Sandra‘s Closet

There is something about a great hotel entrance that sets the tone for everything that follows. Leaving L’oscar London for a morning appointment, dressed in a look punctuated by dots in all sizes, that just add the right amount of decadent drama.

L’oscar, London’s intimate jewel on Southampton Row and part of the Swiss Michel Reybier Hotel Group, was a first for me. It will not be the last. More on this very soon.

My look: Bow-embellished polka-dot silk-shantung jacket, matching polka-dot silk head scarf, polka-dot grain de poudre flared pants, Crasher VLogo sequined leather sandals, VLogo chain necklace, matching VLogo chain bracelet, all by Valentino, Brixton stretch-jersey camisole by The Row, walnut clutch by JW Anderson, Linda sunglasses by Tom Ford, and Mitza ring by Dior Fine Jewellery.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht / @georgiashane
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Hotel Cala di Volpe is wearing Dolce & Gabbana’s Majolica Gialla this summer. I have been wearing it longer. The sun chose yellow first. So did I.

My look: Majolica pleated printed cotton-poplin midi dress, Majolica leather and twill-trimmed raffia tote bag, and Keira printed leather platform sandals, all by Dolce & Gabbana, Bronte gold-plated earrings by Jennifer Behr, Mitza ring by Dior Fine Jewellery, and Tank Américaine in yellow gold with diamonds by Cartier, and Lisa square-frame metal sunglasses by Saint Laurent.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht
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Gone too soon.

Still processing this. Hilde Lynn Helphenstein, known to so many of us as @jerrygogosian, was found dead in her hotel room at the Rosewood São Paulo on May 31st. She was 40. The circumstances of her death remain under investigation.

She gave us sharp wit, irreverence, and an insider’s eye on an art world that too often takes itself far too seriously. Her memes circulated like gospel. She said what people only dared to think. And just days before she died, she encouraged us all to «let the rich woman inside fly.»

What many may not have noticed is that in recent months, she had quietly turned to painting, sharing 87 delicate watercolors on her personal Instagram. Mostly flowers. A softer, more private side of a woman the world knew for her sharp edges.

But her passing is a reminder of something we need to keep telling ourselves: we never truly know what someone is carrying behind the version of themselves they choose to show the world. The funniest, the sharpest, the most brilliant voices are not immune to darkness and struggle.

So check in on the people you love. Be a little kinder than necessary. You never know what today looks like for someone else.

Rest, Hilde. 🖤

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht and via @hildehelphenstein
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Just in time for the summer season, the Costa Smeralda is getting its most glamorous and quintessentially Italian makeover yet. Dolce & Gabbana has partnered with the legendary Hotel Cala di Volpe to transform one of Europe’s most storied luxury retreats into a sun-drenched stage set worthy of a Vogue editorial.

The Cala di Volpe needs little introduction. Designed in the 1960s by French architect Jacques Couëlle and nestled into a breathtaking Sardinian bay, the property has long been regarded as a sculptural masterpiece, its whitewashed terraces and terracotta rooflines evoking the romance of a traditional fishing village. It is, in short, the perfect canvas for Italian fashion’s most theatrical house.

At the heart of the collaboration is the iconic Majolica print, one of Dolce & Gabbana’s most beloved and enduring signatures. Rooted in the centuries-old ceramic tradition of Sicily, the motif draws directly from the hand-painted tiles of Caltagirone, a city whose majolica staircases and intricate decorative craftsmanship have defined the island’s visual identity since the Arabs brought the art form to Sicily in the 9th century.

Domenico Dolce, himself a Sicilian, has woven this heritage into the brand’s DNA since the print first gained widespread attention with the S/S 2016 collection. What makes the Majolica print so compelling is its characteristic bi-chromatic palette: elaborate botanical and arabesque motifs rendered in rich contrasting hues against a light ground, evoking the hand of a master ceramicist translated into fabric.

Each season, Dolce & Gabbana reinterprets the print in a new signature colour. Last summer, that colour was a luminous lemon yellow (gialla). This year, the house has moved on to a vibrant orange (arancione). And it is that very yellow, from the 2025 season, that forms the backdrop of the Cala di Volpe takeover, tying the hotel’s sun-soaked aesthetic directly to one of the most talked-about print stories in recent fashion memory. I have the perfect outfit for the occasion, click here to see it.

For this exclusive partnership, the Majolica Gialla pattern envelops the two terraces of the hotel’s iconic Atrium Bar, the chicest meeting point on the entire coastline. Elaborately decorated cabanas and hand-painted vases complete the immersive tableau, turning every corner into a moment.

Beyond the visual takeover, the brand has opened an exclusive pop-up store directly within the hotel, offering a curated edit of ready-to-wear and accessories conceived specifically for this setting. Think effortless summer dressing with the unmistakable DG sensibility: bold, sun-kissed, and unapologetically luxurious.

