Sandra‘s Closet

«Christmas trees are the strongest ‘souvenir’ of my happy childhood.» – Karl Lagerfeld

I love Christmas trees and my favorite one (besides my own) can be found at London’s Claridge’s Hotel where in the eighth consecutive year a creative visionary has been invited to reinterpret the tree in their own distinctive style. This December, it is Karl Lagerfeld, one of the fashion world’s most influential creative forces, who created the stunning festive installation, a sixteen foot high inverted tree with silver gilded roots topped with a multi-faceted mirrored star which reflects rays of magical light across the art deco lobby. Reminiscent of a silver stalactite, the tree is hung with traditional silver lametta decorations, silver butter leather feathers and snowflakes handmade by craftsmen in Germany with tree candles giving a warm, inviting glow. Under the centerpiece sit hand sewn white Icelandic sheepskin rugs to reflect a recent snowfall.The famous designer was inspired by his own childhood memories of Christmas.

The Claridge’s Christmas Tree has long been a festive Mayfair landmark, drawing visitors and Londoners alike to marvel at its magnificent and ever-changing design. Scroll down to explore Claridge’s Christmas Tree designs through the years.

2016: SIR JONY IVE AND MARC NEWSON

2015: CHRISTOPHER BAILEY FOR BURBERRY

2014: DOLCE & GABBANA

2013: DOLCE & GABBANA

2012: KALLY ELLIS OF MCQUEENS

2011: ALBER ELBAZ FOR LANVIN

2010: JOHN GALLIANO FOR DIOR

2009: JOHN GALLIANO FOR DIOR

Merry Christmas to all of you – may you all sparkle as these beautiful trees with joy, love and laughter.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Claridge’s

What if your instincts were guided by your sense of smell,
leading you towards new adventures?
What was long suspected has finally been proven…
the power of scent unconsciously influences our behaviour.

My avid readers know that I am a perfume junkie and I love niche fragrances. This week, I came along a new scent that I have fallen in love within a second: PSYCHEDELIC LOVE by INITIO from the Carnal Blends collection.

FLORAL POWDERY
Bergamot, Rose, Hedione, Heliotropin, Myrrh, Vanilla, Almond and Patchouli
CHF 199.00 (90ml)

A transgressive reference to psychedelic trips, this fetishist composition has the effect of a double-action bomb: first, it triggers an immense, addictive and egotistical pleasure, before diffusing itself and titillating its target, who is left completely hooked.

What is this scent of subversion?
Stupefying fragrance – The signature of this narcotic bomb lies in three essential ingredients: rose, hedione and heliotropin.

While hedione activates the brain regions linked to pleasure and the libido, heliotropin goes even further. Equally tender and illicit, this crystalline powder hides its intentions well. Beware of its creamy, powdery and floral facets, wavering between vanilla and almond!

Used in over doses, heliotropin becomes a psychoactive substance. A forbidden shiver rushes over the skin. A substance under strict regulations. Its possession is strictly controlled by law, because heliotropin is used for the chemical synthesis of MDA, a prohibited drug and substitute for ecstasy. Confronted with this diabolical indulgence, no one is safe from an olfactory obsession that can soon become a real addiction!

Scientists have long rejected the idea that certain fragrances are capable of releasing sex hormones. However, a team of researchers from Bochum University (Germany) demonstrated that specific scented molecules known as hedione (methyl dihydrojasmonate) can activate brain regions linked to the libido, triggering impulses and attraction in their wake.

This discovery led to the creation of Carnal Blends, an unprecedented collection by INITIO in which all of the formulas are enriched with hedione – a word very aptly derived from the Greek hedone (meaning «pleasure»), a mysterious molecule that plays the role of the final detonator.
Each of these fragrances dares to showcase fantasy raw materials, carnal notes and passionate, distinctive accords, celebrating rebellious olfactory compositions capable of arousing pleasure and inciting physical attraction.

