Sandra‘s Closet

On the S/S 2011 runways, there was an Yves Saint Laurent mood in the air. Many designers got inspired by the late master of colour and the father of the trouser suit.

The reason for this was probably the beautiful first posthumous retrospective of Yves Saint Laurent’s career with an exhibition of over 300 garments that took place last year at the Petit Palais museum in Paris. On display were his creations from his debut at Dior in 1958 up to the sumptuous evening dresses of 2002.

In 40 years of being a fashion designer, YSL revolutionized the female wardrobe by borrowing the tuxedo, the trouser suit and the safari jacket from men’s clothing in order to dress women, thereby transferring the symbols of power from one sex to another.

In 1961 Yves Saint Laurent decided to create his couture house. Just under 50 years ago, in January 1962, at the age of 26, he created a cultural shockwave by opening his first haute couture show with a caban jacket and trouser ensemble directly inspired by a fisherman’s pea coat.

The era in particular that was referenced for S/S 2011 was the 1970’s when Saint Laurent spent a tremendous amount of time at his second home in Marakkesh in his beautiful Majorelle botanical gardens. While being there he was greatly influenced by traditional Morrocan dressing and the gardens. His ashes were scattered there when he died in 2008.

I am in love with all those collections that are paying tribute to one of the greatest fashion designers of the 20th century and took the runways by storm. Therefore I put some collages for you together. I included photos of the exhibition of his previous creations to demonstrate the versatile references.

Enjoy this feast for the eyes.

LoL, Sandra

A Moroccan spirit influenced many designers for their S/S 2011 collections which inevitably meant that Yves Saint Laurent, who had spent many years there, was in the air as well.

As the models stepped out onto the runway, you were immediately jetted off to North Africa with all those crochets, tassels, feathers, beads, fringes and Moroccan mirror details. The Sahara subtext was explicit in the colour palette, the Tuareg head wraps and tribal jewelry seen at Giorgio Armani and Salvatore Ferragamo for example.
Drop-crotch harem pants should be on your must-have list for summer.

LoL, Sandra

So long, miniskirts! Say hello to longer hemlines as they swing their way back into our closets this fall.

Interesting to know is the hemline theory which says that when hemlines go up, it is a sign that stock prices rise. When the knees are seen, it is a bull market. When the skirts get longer, it is a bear market, and prices will fall. Is the longer hemline an indicator for a global recession? Can fashion explain today’s erratic swings in the stock market? Will see…
Probably the reason is that during bad economy, ladies do not want to spend their money on cellulite cream and hair removal. The longer hemline works then to their advantage and so the theory would be correct.

During F/W 2010 fashion weeks last spring, editors were almost tripping on their skirts, taking boho to the max and they were absolutey right.

Inside on the runways, the long skirts made their comeback to daily life, from floor-sweeping to still showing a bit of leg, but most importantly keeping it well below the knee.

Above, you will see my pre-selection of gorgeous long skirts that are all available at the moment.

If you go for the trend, I will recommend pairing it with a cropped jacket, tucked in blouse or a belted-top for a nice silhouette. Especially if you are small-framed, you have to make sure that you are not swallowed by the floor grazing skirt. If you like you can also opt for the “Olsen Twins look” with a long knitted cardigan on top, but still try to get the proportions right.

 

I hope that you have enjoyed seeing the economy through the eyes of a fashionista!

LoL, Sandra

It is August and the majority of fall campaigns can be seen now in the new fashion magazines, ads just keep coming out of the woodwork and so I wanted to give you a brief summary of the most important ones and by whom they were shot.
It is funny to see that this world in particular is pretty small and some photographers are ahead of the game.

My personal favourite is Bottega Veneta`s strong expressive F/W 2010 campaign. Shot by the godfather of energetic graphic photography himself: Robert Longo. The artist has became famous in the late 1970s and early 1980s with his series „Men in the Cities“ that depicts men and women in business attire contorted in extreme positions.

The winner this season seems to be renowned Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott. The dream team that has defined the look of the past decade, shot the most campaigns. Enjoy my preview:

The American photographer and long-time protégé of both Franca Sozzani and Anna Wintour, editors-in-chief of Italian and American Vogue is also a big shot in the world of fashion photography. No wonder, Steven Meisel shot all those gorgeous campaigns.

Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinood Matadin, a fashion photographer duo that is well known for their independent art work. Most of their photographs are both critical and slightly disturbing as you can see in the campaigns they shot for F/W 2010.