For anyone fortunate enough to be on the Costa Smeralda this season, a stop at Cala di Volpe is more than a hotel visit. It is a full Dolce & Gabbana lifestyle experience, set against one of the Mediterranean’s most spectacular backdrops.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Cala di Volpe and © Sandra Bauknecht
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If you have been following along, you already know that I am completely head over heels for Cartier‘s new coloured LOVE bracelets. The press team sent me a few more gorgeous images and I simply had to share them with you. They are just too beautiful to keep to myself. Enjoy!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Cartier
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Starting this May, the first Balenciaga shoes crafted in collaboration with Manolo Blahnik, featured in the Fall 26 Collection, Body and Being, launch in select stores.

The essence of couture is evoked through excellence and expertise: working with specialist artisans in defined areas to achieve superlative quality and preeminence in a medium. This ideology both defines the identity of the House of Balenciaga and shapes Creative Director Pierpaolo Piccioli’s distinct approach to fashion.

Consequently, Balenciaga has chosen to partner with Manolo Blahnik, a revered master shoe designer with over five decades of experience, for a trio of styles.

«This collaboration came to life for very personal reasons. I simply like Manolo. That’s it. I know him personally and have admired him for a long time. To me, Manolo Blahnik is synonymous with elegance and as he’s Spanish, like Cristóbal Balenciaga – there’s a certain shared sensibility there,» stated Piccioli.

Balenciaga | Manolo Blahnik comprises a low-heeled mule and a slingback with either a 105mm or a 50mm heel. Décolleté silhouettes reveal skin – the body- a display linked intrinsically to the human form’s primacy in Piccioli’s Balenciaga.

In and of themselves a dialogue, the styles draw from archival Manolo Blahnik designs chosen by Piccioli, executed in silk-satin, and lined with leather in Balenciaga’s signature grey.

Asymmetrical crystal leaf ornaments are handembroidered to drape across a low-cut vamp, echoing Blahnik’s distinct flair for applying equal parts preciosity and grace, fusing jewelry with footwear. These elegant gestures simultaneously recall archival 1960s Balenciaga bijoux, underscoring a consistent kinship and aesthetic symbiosis between creators.

A campaign of still life photographs shows the shoes in situ: closeups demonstrating their fine craftsmanship among other precious objects of the wardrobe.

TO SHOP THE COLLECTION ONLINE, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Balenciaga / Manolo Blahnik
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Since 1978, the Arceau collection has been celebrating asymmetrical lines, equestrian inspiration and the exploration of watchmaking craftsmanship. Beneath its apparent simplicity, the round case provides a veritable canvas for design. With the Arceau Cavalier en Formes watch, time combines sophisticated horological complications with the decorative arts.

Set directly onto the dial, a sapphire crystal graced with a dainty miniature painting on either side portrays a scene comprising various layers of radiant fragments and subtle shades. Finely engraved leaves unfurl and the surface is enlivened by hand-painted blue flat-colour blocks in square and round shapes. An engraved yellow gold horse stands out at the heart of this visually balanced depiction. Through the interplay of superimposed engraving, painting and transparency, the dial captures the light and reveals an almost sculptural depth.

In Gianpaolo Pagni’s intriguing design, a rider concealed beneath a set of circles and squares is vividly suggested through these cubist-style shapes. Originally conceptualised for a silk scarf, this graphic composition finds a new setting here while losing nothing of its evocative power. The artist was inspired by an equestrian lithograph from the Émile Hermès collection, choosing to retain only the mount before recomposing the figure of the rider into geometric motifs.

This pictorial dance is performed above a Lift tourbillon positioned at 6 o’clock, with a carriage picking up the «double H» motif of the historic lift in the Hermès boutique at 24 Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris.

Invisible to the eye yet essential to the soul of the timepiece, a minute repeater orchestrated by the hand-wound H1924 movement lends its voice to the watch. Presented in a 43 mm white gold case and issued in a limited edition of six, the Arceau Cavalier en Formes is adorned with a bleu abysse alligator strap, crafted in the Hermès workshops.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Hermès
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Is the Wrist Stack Over? Or Did It Just Get an Upgrade? I think the latter, spotting Cartier’s new vibrant capsule collection of six new LOVE bracelets, launching on June 1st, marking the first in an annual series of colour releases.

Three versions are entirely pavé-set in pink sapphires, blue sapphires or tsavorite garnets, with ten diamonds replacing the signature screws.

The remaining three revisit a beloved concept from earlier collections, swapping the screws for coloured stones in warm or cool gradients: yellow (new!) and rose gold styles featuring sapphires, spessartite garnets, tsavorites and amethysts, while white gold is adorned with aquamarines, sapphires, tanzanites and amethysts.