INITIO takes fragrances to new heights, with enhanced powers that defy the imagination.
Wild nature and the science of pheromones fuse deeply together within the formulas, working their magic imperceptibly. The Magnetic Blends, that include a pheromonal molecule, are great to be blended. I adore wearing MAGNETIC BLEND 7 (Musks – CHF 190.00 (90ml)) under PSYCHEDELIC LOVE.

INITIO fragrances stir your instincts. Ladies, no man is safe anymore. Trust me, those are the sexiest scents on the planet! You will thank me forever…

In Zurich available at Jelmoli.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Initio

For the S/S 2018 season, the sheer clothing is here to stay, runways all over the world have been caving in to the alluring aesthetic, proving that the sexiest of fashion trends is still going strong. I embraced this look for the black tie ASW Foundation Gala Dinner, that was followed by an extravagant after-party with a live band in the lobby of the Gstaad Palace. One must celebrate when one has the opportunity! Live for the moments you can’t put into words…

My look: Ruffled tiered lace gown and floral-print velour and stretch-tulle lingerie set, both by Alessandra Rich, Bianca leather sandals and velvet waist belt, both by Saint Laurent, 2.55 quilted bag with attached hanger by Chanel (Front Row Only F/W 2016 collection), «Diorette» ring and earrings, both by Dior Haute Joaillerie.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © David Biedert Photography

Prada presents PRADA SILVER LINE, an itinerant project offering customers the chance to acquire exclusive products – which are chosen for each leg of the journey – and presented inside an original installation.

For the Christmas Holiday, for one month, this imaginary railway station stops for the first time at the Galaxy shopping mall in Macau, hosting a selection of women’s luxury bags and accessories.

In particular, the Prada Cahier bag is reinterpreted in three new styles made of exotic leathers. A different selection of items will be developed for each future city of the itinerant retail space.

The concept is a reconstruction of an ideal train in which the various target is aesthetic themes are combined in a single design. The exterior is a metal shell reminiscent of the American Streamliners of the ’30s and ’50s. The interior features walls cover in floral-patterned red silk brocade to create a luxurious, romantic look. The setting is completed by the iconic black-and-white chequered floor which characterises Prada stores around the world since 1913.

Around and outside the train’s coach, a series of installations including life-size Prada robots and a ticket booth, which serves as a concierge service’s booth, finish off the perfect ambiance.

From January 2018, PRADA SILVER LINE will touch on several cities, including Dubai and later on some of the most important locations in Asia, Europe and the United States.

I am loving it… cannot wait for the PRADA SILVER LINE to hopefully stop in Zurich…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Prada

Last weekend, I was in Gstaad for the 8th edition of the famous ASMALLWORLD Winter Weekend. The three days in the snow (in this year’s case a lot of snow) of the private international travel and social club has become known as one of the most fun events of the year.

Guests from all over the world came to the chic Swiss winter getaway for great fun, parties, dancing, fondue and philanthropy. This year’s surprise guest was no other than Wyclef Jean. The Haitian rapper, musician and actor, who first achieved fame as a member of the New Jersey hip hop group The Fugees, entertained ASW members spontaneously with special performances during dinner or at the after parties. His catchy slogan of the weekend? « There is always an after party after the after party!» And the three-time Grammy Awards winner was right as we danced the night away…

The famous Gstaad Palace opens its doors one week before the season officially starts just for the ASW Winter Weekend.

Bugatti love!

Shopping suite with La Martina.

The weekend kicked off with the Chairman’s Apéro in the Gstaad Palace lobby, which is personally speaking the best one in the world. The night continued with a special theme: «La Vie en Or», glamorous with a touch of gold. Caviar and vodka were served and we partied late at the hotel’s night club GreenGo. For my look, click here for the previous post please.

Stunning Beluga ice bar outside.

On display: the raffle prizes, two beautiful watches by Parmigiani Fleurier.

The stunning golden decor in the «Salle Baccarat».

