Sandra‘s Closet

A total ’90s must-have, white boots are officially again a wardrobe fixture – now’s the time to shop the new-season favorites.

There are few shoes more versatile than a white boot, a style which can truly be worn all year round, whatever is happening with the weather. In spring, they can be teamed with your floaty floral dresses, while they add a soft touch to denim ensembles in the fall – and look great paired with workwear and even black leggings.

To shop, click on the highlighted product description to be transferred to the respective store.

LoL, Sandra

SHAPE Sculpted Motion boots in white by ECCO
(I am wearing this model in the photo.)

Nappa-leather knee-high boots by Jil Sander

Zipped suede over-the-knee boots by Marni

Madame knee-high leather platform boots by Gucci

Loens slouchy knee-high leather boots by Isabel Marant

Tina knee-high patchwork-leather boots by Ssōne

Photo of me: © David Biedert Photography – 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.

Reminiscent of a young Bianca Jagger who has become so well known for the iconic achromatic look, a classic white suit is a smart pick for a minimalist bride who’s less interested in a full-length gown or a great alternative to a costume for the civil wedding. White pant suits had been allover the S/S 2020 runways and can be worn after your big day to many occasions.

My look: Appliquéd crepe blazer, matching appliquéd crepe wide-leg pants, silk crepe de chine shirt, and Aurora rabbit-felt fedora hat, all by Gucci, Teddy patent-leather pumps by Saint Laurent, and Wifey for Life clutch by Sophia Webster.

For those wondering, due to the current pandemic, my wedding date is not yet set, the venue is not yet booked, but we know where we will do it, but now it’s definitely time to decide what to wear on the big day which is actually the most fun for me! I think I will have to change a few times… there are so many beautiful choices.

LoL, Sandra

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

There’s no such thing as too much bling with Shine Bright by OPI, a new limited edition holiday collection with Swarovski crystals. Featuring 15 shades, including three special glitter hues, Shine Bright captures the festive magic of the season with hues that shimmer and sparkle.
Beautifully rich velvety tones of pink, mauve, burgundy, and golden brown offer a luxurious, feminine feel, while mixed metals in silver and gold add delicate sparkle. Gemstone shades of garnet and ruby make a bold statement, and sensual, shimmering colors of champagne, deep blue, and black add instant sophisticated glam.

The collection also features three special glitters, each packed with glass-like glitter particles for a threedimensional look, including a clear base with iridescent glitter, an icy blue jelly base with cellophane glitter, and a dark gray jelly base with cellophane glitter.

Naughty or Ice?
Say hello to a glam champagne shimmer that’s so nice you’ll want to paint your nails and check them twice.
Snowfalling for You
Make every day a snow day with this pink pearlescent shade that you’re sure to fall in love with.
This Shade is Ornamental!
Deck your nails with this velvety, rose pink and thank us later for the compliments.
Dressed to the Wines
This deep red-wine shimmer will not only dress you to the wines, but dress you to the nines.
This Gold Sleighs Me
Sleigh all day and night with a gold metallic that will turn heads left and right.

Gingerbread Man Can
Add a little spice to your nails with a shimmery brown that will dazzle and delight.
Merry in Cranberry
Be berry and bright with a playful punch of fuchsia.
Red-y For the Holidays
’Tis the season for a classic, velvety red that will make your nails festive and fun.
Let’s Take an Elfie
Ready for your closeup? This shimmery, violet-purple deserves all the snaps.
Tinsel, Tinsel ‘Lil Star
Shine bright with this metallic silver that will make you twinkle.

To All a Good Night
Party until the ball drops with this deep, midnight-blue that will light up the night.
Heart and Coal
Little black dress, meet your match with this black glitter that elevates all your festive party looks.
All A’twitter in Glitter
This iridescent glitter will transform your world into a winter wonderland one nail at a time.
Bling it On!
Bring on the bling with this icy blue that will light up your nails with iridescent glitter.
Puttin’ On the Glitz
Dress up your nails with this dark gray glitter that will add some glitz to your glam.

GelColor (CHF 19.90) provides a salon-perfect finish with up to three-week wear, while Infinite Shine (CHF 24.90) offers a high-shine finish and traditional lacquer application. Nail Lacquer features a highly-pigmented, rich formula for even application without streaking.

I love the advent calendar with 25 mini bottles of the OPI SHINE BRIGHT collection. Available for CHF 89.90. For the store locator, click here please, or visit online www.globus.ch, or www.perfecthair.ch.
In stores now.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of OPI – #OPIShineBright

As promised earlier this week, here is my daily ritual of renewal, my four LA MER beauty essentials, that enhance my self-care routine and provide my dry skin with comfort and moisture, for the ultimate radiance in any situation. Morning and evening, and sometimes in between, I take a moment to myself with these must-haves, that I use in the order mentioned below and that make my beauty regimen always a pure delight.

