Sandra‘s Closet

As previously reported on Sunday, Chanel’s Resort 2013 collection was set in the gardens of Versailles and leave it to Karl Lagerfeld to one-up himself with his latest designs.

In keeping with the show’s setting, the outfits, mostly pastel-coloured, were reminiscent of the Marie Antoinette era. But it is a collection that strikes a fun balance between Louis XVI-era costume design and a decidedly 21st century modernity.

The voluminous white skirts almost looked like fondant, with ruffles in sugary blues and pinks. Brocade-infused one-piece swimsuits, floral-sleeve frocks, gold-embroidered denim vests, and sheer ruffled skirts, will surely be among Chanel’s new season bestsellers.

The Boy Bag is still the must-have bag and was re-invented in different versions. Many models wore platform sneakers to their skirts which gave the looks a modern twist.

The models wore cute wigs tied back with large bows (like a copy of Karl Lagerfeld’s own hairdo) and pink eye shadow and tiny interlocking Cs beneath their eyes, like teardrop tattoos. This totally inspired me for a new sort of beauty mark!

And the buffet after the show reminded me a little of the beautiful setting at the Paris-Bombay show last December.

Are you ready now to see some of the chicest Chanel Resort 2013 looks? Here you go!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Getty Images

Tomorrow, May 14, “Kaiser Karl” will reign over the world of fashion once more. Lagerfeld will show his Resort 2013 collection for Chanel at Versailles. Of course, it will be a big production, but all details are still under wraps. Past Chanel Resort shows have been presented at the Lido in Venice (Resort 2010), and one of my favourites, in St. Tropez (Resort 2011). Their locations usually bewray the inspiration for the collection.

Versailles was the famous place where the French royal family ruled in extravagance for 100 years before the French Revolution. What does come to your mind? As for me, I could only think of excess, rich fabrics, opulence.

 I am truly curious what Karl Lagerfeld has been thinking of.  If anyone is up to the task to pay tribute to Marie Antoinette or to revive those decadent moments in time, it is definitely him. I am sure that he will surprise us as the setting has to be different from his S/S 2011 Chanel show that was based on Versailles’s extensive gardens (see above).

If you look in fashion history, this won’t be the first time Versailles has been used for a show.

In 2007, John Galliano rented out the palace for a huge spectacle - Dior’s 60th anniversary couture show.

In 1973, five upcoming US-designers, Anne Klein, Stephen Burrows, Halston, Bill Blass, and Oscar de la Renta faced off against French couturiers Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Hubert de Givenchy, Pierre Cardin, and Emanuel Ungaro in a runway spectacle that became known as the Battle of Versailles.

The French designers were certain of victory, due to their long tradition and know-how. But the Americans had a secret weapon; a vibrant group of eight African-American models plus the wish to conquer the European world of fashion. And the celebrity-packed audience of 800, including a tiara-wearing Princess Grace cheered to their performance. It was that chilly night changed the face and colour of fashion forever.

There have also been numerous fashion editorials photographed at Versailles over the years.

Above:
1 Shalom Harlow by Steven Meisel for Vogue October 1994
2 Diane Krüger by Gilles Marie Zimmerman for Paris Match March 2012
3 Trish Goff by Steven Meisel for Vogue October 1994

Please enjoy this little summary of some of the most beautiful ones, along with other palace-set shoots by Karl Lagerfeld himself.

Jessica Stam and Snejana Onopka by Karl Lagerfeld for Harper’s Bazaar Romania November 2007

Gisele Bündchen by Karl Lagerfeld for Harper’s Bazaar June 2007

Vanessa Paradis by Karl Lagerfeld for Tatler Russia July 2012

Stay tuned for the photos of the Chanel Resort 2013 show.

LoL, Sandra

For the first time, there was a credit that no one has seen at a runway show before: One of Chanel’s famous Parisian ateliers, the legendary couture embroidery house Lesage, lend their skills to Peter Philips, Creative Director for Chanel Makeup, by creating the most stunning embroidered eyebrow pads for the models.

Lesage (embroidery) is along with 7 other ateliers part of Chanel’s subsidary dedicated to “Métiers d’ art”, Paraffection. These include Montex (embroidery), Desrues (costume jewelry), Lemarié (feather-maker), Maison Michel (hat-maker), Massaro (boot-maker), Goossens (goldsmith) and Guillet (fabric flowers-maker).

The emphasis of the runway makeup look is on the eyebrows by using those amazing Lesage pads which won’t be for sale unfortunately. The rest of the face is kept nude and simple.

But there are two new products that will be available in the fall that will make our hearts leap with joy. “Ombre Contraste” is a compact powder in a lavender-taupe shade, called “Notorious” specially created for this show that Peter Philips used for all the shading and sculpting of the face.

