Sandra‘s Closet

One more look from the Maldives. I just love this. The colors blend in so nicely with the beautiful island that is the postcard perfect backdrop.

My look: Ascu cropped open-back one-shoulder ribbed linen-blend top by Jacquemus, crystal-embellished stretch-mesh midi skirt by Alessandra Rich, cutout acetate butterfly sunglasses in shiny black smoke by Fendi, open-toe platform-sole sandals, and long silver floral earrings, both by Gucci, black bikini bottoms with white piping by CHANEL, Palmette crystal-embellished suede cross-body bag by Christian Louboutin, and Oyster Perpetual 36 with a turquoise blue dial by Rolex.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht taken by Munko at Ritz-Carlton Fari Islands
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise!

Breaking news! Today, GUCCI announced that Alessandro Michele is exiting the House after nearly eight years with the brand. The Roman designer was hired by Tom Ford and worked than after Frida Giannini before taking over the helmet himself. With his maximalist vision, he changed the look of fashion and brought colorful looks to the runway. Unexpected color combinations, animals such as tigers, lions and bees were his favorites.

The Hacker Project, 2021

Michele had a flair for rule-breaking hookups. There was the F/W 2021 Hacker Project with Demna of Balenciaga, a Kering «colleague» and then a year later he collaborated with adidas collab. However, the brand was hit during corona and numbers haven’t been on the rise recently. GUCCI seems to suffer from brand fatigue.

Gucci x adidas, 2022

In a statement GUCCI CEO Marco Bizzarri said, «I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet Alessandro at the end of 2014, since then we have had the pleasure to work closely together as Gucci has charted its successful path over these last eight years. I would like to thank him for his 20 years of commitment to Gucci and for his vision, devotion, and unconditional love for this unique House during his tenure as Creative Director.»

S/S 2023 Welcome to Twinsburg show.

Alessandro Michele said: «There are times when paths part ways because of the different perspectives each one of us may have. Today an extraordinary journey ends for me, lasting more than twenty years, within a company to which I have tirelessly dedicated all my love and creative passion. During this long period Gucci has been my home, my adopted family. To this extended family, to all the individuals who have looked after and supported it, I send my most sincere thanks, my biggest and most heartfelt embrace. Together with them I have wished, dreamed, imagined. Without them, none of what I have built would have been possible. To them goes my most sincerest wish: may you continue to cultivate your dreams, the subtle and intangible matter that makes life worth living. May you continue to nourish yourselves with poetic and inclusive imagery, remaining faithful to your values. May you always live by your passions, propelled by the wind of freedom.»

Personally speaking, I felt that GUCCI has become kind of arrogant lately. Its loyalty towards people who have been supporting the brand since a very long time has kind of disappeared. Let’s hope that the there will be a new prosperity in all ways, also on a human level as I love the brand a lot!

Thank you, Alessandro, for all the magic!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht / David Biedert Photography
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise. 

Last night, I got spoilt by CHANEL. The French Maison had staged its Cruise 2023 Paris – Monte Carlo collection in an amazing setting at Galerie Gmurzynska for me. As I hadn’t been to the show that took place in May on the pebbled beach in Monaco, it was a great opportunity to browse and try all my favorite looks from the runway before they will be officially in stores.

Inspired by the Formula One, CHANEL was heading a destination that is an integral part of its history, Monaco. It was a beautiful nod to Gabrielle Chanel who had built her villa La Pausa in 1929 on the heights of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, and also to the late Karl Lagerfeld, who loved to visit in the summer, from the late 1980s to the early 2000s, at La Vigie, his famous villa overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

The collection? Imagining the luxurious and cosmopolitan beach lifestyle of the Côte d’Azur, as well as the Grand Prix and the ballet that Monaco is so famous for, Virginie Viard came up with some kitsch Formula-One inspired fashion (my favorite part of the show – the first jumpsuit in red and white is to die for), embroidered baseball caps, black-and-white swimsuits, glamorous sequins and ensembles in breezy crochet.

The accessories were playful and fun. Enjoy the photos to explore more.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht and © CHANEL
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise!