TREATMENT LOTION
The pre-lotion is a must. It supercharges my skin with a rush of liquid energy for a glowing radiance to start with and prepares it for the steps to follow.

THE CONCENTRATE
Especially now, during the cold season, or while wearing face masks all the time, my skin especially around the nose and mouth gets easily irritated. This miracle product is my savior. In only a short amount of time, it restores the skin’s natural barrier and its antioxidant protection. Good news is that you only need a small amount. I use it only on the spots that need help.

CRÈME DE LA MER
I adore the original ultra-rich product that you warm in your fingers before the application. It melts into the skin and soothes it immediately. It is a moisture miracle. A well hydrated skin is the key to a beautiful and plumped complexion, and wrinkles are smoothed automatically.

THE EYE CONCENTRATE
This is my dark circle savior and a source of strength for the delicate eye area. I also apply to the area around my lips to avoid wrinkles before going to sleep. Never forget your eye cream!

Thanks to the healing and cell-renewing energies of the iconic Miracle Broth™, my skin feels renewed, healed and soothed after those four steps that I always incorporate and cannot live without. However, I personalize my LA MER routine from day to day, for example I add serums, masks or oil. It is like a moisture wardrobe that caters to my personal needs, which makes it also so much more fun. If you have never tried LA MER, this would be a great starter kit to work with.

Here is a little secret from my side. When my big day is coming up, I will apply those four essentials to walk down the aisle with the perfect bridal glow … stay tuned!

TO SHOP THE LA MER ESSENTIALS AT GLOBUS, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © David Biedert Photography
DISCLOSURE: This post is sponsored. However, I only recommend products I love and those ones I love very much. Promise. For the outfit post, click here please.

Let me introduce you today to a new olfactive family with two news scents from KILIAN PARIS: Angels’ Share and Roses on Ice. Both are inspired by the legendary liquors cognac and gin, respectively, served in refillable fragrance flacons styled like art deco glasses to recall the most fabulous of bars.

Kilian Hennessy with me

These fragrances are the perfect after-party scents, capturing the moment when the mood gets lit and extravagance sets in. Launching the olfactive family The Liquors, founder Kilian Hennessy felt it was time to pay tribute to his heritage, as heir to the renowned French cognac making family, and to his choice olfactory intoxicants for driving the night towards dawn.

Angels’ Share is perhaps Kilian Hennessy’s most personal fragrance creation yet, inspired by his eighth-generation inheritance of Hennessy savoir-faire in cognacmaking. Much like a Master Perfumer who crafts accords and essences in a perfume, a Master Blender combines the eaux-de-vie in perfect proportions for an exceptional cognac.

This creation goes deep into the cellars of founder’s mind and memory, and into its most mysterious dimension: «la part des anges» or «angels’ share»— an evaporation of liquor in oak barrels that lifts, while aging, like a silent offering to the gods.

This first-time collaboration with French perfumer Benoist Lapouza, Angels’ Share contains the essence of Cognac derived from the liquor to lend it a natural caramel color. Opening with this cognac oil, upon a blend of oak absolute, cinnamon essence and tonka bean absolute, the scent’s long-lasting notes of sandalwood, praline and vanilla make for a delicious finish, a rare concoction only angels should experience.

Anyone for notes of gin, distilled with rose and cucumber? As a first-time collaboration with perfumer Franck Voelkl, Kilian Hennessy wanted to recreate the tasting of «gin on the rocks» with a splash of lime—recalling his wife’s favorite drink. Roses on Ice opens with the aquatic freshness of cucumber and the aromatic uplift of juniper berries, creating an icy sensation, rounded in an accord with voluptuous Rose Centifolia. Upon a drydown of sandalwood and musk, the scent expresses the sharp—yet deeply infused—character of gin consumed in its ideal.

Instantly and addictively tactile, The Liquors olfactive family perfume flacons are trompe l’oeil objects reminiscent of art deco barware. Styled as a speakeasy essential, the weighted glass is engraved with the emblematic K motif to throw and catch light at all angles, finished with a golden, diamond-shaped plaque signed in white serigraphy.

Knock on the door, slip inside a hidden bar—and prohibition ends here, for The Liquors by KILIAN PARIS are the scents of late-night libations. Now the party starts getting good.