Italian-born Mario Sorrenti is a photographer and director best known for his spreads of nude models in the pages of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.

Peruvian fashion photographer Mario Testino has shot many fashion stories and celebrities. His work has been exhibited in numerous galleries and museums.

Hermès has come up with another really beautiful advertising campaign shot by Paolo Roversi. I love his romantic, vintage looking photos that always seem to tell a story. To me, a perfect choice for the French house!

Bruce Weber is a well-known face in the world of advertising photography. His career really took of in the late 1980s and early 1990s with his famous advertising images for Calvin Klein.

Juergen Teller‘s work is extraordinary and with a distinctive design. His raw style makes him one of the most influential fashion photographers working today.

Multi-talent Karl Lagerfeld likes to keep everything in his own hands. So no wonder that he shoots the advertising campaigns for his own collections for Chanel and Fendi.

Steven Klein is an American photographer that shot many high-profile advertising campaigns for various clients. This season he was hired by Dolce & Gabbana to capture a close knit Italian family with Madonna as the matriarchal figure through his lens.
Great job!

LoL, Sandra

Our time machine is moving further. After the glam references of the past decades, some designers also saw the impact of architectural purity during the 90s and there is something intrinsically cool about today’s new minimalism.

The creations are great investment pieces, very versatile, less extreme and more functional. You could go through decades wearing the same thing and looking great.

If you want to add some 90’s minimalist sophistication to your wardrobe, think more about tailored silhouettes in superb quality. Draping, asymmetry and unusual fabrics give maximum choice for minimal style.

The colour palette is mostly muted with a lot of white, camel, grey and black. But if you love the bright hues, it does not mean that you cannot buy into minimalism. There were lots of beautiful choices on the runways.

To conclude our trip through time, those pure outfits have more longevity than any other seasonal looks. But wether or not, trends never really go out of fashion, it just takes a while for them to resurface and each decade has the same key factor, the need to be fashionable.

With this in mind, enjoy the comeback of 90’s great fashion moments!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands

Let`s travel further in time. A breeze from the `70s floated over the F/W 2010 runways when the designers brought the more sophisticated aspects of this decade`s fashion into the now. Indulging in reminiscences of young Jane Birkin, Bianca Jagger and Veruschka, nonchalance, luxe and subtlety are the catchwords fall embraces.

Camel is the colour of the season followed by a palette of browns, nudes, and greys.

 

The ever-stylish shade makes a great fashion statement in combination with the must-have outerwear this season, the cape.

I love the cape by H&M to the right.

 

Cut more generously than a coat, the dashing alternative allows more freedom of movement and works much better over shoulder embellishments and mutton sleeves.
It was a veritable explosion of fur on the runways so there is no need to shy away from those ueberluxe pieces. The soft cocoon embrace of a voluminous real or faux fur jacket (or vest) will be irresistible this winter.

As the mood is casual luxe for daywear, redefine power-dressing in buttery silk blouses with tie collars.

When it comes to trousers, opt for sleek or wide leg ones with a minimalist edge. Razor-sharp slimline Gucci pants or immaculately tailored like the ones by YSL are among my favourites. Naturally worn with a cashmere turtleneck, they are the most figure flattering throwback to `70s style.

To complement the look, you will have to tie the knot with a pair of lace up booties. They are must-haves for every shoeaholic.

Synonymous with luxe seventies style are the long-handled drawstring bucket bags. So no wonder they have made a much-welcome appearance.

Another bestseller will be the remake of Gucci`s 1973 line. Available in nappa, suede and exotic leathers like crocodile and ostrich, those bags are classic and beautiful enough to be safe investment pieces.

If you really want to get a head start on the boho wardrobe, look for a floppy hat or a knitted beanie.

You do not need to go overboard. Enjoy your fashion moments in traditional, timeless essentials and the overall effect will be more post seventies luxe than vintage hippie.

LoL, Sandra

Yesterday evening at the premiere of “Salt” at Graumans Chinese Theatre in L.A., Angelina Jolie looked every bit Hollywood`s reigning queen. The spy thriller is due on 23rd of July in the US and one month later in the UK.

