Glamorous with a Touch of Gold

If there’s one night to go all out and turn on the flash, it’s undoubtedly New Year’s Eve. But some of us are challenged throughout the whole festive season with specific dress code for special parties. Personally speaking, I will attend the 8th annual ASW Winter Weekend Mid December at the fabulous Gstaad Palace in Switzerland and for Friday night’s dinner «La Vie en Or» the dress code says asks for «glamorous, with a touch of gold». This is great! I love any reason to wear sparkle, but such an occasion is the perfect time to shine. And gentlemen, you are in this, too!

«Golden Girl» or just a little golden accessory – you decide how much you would like to shine.

From full-on sequin dresses to just the right gold accessory, there isn’t one right way to fulfill the dress code. The golden rule is you have to feel comfortable, in every tailored sense of men’s style, is purchase clothing that fits you properly. Nothing destroys an outfit – whatever the dress code and no matter how expensive the clothes are – like an ill-fitting jacket, shirt or trousers.

In general, gold is the perfect color to lift an all-black or an all-white outfit to something glamorous and fun. Perfect for all festive occasions!

To make your life a little easier, I put together a fun guide for all budgets so that you don’t need to worry about anything and can focus entirely on celebrating the start of the winter season in style!

HIGH END BUGDET – Full Looks

Get his look: Metallic jacquard dinner jacket by Dolce & Gabbana, shirt gold detail shirt by Comme des Garçons, turn-up hem wool-blend tailored trousers by Pradaicon, ruler cufflinks by Paul Smithicon, skull and polka dot tieicon by Alexander McQueen and leather embroidered loafersicon by Gucci.

Get her look: Racko open-back sequined cady mini dress by Rachel Zoe or wondering lace-paneled fil coupé georgette blouse by Temperley London and sequined wool mini skirt by Marc Jacobs, Anya d’Orsay metallic patent-leather pumps by Saint Laurent, Celeste sequined canvas clutch by Jimmy Choo and Roma gold-tone earrings by Annie Costello Brown.

HIGH END BUDGET – Great Accessories

Stand out with a statement headpiece with a touch of gold and be the queen of the night: embellished satin headband by Dolce & Gabbana.

Lifting every basic look to new heights: Candy box by Jimmy Choo.

LOW BUDGET – A touch of Gold

If you don’t want to spend a lot of money on your outfit, I recommend getting some fabric with golden sequins. Those accessories will have a great effect on your outfit and can be combined with all sorts of colors. Moreover they are less expected than some golden shoes or a handbag. I still love the mixture between gold and black the best.

You don’t need to be an expert in tailoring to do some cuffs or a belt. If you get a stretchy material, you can even glue it together instead of sewing it. In case you are to lazy for some DIY, you can order them directly here:

Cuffs with gold sequins

Sequined belt

The perfect touch of gold for a man: the right colored pocket square.

LOW BUDGET – Taking the Dress Code Literally up a Notch

Zara has some cool pieces in gold. Minimal investment for a maximum effect.

Be the star of the night: golden bomber jacket for men by Zara.

The perfect touch of gold for women and great for dancing: shorts in gold combined with a black top by Zara.

And don’t forget… you want to start the New Year with something new for good luck, it’s a great excuse to add a new piece to your wardrobe.

Happy Shopping! And I am looking forward to seeing some of you in Gstaad…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands, Gstaad Palace and © Sandra Bauknecht

At the Tom Ford F/W 2015 Show in L.A.

Tom Ford Show FW2015 Cover

Last week, I flew back to Los Angeles for a week filled with amazing experiences, events and more. Friday night before the Oscars, there was no hotter ticket in town than the Tom Ford show and I was completely excited to attend. There was so much “show” around the actual show as Hollywood’s A-list came to join the designer for his first fashion runway presentation ever held on the West Coast. The catwalk was drenched in real white rose petals that also fell from the ceiling during the show.

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I’m showing to a room full of entertainers,” Ford said postshow. “I’d better give them some showmanship. I thought, It never snows in Los Angeles. Let’s make it snow rose petals.

The clothes were different from his previous collections. More subtle and less obviously sexy, a very interesting vibe. I truly adored the looks reminiscent of the ’70s. Bohemian patchwork, denim, gorgeous fringes, gowns and lots of fur.

Enjoy all my photos of this amazing night, see who was there and which celeb wore the same dress like me.

