Sandra‘s Closet

This year, Jani Leinonen, a world-renowned artist, is responsible for the impressive floral Easter egg in the Steinhalle of the Dolder Grand. The installation «Seed in Their Pocket» can be enjoyed alongside it, whereby Leinonen implemented themes of current social issues for both the installation and the Easter egg design. The Finn has a long-standing relationship with the traditional Zurich hotel, which made this art coup possible.

Jani and the finished floral egg installation.

He is one of the most sought-after artists in the world and his works always captures the pulse of the times. The Finnish artist has recently completed a particularly special project for the Dolder Grand – he created the design for the annual 2.5-meter-high Easter egg, which can be enjoyed at the main entrance.

Decorated with over 12,000 carnations by the in-house florist team of four ladies over several days of craftsmanship, it bears the incomparable signature of the artist.

«When the Dolder Grand approached me with this Easter project, I was amazed by the fact that it was made of real flowers. These colourful and beautiful organisms are of great cultural importance,» says Leinonen.

Inside the Dolder Grand on display: «Chapel of Remorse» by Jani Leinonen.

120 famous works of art, including Dalí, Murakami and Tinguely, enhance the ambiance of the Dolder Grand. The Finnish artist’s works have been exhibited at the hotel since 2009, and there are currently six pieces on display. Getting the 44-year-old artist to design the Easter egg this year was a major coup, not least because Jani’s unmistakable style and his unique ability to create pieces that reflect societal issues in a provocative way have made him famous across the globe.

«I’m not particularly religious, but I live in a Christian culture and grew up with stories from the Bible,» says Leinonen.

For him, the story of Easter is one of the most fascinating. For Jani, Jesus’ last words on the cross are the most important aspect: Forgive them, for they know not what they do.

«These words are as relevant today as they ever were, as he says these words to the soldiers who are blindly following orders from their superiors.»

He therefore decided to bring across this message on the Easter egg with just a single word: FORGIVE.

The «Seeds in Their Pockets» installation is also on display alongside the egg. It comprises dried flowers the artist collected in war zones, each with a tag bearing the name of the country in which Leinonen found it. On the day Russia invaded the Ukraine, the Finn read a newspaper article and wrote a poem. It is the story of a Ukrainian woman who meets a Russian soldier and tells him to put sunflower seeds in his pocket so that flowers grow at the place where he dies. «For me, this is a really strong image of war. I discovered that flowers grow on many of the battlefields in these war-torn countries, and it’s mostly the national flowers of the countries.»

With lovely Christina (NewInZurich) and Laura (PR/TICULAR) at the lunch.

I had the pleasure to explore Jani’s works and the making of the installation life at the Dolder Grand this week, followed by a lovely luncheon on the terrace in the presence of the artist.

The egg installation will be on display until Wednesday, April 20, 2022.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Dolder Grand and © Sandra Bauknecht
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Happy Easter weekend to everyone! I am wishing you a successful Easter egg hunt. I found my treasure already. This beautiful Simone Rocha egg-shaped bag is for me a true «objet d’art» – it will also look so striking standing on my coffee table when I am not using it.

My look: Double-breasted knit coat with floral pin, white blouse with long wide sleeves, A-line mini wrap skirt, suit vest with chain detail, all by Louis Vuitton, burgundy embellished wool-felt hat by Philip Treacy, acrylic and faux pearl-embellished leather tote by Simone Rocha, and burgundy mesh boots by Dior.

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. 

Ladies, are you ready for Easter? Throw away your comfy old bunny slippers for a bunnylicious upgrade. Meet STREETZIES High Heel Bunny Slippers that are fun, glamorous, and definitely sexy.

Sometimes it is good to discover your inner child and to play dress-up. Those shoes are synonymous with all the endearing qualities of innocence, youth, fun, whimsy, and personal charm.

Those heels also come as Kitty and Panda slippers.
Bad taste? Yes, maybe. Great fun? Yes, definitely.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: @ Streetzies @ KhrystyAna
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.

