Sandra‘s Closet

When I stumbled across the new US April Vogue and this amazing editorial featuring Kate Moss showcasing the most beautiful of January’s couture collections at the hotel Ritz in Paris, before closing its doors for renovation, I had to share this with you.

Lensed by one of my favourite photographers Tim Walker and styled by Grace Coddington, this is a feast for your eyes! Enjoy!

My Bleu Heaven
A cornflower-blue dress by Sarah Burton, reminiscent of 1950s couture, plays on proportion and contrast: nipped-in waist and voluminous skirt; flat jacquard against exploding lace. Alexander McQueen lace bustier jacquard dress.

At First Blush
Moss, in the bathroom of the Coco Chanel Suite, wears a petal-like cocktail dress and cape, inspired by a 1960 design, from a pink-and-silver cloque lamé created by Cristóbal Balenciaga.

Life Imitates Art I
Like the neoclassical crimson satin sofa, a dramatic tiered evening dress (Dior’s finale look) adds a jolt of brilliant color to the hushed palette of an Imperial Suite salon. Dior Haute Couture silk dress.

Life Imitates Art II
Bellhop Nicolas Deschamps balances a Roger Vivier silk-and-feather pump on his cap.

Sleeping Beauty
For three decades, Coco Chanel called the hotel her home. Here, the bedroom of the suite named for her. Armani Privé sequined embroidered flared bustier dress.

Boxed Out
Karl Lagerfeld took over the first-floor-spanning Imperial Suite, seen here, for his 1996 couture collection. Chanel Haute Couture embroidered organza flower coat and pumps.

Cocktail Hour
“I drink the French 76: vodka, sugar, lemon juice topped up with champagne; it’s the best drink ever, but it only tastes like that in the Hemingway Bar,” says Moss, here in L’Espadon. “Colin [Field, Ritz Paris head bartender] made it for my wedding. It doesn’t taste at all strong—and then, whoa, whoops-a-daisy!” Alexis Mabille Haute Couture burnished lamé dress and hat.

Light Show
“When I was with Johnny Depp, he always stayed there. I had an apartment in Paris at the time, but he said, ‘No, we’re staying at the Ritz,’ so he came by and swept me up to the Ritz—he didn’t want to slum it in my apartment!” Givenchy Haute Couture by Riccardo Tisci.

Room Service
“Gianni’s [Versace] shows were amazing—and sooo convenient. Walk downstairs, go to work: Love that!” says Moss, with housekeepers Khadidja Fakri and Lollie Bacete (standing). Dior Haute Couture embroidered silk dress. Headpiece created by Julien d’Ys.

View From the Top
Giambattista Valli sent out a cinched draped-shoulder goddess dress in “a color so deep, so intense, you can almost smell it—like bougainvillea on the Mediterranean coast.” Giambattista Valli Haute Couture silk dress and necklace.

Special Delivery
In the Flower Room, a team of five florists overseen by floral designer Djordje Varda is charged with, among other things, selecting and arranging 10,000 blooms for the hotel each week.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Vogue, Tim Walker

Today is a special day for me. It is my birthday and therefore I would like to treat you with this eye candy from the Haute Couture week in Paris. 
Last Tuesday, it was raining like crazy when I went up to the Place du Trocadéro in the afternoon to see Stéphane Rolland’s S/S 2012 couture show which was absolutely divine.

Stéphane Rolland to the right with his muse for his S/S 2012 show, Yasmin Le Bon to the left and me in the middle.

Meet Stéphane Rolland, the designer behind the eponymous couture label launched in 2007. His vision is modern and original. Considering that he is one of couture’s newest names, it is amazing to see that he is among those that help to keep couture alive. He creates dresses that even young girls aspire to own.

What does make him different and special?

Have a look at his architectural cuts and outstanding embellishments that are more exciting than the usual sequin and crystal work seen at other couture houses. His approach is truly contemporary without forgetting his couture skills that he learnt from scratch. At the age of 20, Rolland joined Balenciaga and became Creative Director of menswear. Four years later, he started his own prêt-à-porter line which he ran until Jean-Louis Scherrer asked him 6 years later to be at the helm of the French house’s Haute Couture line. A position he occupied for the next ten years until 2007, when he launched he started his own couture label at 10 avenue George V.

Rolland is a full member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture and therefore his brand can officially bear the “haute couture” label.

Now, I would like to invite you to enjoy the photos I took of the front row, the runway show and backstage where I went after the show.

LoL, Sandra

Front row

Me with a dear friend in Armani Privé

French singer Mireille Mathieu still wearing her iconic hair cut

Let the show begin:

The tri-colour gown is my favourite.

Yasmin Le Bon, Stéphane’s muse for this collection, presented the last look: The red bride in an absolute amazing gown with so much fabric that she needed two helpers to turn around.
I loved it!

Backstage after the show. I loved the sparkling dark eye make-up.

I hope that you have enjoyed this feast for your eyes. A couture show is something truly special.

LoL, Sandra

All photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

While Dior still hasn’t officially announced Galliano’s successor (and they won’t probably until September), the suspicion hardens that Ricardo Tisci, Givenchy’s Creative Director, will be the one. Since John Galliano’s unpleasant exit, Dior’s dresses have been stigmatised on the red carpet. In return, we have been spotting much more Givenchy lately. Might be a sign…

Liv Tyler, Mary-Kate Olsen and Alicia Keys wore Givenchy Haute Couture to the Met Gala in New York this month.

