Sandra‘s Closet

Sure, your social calendar might be a little light on galas, but that doesn’t mean you cannot sport the newest accessories trend on the street. While your natural styling inclination is likely to pair these elbow-length gloves with all things formal, designers showed us that doesn’t have to be the case. Opera gloves are all the rage elevating any day outfit to another level of style.

Below you can find the most beautiful ones available at the moment. Just click on the highlighted product description to be transferred directly to the store.

LoL, Sandra

V-logo leather gloves by Valentino
V-logo leather gloves by Valentino

Velvet long gloves by Marine Serre

Crescent moon reflective gloves by Marine Serre

Elbow-length leather gloves by Marni

Long classic leather gloves by Manokhi

Contrast panel long gloves by Manohki

Engraved logo long gloves by Saint Laurent

Slip-on gloves by MM6 Maison Margiela

Mano long leather gloves by Manokhi

Long cut-out detail gloves by Manohki

Long slip-on gloves by Brunello Cucinello

Long bow gloves by Manohki

Oversized buttoned cuff detail gloves by Manohki

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands, Photo of me: David Biedert Photography
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With a new season arriving in stores, there’s no doubt we’re getting all excited about the newest must-haves of bags, shoes and accessories. Here is a summary what ruled on the runways and is guaranteed to be all over the feeds this winter season.

LoL, Sandra

Lengthy fringe finishes will ensure you receive lots of compliments for your new bag. Fringes are one of the biggest trends for the new season.

Considering the popularity of Bottega Veneta’s Pouch clutch, it was only a matter of time before other brands took on the trend for soft, handheld bags.

AirPod cases, mobile phone pouches or water bottle holders, those single-use mini bags are all the rage.

Why choose one fabric when you can have many? Patchwork featuring carefully spliced leathers and suedes were carried in a multitude of runway shows.

While chokers have been popular in seasons past, this fall sees chunky pieces with chains and mixed metals so you don’t have to choose between silver and gold anymore.

Harnesses are guaranteed to amplify any fall look, promise!

The tie is breaking down all current stereotypical gender norms.

This season, it’s finally time to invest in a pair of fab gloves you’ll keep for ages.

Get your snood ready. The head covering was everywhere for fall.

We will be staying warm this winter. Knee-high socks are a must this season.

A boot that lets you dominate in both the boardroom and bedroom.

The probably most instagrammable footwear trend: charming bows adorn the most beautiful heels.

From boots to heels, the popular chunky chain jewelry trend stays for another season.

Perfect for the next zoom meeting at home for work, this fluffy and furry footwear shows the current zeitgeist.

Chunky lug soles and nineties-style platforms and flatforms are here to stay.

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands

Great news, the first luxury fashion designer has launched custom-print unisex medical-grade masks, the same kind doctors and nurses wear in the hospital. Peter Dundas has transformed what is typically in a shade of icy blue into something fun, and insisted on black straps instead of white. In vibrant florals and animal prints plucked from his runway collections, the face masks are extremely soft and comfortable to wear, much better than the usual medical-grade ones we know.

«We’ve always wanted to be a feel-good brand,» Dundas said to Vogue. «I truly believe our colors and patterns make you happier. They light up your life like a bouquet of flowers. Wearing a mask and hiding your face is a challenge, and if we can make people feel better about it, that’s a good thing.» I couldn’t agree more.

Peter Dundas with me

Dundas sat at the helm of Roberto Cavalli, Emilio Pucci and Emanuel Ungaro, before he gave fans what they wanted by launching his own eponymous label. He made the announcement in such a cool yet unconventional way, debuting his first designs with three custom-made looks for Beyoncé at the 2017 Grammy Awards. Created with partner Evangelo Bousis, the brand is inspired by the duo’s travels and the glamorous, jetsetting women in their inner circle.

After placing an order on dundasworld.com, the face masks arrived the next day from Italy. They will also launch on Amazon Fashion in the coming weeks. A pack of 50 masks costs €85.

He and Bousis are also donating boxes to children’s hospitals, the Art of Elysium, and the LGBTQ Center in New York, so health care workers and patients alike may have a little dose of that Dundas glamour all love! Bravo!