For the nails, the new It- shade will be “Frenzy”, a light taupe, which is totally colour coordinated with “Notorious”.

Here is your shopping list:
(the highlighted ones will be available this fall, the rest is in stores already):

Chanel F/W 2012 Ready-to-Wear Show
Makeup by Peter Philips

Skin prepared with HYDRA BEAUTY SERUM

The Complexion
MAT LUMIERE
POUDRE UNIVERSELLE LIBRE
ECLAT LUMIERE
CORRECTEUR PERFECTION

The Eyes
LE CRAYON KHOL « Clair » (N°69)
RECOURBE CILS DE CHANEL
Embroideries made by Maison Lesage specially for the show

The Eyes and the Cheeks
OMBRE CONTRASTE “Notorious” – Exclusive Creation available in specific point of sales in September 2012

The Lips
ROUGE COCO BAUME – Spring 2012 Collection

The Nails
LE VERNIS « Frenzy » (N°559)  – Fall 2012 Collection

Cannot wait to have “Frenzy” on my nails!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Chanel 2012, Vincent Lappartient

It was crystal clear last week in Paris that Karl Lagerfeld was once again breaking fresh ground with multi-facetted silhouettes and some unexpected pieces including a new suit: “The new three-piece, a jacket and little dress over trousers!” (This will be a huge trend for F/W 2012. Also Miuccia Prada had shown this look for Prada F/W 2012).
As well as a very long riding coat with large, rounded, sloping sleeves and the “pantacoat”, an all-in-one with legs that unzip to become a coat. Volumes are amplified by drawstrings or gathered belts, are highlighted by top-stitching – a reference to the same detail found on the Boy CHANEL handbag. There are jackets with sailor-smock collars and a fur-lined coat like the one worn by Stella Tennant at the start of the show (see photo above).

Needless to say, the decor at Chanel is always ouststanding. This time, the breathtaking ambiance was created by a brightly-lit mineral backdrop, beneath the glass roff of the Grand Palais. Giant blocks of uncut amethyst, clear rock crystal and opaque quartz erupted from a sparkling, white floor. “Nature’s the greatest designer,” said Lagerfeld to style.com, pointing at some of the more spectacular crystalline excrescences. “These shapes are millions of years old.”

The mineral rock setting extended into fabric metaphors with combinations of wool and more technical materials glinting with a subtle metallic shimmer. Subdued shades of hematite, azurite and obsidian are illuminated by a myriad of jewel-coloured splashes of sulphur, lapis-lazuli, emerald and amethyst. Stippled iridescent feathers, “softer to the touch than fur”, bring warmth to the outfits. Crystals and minerals reinterpreted in the style of Czech Cubism become prisms of gleaming vinyl.

I included some of the backstage photos for you to see the beautiful details of the clothes even better. Enjoy Chanel’s  new mineralogist silhouette!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Chanel

With the fashion week craziness and all my travelling, I am a little behind posting as I have so much to show you. Thank God, it is all about F/W 2012, so that we have plenty of time to prepare us for this season.

During New York Fashion Week, I went also to the Tommy Hilfiger F/W 2012 Women’s Show. The location and the ambiance was the same as for the men’s show but instead of little tables with chairs, there were the typical fashion show rows to be able to host more people. Among the famous guests were Uma Thurman, Elisa Sednaoui, Petra Nemcova and the Courtin-Clarins sisters.

The Courtin-Clarins sisters looking for their seats.

From left to right: Sisters Jenna and Prisca and their cousins Virginie and Claire.

Model Petra Nemcova

Enjoing the show front row: Tommy Hilfiger’s wife Dee Ocleppo, Elisa Sednaoui and Uma Thurman.

TOWN AND COUNTRY

“The women’s collection is inspired by the preppy sporting life reconsidered with city sophistication. She is as much at ease at the hunt club as she is on Park Avenue. Championing classic looks with a modern spirit, versatility is key with A-line, mod shapes in rich colours and fabrics.”

Coats are the season’s must-have. Pea coats and trench coats are renewed in printed shearling, bonded leather and Melton wool with a nod to a 60s military influence (as seen earlier at the men’s show). Menswear patterns are reinterpreted in silk dresses with riding and cable knit prints and pleated backs. Heritage colours – Burgundy, Midnight Navy and Caramel, carry throughout, as do penny loafer inspired riding boots.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Tommy Hilfiger, © Sandra Bauknecht

For Talbot Runhof’s  F/W 2012 collection, the designer duo seeked inspiration from the 1998 movie Great Expectations starring Ethan Hawke, Gwyneth Paltrow and Anne Bancroft, the latter of whom, impressed the most with her masterful performance of Nora Dinsmoor.