Dancing and hotel queen: Ljuba Manz 

The Chairman’s Apéro

Golden girls and fashionistas by heart: Irina Cerutti and Nataly Parafieva

The gorgeous ASW team!

Surprise performance by Wycleaf Jean and the Phly Boyz

Saturday was all about indulging in the mountain scenery with a lift ride to the Wasserngrat restaurant. The snowy weather and the freezing cold temperatures didn’t stop anyone. To the sounds of the Phly Boyz we all warmed up and enjoyed the après-ski inspired lunch with wine and fondue.

Swiss cosiness

Framed by Patrick Liotard-Vogt and Ferrari racing driver Josh Cartu

Ljuba Manz with her husband Marco Conte

Former Swedish ice hockey star Peter Forsberg with his lovely wife Nicole Nordin.

With Wycleaf Jean and Patrick Liotard-Vogt

Best Friends: Patrick Liotard-Vogt, Derek Tanner, Micaela Savides, Noelle Frautschi and Dr. Pablo Richard.

Swiss cheese fondue at its best!

Let the music play!

The culmination of the weekend was the ASW Foundation Gala Dinner at Gstaad Palace’s «Salle Baccarat», followed by the after party in the lobby that was transformed into the hottest club of the town for that night. Wyclef Jean surprised us once more, such a talented musician.

Gian Testa and Katja Grauwiler of Grauwiler Testa PR surrounded by friends

Swedish friends: Karl-Hendrik Nilsson, Justine Petrén, Peter Forsberg and Nicole Nordin.

CEO Asmallworld Jan Luescher with his lovely girlfriend Emily Maynind

Armand Arton, Raquel Marquard and my humble self to the left.

Alain and Violet Lentz with ASW CEO Jan Luescher and Emily Maynind

Martin Tobler Parmigiani Fleurier with his girlfriend Maja El Assali

Congrats and thank you to Martin and Jessica Tönnesson for their generosity. They auctioned of a lunch with Robert de Niro on the set of «The Irishman» and a song with Wycleaf Jean.

Brothers: Patrick and Olivier Liotard-Vogt 

Former Brosis singer Indira Weis had a lot of fun.

My beautiful friend Raquel Marquard with me.

Thank you, ASMALLWORLD, for another fantastic weekend!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © David Biedert Photography

Last Friday, I attended the opening of the eighth edition of the famous ASMALLWORLD Winter Weekend in Gstaad. As I already mentioned in a previous post, the first night’s gala dinner «La Vie en Or» asked for something «glamorous with a touch of gold».

My look: Golden leather jacket with the slogan «Votez Coco» by Chanel, embellished stretch-jersey mini dress by Balmain, Dolce Box embellished croc-effect and textured-leather clutch by Dolce & Gabbana, metallic and matte-leather pumps by Saint Laurent, gunmetal lurex Caro bracelet and personalized black lurex Caro bracelet, both by Carolina Bucci, earrings by Prada, diamond bracelet and ring, both by Vainard Fine Jewellery.

Let’s get that party gstaaded – more coming up soon from this fab weekend!

LoL, Sandra

Dancing to the sounds of the Phly Boyz.

So in love with my personalized Caro bracelets.

With my friend Maja El Assali

Wycleaf Jean performing spontaneously during the dinner

Gianni and Helen Tronza with me

With ASW Chairman Patrick Liotard-Vogt

Photos: © David Biedert Photography

«Once upon a time, a clumsy glass blower made a fortuitous discovery when he dropped a sliver of copper into melted glass. He decided to keep the resulting material, which he christened “aventurine”, using it to create enchanting objects.»

This year, blue watches have been trending like never before. And I found my dream model that brings some sparkle into your daily life: PARMIGIANI FLEURIER‘s Tonda 1950 Galaxy.

In the Val-de-Travers, there is virtually no light polluting the night sky, and nothing obstructing the millions of stars it contains. This feeling of vertigo was the inspiration behind the creation of the Tonda 1950 Galaxy. To create the colour of the night sky on its dial, the Manufacture dial-makers made use of a material created in 18th-century Murano: aventurine glass. It contains copper inclusions which give it an unmistakable sparkle, like infinite particles of gold, on which the rose gold appliques stand out beautifully.