And as for those proclaiming that bracelet stacking is over: wear what makes you happy. The most compelling stacks are the ones that tell your story, not someone else’s. Mix your new LOVE with a beaded bracelet from a market in Marrakech, a vintage find, or anything that simply makes you smile. Rules are for people who lack imagination.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Cartier and © Sandra Bauknecht / David Biedert Photography
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Sparkle and oversized denim. With a broken heart.

These photos were taken on my daughter Anouk‘s terrace in Boston, a place she called home for six years and is now leaving behind. Moving back to Europe is the right decision. It is also an emotional one. And sometimes the only answer to big feelings is an even bigger look.

And yes, oversized is not exactly the silhouette I reach for first. But that is precisely the point. Because the moment you stop reinventing yourself is the moment you start standing still. In fashion as in life: keep moving forward. That is the real secret to staying young.

My look: Oversized crystal-embellished denim shirt, and matching crystal-embellished wide-leg jeans, both by Stella McCartney, Cassandre cotton T-shirt by Saint Laurent, silver-tone faux pearl necklace, and faux pearl-embellished silver-tone charm, both by Simone Rocha, Hourglass crystal-embellished suede shoulder bag, logo baseball cap, and kit charm key ring, all by Balenciaga, Triple S sneakers in white with black stripes by Balenciaga x adidas.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht
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Marbella has always known how to seduce. I got married there. But this summer, the pool at Nobu Hotel Marbella has been transformed into something altogether more intoxicating. Amouage, the Omani luxury house whose perfumes read like love letters to the senses, has taken over one of the most storied pools on the Golden Mile with Love Hibiscus, the newest chapter of its Secret Garden collection. The result is an immersive sensory world that turns an afternoon in the Andalusian sun into something closer to ceremony.

Scarlet accents command the scene from every angle, from the sun loungers to the parasols, all united in a palette as vivid and unapologetic as the hibiscus blossom itself. The pool menu, naturally, has been reimagined for the occasion. A bespoke Hibiscus Iced Drink gleams in the afternoon light, accompanied by delicate Hibiscus Palm Hearts, a pairing at once refined and deeply sensorial.

«The heart note of salted caramel is a homage to the palm hearts of my childhood, soft, familiar, and yet surprising. Combined with the radiant luminosity of the hibiscus flower, what emerges is a composition full of warmth and sensuality. Opening the summer at the pool of Nobu Hotel Marbella feels like a natural continuation of that memory.» – Renaud Salmon, Chief Creative Officer of Amouage.

Pop-Up and Masterclasses: An Invitation Behind the Curtain

At the heart of the takeover stands a beautifully conceived pop-up store, designed around Amouage’s iconic Caterpillar Table and offering guests a rare point of access to the world of Love Hibiscus. Fragrance experts lead weekly sessions through the collection with a thoroughness that never loses its sense of wonder. Every purchase is accompanied by a hand-crafted silk flower, made in Milan, alongside an exclusive sample to carry the memory home.

For the true devotee, private Amouage Masterclasses take place poolside each week, limited to just ten guests at a time. These intimate gatherings offer a deep immersion into the secrets of the fragrance house, with hibiscus-themed culinary highlights, an exclusive gift, and the singular pleasure of having a resident artist create a hand-painted postcard tailored to each guest. It is the kind of personalised luxury that no algorithm can replicate.

From Suite to Reception: A Hotel Transformed

The Love Hibiscus experience does not begin and end at the water’s edge. On arrival, guests discover the scent already waiting in their rooms, introduced as the hotel’s new welcome amenity. At the reception, beautifully curated fragrance testers invite a moment of pause and discovery. For guests of the exclusive villas, the full Love Hibiscus bath collection awaits, including the Shower Gel and Hair Mist, each one a small ritual engineered for what can only be described as a perfect summer glow.

The DNA of a Collaboration

Amouage was founded in 1983 as «The Gift of Kings,» born from a commission by Sultan Qaboos bin Said as an exclusive offering for distinguished guests of the Sultanate of Oman. The house has since become a cultured obsession among perfume lovers and collectors alike, its creations consistently occupying a rarefied space where opulence and artistry meet.

Love Hibiscus, created in collaboration with master perfumer Jérôme Epinette, draws inspiration from the hibiscus of the Omani landscape. Scarlet, gourmand, and defiantly opulent, the fragrance finds its summer home with an elegance that feels almost predestined. The hibiscus, after all, grows in the gardens close to the hotel’s own shores, its petals catching the same sun-drenched light that defines the legendary Golden Mile.

The Amouage x Nobu Pool experience is open daily from 11am to 7pm. Pack your sunglasses. Summer in Marbella has never been this intense.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Nobu Hotel Marbella
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