LoL, Sandra

Stills: Courtesy of Dundas, Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

This fall season, most outfits have one thing in common, a face mask, as we now can’t enter most shops and events without them. However, besides thinking about your look, it’s an important item for practical purposes. High-street retailers have been selling masks for several months now, but most major luxury fashion brands have stayed away from creating face masks for commercial purposes so far. Finally, numerous designers, such as Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, Marni and Fendi, have started to produce fashionable face coverings with vivid prints so that you can coordinate them with their outfits. Find my favorites below, to shop click on the highlighted product description. The mask in the cover photo is by Burberry and can be found here.

LoL, Sandra

Leopard-print face mask by Dolce & Gabbana

Majolica print face mask by Dolce & Gabbana

Heart monogram-print face mask by Dolce & Gabbana

Baroque polka-dot print face mask by Dolce & Gabbana

Stripe print face mask by Missoni

Abstract-print face mask by Missoni

Astract print face mask by Marni

Checked face mask by Marni

Floral face mask by Marni

Silk logo-print face mask by Fendi

Stills: Courtesy of the Brands
DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission.

Fashion talks a big game when it comes to inclusion, but few brands can actually back it up. In September 2018, Feriel Moulaï shot to fame making her debut as the first hijabi model in history to walk at Paris Fashion Week when she appeared on the Koché S/S 2019 runway and Fendi casted Jill Kortleve and Paloma Elsesser for its F/W 2020 runway show in Milan. They were the first «plus size» models to walk in a Fendi show ever. Such a breath of fresh air…

Halima Aden in a Tommy Hilfiger burkini for the Sports Illustrated last month.

This weekend, Tommy Hilfiger, one of America’s most well known fashion labels, has just unveiled its first hijab. Joining the multi billion-dollar modest fashion industry, this is not the first time the brand has designed with modesty in mind, however, as it recently dressed hijabi model Halima Aden in a custom-made burkini.

Hilfiger’s first-ever hijab

Launching on 24 August for purchase globally in select stores and online, Hilfiger’s hijab will come in a fine, woven jacquard boosted with light shimmer via a glittering metallic thread dubbed as soft lurex. Decorated with the initials TH in a tumbling block pattern, the hijab serves up a breathable, lightweight and chic option for the everydays.

Early adopter: in 2016, Dolce & Gabbana launched a collection of hijabs and abayas.

The decision for the launch is surely business-driven as the State of the Global Islamic Economy report presents the continued momentum of the Islamic economy, projecting the modest fashion industry to be worth an estimated £226 billion worldwide.

A number of luxurious brands, such as Giorgio Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry and DKNY, have all produced pieces or entire collections aimed specifically at the modest market.

The Japanese company Uniqlo has unveiled a collaboration for F/W 2020 with British hijabi designer Hana Tajima. Embodying a rich sense of cultural diversity, this exclusive collaboration line features elegantly simplistic yet considered pieces, offering comfortable, versatile clothing for all women of all backgrounds, regardless of age, race, culture or belief.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands, © TOMMY HILFIGER, @HALIMA

Introducing the Polo Ralph Lauren face mask collection, featuring two models—the Polo cloth mask and the Polo high-filtration mask – for all the ways you work and play. While Ralph Lauren hasn’t announced a firm release date, you can sign up for updates on the brand’s webstore (you will find the link below). It’ll be worth the wait, as it’ll become the new grail for masks, there are not many designer face protections around, and shopping them will help a good cause.

Fifty percent of the net purchase price (excluding VAT) of each mask will be donated to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for WHO, powered by the UN Foundation.

The Polo Cloth Mask
80% Particle Filtration
Antimicrobial-treated cotton inner lining to preserve fabric freshness, two layers of non woven filtration, breathable outer layer. Sign up now here, coming fall 2020.

The Polo High-Filtration Mask
95% Particle Filtration
The most advanced option, the Polo High-Filtration Mask features an antimicrobial-treated shell and inner lining to preserve fabric freshness, a customizable fit, and disposable filters for a higher level of breathability. Sign up now here, coming fall 2020.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Ralph Lauren

EZGI CINAR launched her Zurich-based namesake demi-couture label in 2016. Her dreamlike collections are an homage to independent, passionate women, combining Swiss craftsmanship with Turkish romance. Dedicated to the woman who refuses to follow rules, preferring instead to make her own.