With curfews everywhere and no party going on until the pandemic will be hopefully over soon, we can only dream about having a great party while wearing the new scents. I explored the fragrances Tuesday evening at Widder Bar in Zurich. The launch was accompanied by two drinks created for the new perfumes. Please find the recipes below. We could choose one scent. My personal favorite is definitely Angels’ Share, a warm and embracing scent, that is perfect for the holiday season.

TO SHOP ANGELS’ SHARE ONLINE, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

TO SHOP ROSES ON ICE ONLINE, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

Each fragrance is CHF 169.00 for 50ml.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © KILIAN PARIS and © Sandra Bauknecht
DISCLOSURE: This post is not sponsored. However, we may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.

Getting ready in my bathroom is ME TIME for me. I just love it. Personally speaking, taking time to pamper myself is so important and recharges my batteries. Stay tuned, on Friday, I will present you my personal routine with my beauty essentials that I use on a daily basis.

I am in love with my new teal colored gown, which blends in perfectly with my bathroom color. Hopefully you will like it too… to shop, click on the highlighted product descriptions.

My look: Ladybeetle bow-detailed ruffled linen and silk-blend gown by Zimmermann, Cloud crystal-embellished suede clutch by Jimmy Choo, Chiara crystal-embellished suede slingback pumps by Christian Louboutin, Limelight Gala watch, rose diamond necklace and rose diamond ring, all by Piaget.

LoL, Sandra

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

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

What are the trends for F/W 2020? The world has changed so much in the last months and we might not find all of the looks suitable for our current situation. I have waited such a long time with this report as I was quite nostalgic about it. Personally speaking, F/W 2020 might have been the last real fashion month as I used to know it. Due to the current pandemic, the S/S 2021 presentations were mostly virtual or with not many guests. I was in Milan and Paris but it felt very different from before.

Read on to see the most influential trends from the F/W 2020 runways and let’s dream of better times. Most of the looks are in stores now.

LoL, Sandra

The leitmotif of the season, strong shoulders are making their big comeback. Triangular shapes now reign supreme, for a truly on-point look.

With a season steeped in romantic influences, frills are enough to make any silhouette pretty.

The tasseled trim was given an elevated touch on the runway this season.

When it comes to equine-inspired fashion, we’re seeing less western, and more lady-like horse girls wearing sophisticated prints and equestrian caps.

Altogether, a vast and varied geometry of hypnotic checks makes a lasting impression and ticks all the boxes of a preppy season profile.

What the tailored shorts suit was for spring, the skirted version is for fall.

Collegiate sweaters, navy blazers, as well as stripes and checks, there’s a newfound appreciation for classic Americana style and the preppiness that comes with it.

Who says certain colors don’t go together? Certainly not the on-trend designers this season. The message is make it pop!

Dressing up like little girls that is what this trend is all about.

The ultra-sexy look, in every form possible, is holding up strong with exposed lingerie that simultaneously advocates luxurious seduction and a desire to reveal the unknown.

Black leather is making an unapologetic comeback. Think of of Keanu Reeves in The Matrix and go for your personal gothic, ’90s revival.

This fall, it is time to unleash your fetish side! Vinyl is the material that will keep you warm and others hot…

More than a trend… a recurrence. What’s new for winter? An all-over, utterly bourgeois allure.

Chic elegance with a folky twist, the bohemian attitude has been truly on the rise since many seasons.

Most fashion houses stopped using real fur, the only exception: shearling which was seen on many fall runways, preferably with a shaggy texture. Also available as fake fur.

Time to start practicing your victory rolls, because the ’40s are back.

Shine bright in silver. Opt for mesh, lamé, crystals or rhinestones.

Contemporary cutouts were revealed as the new way to wear the not-so-barely-there look at night.

Designers usher in a new twist on the bulbous silhouette, that we know from the ’80s.

The universally short-in-front, long-in-back is having a major moment in the form of dresses and gowns.

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands

Last Tuesday, I attended the CHANEL S/S 2021 show at the Grand Palais in Paris. Virginie Viard presented a beautiful collection that I will show you shortly. My look was all about CHANEL and I mixed different pieces from different seasons to achieve this kind of ’80s inspired style I truly love.

My look: Short tweed jacket in black (Look 42 Paris – Rue Cambon 31 Métiers d’Art 2020), knitwear top with trompe d’oeil effect (Look 13 Paris – Rue Cambon 31 Métiers d’Art 2020), embellished leggings (Cruise 2020), metal glass pearls leather earrings (Cruise 2020), tweed cap, leather and chain bracelet (S/S 2020), leather and chain logo belt (S/S 2020), small Gabrielle Chanel bag (Paris Cosmopolite Métiers d’Art 2017), and Kangaroo wrap around bow tie lace high heel boots in black (F/W 2016), Coco Crush bracelet in yellow gold, Coco Crush necklace in beige gold with diamonds, and Pétales de Camélia ring in yellow gold with diamond, all by CHANEL, Panthère de Cartier Manchette 22mm 18-karat rose gold and diamond watch and LOVE bracelets, all by Cartier, Baroque polka-dot print face mask by Dolce & Gabbana.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht – Thank you, Hester, for taking them!
DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission.