Maldives memories… the clear turquoise waters, the white beaches of the Indian Ocean paradise are a magnet for anyone with an interest in marine life. There is a lot to do and on the other hand, there is nothing to do. The Maldives is a haven of peace, quietness, solitude, and relaxation. Something I absolutely needed.

However, as the scenery was so stunning, I booked a photographer to shoot some amazing outfits. While staying at the Ritz-Carlton Fari Islands resort, we had moved one day to a water villa where I shot this vibrant look overlooking the ocean. Personally speaking, the composition of these photos might be one of my favorites of all time.

My look: Manosque tiered taffeta maxi dress by Jacquemus (S/S 2020 «Le Coup de Soleil» Collection), pink high-heel platform mules by Versace, Baguette leather wallet on chain in pink by Fendi, toy choker necklace, and gummy bear hoop earrings, both by Balenciaga, and DiorSignature B1U cat-eye acetate and gold-tone sunglasses by Dior.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht taken by Munko at Ritz-Carlton Fari Islands
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise!

Tiffany & Co. announced its latest creative venture with artist Daniel Arsham, debuting a sculpture and limited-edition bangle to celebrate the new Lock collection. Uniting Arsham and Tiffany’s shared ideals of innovation, masterful craftsmanship and rebellious creativity, the House worked with the New York-based contemporary artist to create a limited series of 99 sculptures, each entitled «Bronze Eroded Tiffany Padlock.» The «eroded» bronze sculptures reimagine a padlock design from The Tiffany Archives through Arsham’s unique, distorted aesthetic that subverts both time and space.

The padlock has an important place in Tiffany’s history as an archival motif that goes back to the late 1800s, when the House first offered its clients functioning padlocks. Today, some of its most audacious jewelry designs are modeled after them, including bangles from the new Lock Collection.

The padlock-inspired sculpture is an expression of Arsham’s «Future Relics» aesthetic, where the artist recontextualizes contemporary objects through the lens of an imagined future. The artist creates tension in time, achieved through the sculpture’s eroded quality and hand applied patina that is reminiscent of Tiffany’s proprietary hue.

Inside the sculpture is a limited-edition Tiffany & Co. x Arsham Studio Lock bangle. A bold visual statement about the personal bonds we form with each other, the Lock collection is for all genders, anchored in a single inclusive message: «No rules. All welcome.» This exclusive 18k white gold Lock bangle is handcrafted and set with diamonds and tsavorites—a vivid green legacy gemstone that the jeweler proudly introduced to the world in 1974. Tsavorite’s verdant green hue hints at both the color of the sculpture’s patina and the Arsham Studio color. This heritage of discovery aligns with the aesthetic vocabulary of Arsham’s future «discoveries.»

«The ‘Bronze Eroded Tiffany Padlock’ is the third expression of the Tiffany and Arsham Studio story,” said Daniel Arsham. “It’s very personal to me, but there’s also an element of history in there—a link between generations of craft, between function and design, between craftsmanship and beauty. These are the elements that make Tiffany so unique, the elements that allow it to consistently hone the ‘sweet spot’ between heritage and modernity. I wanted to create an artwork to celebrate that.»

Tiffany & Co. x Arsham Studio «Bronze Eroded Tiffany Padlock»

The edition is a series of 99 works.
Each has been treated by hand at Arsham Studio in New York, each crafted over a span
over 400 hours of hand finishing.

Each sculpture (with accompanying limited-edition Lock bangle) is priced at $59,000.
Limited-edition Tiffany & Co. x Arsham Studio Lock Bangle

Handcrafted in 18k white gold.
Over 93 diamonds totaling over 3 carats.
Over 28 tsavorites totaling over 1 carat.
The «Bronze Eroded Tiffany Padlock» comes encased in a custom-made Tiffany Blue® art-handling crate with metal hardware. An additional Blue Box holds dual-branded white handling gloves.

The sculpture and accompanying limited-edition Lock bangle will be available at select Tiffany & Co. stores around the world on December 1st.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © 2022 Tiffany and Company. All rights reserved. @tiffanyandco #LockCollection
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.

Have you ever asked yourself why beach hair is always the best? Beach hair is essentially the opposite of dull, lifeless hair. The salty water makes it look fuller and feel thicker. It’s got volume, texture, and definition while being artfully suspended in perfect form without any effort whatsoever.