LoL, Sandra

Net-a-porter Team-Sandra Bauknecht

My fabulous London girlfriends from Net-à-Porter.

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Scarlett Johansson wore the same python dress like me. Funny coincidence.

Scarlett Johansson

Nicole Ritchie

Nicole Ritchie

Sandra Bauknecht-Amber Valetta and Nicole Richie

Amber Valetta and Nicole Ritchie

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley & Jason Statham-Sandra Bauknecht

Gorgeous couple: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Jason Statham

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Reese Witherspoon

Sandra Bauknecht and Gwyneth Paltrow

Gwyneth Paltrow

Miley-Cyrus

Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus-Sandra Bauknecht

J Lo at Tf

Jennifer Lopez

Rita Ora-Sandra Bauknecht

Rita Ora with me

Naomi at TF

Naomi Campbell

Brian Atwood _Sandra Bauknecht

Brian Atwood

Amy adams at TF Show

Amy Adams

Sandra bauknecht and Rachel Zoe

Rachel Zoe with me

Julianne Moore TF

Julianne Moore

Robbie Williams-Sandra Bauknecht

Robbie Williams

Beyoncé Jay Z

Jay Z with Beyoncé

Elton John-Sandra Bauknecht

Elton John with me

Sandra Bauknecht and Anna Wintour

Anna Wintour with me

Scarlett-Amy

Front row at Tf 4

What a front row!

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Raining rose petals 3

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Front row 2

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TOm Ford FW15

TF FW15 -2

Tom Ford Show FW15-2

Raining rose petals

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Front Row TF

Raining rose petals at TF

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Tom Ford FW15 Finale

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht, Dimitrios Kambouris, Getty Images for Tom Ford, Michael Buckner, Getty Images for Tom Ford

At the Louis Vuitton S/S 2013 Show

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On Wednesday morning, I went to Louis Vuitton‘s S/S 2013 show that was as energizing and different as it was brief because the models walked out in pairs like twins. The setting was once more very special: Four escalators formed the fundamental structure of the presentation inspired by Les Deux Plateaux, a famous installation piece in the Palais Royal by the artist Daniel Buren with columns arranged in a grid.

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LV_SS2013_Statement makers

The collection was very graphic and structured which had I expected after having seen Marc Jacobs’ signature line where minimalistic stripes ruled the runway (for more information, please click here). For Louis Vuitton, the designer went for ’60s silhouettes, gigantic checks and floral embroideries stitched in mini-squares. Even the house’s iconic Speedy bag got cubed, too.

It was the first ever Louis Vuitton collection not to make use of the Monogram. Instead, the Damier pattern provided the house’s signature.

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A fundamental duality underpinned the collection, Marc Jacobs used always two colors, shiny and matt textures. He had the image of two very different French icons of the ’60s, Françoise Hardy and Jane Birkin, in mind when creating the collection: Hardy always very covered up, Birkin always revealing plenty of flesh, but both always in long, simple clothes. To reinforce these oppositions, the collection was presented on models in pairs.

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For a finale, the models streamed down the four escalators very futuristically like an army of Louis Vuitton cult followers to the music from the opera “Einstein on The Beach” by Philip Glass. The show was different, especially compared to the excesses of last season and also optimistic as the sunshine yellow enlightened the room.

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Marc Jacobs almost jumped down the escalator while the audience applauded.

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Front row: Delfina Delettrez-Fendi, Natalia Vodianova, Antoine Arnault and Poppy Delevingne

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Rachel Zoe and husband Roger Berman

Enjoy your weekend!

LoL, Sandra

Photos used for the collages: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton, all other photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

The Met Gala – Inside the Party of the Year

Met Gala 2012

The Met Gala is the party of the year, like the Oscars in fashion. It is also the opening night of the annual fashion exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. After last year’s posthumous Alexander McQueen retrospective “Savage Beauty”, the “Schiaparelli & Prada – Impossible Conversations is now on show.

With the met gala being one of the biggest red carpet events, it is quite a task narrowing down the many fabulous gowns to choose my absolute favourites. The ones in the collage above are on my best-dressed list, with the following three being at the top:

Gwyneth

Dreamlike: Gwyneth Paltrow in Prada

Gywneth P

…with beautiful jewels by Anna Hu

Banks

A piece of art: Elizabeth Banks in Mary Katrantzou F/W 2012

Tisch

Soulmate: Lizzy Tisch in Mary Katranzou‘s stunning Harp Hazzard dress from S/S 2012

But it wouldn’t be fun if I didn’t point out the more questionable fashion moments or let’s say to show you the most daring appearances. Enjoy!