The case — also made from rose gold — and the bezel, both set with diamonds, form a halo of light. On the crown, a milky white opal, like a precious miniature nebula, provides the finishing touch.
The Tonda 1950 Galaxy is driven by the PF702 proprietary movement, decorated with Côtes de Genève and bevelled bridges. This self-winding mechanical movement, and the beautiful finishes which are Parmigiani Fleurier’s signature, can be admired through the watch’s sapphire case-back. Available for CHF 23.900.

And great news is that this beautiful model is now also available with a solid rose gold bracelet for CHF 39.000 (my favorite).

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Parmigiani Fleurier 

Gucci is pleased to announce the development of Gucci Places, its initiative designed to invite people to explore locations around the world that have inspired the House.
The very first Gucci Place, which was unveiled earlier this year was Chatsworth in Derbyshire, England, where Gucci supported House Style exhibition. Chatsworth was also the location of the Gucci Cruise 2017 advertising campaign.

Gucci Cruise 2017 advertising campaign

Now Gucci has chosen a variety of further locations that reflect the taste and values peculiar to the House, and designated these: Gucci Places. The idea is to encourage people to discover interesting and unexpected stories about these places, and so become part of a community. The Gucci Places programme is thus a network of locations connected to Gucci, all of which possess the quality of being able to surprise, arouse interest and inspire a creative response.

To bring the Gucci Places programme to life, the Gucci App has functionality that enables people to become involved in the story of each designated Place. It is configured to use the geolocation services of a user’s mobile device so that when you are in the proximity of a Gucci Place you will receive a push notification to invite you to visit the relevant location. When in the Gucci Place, the App allows users to check in and win a badge associated with it. You can thus collect the badges of all the Places recommended by Gucci, and can share these on social media.

The App also provides a detailed description of the Place, featuring texts, pictures and/or videos. Users can also access an information section, which enables them to contact the Place by email or phone, or visit its website. Each Place has a section on the App dedicated to the events it is staging, enabling you to browse the scheduled programme.

Furthermore, an exclusive selection of products, based on those in Gucci’s Courrier collection, is being created as part of the Gucci Places initiative. Special patches inspired by each Gucci Place have been developed and will feature on the products, which will be available for purchase at the relevant Gucci Place (when feasible) and at the nearest Gucci store.

The patches are inspired by the Place in question and reflect Gucci’s eclectic aesthetic, incorporating motifs that reference the location – a coat of arms, perhaps, or a design detail from a building.
The first products featuring the Chatsworth patch have been on sale at Chatsworth House and the Gucci flagship store in Sloane Street, London, since July.

The new Gucci Places are:

The Biblioteca Angelica, Rome, Italy. Founded in 1604, the this was the first public library in Europe and has a vast bibliographic collection, featuring manuscripts that belonged to the Augustinians. Gucci hosted a private party here to celebrate the publication of A Magazine Curated By Alessandro Michele, and it was also the setting of the Gucci Pre-Fall 2017 look book, shot by Derek Ridgers.

Castello Sonnino, Montespertoli, Firenze, Italy. A family home, historical wine estate and an international educational centre, Castello Sonnino was originally a customs post between the territories of Florence and Siena, and dates back to the 13th century. It was the location of the Gucci Cruise 2016 advertising campaign.

Moreover, Caterina de Renzis Sonnino, who lives and owns the Castle, has starred in the latest Gucci Cruise 2018 advertising campaign.

Maison Assouline, London, United Kingdom. Originally a banking hall designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1922, this Grade II listed building is now home to the all-encompassing Assouline cultural lifestyle hub. The limited-edition Gucci book, Blind For Love, by Nick Waplington, documenting the Gucci Cruise 2017 collection, was published by Assouline and presented at this store at a special book signing by the artist.

Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Los Angeles, California, USA. In 2011, LACMA launched its first annual Art + Film Gala. Each year the event celebrates the work of an accomplished filmmaker and artist who have made significant contributions in art and film. Since its inauguration, Gucci has been the presenting sponsor of this benefit event.

Bibo, Hong Kong. An extraordinary restaurant with a 1930s feel. Here, seasonal French gastronomy is served in a space featuring the works of some of the world’s most renowned contemporary artists, including Banksy, Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons. To celebrate the #GucciGram Tian digital art project, which took place during Art Basel Hong Kong 2016, Gucci held a private dinner at Bibo.

Waltz, Nakameguro, Tokyo, Japan. A shop specialising in cassettes, vinyl, VHS tapes and boomboxes, Waltz is a truly unique place. It also carries old magazine editions. The area of Meguro and its nostalgic atmosphere, where Waltz is located, evokes the set of the Fall Winter 2016 campaign which was shot in Tokyo by Glen Luchford.

LoL, Sandra

Photos:Courtes of Gucci

Having an apartment in one of the most prestigious cities that has been designed by Roberto Cavalli sounds too good to be true? No, not at all, it will soon become reality. A new luxury tower in Dubai named «I Love Florence» will be the first in the world to carry the «Roberto Cavalli» brand, bringing the glitz and glamour of runway to private homes. For the first time, Roberto Cavalli designs the interiors of an iconic residential tower with a range of exquisite home accessories and ornate fittings from Cavalli interiors.

Gian Giacomo Ferraris, Chief Executive Officer of Roberto Cavalli, said: “We are excited to work on this project that combines the sophistication of fascinating Florence with the famed luxury of dazzling Dubai. The interiors of the lavish 34-storey waterfront skyscraper, located in one of the world’s greatest urban transformations, will offer its residents a refined living experience that also echoes the romantic vibes of the rustic streets of Florence.»

Work on the AED 800 million «I Love Florence» tower, developed by Dar Al Arkan, the largest listed real estate developer in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and located on Dubai Water Canal in the Business Bay area, will commence in January 2018.
Yousef Bin Abdullah Al Shelash, Chairman of Dar Al Arkan, declared: «When we set out to draw our vision to become leaders in global real estate development, we decided to only settle for the best, hence our choice of Dubai Canal as a location, and the epitome of Italian luxury, Roberto Cavalli, to conceptualise and create truly outstanding living spaces, not only in the residential units, but across the tower’s amenities, including the lobbies, gym, swimming pool, yoga area, outdoor training area, and hallways. Residents and visitors will experience a true Florentine feeling.»

Towering over the 3.2 kilometres man-made waterway, the high-rise will combine stunning views of the canal’s vibrant outdoor and night scenes, with the elegance of the Florence’s Arno riverside, reflected in the interiors sketched by one of Italy’s most famed design houses. This is the first time ever that the iconic «Roberto Cavalli» fashion brand lends its name to a real estate development, anywhere in the world, to present rich interiors that project bespoke living.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Roberto Cavalli

GUCCI has opened its new stunning two-floor boutique with over 4,700 square feet showcasing the latest women’s and men’s collections as well as Gucci Décor in Miami’s Design District. Creative Director Alessandro Michele has had a hand in the design concept which includes immersive concept elements such as velvet armchairs, industrial accents and other luxurious details.

Absolute must-have: Gucci‘s Coco Capitán logo backpack

A mural by Coco Capitán is featured adjacent to the marble and metal façade, and the artist’s work appears on two special accessories available exclusively in the boutique. According to Gucci, «These murals will be an extension of the Gucci Art Wall project that has been revealed in New York City’s Soho neighborhood and in Milan’s Largo la Foppa, in the lively pedestrian district of Corso Garibaldi.»

139 NE 41st Street
Miami, FL 33137
+1.786.915.8710

Opening Hours:
Mon – Sat: 11:00am – 8:00pm
Sunday: 12:00pm – 6:00pm

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Gucci