Sandra‘s Closet

Finally I can reveal the exciting news: I am flying to New York tomorrow morning to walk the runway myself during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.

Polyvore and Covergirl have teamed up for an amazing fashion show to present the collections of four up and coming FIT graduates. “Prominent fashion bloggers” will walk the catwalk and I am so excited to be among them. The Polyvore Live runway show also will stream live on Polyvore.com, offering virtual access to more than 13 million people across the globe.

Here are the four FIT alumni designers that were selected by Polyvore and FIT’s Alumni Affairs:

1 – Lauren Bagliore received a BS in Fashion Merchandising Management in 2005, after which she worked at Vivienne Westwood, Zac Posen, Libertine, Tod’s, and Paul Hardy. Bagliore recently established her own clothing line, Lauren Bagliore Design House. Her designs are noted for their draping and unique combination of edgy yet wearable sensibilities.

2 - Vengsarkar Budhu received a BFA in Fashion Design in 2006. Specializing in eveningwear, he was selected by Reem Acra as the critic award winner for special occasion wear in FIT’s annual BFA Fashion Show. Budhu has started his own eveningwear label, GAVASKAR.

3 – Sergio Guadarrama received a BFA in Fashion Design in 2008. While still a student, he launched his label, Celestino. In 2008, he won “The Best in Class – Execution” in the FIT Supima Design Competition. In 2010, he served as a critic for the annual FIT BFA Fashion Show, along with a group of designers that included Calvin Klein and Carolina Herrera.
Sergio is known for his uncanny ability to create season-less eveningwear and has crafted gowns for the Metropolitan Opera.

4 -Dana-Maxx Pomerantz received a BFA in Fashion Design in 2005. After working for Betsey Johnson and Marc Jacobs, she established her eponymous clothing line, Dana-Maxx. She was selected as one of Women’s Wear Daily’s “Hot New Designers” and was featured on ELLE Magazine Creative Director Joe Zee’s hit television show, All on the Line.

Stay tuned for many exciting posts from New York Fashion Week!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Polyvore

The most exciting part of my trip to Paris was the launch event for the “Mary Katrantzou for Longchamp” collection at the famous concept store Colette. As you know, I am a huge fan of Mary and her designs. Her talent is truly outstanding and I was so happy to see her again. (For a previous post, please click here.)

Below you see the text from the official press release. Can you imagine how honoured I felt to be mentioned in the same breath with Emmanuelle Alt,  Suzy Menkes or Glenda Bailey.

Please enjoy the photos of the evening and have a look at those beautifully printed bags:

For this occasion, the facade of the famous colette concept store was spectacularly covered with one of the exclusive prints from the “Mary Katrantzou for Longchamp” collection. It will stay like this one week.

Sweet Mary Katrantzou with me wearing (of course!) Mary Katrantzou

A unique “Mary Katrantzou for Longchamp” Le Pliage bag, 1 meter high and 2,5 meter large, was exposed in the interior courtyard.

The bags on display.

Love this tote bag with the poetic digital “Lanterne” print, €320.

The “Aquarium” print on the tote bag , €350, is awesome. The little pouch, € 55, to the right is already in my closet as each guest got it as a gift. Thank you so much!

The bottles of champagne served were all printed with the colours of Mary’s inspirational theme “When East meets West” for this new collection.

Some pieces of Mary’s must-have S/S 2012 collection were already on display. I am crazy for those dresses! Flower prints and underwater world inspired themes are huge fashion trends for the season.

Mary’s ultimate accolade: Fashion’s most powerful ladies all came to see her designs.

Suzy Menkes, Mary Katrantzou and Sophie Delafontaine, Artistic Director of the Longchamp House

Jean Cassegrain, Owner of Longchamp with Glenda Bailey, editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar US and Mary Katrantzou.

Mary, you can be so proud of yourself!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Longchamp and © Sandra Bauknecht

Last week, I went to the presentation of the 15th annabelle Prix de Beauté which was held at the Dolder Grand in Zurich. The presentation could be best described as the “Swiss Beauty Oscars”. I felt very honoured because I was asked to be in the jury.

The highly coveted “Anna” trophy.

My task? Test 100 beauty products in the category facial care. No problem at all!

For my Swiss based readers: All the winners of the different categories will be published in the annabelle 04-2012 magazine which will be available starting February 22, 2012. From March 2-17, 2012 all the awarded products will be displayed at Manor in Zurich.

Some of the winners were already featured on Sandra’s Closet such as the Diorskin Forever Foundation or the Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator by Estée Lauder.

Below you can see what I wore to the event. I hope that you will like it.

LoL, Sandra

My look: Bouclé-tweed mini dress by Alexander McQueen (40% off on sale), lace-appliquéd mesh knee boots by Valentino (70% off on sale), pearl necklace by Lanvin, lace-print bag by Prada (from a previous season) and Lady Exalibur watch by Roger Dubuis.

Photos: ©Sandra Bauknecht

At the moment, I am in Paris for many exciting events and I have so much to show you. Let me get you started with this:

Welcome to Prada’s “24 h Museum“, designed by Francesco Vezzoli with AMO, Rem Koolhaas‘ think tank. It has been open in Paris for 24 hours only, from yesterday till today in the historic Palais d’Iéna, the building designed by Auguste Perret between 1936 and 1946, today home of CESE (Conseil Economique, Social et Environnemental), the French ‘third Chamber’.

Miuccia Prada & Francesco Vezzoli

AMO’s installation for the “24 h Museum“ is divided in three sections, each inspired by a particular type of museum space: historic, contemporary and forgotten. The three sections are instrument to the sequence of events that take place during 24 hours in different areas of the ground floor of the Palais d’Iéna. The central space is a large metal cage made from grills and neon lights that encloses the work by Francesco Vezzoli.

In the three sections – historic, contemporary and forgotten – Vezzoli is creating a “non-existent museum“ where he shows his personal tribute to the eternal allure of femininity through interpretations of classical sculptures that make reference to contemporary divas.

At the top of the stairway, epicentre of the building, Vezzoli is placing a majestic sculpture of a female, reinterpreted with the features of a mysterious goddess. Vezzoli’s vision is of a museum that exists for just 24 hours and which is also a celebration of a collective rite that mixes visitors, red-carpet, Oedipus’ complex and night visions.

Yesterday night, the museum turned into a disco-club where I spotted Kate Moss who was djing and Dita von Teese who was rushing through the exhibition. Different events will be following the next few hours.

LoL, Sandra

Kate Moss

Don’t we just love Caroline Issa’s Prada earrings?!

A very special moment: A happy Anna Wintour with Jonathan Newhouse and Franca Sozzani.

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht, Courtesy of Prada

IWC Schaffhausen’s gala event under the motto “TOP GUN” was the absolute culmination of this year’s SIHH (Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie).What a night! 

“Our aim this evening was to create an emotional experience for our guests, based on the story of our Pilot’s Watches: a story that started in 1936 with the Special Pilot’s Watch and has been part of IWC Schaffhausen’s DNA ever since,” said IWC CEO Georges Kern.

Many A-list Hollywood celebrities followed his invitation to celebrate the launch of the brand’s new Pilot’s Watch collection.

In the presence of celebrities like Cate Blanchett, Jean Reno, Ewan McGregor, Ronan Keating, sporting legends Boris Becker, Luís Figo and Zinédine Zidane, German actors Herbert Knaup, Thomas Heintze and Moritz Bleibtreu as well as top model Adriana Lima, I enjoyed an unforgettable gala evening in a stunningly decorated Palexpo Exhibition Hall rounded off with a performance from the legendary Bryan Ferry. And not only actor Ewan McGregor was entranced by Adriana Lima’s stunning long legs… (see photo below).

From left to right: Ronan Keating, Herbert Knaup, Ewan McGregor, Sebastian Koch, Marc Forster, Thomas Heinze, Adriana Lima, the evening’s host IWC CEO Georges Kern, Boris Becker and Moritz Bleibtreu (Photos: Photopress/Getty Images).

My look: Sequined dress with feathers by Matthew Williamson, oversized clutch by Miu Miu, python sandals by Gucci and earrings by Louis Vuitton.