Naomi Campbell was a fringed beauty in an embroidered evening gown at the amfAR 2011 Fight Against Aids party in Cannes last Thursday. Photo: © PacificCoastNews

For the same gala, Courtney Love chose an absolutely spectacular Givenchy Couture gown with a plunging neckline and a sheer tulle-and-feather skirt.
Photo: © Francois Durand/Getty Images Europe

Beyoncé wore Givenchy for her video for her single Run The World (Girls)

As for me, Ricardo Tisci would be a great choice. I have been a big fan of his creations for a long time. He will surely infuse more gothic appeal to Dior but that doesn’t need to be bad, doesn’t it? And when Tisci leaves Givenchy, Haider Ackermann could succeed. I think I like that idea very much!

LoL, Sandra

Starting from today, Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, is on view until July 31, 2011 at the Metropolitan Museum’s second-floor Cantor Galleries.

So if you just can’t get enough after having seen Kate Middleton’s bridal dress, that was made by Sarah Burton for the house of McQueen, you might consider a trip to NYC. The designer’s costume institute retrospective features approximately 100 ensembles and 70 accessories from the late designer’s prolific 19-year carreer with some outstanding pieces from the Givenchy Archive in Paris, custom-made items from the closet of Isabella Blow and even his graduate collection at Central St.Martins among others.

To celebrate the opening of the exhibition, the Museum’s Costume Institute Benefit took place Monday night with high-profile guests in high-profile fashion. The Met gala has anyway become over the years the fashion community’s biggest red carpet night. It was no wonder to spot some McQueen tributes to the mix.

My favourite two looks by Alexander McQueen were Gisèle Bündchen who looked so radiant in her red gown next to her husband Tom Brady…

… and Anna Dello Russo, known for her eclectic style, showed up in a pant suit from the S/S 2011 collection, divine!

As for me, the ultimate highlights were the „Stella Girls“ with Stella McCartney herself making an appearance in a black and white tuxedo gown of her own design. It was a modern, probably experimental but uncoventional look. The British designer is also a Co-Chair for the fundraising event.

The Stella McCartney parade was led by Madonna in a silky blue gown with a beautiful embroidered train. With her 50’s hair and make-up, she looked very Hollywood. Wow!

Very pregnant Kate Hudson glowed in her champagne-coloured Stella gown and long tousled hair.

This is my favourite. Gwyneth Paltrow chose to go with long sleeves which was a popular trend at the gala. So simple and absolutely stunning. The actress is good friends with the British designer.

Rihanna in a one-shoulder black lace gown, an iconic Stella look!

Adding some colour drama, Eva Mendes enhanced her complexion by wearing a cobalt blue plissé dress by Stella McCartney. So beautiful!

What a night!

LoL, Sandra

Last weekend, famous supermodel Natasha Poly, who is ranked N°2 on Models.com, got a head start on all the bridal madness when she tied the knot with Dutch businessman Peter Bakker. The beautiful Russian got married in an intimate three day ceremony at Hotel Byblos in St.Tropez.

Riccardo Tisci, Creative Director of Givenchy, had the honour of dressing the bride for her big day and Leona Lewis gave a private concert for the 200 guests. I especially loved the lace sleeves and Natasha’s romantic hair style with white flowers accentuating her blonde waves.

Lara Stone, who is by the way the N°1 ranked model on Models.com had also worn a custom Givenchy bride dress last year at her wedding. And we will never forget how gorgeous Audrey Hepburn looked in Hubert de Givenchy’s bridal creation for the movie Funny Face in 1957…

LoL, Sandra

Red-hot and purple gowns, sequined body-conscious dresses along with screen-siren hair and beautiful high jewelry pieces. The 83rd Academy Awards 2011 last night in Los Angeles were once more all about glamour and drama.

See the styles and trends that celebrities like Cate Blanchett, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sandra Bullock and more wore on Hollywood’s ultimate night.

My Fashion Oscar: Cate Blanchett in Givenchy Haute Couture S/S 2011

The winning actress in a leading role was highly pregnant Natalie Portman who looked so radiant in her burgundy Rodarte gown in „Black Swan“.
The winning actor in a leading role was Colin Firth in „The King’s Speech“ that also won in the categories „Directing“ and „Best Picture“.

Enjoy the photos from last night!

LoL, Sandra

Last week, it was Haute Couture S/S 2011 Fashion Week in Paris. This is always a feast for the eyes and one designer definitely caught my eye: Dilek Hanif.

Dilek Hanif

Major player on the Turkish fashion scene, Dilek Hanif transmits a new sense of contemporary luxury in her designs. She lives and works in Istanbul where she started her own line in 1990 including Haute Couture and ready-to-wear collections. Since 2004, she became admitted on the official Paris Haute Couture calendar.

Gorgeous embroideries (all handstitched in her local atelier) on silk, lace, organza and chiffon are among her favourites. She also has a special love for drapings and for fluid, structured interplays.

What I like about her creations is the contemporary and modern approach to couture. For further enquiries, please contact the atelier at .

LoL, Sandra

Thursday night in New York City, Sofia Coppola, Andie MacDowell, Emma Roberts, Anna Sui, Tory Burch and Alexander Wang, among other guests, came out to celebrate the collaboration of the Lanvin for H&M collection and to enjoy show stopping designs by famed Lanvin artistic director, Alber Elbaz, at The Pierre hotel.
The haute couture creations, which were customized pieces from the Lanvin for H&M collection, made their way down the catwalk with the help of famed models Asia Chow, Pixie Geldof, Dree Hemnigway and Anna dello Russo.

The looks from the haute couture show along with five original sketches from Alber Elbaz went up for auction on www.lanvinforhm.com. All proceeds will be donated to UNICEF. The online auction will end on November 26th at midnight CET.
I especially adore the sketches.

Below you can see some photos from this amazing night (Photos: Courtesy of H&M).

LoL, Sandra

Sofia Coppola and Anna Sui

Elettra Wiedemann and Tory Burch

Emma Roberts

Patrick Demarchelier and Andie MacDowell

Anna dello Russo