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Bird of Paradise: Florence Welch in Alexander McQueen

Meester

Too much bronzer: Leighton Meester in Marchesa

MarcJacobsLace

Scene-stealer: Marc Jacobs in Comme des Garçons with Lorenzo Martone

BMet

Booty Call: Beyoncé in Givenchy Haute Couture

Karolina & Rachel

Unlikely couple: Karolina Kourkova with tiny Rachel Zoe, the designer of her space-like gown

Giovanna

The new Anna? Giovanna Battaglia in Dolce & Gabbana with Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld

anja

The Jolie-leg effect: Anja Rubik in a scary hip-slit gown by Anthony Vaccarello

MaryKate Olsen

Daughter of Daphne Guiness? Mary-Kate Olsen in The Row

Which one is your favourite or which one don’t you like at all? You can comment on Sandra’s Closet’s facebook page here.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Getty Images and © Rex Features

Merry Christmas to All

Merry Christmas to all

May your world be filled with warmth and good cheer this Holy season, and throughout the
 year. Hopefully Santa will be
 extra good to you! Merry Christmas to all of you who celebrate that holiday!

In case that you are in the mood for a treat for yourself, have a look at this stunning look, perfect for the festive season:

Nico cocktail dress by Rachel Zoe (€255) – a great price for an amazing dress

Tribtoo cap toe pumps by Yves Saint Laurent (€505) – just one word: divine

Valorie glitter-finish leather clutch by Anya Hindmarch (€410) – adds glamour to every outfit
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LoL, Sandra

Louis Vuitton S/S 2012: Carrousel of Pastels

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Most of you know that I am a Louis Vuitton aficionado. Therefore I am always looking forward to the LV show that with its beautiful stunning decor surprises each season. Yesterday, it was a gigantic carrousel with models riding on it in pastel-coloured clothes, leaving quite another impression after Marc’s fetish-like creations for F/W 2011.

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The S/S 2012 collection is sweet, full of rich details and materials, from matte crocodile jackets, coats and skirts to laser-cut tops and 3-D floral embellishments and plastic paillettes. I am completely taken by the tweed fabrics that are adorned with marabou feathers. The craftmanship that went into this collection is truly outstanding.

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The last look was presented by Kate Moss, same as last season. But instead having her smoke on the runway in hot pants, she appeared in a light white floral dress like an innocent bride. I was wondering if she might be pregnant. Rumours are going around those days, same as the fashion crowd is wondering if Marc Jacobs will leave for Dior. The Louis Vuitton S/S 2012 collection looked like a slight approach. Let’s see in which direction fashion’s merry-go-round will be turning…

Below you can see some photos of the front row action!

LoL, Sandra

LV123Caroline Sieber, Claire Courtin Clarins, Antoine Arnault, Virginie Courtin Clarins

LV124Dasha Zhukova, Julia Restoin-Roitfeld, Carine Roitfeld, Marie-Amélie Sauvé, Rachel Zoe, Nicole Richie, Joel Madden, Peter Marino

LV105Natalia Vodianova, Uma Thurman

LV106Best friends: Marc Jacobs and Kate Moss

LV112Alexa Chung in a Louis Vuitton dress from the F/W 2011 collection.

Make-up, Tea and L.A. Dar(jee)lings

Tea Time

The house I am renting in Beverly Hills is in a pretty fancy neighbourhood with Russell Crowe living just around the corner in Tom Cruise`s former mansion. No wonder, Christopher Bailey, Burberry chief creative officer, chose the area above Sunset to host an English tea party with L.A. dar(jee)lings such as Rachel Zoe, Lake Bell, Serena Williams and Kate Bosworth to promote his new make-up line.

Between cucumber sandwiches and little tarts, Kate Bosworth looked the most tasty in her sophisticated nude lace dress by (what a surprise) Burberry Prorsum. I loved how she gave her elegant look an edgy twist with that cool leather belt. This dress takes fall`s lace trend to new heights, available at matches and mytheresa for approximately £1895.-/ $3070.-/ €2395.-.

Have I whetted your appetite?

LoL, Sandra