Inspired by the places that were significant to Gabrielle Chanel during her lifetime, LES EAUX DE CHANEL collection features six fresh fragrances that offer an escape and invite you on a journey.

«I was inspired by the destinations that have a strong connection to CHANEL. Each of them has left its mark on one of these fragrances» explains Olivier Polge, CHANEL’s In-House Perfumer-Creator.

Seemingly simple at first, LES EAUX DE CHANEL leaves a fragrance trail that gradually reveals their extraordinary complexity. Each composition is part of the same olfactory score that has resonated through every CHANEL fragrance since the creation of N°5 in 1921.
Having followed the paths of PARIS-BIARRITZ, PARIS-DEAUVILLE and PARIS-VENISE in 2018, enjoyed a sunny getaway with PARIS-RIVIERA in 2019, and set off on an adventure to the Scottish moors with PARIS-ÉDIMBOURG in 2021, CHANEL has dreamed up a new journey in 2022: PARIS-PARIS.

Some trips we take in real life, others we dream about. Those offered by LES EAUX DE CHANEL collection allow us to do both: they take place in our imaginations, as a stationary form of travel.

PARIS-BIARRITZ
An active, revitalizing getaway in Southwest France, with an ocean view. A burst of grapefruit and mandarin, drenched with an aquatic note and a lily-of-the-valley accord and escorted by vetiver, all of which lend the fragrance an invigorating quality.

PARIS-DEAUVILLE
A stroll along the coast of Normandy, surrounded by the sharp green of the tall grass. Invigorating orange peel and basil give way to a softer accord of rose and jasmine and a patchouli base.

PARIS-VENISE
An evocation of both the baroque city and the Orient Express route, cushioned in comfort. Berry, iris, and geranium notes are warmed up by the softness of cedar, leaving a warm, enveloping fragrance trail.

PARIS-RIVIERA
A radiant, floral fragrance par excellence. A sunny escape to the Côte d’Azur. Mediterranean jasmine and neroli, as brilliant as a ray of sunlight, are infused with the freshness of orange peel and petitgrain before giving way to a subtle sandalwood and benzoin base.

PARIS-ÉDIMBOURG
A woody, aromatic fragrance. An immersive ramble through the rugged Scottish countryside that is vividly fresh. Crisp, intense, aromatic notes of juniper berry and cypress are paired with warm tones including cedar and vetiver, which impart their smoky, slightly peaty qualities.

Photo François Kollar © Ministry of Culture – Médiathèque du Patrimoine, Dist. RMN

PARIS-PARIS
A vibrant olfactory journey imbued with freshness and lightness.
To experience PARIS-PARIS is to find oneself in Gabrielle Chanel’s Paris, a timeless city full of life, authentic character, and modern spirit. It is the Paris of our dreams, one that has been idealized through fleeting images. The allure and inimitable style of the Parisian women. A leisurely morning spent at the terrace of a Parisian café. A fresh, spicy rose with natural, elegant charm.

«With PARIS-PARIS, I created a sparkling floral composition inspired by the effortless elegance of Parisian women.» Olivier Polge

To embody the essence of this new destination, Olivier Polge chose to use Damascena rose, a rose full of character that reveals a multitude of facets, which are bolstered by fresh citrus accents and heightened by the sharpness of pink peppercorn extract and an elegant patchouli base.

PARIS-PARIS is housed in the same refined, curved bottle as the other fragrances in LES EAUX DE CHANEL collection. While quite sophisticated in composition, it simultaneously echoes the lightness of the fragrances created by Olivier Polge. It is crafted from high-quality materials that are used in their simplest form. The thin, lightweight glass bottle reveals a rose-colored fragrance inspired by the glistening stone facades of Parisian buildings in the early morning sun. It is topped with a black bio-based cap engraved with a double C. The corrugated cardboard packaging, which is usually not visible, has been transformed into a pared-back sleeve that lacks a laminated or gloss finish, making it easier to recycle.

PARIS-PARIS is available as an enveloping mist that offers lavish, generous fragrance application, which makes using fragrance throughout the day even more enjoyable.

