-1993. The latter  took him to Paris Fashion Week and that was when Simons first saw a fashion show — Martin Margiela’s all-white show in 1991 — which inspired Simons to turn to fashion design. I love how all of them are related and that it brings it full circle.

With Raf Simons

Despite being a powerful magnet for everyone from fashion moguls to art lovers and diamond dealers, Antwerp also retains an intriguing medieval heart with plenty of café-filled cobbled lanes, a riverside fortress and a truly impressive cathedral. Antwerp in a nutshell? These are the must-sees during your visit.

Hotel Les Nuits
Located on the fourth floor, this little boutique hotel sits on the edge of Antwerp’s Fashion District and is perfectly located in the city. Every room has its own design. The service is extremely friendly and the food is healthy and amazing!
Lange Gasthuisstraat 12, 2000 Antwerp
Phone + 32 03 225 02 04

The Apartment
A home away from home. The luxury Apartment with hotel service at Graanmarkt 13 is designed by Vincent Van Duysen and is a warm and welcoming home in the heart of Antwerp. It is the place where Mario Testing or Tim Burton are staying when they are in town. The top floor used to be the home of the concept store’s (located beneath) founders Tim and Ilse, but is now open for all. The price per night for the full apartment is € 1.300 (it is absolutely worth the money!). You get a spacious loft for up to 6 adults with 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, wifi/internet, and breakfast included.
Graanmarkt 13, 2000 Antwerp
Phone +32 3 337 79 91, E-mail 

Bourla
Café Restaurant Bourla is housed in a majestic building on Graanmarkt, next to the Apartment. Yet the atmosphere is casual, the prices are decent and the Belgium food is amazing. Try their fries and you die! Young and old, businessmen and tourists, shoppers and theatregoers… everyone feels at home here.
Graanmarkt 7, 2000 Antwerp
Phone +32 3 232 16 32, E-mail 

RAS
So chic! In an outstanding Antwerp setting in terms of architecture, interior decoration, art and design, lunch or dinner at RAS goes beyond food. It is an unforgettable total experience. The name drives from its location, RAS – Restaurant Aan de Stroom (the Restaurant by the River).
Ernest van Dijckkaai 37, 2000 Antwerp
Phone: +32 3 234 12 75

Billie’s Bier Kafétaria
This is your first stop when you are looking for a great pub in Antwerp (there are many). From the greatest and unknown Belgian beers to the most obscure beers from around the world, you’ll find everything here! I loved Oude Geuze, a blend of lambic from different years, served in champagne flutes.
Kammenstraat 12, 2000 Antwerp
Phone: +32 3 226 31 83

Würst Haute Dogs
This is a must when you are in Antwerp. At Würst, Belgian television chef Jeroen Meus serves “haute dogs“, hot dogs like you’ve never tasted them before. I shared a Caesar dog and a Sauerkraut dog which were both absolutely amazing.
Maalderijstraat 5, 2000 Antwerp
Phone: +32 3 296 18 86

You will go bananas with the magnitude of Belgium designers having their little affordable shops around town. Moreover you can find many high end designer brands in Antwerp and of course, renowned Belgium designers have their flagship stores in the city, too.

Dries van Noten
Personally speaking, a must when you are in town. It’s impossible to untangle the city of Antwerp from the life and work of Dries Van Noten. Unfortunately the shop was closed when I was there last week.
Nationalestraat 16, 2000 Antwerp
Phone: +32 3 470 25 10

Delvaux
Delvaux is the oldest fine leather luxury goods company in the world, founded in 1829 in Belgium. You can find a great selection of handbags, small leather goods and accessories for women and men.
Komedieplaats 17, 2000 Antwerp
Phone: +32 3 232 02 47

Verso
The moment you enter this multibrand concept store which is across from Hotel Les Nuits, your breath is taken away. Located in a beautifully restored 16th century mansion which served as a bank before, it is a fashion heaven on earth with a great selection of many high end designers. The Verso café is also worth going to.
Lange Gasthuisstraat 9, 2000 Antwerp
Phone: +32 3 226 92 92