“Deserted on her wedding day as a young woman. Her garden still decorated and waiting in vain, in anticipation of a celebration. Covered in a verdant mélange of foliage, a daily affirmation of her life, her sadness, her passion, swirling through the decaying rooms of her home to her hymn of hope: Bésame mucho. She (Anne Bancroft as Nora Dinsmoor) was the inspiration for our F/W 2012 collection!“

Talbot Runhof is the German red carpet label worn by A-listers all over the world. Famous celebrities such as Angelina Jolie or Halle Berry have been spotted in their elegant and feminine designs. Today, their creations are sold in the best stores worldwide, among them Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus.

The success story started in 1991 when Johnny Talbot and Adrian Runhof met in Munich. Discovering their mutual passion for fashion they decided to join forces and began designing collections together under the label All about Eve. In the year 2000 the brand was renamed Talbot Runhof. They both share interesting and unusual backgrounds:

Johnny with me backstage before the show

Johnny Talbot, born 1964 in Nashville Tennessee, USA, studied electrical engineering and worked as systems manager for the U.S. government before he decided to become a fashion designer.

Adrian giving an interview before the show

Adrian Runhof, born 1963 in Mainz, Germany, studied business administration after growing up in a family of fashion producers and retailers and worked every since in the fashion business.

Before the show, I went backstage, so please enjoy the photos.

The collection is all about green: From ivy to oak, from acorn to gingko, birch to maple. Colour nuances of chartreuse to olive, emerald to evergreen, turquoise to jade, moss to bronze.

Famous MAC makeup artist Romero Jennings at work creating the feminine, elegant makeup look in a gorgeous green colour palette.

Me front row at the show

Among my favourites are the stretch suede skin tight leggings and the evening gowns of net lace, hologram sequins combined with layers of chiffon. Leaf applications adorn necklines, tops and dresses. Tweed appears soft and luxurious.

Accessories include booties, booty sandals, platform pumps, or peep-toes of tweed and of printed satin. Matching baguette clutches of velvet, tweed, printed satin embroidered with metallic borders, leaf motives, patchwork belts of matt shiny nappa.

And now enjoy the show! Talbot Runhof have fulfilled the great expectations, haven’t they?!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

My last show for the F/W 2012 season was Miu Miu yesterday.

Imagine Austin Powers and the dandy style, add some late sixties and very early seventies and the outcome would be Miuccia Prada’s moodboard for her Miu Miu F/W 2012 collection. The pants worn cropped played a major role as already seen at Prada. It seemed like she had an obsession with them. Just in the end of the show, some short dresses with lots of embellishments appeared on the runway. I loved it, it was a fresh and different approach to the winter season and her colour combinations were absolutely gorgeous.

And do you know who else I spotted? Marc Jacobs who just had presented his F/W 2012 collection for Louis Vuitton earlier in the morning, was sitting front row and congratulated Miuccia later on her designs. Yes, she nailed it again as the matching-print pantsuit is a must for the next season! And Miu Miu will definitely be on my shopping list!

Enjoy the photos of the show and see which famous blue-haired singer was there below:

The blue-haired celebrity I was talking about was Katy Perry who came to the Miu Miu show in head-to-toe Prada.

When she saw her friend, American actress, Kate Mara, all dressed in Miu Miu, she seemed to compare their looks. I thought that it was pretty funny to watch.

Below you can see Anna dello Russo wearing the famous Miu Miu sunglasses.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Yesterday morning in Paris, I attended the Louis Vuitton F/W 2012 show which was the best I have ever seen (It even topped Chanel’s Paris – Bombay…).

When I arrived, I found myself inside a 1920’s inspired train station with a huge Louis Vuitton station clock hanging from the ceiling. And what looked like the runway in the middle, was actually something else…

The show started on time as usual and a gigantic gate opened, there was steam. All of a sudden, I saw rails…

…and an amazing old-fashioned train with a lot of steam rolled inside the hall. The crowd cheered and applauded. Believe me, it takes something to charm the fashionable audience.

Inside the wagon, the models were seated. You could already see the gigantic hats. The ambiance reminded me immediately of the Titanic era. The ladies looked like belonging to the upper class de-boarding the “Vuitton Express”.

THE BAGS

Each lady had a her own porter helping her to carry the oversized bags which were absolutely divine. Hat boxes, vanity cases, weekend bags and petites valises all make an appearance for everyday use. The traditional canvas Monogram finds itself trimmed in real crocodile or embroidered in sequins on a blanket wool, trimmed with box calf. The Speedy has an intense reworking this season, based on and featuring a round signature buckle.

Mink makes its way into Vuitton baggage, utilising vibrant colours to accompany its rich, sumptuous texture.