LES EAUX DE CHANEL PARIS-PARIS Eau de Toilette Vaporisateur 125 ml CHF 160.-
LES EAUX DE CHANEL PARIS-PARIS Lait pour le Corps Flacon 200 ml CHF 68.-

Available starting in the beginning of May 2022.

LoL, Sandra

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

Spring is here and it is time to wear some fancy sandals. Great news is that Sophia Webster has teamed up with LoveShackFancy for a collection of beautiful romantic and playful footwear. Both brands are known and loved for their fabulous, flirty florals, now their designs have blossomed together, uniting through joy and optimism.

I am obsessed with these Lilico Sandals. Click here to see me wear them in a different color combinations.

The collection features some of Sophia Webster‘s most iconic silhouettes with LoveShackFancy‘s beautiful prints, which, together, have produced a line that is literally blooming with delight. This limited edition collection is super exclusive and there aren’t that many to go around!

TO SHOP THE COLLECTION, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © LoveShackFancy and © Sophia Webster
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.

During the launch party of PIAGET‘s new POLO S watches in New York City, I had the pleasure to meet one of my favorite authors, award-winning Joël Dicker, as we have been both ambassadors for the brand.

Born in Geneva on June 16, 1985 to a bookseller and a French teacher; he is of both French and Russian descent and has literature in his blood thanks to his parents. Dicker spent his childhood in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. At the age of 19, he decided to move to Paris to take acting classes. A year later, he returned to his hometown to study law at the University of Geneva, obtaining a degree in 2010.

His early beginnings as a writer were not the easiest. However, they show that passion and persistence can overcome all odds. With his first work, the short novel «The Tiger», he participated in a youth literary contest in 2005. In this competition he was disqualified because the main judge presented doubts about his authorship. However, this didn’t stop Dicker and today, he sees it as a milestone in his career.

In 2009, Dicker completed his first novel called «The Final Days of our Fathers», based on the UK Secret Intelligence Service. After not raising interest in any publisher, in 2010 he decided to enroll her in the Prix ​​des Ecrivains Genevois for unpublished works. The writer was the winner of this important award, to finally achieve its publication a year later with Éditions de Fallois.

His style to structure and write a book is different and therefore addictive. Throughout his work, fates and different worlds will cross, and some stories will be parallel all along to meet at the end, as the reader finally will discover the outcome.

Dicker has a very special way to come up with an intoxicating plot mixing shady past and shifting present while spicing it up with suspense and crime. The outcome? Thrilling, delightfully twisted, continually shocking, literary and intelligent novels that all kept me eagerly turning the pages.

My first Dicker book was «The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair» (2012), the story of an American novelist with writer’s block who begins to investigate a murder of which his former university professor is accused. You could say that this thriller took the world by storm. In summer 2013, the title displaced Dan Brown’s Inferno from the top of bestseller lists all over Europe. It has been translated into more than 40 languages ​​and has sold more than 4.000.000 copies worldwide. In addition, the he won the Prix Goncourt des lycéens, the Prix de la Vocation and the Prix du roman from the French Academy. It has also subsequently been made into a 10-part television mini-series with Patrick Dempsey in the leading role.

Dicker’s third novel, «The Baltimore Boys», was released in 2015, followed by his fourth novel, «The Disappearance of Stephanie Mailer» in 2018, which is another one of my favorites by Dicker, a captivating thriller with a killer twist.

In bed with «The Disappearance of Stephanie Mailer».

After releasing his fifth novel «The Enigma of Room 622» in 2020, his fans were waiting impatiently for his new book … It’s now done! «L’Affaire Alaska Sanders» has been hitting the shelves… and I cannot wait to read it!

YOU CAN SHOP HIS BOOKS ONLINE HERE IN SEVERAL LANGUAGES.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht / Photo on bed: David Biedert Photography
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«Coming of Age», in loving memory and honour of Virgil Abloh, is unveiled at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, France. An extension of the original global «Coming of Age» exhibition, the arrival in Paris will play out over a two-week period, from 13th April, at the Frank Gehry-designed space.