Do you dream of getting to enjoy the best hair day you’ve had in months also at home. So pay attention island-hoppers and champagne-poppers: get beach-to-bombshell hair – tousled, touchable waves with sun-kissed shine – without the salty stiffness. I have two products you will love from ORIBE. To shop click on the highlighted product description.

APRÈS BEACH WAVE AND SHINE SPRAY  

The moisturizing glamour spray uses rich extracts and exotic oils for lush repair and sultry texture. It creates shine, separation, and beachy waves.

DRY TEXTURIZING SPRAY

Bigger, better, full-on glamorous hair. This invisible dry hair spray builds in incredible volume and sultry texture. Zeolite crystallines absorb oil at the roots, leaving you with just-styled hair for days (and nights).

Both come in travel sizes. In Zurich available at Charles Aellen Company.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht – Taken at the Ritz-Carlton Fair Islands resort.
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.

As the holiday season approaches, Dior has created The Fabulous World of Dior, a spectacular presentation illuminating the hallowed halls of the legendary Harrods department store. An exceptional event combining the charm of the English spirit with French luxury and art de vivre refinement.

A fervent admirer of England, from 1953 Christian Dior developed a powerful and unbreakable bond with Harrods, London’s epicenter of British elegance. This story, beginning with Harrods’ earliest singular branded boutique, has continued to grow through exclusive collaborations and is now enriched by a new chapter, unique in its scope and creative daring, inspired by the magic of Christmas.

For this breathtaking event, Harrods is decked out in a dazzling installation deployed along its historic façade on Brompton Road.

Dior reinvents the forty-four traditional Christmas windows of Harrods.

From November 10 to January 3, 2023, the façade of the Brompton Road edifice will be adorned with a monumental installation aglow with a play of light radiantly showcasing Dior’s fundamental references as reinterpreted by artist Pietro Ruffo for the Dior cruise 2023 collection. The compass rose, lucky stars and scintillating flowers will guide visitors along the historic window displays – a captivating attraction that draws people from all over the world, transformed and brought to life by a fantastic gingerbread tableau. A journey that stretches the limits of the imagination, exploring the House’s different worlds and symbols, from fashion to beauty.In the heart of this prestigious venue, a thousand fascinating surprises and animated decors, enhanced by gourmet treats, await customers.

Dior Café at Harrods – a new and extraordinary venue dedicated to delighting the taste buds.

Two dreamlike pop-ups – an ode to Monsieur Dior’s attachment to the celebration of Christmas and the art of cherishing loved ones – along with a Café specially conceived for the occasion, and even a truly immersive exhibition that plays with proportions to enchant the senses, promise unforgettable moments of joy and sharing. A tribute to British hospitality and the pleasure of entertaining, so dear to the founding couturier, a tearoom is unveiled in an unprecedented stage set, entirely adorned with gingerbread from the facade to the interior design and even the tiniest details, where Dior’s distinctive fundamentals are sketched. The Medallion chairs are dressed in iconic Dior toile de Jouy, the patterns of which can also be seen on the wooden tables, while the lines of the Maison’s signature cannage decorate the tableware, illuminated by delicate golden hues.

The architecture of Dior’s emblematic locations – from Granville to La Colle Noire and 30 Montaigne – are shown in reduced proportions.

Initiating a captivating encounter between the different customs that brighten the end of year festivities, from the City of Light to the English capital, Dior has conceived a unique, unprecedented exhibition – a real «kingdom of dreams» specially designed for Harrods – which revisits the tradition of gingerbread houses.

Timeless essentials of the feminine universe, the J’Adior pumps are dressed in the Jardin d’Hiver print, which also embellishes silk scarves, shawls, a pajama set from the Dior Chez Moi line, or the Lady Dior. It appears on exceptional trunks, as well as an elegant case enclosing a Saddle or a Lady Dior reinterpreted in micro format. Like an ode to travel and the plurality of cultures, the Rêve d’Infini motif imagined by Pietro Ruffo blossoms on the Dior Book Tote, (to see me wear this bag, click here please), D-Way mules and silk twill scarves, while the graphic cannage is drawn on iridescent phone pouches and cases.