Me wearing the «All Dressed Up» mask

Now, she has taken her creativity further with the design of the most glamorous face masks that you can imagine. Made from scuba neopren, they are coated with mesh metal and / or crystals and lined on one side with a silicone strap to ensure the perfect fit for the ultimate protection.

Turning the mask around, you can see the immaculate craftsmanship. 

Personally speaking, I find them extremely comfortable to wear and the most stylish on the market.

TO SHOP EZGI CINAR FACE MASKS, CLICK HERE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Ezgi Cinar and © Sandra Bauknecht 

Vacation plans may be on pause, but sunshine is not. Make the most of the warmer weather closer to home with the most beautiful beach towels that will make you feel like being in a 5-star hotel in your own garden or during sundowners on the balcony.

LoL, Sandra

From left to right:
Floral-print cotton-terry beach towel by Dolce & Gabbana
Majolica-print beach towel by Dolce & Gabbana
Zebra and plant-print beach towel by Dolce & Gabbana
Rose print beach towel by Dolce & Gabbana

Crete de Fleur beach towel by Versace

Vivara-print cotton-terry beach towel by Emilio Pucci (available in 4 colours)

Monogram Print Cotton Towel by Burberry

Babar print beach towel by Lanvin

Top left and right, below:
Beach towels by Hermès 

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht and Courtesy of the Brands
DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission.

To accompany the second drop of their collaboration with avant-garde designer duo Viktor&Rolf this month, Swiss premium underwear label CALIDA takes its social responsibilities seriously and is now putting its passion, expertise, capacities and resources to work to produce reusable face masks.Made from organic cotton, those 100% compostable face masks embrace a unique Cradle to Cradle CertifiedTM approach to design, which follows nature’s model of circulating resources in a healthy, efficient way. No additional materials are required and precious resources are protected, thus ensuring a sustainable approach. The masks have been designed and manufactured to ensure the best possible fit, are reusable and can be washed at up to 70°C.

For maximum protection, it is recommended ironing the masks or placing them in the oven for around 30 minutes at 80°C after washing. The heat disinfects the material even more thoroughly and kills off any remaining traces of the virus once and for all.

An there is more to the project. In order to give back to nature, a tree will be planted for every sold mask in cooperation with the organization Trees of Life.

The collection is available from today on the Calida homepage.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Calida

Fashionable face masks are in my opinion a very good thing. We need to wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and not everyone owns the materials (or has the seamstress skills) to make their own. We should all be focused on keeping ourselves and our communities safe; and the less time we spend in judgment of the way others achieve that, probably, the better.

Instead of investing in the newest lipstick (unfortunately nobody is going to see this for a while), you might consider getting a face mask with cool patterns or create one yourself as I did. I used those CHANEL camelia stickers and the ribbon you get when you buy something at CHANEL. I have always kept them and now they serve a wonderful purpose. Scroll down to see me wearing it.

I want to underline that those masks presented in this post aren’t medical grade, so they can’t be used by healthcare professionals, but they will make us feel more beautiful and will make grocery shopping more fun while protecting yourself and helping others.

My dear friend and fashion designer Natasha Zinko came up with another great idea and is now retailing those upcycled reusable face masks from fabric leftovers from previous collections. 50% of each sale will be donated to Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.
The hospitals covered are Charing Cross, Hammersmith, Queen Charlotte’s & Chelsea, St Mary’s and the Western Eye.

TO SHOP THE FACE MASKS IN DIFFERENT COLOR AND FABRIC COMBINATIONS BY NATASHA ZINKO, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

Please don’t want to bash those who enjoy looking cute while self-quarantining and social distancing. People are different and if it benefits their mental health, let them be. I am finding joy and some normalcy in those little things, dressing up makes me happy. Therefore I am continuing to inspire you on a daily basis. Thank you for your support!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht, © Natasha Zinko and via Vogue
Disclaimer: Masks to be worn as a fashion accessory, no medical use has yet been proven.