Actor Ewan McGregor with me

Two Brazilians getting along very well…

Supermodel Adriana Lima and author Paulo Coelho

Adriana Lima with me (Photo: Maren Krass)

Cate Blanchett

Jean Reno and Rosamunde Pike

Jean Reno with me

Bryan Ferry on stage

Lily Becker

Tim Jeffries

German Actor Moritz Bleibtreu with me

Dancing all night… here with Italian blogger Filippo Fiora (Photo: Filippo Fiora)

If you are interested to see the photos from IWC’s SIHH 2011 gala event “A Night in Portofino”, click here for the previous post.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Every year, IWC Schaffhausen is lauded at SIHH (the Salon International de l’Haute Horlogerie in Geneva), for having the biggest and most spectacular booth. Remember last year’s Portofino theme which was truly amazing? (If not, please click here.)

This year is no different. The booth turned out even more spectacular than ever before, designed to look and feel like a US Aircraft Carrier. The highlight was a spectacular, real-life flight simulator in the body of a real fighter jet.

No wonder that many celebrities came to see the booth and to explore the newest collection of Pilot’s watches.

Please enjoy my photos below!

LoL, Sandra

German actor Sebastian Koch listening carefully to his “flight instructions”

Singer Ronan Keating with me

Famous actor Ewan McGregor (Star Wars prequel trilogy, Trainspotting, Moulin Rouge)

CEO of IWC, Georges Kern, with his wife Monika Kern and Ewan McGregor

Gorgeous Victoria Secret supermodel Adriana Lima…

…had a lot of fun.

From left to right: Ewan McGregor, Ronan Keating, Marc Forster and Georges Kern.

What have those gentlemen in common?

They all wear IWC watches.

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

The 69th Annual Golden Globes awards took place in Beverley Hills last night and for us it is a pleasure to see who wore which designer. Unfortunately, Madonna (in Reem Acra), Kelly Osbourne (in Zac Posen) and Sarah Michelle Gellar (in Monique Lhuillier) are NOT on my best dressed list. Please see who is below!

Angelina Jolie in Atelier Versace

Elle MacPherson in a stunning gown by Zac Posen

Nicole Kidman in Versace

Zooey Deschanel in Custom Prada

Kate Beckinsale in Roberto Cavalli

Charlize Theron in Dior Couture

Natalie Portman in Lanvin

Evan Rachel Wood in a stunning Gucci Première gown.

The award for cuteness goes definitely to the dog from the “The Artist”. The movie that won BEST PICTURE. He was the top dog and certainly stole the show…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Getty Images, © WireImages, @ AP

Yesterday in Milan, Paul Surridge, Creative Director of Z Zegna, did the final fitting with Anna Dello Russo for ‘The Eyes of Anna Dello Russo’ project. Here is your exclusive preview! Enjoy!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Z Zegna

For me as a blogger, it is so interesting to observe the recent forays of many fashion houses into social media, such as this new extraordinary project: On January 16th 2012 at 3pm (CET), Zegna Facebook fans can experience the Z Zegna F/W 2012 men fashion show live through the eyes of fashion icon Anna Dello Russo.

The moodboard on Zegna’s facebook wall

Her arrival, her moments backstage with Z Zegna’s new Creative Director Paul Surridge, and her savvy commentary before, during and after the Z Zegna show will be live streamed by two assistants who will be armed with a special application developed for iPhone. Anna Dello Russo, who will be dressed in a Z Zegna suit specially designed for her, will have a dedicated tab on the Facebook page and fans can see the runway show live streamed “Beyond the Catwalk” experience through the eyes of fashion icon Anna Dello Russo. An exclusive video of the fittings will follow right after fashion week.

This is your chance to experience in real-time the excitement of the fashion show through the eyes of one of the most famous international stylist and fashion blogger, Anna dello Russo once described as ‘a fashion maniac’ by Helmut Newton.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Via models.com and Zegna

Greetings from LuisaViaRoma Firenze4Ever’s Pink Carpet party! As you can see, I am still so excited about my pink Céline python Box bag.

My look: Alfonsa stretch-twill and tulle all-in-one by Stella McCartney, studded suede platform sandals by Yves Saint Laurent, pink Box bag by Céline

LoL, Sandra

From left to right: Kelly from Bagsnob, me, Zarko from Design Scene, “Rihanna”, Hilary and Sian from Lyst.
Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht