From Pucci-wrapped fashionistas to bronzed Tropeziennes, all love the French Riviera for renewal, and amusement at once. An amazing tide of sophisticated influences has defined beach culture in St. Tropez for many years. Transcending time and place, an afternoon spent at Bagatelle Beach Ramatuelle is an afternoon well spent in the South of France. I cannot wait to finally be back for great food, great party and the perfect beach. My favorite swimwear? I love to wear Emilio Pucci‘s polychromatic styles influenced by the Sixties and Seventies. So chic!

My look: Parasol-printed top, matching pareo-style skirt and bikini, all by Emilio Pucci, Rockstud jelly flip flops by Valentino, Tonda 1950 Set Clarity watch by Parmigiani Fleurier, necklace by Roberto Cavalli, sunglasses by Tom Ford, and bum bag from Louis Vuitton‘s S/S 2009 collection.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © David Biedert Photography

 As you already know, I am over the moon when it comes to an aventurine dial. For me, it is as infinite as the universe itself. Coming back to earth, at SIHH 2018, I spotted some «out of this world» timepieces in stellar blue that I would like to share with you today.

But before let me give you a little information about aventurine glass that was created by accident as it is the case for many superb inventions. In the 19th century, a glass-blower in the Italian city of Murano happened to spill some copper shavings into molten glass. This gave rise to aventurine glass, now a much sought-after material, scattered with metal inclusions and named after the Italian expression «a l’avventura», literally «by chance» – a tribute to this lucky twist of fate.

Lady Arpels Planétarium™ Poetic Complications watch by Van Cleef & Arpels

Saxonia Thin in Copper Blue by A. Lange & Söhne

Celestial canopy for the wrist – a copper-blue dial imparts fascinating depth and charisma to the thinnest A. Lange & Söhne timepiece. The elegant personality of the latest Saxonia Thin version is based on the «less is more» principle. Its elegant white-gold case is merely 6.2 millimetres thick and has a diameter of 39 millimetres. The case colour is echoed by the two slender hour and minute hands as well as the twelve hour markers in rhodiumed gold. It is crafted from solid silver and coated with a thin layer of subtly shimmering goldstone. Microscopically small copper oxide crystals saturate the deep blue with choreographed reflections that are reminiscent of the stars in the blue midnight sky. A dark-blue hand-stitched alligator leather strap rounds out the expressiveness of the watch. Its puristic elegance is complemented by a manually wound movement finished to the highest standards of Saxon watchmaking artistry. The technical features of the manufacture calibre L093.1 – it is a scant 2.9 millimetres thick – include a flat mainspring barrel which delivers a maximum power reserve of 72 hours despite its compact size.

Cat’s Eye Day & Night High Jewellery by Girard-Perregaux

The Cat’s Eye collection is one of the most loyal ambassadors of ladies’ watches and now it has been transformed it for the very first time into a High Jewellery interpretation. Above and beyond the metamorphosis highlighting the fairytale sparkle of diamonds, this new creation tells its very own story.

This stunning white gold watch comes with an aventurine night-sky, diamond paved dial and moon figure with brilliant-cut diamonds. On the dial, there are  149 brilliant-cut diamonds ~0.52 ct, on the case  52 brilliant-cut diamonds ~2.31 cts and on the buckle 14 brilliant-cut diamonds ~0.118 ct.
The see-through case-back reveals the reliable in-house manufactured movement made of 218 components and the gold oscillating weight delicately engraved with «GP» logos forming a decorative pattern.

My absolute favorite watch that features an aventurine dial is the Tonda 1950 Galaxy by Parmigiani Fleurier that was launched at SIHH 2017.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands and © Sandra Bauknecht

This breaking news for all fashion lovers. One of the industry’s leading image-makers and trendsetters, Hedi Slimane, was announced by LVMH today as Artistic, Creative and Image Director of Céline with effect from February this year. He will direct all Céline collections, extending to men’s fashion, couture and fragrances.

Hedi Slimane rose to fame during his tenure as the Creative Director for Dior Homme (also under the helmet of LVMH) in the mid-2000’s. You could say that he invented the skinny suit. A decade later and maybe most notoriously, he went to Yves Saint Laurent and rebranded the label simply Saint Laurent. Its entire visual identity was reengineered by moving the design studio to Los Angeles and showing revamped rocker looks each season. Hedi Slimane’s talent and his remarkable ability to anticipate and express in a unique way the evolutions and desires of his age, will ensure a further era of exceptional growth and development for the House of Céline.

Bernard Arnault commented: “I am particularly happy that Hedi is back within the LVMH Group and taking the reins of our Céline Maison. He is one of the most talented designers of our time.  I have been a great admirer of his work since we collaborated on Dior Homme, which he launched to global critical acclaim in the 2000s. His arrival at Céline reinforces the great ambitions that LVMH has for this Maison. Hedi will oversee and develop all creativity for both women’s and men’s fashion, but also for leather goods, accessories and fragrances. He will leverage his global vision and unique aesthetic virtuosity in further building an iconic French Maison”.

Hedi Slimane said: “I am delighted to join Bernard Arnault in this all-embracing and fascinating mission for Céline. I greatly look forward to returning to the exciting world of fashion and the dynamism of the ateliers”.

LoL, Sandra

Photo of Hedi Slimane | Y.R.

Since many years, I have been invited to SIHH, which is the year’s first gathering of professionals in the watchmaking segment and I love going there. Held in January, it sets the tone for the twelve months to come as it rolls out the latest trends. By visiting the glamorous watch fair, you are not only treated to champagne, 5-star hotel accommodation (I stayed at the beautiful Four Seasons in Geneva), but only amazing events with tons of celebrities visiting the prestigious event. 2018 has been one of the fair’s most interesting yet with incredible watches being unveiled and new exhibitors presenting their novelties.

New to the fair is French luxury house Hermès who is showing at SIHH for the very first time.

CEO Piaget Chabi Nouri with me

Altogether there are 35 exhibitors with many newly on-board CEOs such as Jaeger-LeCoultre, Ulysse Nardin, Vacheron Constantin and Piaget. The latter’s new CEO Chabi Nouri presented her fresh direction and won my vote for best booth at the fair. The beautiful tropical island themed decorations featured real lush palm tree embellishments, an indoor pool, and even a simulated skylight.

The brand’s new Altiplano Ultimate Concept, which is with only 2mm of exceptional horology the thinnest watch in the world, was one of the talking pieces of the fair. Personally speaking, I have fallen for Piaget‘s turquoise-colored Limelight Gala watch and some other favorites that you will find below:

LIMELIGHT GALA WATCH BY PIAGET
White gold, set with diamonds
Turquoise dial
Manufacture Piaget quartz movement 690P

PANTHÈRE DE CARTIER
Mini model
18k pink gold
Case set with brilliant-cut diamonds
Triple-loop bracelet

ROYAL OAK FROSTED GOLD SELFWINDING BY AUDEMARS PIGUET
Selfwinding manufacture calibre 3120
Centre seconds, date,
37mm, dial comes now in pink gold
18-carat pink gold

TONDA 1950 BY PARMIGIANI FLEURIER
PF702 ultra-thin automatic movement with micro rotor
48-hour power reserve
Hand-beveled bridges
18ct rose gold case
Available in stones dial and with diamond setting
Alligator strap

FIFTY-SIX COMPLETE CALENDAR BY VACHERON CONSTANTIN
Precision moon phase
Approximately 40 hours of power reserve
18K pink gold
40 mm diameter, 11.6 mm thick
Transparent sapphire crystal caseback
Water-resistance tested at a pressure of 3 bar (approx. 30 meters)
Alligator strap

The watches are getting smaller and so are the prices… many watchmakers are opting for less expensive models as Piaget launches for the first time watches in steel, as well as Jaeger-LeCoultre does for the so-called «Polaris» collection. Vacheron Constantin will be making a ladies line and Panerai is releasing a new range of 38mm timepieces, the smallest Panerai watches ever.

Roger Dubuis showed me a novelty for the ladies range that I have fallen in love with immediately but I am not allowed to talk about it until February…!

TONDA 1950 GALAXY by PARMIGIANI FLEURIER
PF702 ultra-thin automatic movement with platinum micro rotor
48-hour power reserve
Hand-beveled bridges
18ct gold case with diamond setting, 064ct
Blue Aventurine dial
Hermès alligator strap

The color to opt for is blue. There was not one booth that didn’t show a variety of azure, indigo, sky or cerulean. As there were so many, I decided to write a separate post about it which will be published soon…

Stay tuned! So much more to come!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Ronan Keating‘s wife Storm is not only one of the most stylish woman I know – she was nominated for Great Britain’s VIP Style Award for Most Stylish Woman in 2016 – but also an absolute sweetheart. She works as designer, brand ambassador and TV producer. During SIHH 2018 she was an absolute eye candy in her very upscale outfit – sporting the transparent trend in perfection.

Get the look: Perforated stretch-knit maxi dress (70% off – in case your size is missing, it is also available here for 50% off), Aurore leather-trimmed stretch-knit sock boots (40% off), both by Balmain, corset stretch bodysuit by Live The Process, and gold Louise clutch by Louis Vuitton.

I have the same dress and cannot wait to wear it soon…

LoL, Sandra

Photos © David M. Benett/Dave Benett and Chris Jackson/Getty Images for IWC 

Today’s post might save marriages… the stunning Hermès Football Table is a piece of home decor that will satisfy both genders. If I am not mistaken, no luxury brand has ever touched a football table, so this might be one of the most high-end tables ever created. An item for your game room, if you have one, that is not only a piece of art but is actually designed for use.

In case you are wondering why the players on the rods are dressed as jockeys, here is the answer: it is an homage to the equestrian heritage of the Maison Hermès. Paying attention to detail and craftsmanship, the table is crafted from maple wood and calfskin leather in a demure dark blue and yellow gold color scheme.

The only drop of bitterness is the hefty price tag, but this might be still cheaper than a divorce… Available now for € 63.000 / $68.300.
TO SHOP, CLICK HERE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Hermès

It’s all over town. I have enough of winter and cannot wait for the warm season to come… just a few more month to go during which I have to indulge in memories of days spent in the South of France. Here you see me on the rooftop bar of the Hotel de Paris in St. Tropez during the Asmallworld weekend … heaven on earth.

My look: Rinnaa pointelle trim bandage dress by Hervé Léger, Kan I Mini studded leather chain shoulder bag by Fendi, leather platform pumps by Gucci, long pearl earrings and sunglasses by Chanel.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © David Biedert Photography

The journey of Marni Market arrives in Paris, bringing the imaginative world of MARNI to 231 Rue Saint Honoré. For five months the space will be continually transformed, giving visitors the chance to discover the various facets of the MARNI universe and to buy a selection of special, exclusive products, immersing themselves in the lively environment of bright colours and graphic prints in three specific periods.

January 2018: MARNI VISITORS MARKET

The protagonists are the MARNI Visitors, fun, colourfully painted wood and resin marionettes, characters that are half toy and half sculpture, that seem to have arrived from another planet. Keeping to the traditional annual Christmas charitable donation, the proceeds of the MARNI
Visitors’ sales will go to the Piccolo Principe association, which, through the Orso Baloo community, helps children in difficulty aged 0 to 5 within the Province of Milan.

1 February – 12 April: MARNI PLAYFUL MARKET

The key word is play. The MARNI Playful Market is an invitation to forget rules and predefined structures interacting with the surrounding area and the elements it contains: toys to be showcased or to play with, extraordinary objects and furnishing sculptures that have cast practicality aside to embrace a more freely interpreted, playful side.

13 April – 18 May: MARNI HOUSE MARKET

The wood, metal and coloured PVC furnishing items hand-made in Colombia, which have garnered fame at various editions of the Milan Salone del Mobile, populate the space in celebration of the design month. They create a unique environment where hand-crafted workmanship and creativity find the peak of their expression.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Marni

My avid readers know how much I love MARY KATRANTZOU. Since her first collection, I have been collecting her designs. So I was over the moon when she told me to be part of her first solo exhibition that opened its doors this weekend at Dallas Contemporary as part of its first season for the new year. «Mary, the Queen of Prints,» explores the innovative work and kaleidoscopic world of fashion designer Mary Katrantzou. In addition to the museum celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2018, the upcoming year also coincides with the 10th anniversary of Mary Katrantzou’s brand.

With Mary at the Net-à-Porter Dinner in London in a S/S 2014 printed top and skirt.

Mary Katrantzou has said: «Print can be as definitive as a cut or a drape and allows a woman to filter beauty found in design, in a subversive way. All my prints are constructed through digital technology. Digital print allows me to experiment with print in a way that fine art and other methods could not. It opens up a huge spectrum for possibility; I can create possibility out of impossibility, surrealism out of realism and both vice versa.»

Following previous collaborations with top cultural institutions such as the New York City Ballet and the Paris Opera, this exhibition will be the first time the entirety of the designer’s previous collections is represented under one roof.

«Mary, the Queen of Prints» will be on view at Dallas Contemporary, 161 Glass Street, in Dallas, Texas, until March 4th, 2018.

A beautiful dress from the F/W 2011 collection photographed by Tim Walker for Vogue.

Curated by Museum Director Peter Doroshenko and Director of Exhibitions Justine Ludwig, the exhibition will consist of approximately 200 garments as well as accessories, sketches, and textiles by Katrantzou. The works reveal Katrantzou’s diverse inspirations ranging from the pages of Architectural Digest to Fantasia, and provide a closer look at her inventive tailoring and techniques.

Presented in color groupings rather than chronologically (Katrantzou’s masterful use of color has been central to her aesthetic since the beginning of her brand), the garments create a prismatic field of color within Dallas Contemporary’s distinctive space and reflect the designer’s recognition in the industry as a creative mind and innovator.

With Mary at the UBS Unique Event in London in 2017

ABOUT MARY KATRANTZOU
Born in Athens, Mary Katrantzou studied Architecture at Rhode Island School of Design and graduated with a BA in Textile design and an MA in Fashion from Central Saint Martins. Her graduation show in 2008, which featured trompe l’oeil prints of oversized jewelry on jersey-bonded dresses, took the industry by storm, immediately securing a number of prestigious stockists, notably Browns, Joyce, Colette. After her graduation show, Mary Katrantzou established her namesake brand. She now boasts over 100 high-end stockists ranging from Selfridges to Joyce, Matchesfashion.com, Harrods and Saks.