In 2019, Virgil Abloh curated a group exhibition titled «Coming of Age» in Los Angeles, California. Presented in creative partnership with Little Big Man Gallery, the exhibition centred around the concept, diversities and complexities of male youth and boyhood – traversing class, race, social economics, subcultures, isolation, and camaraderie. «Coming of Age» travelled to Paris, Beijing, Milan, New York, Munich, Tokyo and Seoul, allowing students, artists, and local communities access to a DIY «copy center», to build and create their own zines with their favourite artworks from the exhibition.

A physical embodiment and homage to Virgil Abloh’s world, «Coming of Age» in Paris regroups, reimagines and expands this original exhibition and its narrative story. A tribute to a hands-on creator, the exhibition encourages activities and participation, combining physical events with digital activations. Visitors become participants, alongside artists, photographers, musicians, directors, and animators. Diverse but united, the participants serve as an illustration of Virgil Abloh’s mission and achievement to democratise the dream embodied by Louis Vuitton, rendering it a domain open to the aspirations of people from all walks of life, all ages, all genders and all races.

The exhibition is open to the public, free of charge, from 13th to 27th April 2022.

Address:
Fondation Louis Vuitton
8 Av. du Mahatma Gandhi
75116 Paris

Opening hours:
Monday to Sunday
12pm to 7pm

Registration for tickets: www.fondationlouisvuitton.fr.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton

What to buy now? A question I get often asked. Times have changed. It is not always about the newest trends. Brands are launching re-editions and the second hand market is booming. Shopping in a more conscious and sustainable way has become important to many of us instead of just spending on whatever just hit the shelves.

If you invest in great quality and some designer pieces, you will enjoy those for many years to come. Here you see me in New York City for the launch party of PIAGET‘s new POLO S watches. My look consists of vintage pieces like my CHANEL bag that I got for my 18th birthday along with the dress from Gucci’s S/S 2016 runway collection (Look 39).

My look: Multicolored lace embroidered dress, beaded necklace, and Molina turquoise lip pumps, all by Gucci, quilted lambskin mini vintage classic flap bag by CHANEL, Limelight Gala watch, rose diamond ring and rose diamond necklace, all by Piaget.

LoL, Sandra

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

Hello Boston – so happy to be back in this amazing city to celebrate my «Lieblingsmensch», my daughter, who turned 20 yesterday. It was a beautiful sunny day. Here you see us strolling around the Boston Harbor area.

My look: Wool jacket with fur detail, logo-print jersey sweatshirt, logo-print fleeceback-jersey track pants, and logo-print T-shirt, all by Rodarte, Trekkgirl snow boots by Valentino, Oyster Perpetual 36 with turquoise dial by Rolex, Luck Lady stola by Louis Vuitton, sunglasses by CHANEL, and medium shearling Bobby bag in grey by Dior.

LoL, Sandra

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

A new collection of Silver Lockit bracelets, designed by Virgil Abloh – Louis Vuitton’s Men’s Artistic Director from 2018 to 2021 – launched within the LOUIS VUITTON for UNICEF partnership.

Following his initial collaboration in 2020, Virgil Abloh reimagined a second Silver Lockit bracelet collection, continuing to support children in need through the Maison’s partnership with UNICEF. Reinterpreted once again by Virgil Abloh, this new collection for 2022 echoes his first Silver Lockit collaboration– bearing the same Virgil Abloh signatures – but with new materials and colors: chain, padlock, and Louis Vuitton charm in natural or black titanium, with neon yellow, rainbow or black cord bracelets.

Launched in February 2020, Virgil Abloh’s original take on the Silver Lockit bracelet brought a breath of fresh air to the collection. The Men’s Artistic Director added his signature bold chain, linked to a thicker cord; the silver padlock and a Louis Vuitton charm in the back, giving a final touch to the design.

Since 2016, Louis Vuitton has raised over $18 million USD for UNICEF through the sale of its Silver Lockit bracelet and pendant collections. New versions of the Silver Lockit bracelet have been launched annually to continue to support UNICEF. For every Silver Lockit by Virgil Abloh sold, $100 is donated to UNICEF.

LoL, Sandra

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