THE LOOKS

Marc Jacobs played with proportions and this collection seems to be for the tall ones among you. It is all about elongation. The clothing is layered in rich, sumptuous fabrics; long skirts over cigarette pants, long coats over all, each look topped by a tall hat. There is a certain, simple geometry to this elongation, an extended A-line to engulf the entire body.

The normal sized porters seemed tiny in comparison to the tall models. Marc Jacobs did it on purpose to reinforce the point of his towering female silhouette; the men are merely added accessories.

The materials are rich, from kangaroo leather that is patch-worked and bejewelled with plastics to heavy metal yarns replicating Afghan blanket fabrics and brocades and jacquards.

I loved Marc’s thinking about the company’s nineteenth-century origins and travel heritage. Can you believe that he started Louis Vuitton’s Prêt-à-porter collection fifteen years ago… time flies!

Marc after the show in the train

The “Vuitton Express” from inside

Me in front of the train

Bryan Boy with me, isn’t his Jil Sander hat too cute?!

Anna dello Russo

Famous guest: Sarah Jessica Parker

Another reason for my enthusiasm for this amazing, outstanding Louis Vuitton F/W 2012 show might be that it reminded me so much of a collection inspired by the Titanic era that I created during my fashion design studies.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Here are finally the photos of the Polyvore Live Runway Show presented by Covergirl during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in NYC that was only modelled by bloggers. It was such an amazing experience to meet all the other bloggers and to be on the catwalk myself. The minute I spotted style icon Giovanna Battaglia front row, my heart beat went up immediately!

For more information on the four designers, I recommend my previous post by clicking here.

The show started off with the elegant, very feminine designs of Vengsarkar Budhu for his label Gavaskar. Lace dresses and floral prints in white and red were the highlights on the runway. In a recent interview, the New York based designer said: “Passion is the only element that keeps me going everyday because I know I was born to design. You have to believe in yourself, your work and never give up.”

I was so honoured to present the final look for Lauren Bagliore. Her edgy designs are absolutely amazing. The so-called Teofilia dress on me can be worn in many different ways. This is her signature: She is the ultimate draper by using fabrics that just fall in the right way and that can be tied easily for a new look. Her eclectic pieces are tailored to make women feel sexy and fierce.

Sweet Lauren told me that her S/S 2012 collection titled “Le Strade della Decostruzione” was inspired by her recent trip around the world in literally 30 days.

We really experienced the daily life of a model with not even five minutes time to get changed into the new outfit and to get a different hairdo for the very romantic vintage-inspired collection by Dana-Maxx. I absolutely adore her designs and was so happy to wear the red chiffon Eliza “La Costa” dress.

The lovely redhead told me that her beautiful S/S 2012 collection was inspired by the vibrant colors and beautiful floral architecture seen in Barcelona, Spain.

The last designer on the Polyvore Live catwalk was Sergio Guardarrama and his Celestino collection. His S/S 2012 collection was inspired by porcelain dolls. Sergio wanted to take women back to a time when anything was possible, to make them feel youthful and beautiful. He absolutely succeeded and came up with a chic couture-like collection.

Here are some photos of the front row guests:

Giovanna Battaglia

Riccardo Pozzoli, Angelo Tropea, and Chiara Ferragni of the Blonde Salad

Stephanie Horton, Head of Global Communications, SHOPBOP and Megan Salt, Director of Communications, VOGUE

And here is the video of the show, enjoy!

Stay tuned for a backstage post to follow…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Polyvore, © Anna Webber

My Gucci adventure started on Wednesday with the F/W 2012 show in Milan. Just one word. Amazing! Frida Giannini created a dark glamour, opulent looks that were sensual and sophisticated at once, recalling the Victorian era mixed with a certain vampire allure. She even used masculine accents such as oversized shoulders and military-style coats and capes. Her very dark vision might be a welcome change after all the vibrant colour-blocking of the last seasons.

„This is modern-day romanticism. A dramatic sensuality, a dark glamour. With subtle tones of provocative intellect.“

– Frida Giannini

The materials were rich. Opulent brocade, devoré velvet and floral prints on jacquard fabrics plus beautiful 3-D embroideries on the long flowing evening gowns. Exotic animal prints on silk looked great on the runway. My favourite were the pieces that were made completely out of beautiful shimmering dark green feathers.

Colours are dark, black paired with green in different shades, plum tones and burgundy.

The accessories had a lot of equestrian references. The new Stirrup bag, roomy as well as classy, has a revisited metallic spur closure (mark it on your F/W 2012 wish list, a season’s must).

Footwear is either flat (those crocodile boots, OMG!) and masculine or slipper-like with a sharp high heel.

I am a big Gucci fan and this collection has just made me love it even a little bit more…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Gucci