The Dior Prestige ritual, lipsticks and fragrances – such as J’adore, Eau Sauvage, Miss Dior and the olfactory works of La Collection Privée – also appear in sumptuous exhibits, sometimes depicting a forest of pine trees made of cookies, sometimes a joyful flurry of candy balloons, boldly conveying the House’s excellence in beauty, from skincare to perfume.

A momentous pause in time, defined by a selection of objects of desire – such as sumptuous gift sets and advent calendars – cultivating, more than ever, the pleasure of giving so cherished by the House.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Dior
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise!

I absolutely love the Maldives. Being a dreamy couple’s escape, I enjoy this precious time with my better half. From candlelit dinners under starry skies, to movie nights on the beach and boat trips to spot dolphins at sunset. Every day offers something different. In between I have a lot of fun shooting some outfit posts by myself at our private beach. The weather constantly changes from sunshine to rain as you can perfectly see in those pictures and my layers.

My look: Lorna jumpsuit in black, Lorna cupped bikini top in pink, and matching Lorna bikini bottom in pink, all by Agent Provocateur, color-block ribbed knit cardigan by Christopher John Rogers, DiorSignature B1U cat-eye acetate and gold-tone sunglasses by Dior, GG buckled rubber sandals by Gucci, Ras Du Cou silver-tone, shell and beaded necklace, and gold-tone and shell choker, both by Isabel Marant.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise!

GG-encoded in those two simple letters is a storied system of values, and not just for Gucci. Since the 1960s, the monogram of the House’s founder Guccio Gucci has been featured across collections as a nod to its heritage. The initials similarly surface over and over again at the end of multiplayer games as competitors suddenly turn back into companions, saluting each other with the abbreviation for «good game.» This is the point of connection that Gucci Good Game explores, and that is celebrated in a special new capsule collection presented by the House.

Embraced in 2019, Gucci Good Game is the motto for the House’s ventures into the world of gaming as it creates hubs for play, self-expression, talent, freedom, and individuality – spotlighting the positive principles that are pivotal in making an enjoyable gaming experience possible. Encompassing the full spectrum of gaming from fun to professional, Gucci’s forays into the arena share a collaborative approach, involving various creators in the development of authentic experiences that aim to establish close and deep connections with gamers.

Over the years, the initiatives have seen the brand building a multifaceted presence in a select number of games as well as in immersive gaming platforms, including Roblox, The Sandbox, Zepeto, Hot Wheels Unleashed, Pokémon GO, Animal Crossing, Tennis Clash, The Sims – or partnering with XBOX to offer a limited-edition bundle. The GG initials reworked as the Gucci Good Game logo debuted with the Gucci Gaming Academy – itself a significant manifestation of the House’s principles in this field, and were prominently displayed in Gucci Town on Roblox, the persistent digital space for the Gucci Community on the platform.

Now bringing the spirit of Good Game into the House’s foundational landscape— fashion—the collection further celebrates the link between Gucci and gaming. With its double meaning, the GG becomes the defining motif of this casual-minded capsule. From bowling shirts and hoodies to slides and sneakers, metallics combine with rainbow hues to create an iridescent effect across items emblazoned with the monogram.

Echoing the exploration of new landscapes and meetings of worlds, the collection takes center stage in a visual narrative envisioned by King Kong Magazine, a collaborative project shot by photographer Piczo.

The Gucci Good Game collection will be available online at gucci.com, as well as in select Gucci Stores worldwide.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Gucci
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise!

An exploration of private wishes is the focus of the Miu Miu holiday campaign. A perfectly formed collection is designed to appeal to our personal fantasies, all of them different, individual, gently provocative. A minimal, even utilitarian aesthetic is juxtaposed with archetypically feminine surface embellishment and gesture. A conversation between clothing reduced to its beautiful essence and a quietly celebratory frivolity ensues.

The campaign is both a mirror of the time and a dreamscape, inward looking – private – but an outward looking reflection of innermost thoughts. The Miu Miu Private Wishes campaign features actor and model Esther McGregor, model Mona Tougaard and actor You-mi Lee.

Responsible for the styling was Lotta Volkova, whom you know from her recent collaboration with Jean Paul Gaultier.

LoL, Sandra

Art Direction: Lina Kutsovskaya/Be Good Studios Photographer: Tyrone Lebon
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.