At her big night, the leading lady kept her look cool with a sexy black sequin tube dress by Emporio Armani, nude peep toes by Salvatore Ferragamo and just one piece of jewelry from her own collection that she had designed for luxury jewelers Asprey last year. The snake bracelet has been part of the very limited serpentine-inspired Protector Collection, with only 10 items of each design available and all proceeds going to the power couple`s charity.

But her best accessory might have been King Brad who appeared fur-free, meaning without his beard, looking a little like a young Robert Redford in his aviator sunglasses and Tom Ford suit. As I am a bag-addict, I immediately saw that the beautiful brunette showed up without one. So I was wondering what Brad might have been carrying in his pockets…

Angelina wore her favourite colour dress as in LBD (Little Black Dress). In fashionista circles, this is a must-have and the general consensus is a thumbs up! The sequins gave her classic look a sexy twist and the nude pumps worked perfectly with it.
In case you do not own a dress like that, please consider one. At the moment, there are a lot of beautiful ones available of which many are on sale. Here is my pre-selection:

If you prefer doing-it-yourself, I recommend a visit to the notions department. Sequin fabrics are not too expensive and used preferably for costumes. Just sew the material together and voilà there is your tube dress!

A sparkling LBD is a lifetime investment! Do it the Angelina way…

LoL, Sandra

It might be on short notice, but definitely not too late to get your hands on a gorgeous pair of leather shorts. An absolute must this summer that will stay trendy next winter.

My favourites are the lace-up ones by Alexander Wang with zippers on the side, available in brown or black. Combine them with a boyfriend blazer, an embellished top and stunning wedges (see above). Add a feodora hat for that certain twist or just wear them with cowboy boots and a little cardigan for your urban days off-duty like I did this week.

Here are some gorgeous versions from the S/S 2010 collections available at Net-à-porter or Browns. Do not forget, sale will be starting soon…. in the US it is already on!

Get ready to wow!

LoL, Sandra

If you think of crochet and knitting as stereotypical hobbies of grannies, you are completely mistaken this summer. Trendsetters for the retro chic handicrafts were especially Dolce & Gabbana and Chanel showing beautiful head-to-toe crocheted looks on the S/S 2010 runway.

But the accessories were the most outstanding. A crochet or knit bag is no doubt something special that you do not see very often unless you are living in Ibiza. The process of making it might be time-consuming. If it justifies the price, you will have to decide for yourself.
The Chanel bag for example is around CHF 4520.- and in stores now.

Craftmanship went into many different designer bags like the Chloé Iris strass crochet clutch for around $2360.- or the multiple models by Dolce & Gabbana. Those ones might be a good investment, particularly the “Miss Sicily” will return for  winter again in knitted versions. As soon as the sale starts, keep an eye on these treasures….
And stay tuned as I will keep you posted about the remaining crochet trend for F/W 2010 in the next days.

In case you fell in love with those retro-crafts, but you do not want to spend a fortune or your time knitting, I spotted something wonderful for you.
The best is that you can shop and support a good cause in one!

Those pretty knit bags are all in the price range of CHF 160.- – CHF 180.-. They are made in Ecuador by underprivileged women in difficult living conditions. The Fundacion Avanzar offers training courses for mothers in need and helps them sell their products afterwards.

Each bag is made to order to the shape and colour of your choice. Get inspired and have a look at the complete product catalogue. If you are interested, please contact Margarita Heredia Forster who is coordinating the projects from Switzerland (Phone: +41 44 912 16 56 or ). Atelier Avanzar ships worldwide.

I have the purple one to the right and it is perfect for daily use. Spacious, cute and no need to worry about showing wear.

Fashion and charity. What a lovely combination!

LoL, Sandra

Some of the most memorable looks on the runways for F/W 2010 impressed with the comeback of the season: Fur in all variations. From Karl Lagerfeld`s take on the full faux fur polar bear look to Versace`s colourful interpretations to shearling lamb footwear.

The emphasis was one the most luxurious finishing details you can imagine. The designers were using more fur than ever. I am wondering why PETA was so absent during the fashion weeks. They could have totally made an example.

Herewith you will find a gallery of the most desirable shoes and bags for the upcoming season. I am crazy for Chanel `s Nanook of the North fake fur boots with the icicle heels and the matching chain strap bag. Totally stylish are also the fur-trimmed boots like the ones by Hermès or YSL.

Another must-have for winter is a thick fur-covered tote, for example by Dolce & Gabbana or Christian Dior to name a few.

Love it or hate it, fur is one of the biggest trends.

LoL, Sandra