Renaissance
A multi brand hig end fashion store merging directional fashion with fine dining in the heart of Antwerp. Realised by acclaimed Belgian architect Glenn Sestig, the 800 sqm boutique and restaurant delivers bold statements in light, colour and atmosphere.
Nationalestraat 32, 2000 Antwerp
Phone: +32 3 233 93 90

Essentiel Antwerp
The Belgium fashion brand delivers trendy fashion at affordable prices and has many locations in the city of Antwerp. In Switzerland available at Globus and at Limmatquai 70 in Zurich.
Schuttershofstraat 26, 2000 Antwerp
Phone: +32 3 213 15 10

Stadtfeestzaal
The beautifully renovated Shopping Stadsfeestzaal on the Meir is presently a shopping centre housing over fifty shops. Not my favorite for shopping, but worth seeing.
Meir 78, 2000 Antwerp
Phone: +32 3 202 31 00

Antwerp Central Station
First used in 1905, this station is absolutely impressive and is considered as one the most beautiful train station in the world! Trains arrive on top of each other on three different platforms with two additional underground levels.

Antwerp Zoo
One of the oldest and best-known zoos, it will take you at least half a day to see one of the most diversified animal collections in Europe.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Plantin-Moretus Museum

Antwerp Museums
Antwerp has numerous museums. Among the best known are the Rubens House, the MAS | Museum aan de Stroom, and the Red Star Line Museum, but there are plenty of others worth seeing: historical houses where you can savour the atmosphere of past times, a fashion museum and several art museums. There is something for everyone, whatever your taste. As I was on a Monday in Antwerp, museums were unfortunately closed. My favorite would have been the MOMU Fashion Museum.

Vlaeykensgang
The secret Vlaeykensgang alley dates from 1591 and connects Hoogstraat, Oude Koornmarkt Pelgrimstraat with one another. Walk through the gate at Oude Koornmarkt 16 and you feel as if you have journeyed back in time.

Grote Markt
Grote Markt originally was a forum or square just outside the medieval residential quarter. In 1220 Duke Henry I of Brabant (1165-1235) donated this community land to the city. The name Merckt was used for the first time in 1310.

Cathedral of Our Lady
After 169 years of construction the cathedral of Antwerp finally dominated Antwerp’s skyline in 1521 with a height of 123 metres. It’s the highest Gothic building in the Low Countries.It is an iconic treasury, with an impressive collection of major art works, including a series of paintings by Rubens.

Having the most exclusive sightseeing tour thanks to Tanguy Ottomer.

The Story of Nello & Patrasche
The story of the young boy Nello and his dog Patrasche is famous all over the world and it’s set… in Antwerp! Nello and Patrasche are the main characters in the 1872 novel «A Dog of Flanders» in which the Cathedral of Our Lady and various paintings by Rubens play an important role.
Nello, a poor orphan boy, becomes friends with Patrasche, an abandoned cart dog. They walk to town together every day. They often visit the cathedral, where Nello admires the paintings by Rubens. Due to a series of setbacks, the lives of Nello and Patrasche end in that same cathedral. They die together from hardship. This moving and atypical Christmas story holds a message of pride and unconditional friendship and is very famous in Japan. Artist Batist Vermeulen (‘Tist’) designed a statue of the boy and his dog which you can admire on the Handschoenmarkt, in front of the cathedral.

Den Deugniet
Brussel’s Manneken Pis‘ companion in Antwerp is called Den Deugniet and is a pretty naughty statue that can be found at the corner of the Oudaanand Korte Gasthuisstraat to show his bare bottom to people passing by. It was first placed there in the ’70s by local traders and has since been kidnapped several times! Now the bottom is not gold anymore but you can still rub it for good luck.

I had an amazing 48 hours in Antwerp and I am sure that you can imagine that time flies fast with all the spots you can visit in the Flemish city. I’ll be back, for sure…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht
Photo Antwerp Six via Dazzed Digital