Wearing the Ivory Dress from the F/W 2012 collection.

Mary Katrantzou was dubbed “The Queen of Print” by press, a moniker that recognized the enormous influence of her work in the medium. Katrantzou plays with clashing aesthetics, mixes technology and craftsmanship and explores opulent innovative embellishments in a world that is feminine, innovative, fresh and elegant.

Winning the Swiss Textiles Award in 2010 in Zurich

In 2010 Katrantzou was awarded the Swiss Textiles Award in recognition of her pioneering textile treatments; in November 2011, she received the British Fashion Award for Emerging Talent, in February 2012 was awarded Young Designer of the Year at the Elle Style Awards. In 2015, Katrantzou received the Vogue Designer Fashion Fund, was awarded Glamour designer of the year, Harper’s Bazaar Breakthrough Designer as well as the British Fashion Award for New Establishment Designer.

In Mary’s Powdy Print from the F/W 2012 collection.

Prestigious collaborations have included capsule ranges with Swarovski, Longchamp, Moncler, Topshop, Cowshed and Adidas Originals. Mary has also collaborated with artist Pablo Bronstein at the ICA, designed costumes for the NYC Ballet and the Paris Opera and her work has been exhibited at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art and at Lord Rothschild’s «Creatures and Creations» exhibition at Waddesdon Manor in the UK.

Mary’s Girls: from Mira Mikati to Nicky Hilton, from Sabine Getty to Wendy Wu – we all celebrated with opening of «Creatures and Creations» in May 2017.

From left to right: Eugenie Niarchos, Sandra Bauknecht, Elena Perminova, Miroslava Duma, Mary Katrantzou, Tamu McPherson, Elisa Nalin, Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis and Viviana Volpicella.

COLLECTION HISTORY
S/S 2018 – The Youth of the Year
F/W 2017 – A Fantasia  /  S/S 2017 – Minoan
F/W  2016 – Rodeo & Juliette  /  S/S 2016 – Cosmology
F/W 2015 – Kenophobia  /  S/S 2015 – Pangea and Panthalassa
F/W 2014 – Symbolism  /  S/S 2014 – The Shoes
F/W 2013 – Landscapes   /  S/S 2013 – Postage Stamps
F/W 2012 – Ordinary Objects  /   S/S 2012 – Flower Fields
F/W 2011 – Objets d’Art   /  S/ 2011 – Rooms
F/W 2010 – Madame Pompadour   /  S/S 2010 – Blown Glass
F/W 2009 – A Woman in a Bottle /  S/S 2009 – Jewels

Below you see how many pieces of the exhibition are from my closet. So proud of my personal collection and the fact that I have been part of the Katrantzou family from day one.

Serendipity Dress from the S/S 2011 collection

Jewel Tree Dress from the F/W 2011 collection

Kite Runner Dress from the F/W 2011 collection

Caramolengo Dress from the F/W 2011 collection

Harp Hazard Dress from the S/S 2012 collection

Fishtank Dress from the S/S 2012 collection

Powder Gun Dress from the F/W 2012 collection

Expandit Dress from the F/W 2012 collection

Alias Dress from the S/S 2013 collection

Ziggy Dress from the S/S 2013 collection

Orlyon Dress from the F/W 2013 collection

Godiva Jacket and Godiva Skirt from the S/S 2014 collection

Olivier Coat and Charm Butterfly Dress from the F/W 2016 collection

Hemera Dress from the S/S 2017 collection

Look 32 (Fustaella Shirt – Dove Top – Pantheon Skirt)  from the S/S 2017 collection

Nausheen Fox Fur Coat from the F/W 2017 collection

To many more year to come! Congrats, Mary, I love you!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Mary Katrantzou and © Sandra Bauknecht

Thanks to the internet, micro needling, or CIT (collagen induction therapy) as it is sometimes called, is the latest in skincare trends. As needles aren’t my thing, this has never occurred to be the right procedure for me. Nevertheless, I have been pretty amazed seeing the results when my friends had undergone the quite unpleasant treatment.

After doing some research, I have found a tool that I truly like to use, like a «DIY micro needling»: BEAUTY STAMP, a unique micro-exfoliation tool that utilizes a gentle «press & lift» action. It stimulates the collagen production for a fresher, younger-looking complexion. This results-oriented tool makes micro-impressions along the top dermal layer to improve texture, tone and firmness. It also preps your skin to boost the effectiveness of your daily skincare routine. Moreover it minimizes fine lines and wrinkles, rejuvenates and renews the skin.

TO SHOP THE BEAUTY STAMP ONLINE, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Nurse Jamie