After last year’s first collection of six Capucines bags created by contemporary artists, Louis Vuitton unveiled a new edition of its Artycapucines project.

Beatriz Milhazes, Jean-Michel Othoniel, Josh Smith, Henry Taylor, Liu Wei and Zhao Zhao have all created beautifully imagined and stunningly worked versions of the iconic Capucines bag.

From the 30th October, each bag in the Artycapucines collection will be released in a limited edition of 200 in selected stores worldwide. Price per bag: CHF 7900.

Louis Vuitton Capucines by Beatriz Milhazes
Based upon a new work created by Brazilian artist Beatriz Milhazes for the Artycapucines project, Milhazes’ bag is a technical and artisanal achievement. 18 different types of leather are worked to the same thickness and then inlaid onto the bag’s lambskin base using innovative and novel marquetry techniques. To complete the kaleidoscopic variety of the different textures and aspects, the bag also has two areas of gold leaf and an inlaid, injected silicone gel peace sign. The LV logo uses enamel marquetry and gel to match the exact colours of the design over which it is placed.

Louis Vuitton Capucines by Jean-Michel Othoniel
Jean-Michel Othoniel’s Artycapucines is a graceful and joyous object. The bag’s main body is intricately hand-woven in raffia, while along the top edge of the bag is a hand-embroidered trim that uses a type of black satin silk more generally used in haute couture. The bag’s handle is made of large black resin beads that echo the French artist’s best-known large-scale works, such as his Le Kiosque des Noctambules Palais Royal Métro entrance in Paris. The bag is completed by a striking charm whose three resin beads act as an exclusive and portable Othoniel sculpture.

Louis Vuitton Capucines by Josh Smith
New York-based artist Josh Smith’s design is based upon one of his signature «name» paintings. To recreate the work, the bag’s cotton canvas exterior is first embroidered with white-coloured stitches to replicate brushstrokes, creating a sensation of depth. The fabric and stitches are then painstakingly printed, before the letters of Smith’s name are embroidered across the entire bag. The LV signature is in metal inlaid with wood, while the handle is made of pure pear wood. Its silk inner lining is printed with Palm #3, another of Smith’s striking and brightly coloured paintings.

Louis Vuitton Capucines by Henry Taylor
Henry Taylor’s Artycapucines brings together the Californian artist’s striking and expressive 2017 portrait A young master – a portrait of the late Noah Davis, the Black American artist and founder of LA’s Underground Museum – with the latest cutting-edge laser printing and traditional marquetry. Reproducing the painting on leather to replicate its original brushstrokes and varied textures required over 100 experiments to test different methods of 2D and 3D printing. The bag’s taupe Taurillon leather background was then used as a «blank canvas» into which this tactile portrait on leather was inserted using precise and demanding marquetry techniques. The result is a portrait that is also a remarkable sculptural bas-relief.

Louis Vuitton Capucines by Liu Wei
Beijing-based artist Liu Wei is renowned for provocative, unclassifiable work that jumps between media. His Artycapucines is based upon Microworld, a large-scale sculptural installation shown at the 2019 Venice Biennale. Variously sized aluminium petals from this sculpture are recreated for the bag using five different types of silver-coloured leather that are meticulously thermo-moulded and inserted directly into the bag’s exterior or attached using Louis Vuitton-engraved rivets. The bag’s handle is made in black Plexiglas, which brings a retro-futuristic touch, and is held in place by rings covered in metal spheres, each individually attached and with a different finish to match those in the original artwork.

Louis Vuitton Capucines by Zhao Zhao
Chinese artist Zhao Zhao’s Artycapucines is based on his 2018 sculpture, In Extremis No.3. For his bag, the artwork’s metal components are transformed into 353 individual laser-cut patches made of 5 different types of leather, which are either hand-embroidered, machine-embroidered, printed – with seven different patterns – or worked into relief. They are then assembled and meticulously sewn together into a single panel that follows the precise design layout that Zhao created. The resulting pattern covers the entire surface of the finished bag to create the impression that the original work has been moulded to fit precisely around the Capucines.

Aren’t they all very special! I love when fashion meets art…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton