Sandra‘s Closet

This week during the Kering 2017  Talk at the London College of Fashion, GUCCI President & CEO Marco Bizzarri unveiled the brand’s new ten-year «Culture of Purpose» sustainability plan with two major announcements. One is very surprising to me, the house’s pledge to go fur-free beginning with the S/S 2018 collection by joining the FUR FREE ALLIANCE. According to a statement, GUCCI will no longer «use, promote, or publicize animal fur» in its collections and will be organizing a charity auction of remaining animal fur items with proceeds to benefit LAV and THE HUMANE SOCIETY.

Gucci President & CEO Marco Bizzari at the Kering 2017 Talk

Building on its long term CHIME FOR CHANGE campaign for gender equality, Gucci is donating € 1 million as a Founding Partner of UNICEF’s Girls’ Empowerment Initiative, which underpins the company’s approach to creating a more responsible business.

This will help UNICEF reach more than 50,000 girls directly with programs aimed at empowering them, and indirectly reach 150,000 more.

Gucci’s bestseller: the Horsebit-detailed shearling-lined leather slippers.

Following Kering’s sustainability framework, the plan is focused on three pillars:

Environment – Gucci is committed to reducing its environmental impacts and is setting ambitious targets to create a new standard in luxury retail, e.g. guaranteeing the traceability of 95% of our raw materials.

Humanity – Gucci recognises the value of its employees and is dedicated to enhancing the lives of the people who make its products as well as supporting communities, e.g. responsible and innovative management of the supply chain (Gucci was recently awarded with the Green Carpet Fashion award for Sustainable Innovation), gender equality (59% women senior manager, campaigns to support girls and women empowerment), diversity and inclusion (membership with Parks).

New Models – Gucci is developing new solutions by applying technical innovation to improve efficiency in its production and logistics. e.g. setting up an incubator and start-up environment to foster innovation within the company.

A look from the Gucci S/S 2018 that will obviously not be produced!

Explaining the origins of GUCCI’s progressive approach, Marco Bizzarri attributed dynamic change to the unified vision he shares with the brand’s creative director, Alessandro Michele, «In selecting a new creative director I wanted to find someone who shared a belief in the importance of the same values. I sensed that immediately on meeting Alessandro for the first time. Together, by committing to a culture of purpose, taking responsibility and encouraging respect, inclusivity and empowerment, we want to create the necessary conditions for a progressive approach to sustainability.»

To a better future!

LoL, Sandra

This Resort 2017 fur coat with snake intarsia will probably become a museum piece.

Photos: Courtesy of Gucci, © Getty/Gucci

Last April, Jeff Koons and Louis Vuitton teamed up on a limited edition «Masters» capsule collection of bags and accessories. This month, the duo will launch a second collaboration inspired by iconic pieces of legendary artists such as Claude Monet, Paul Gauguin, Édouard Manet, Nicolas Poussin, J.M.W. Turner and François Boucher. This second chapter will debut on October 27, 2017.

«Boucher’s Reclining Girl is a painting I often visit in the old Pinakothek in Munich. It strikes me as one of the most sensual images ever painted.» – Jeff Koons

François Boucher
Reclining girl (1752)
Alte Pinakothek museum in Munich, Germany

Paul Gauguin
Delightful land (1892)
Ohara Museum of Art in Kurashiki, Japan
Presently at the Grand Palais exhibition “Gauguin l’Alchimiste“, Paris

Édouard Manet
Luncheon on the grass (1863)
Musée d’Orsay in Paris

Nicolas Poussin
The triumph of Pan (1636)
National Gallery in London

Claude Monet
Water lilies (1916)
Matsukata Collection
National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo, Japan

J.m.W. Turner
Ancient Rome (1839)
Collection of Tate in London

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Via Louis Vuitton

I get often asked how I am staying fit. And the answer is I love doing sports. After years of ballet, I am more in the mind-body wellness and adore pilates and yoga. Both workouts lengthen and strengthen the body. They both focus on breath, alignment, balance, strength, flexibility and are done barefoot. Some moves and poses even overlap.

Strengthening your core in pilates class will give you better balance in yoga; increasing your flexibility in yoga class will enable you to move deeper in pilates. Both sports are highly effective as they use your whole body and different muscle groups.

Yoga Wheel Training with Karolina Schmid

In Zurich I train with Karolina Schmid who runs a studio for high end pilates and yoga personal training, with private lessons or trainings in small groups. Her team of 10 people consists of physical therapists, midwives and personal trainers all working with the PILATESwiss® method for viszeral core that Karolina has developed herself. The Canadian born also offers teacher training so that PILATESwiss® is now globally represented. For more information, please visit the website.

Pilates Karolina Schmid – Seefeldstrasse 225, 8008 Zurich / Switzerland – Phone: +41 78 891 03 17

In all of the photos we took at Karolina’s studio, I wear CASALL clothes, a brand I truly like for their quality and design. For more than 30 years, the Swedish label has created high end training wear and equipment using for example innovative and sustainable bio polyamide fabrics. To find out more, you can visit the website HERE.

Working out and fashion belong together, don’t you think?! I like to look and feel great during my whole training session because IT MATTERS!

So excuses don’t burn calories, put on the right workout gear and see what happens…
and by the way I am not getting paid for this post – I show it because I am loving it!

LoL, Sandra

YOGA WHEEL

REFORMER / CADILLAC

FLYING YOGA / PILATES

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht
A huge thank you to my daughter for taking them!

Is there a miraculous formula for creating an It-bag? Probably as Tim Blanks pointed out in an interview with Business of Fashion recently about the biggest trend for the upcoming S/S 2018 season, it is all about «making the ordinary extraordinary».

Fendi‘s new Triplette clearly conveys that message. One bag is not enough. More is more is the motto! Three small clutches connected by a Fendi logo charm (the label’s new signifier) allow you to store your personal belongings in a very organized way. But pragmatism alone won’t make an It-bag. It is the combination of sizes, colors and finishes that make it an effortless option for day and night. Each pouch can be detached and styled solo. My advice? Get two and mix and match!

LoL, Sandra

Triplette in black with white piping

Triplette in red, black and navy

Photos: Courtesy of Fendi

Washing has never been more stylish! Finally after touring around the globe, the HERMÈS Laundromat pop-up store is coming to Jelmoli Zurich from October 25 till November 4, 2017.

What is the Hermèsmatic exactly? In celebration of the French brand’s silk squares 80th anniversary, it will offer complimentary dip-dye services on the famous scarves. Giving an artistic upgrade to the traditional laundromat with orange laundry baskets and Hermès logos plastered all over the walls, the shop also features washing machines in the House’s signature shade that perform the transformation.

Shoppers can bring their own Hermès scarves for a fresh dip-dye makeover. There are three different color options, fuchsia, emerald green, or denim blue, available. After the washing machine, it will be put in a dryer and will come out super soft again. Ironing and folding will complete your transformation. After 48 hours your foulard is ready for collection. All for free!

What a great way to have a new scarf…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Hermès – © Alain Benoît and © Martial Schmeltz

The runways have made a strong return with the single statement earring, seen at houses like Dior, Rosie Assoulin, Tibi, and Louis Vuitton over the past seasons.

In order not to look like a pirate, choose a piece that veers on the glamorous, feminine side. At once edgy and easy to pull off, a lone earring has the ability to make anyone look – in a word – cool. Wear yours with attitude without looking like you are missing something…
Here are my favorites available at the moment:

1 Spiral-shaped earring by Maison Marginal
2 Feather-embellished swan single earring by Lanvin
3 Diamond & rose-gold Star earring by Diane Kordas
4 X earring by Balenciaga
5 Crystal-embellished pearl-effect earring by Gucci
6 BB clip-on earring by Balenciaga
7 Wooden-drop single earring by Roksanda
8 Flower gold-plated hoop earring by Simone Rocha

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Via Vogue US, Courtesy of the Brands

This week, after my post about the amazing experience with Hublot at the Oktoberfest, I got many compliments about my Dirndl look. You might be surprised but this outfit doesn’t include one single traditional Bavarian piece, every item comes from a runway collection. Over the years, I have collected so many fashion must-haves, that I love to style in different and unexpected ways. As I always say, keep everything if you have space, there will always be a time to wear those pieces again…, I am sure that you will be surprised to see the years in which I bought them.

My look: Bavarian janker jacket (F/W 2002) and corset-style dress (F/W 2010), both by D&G Dolce Gabbana, embellished leather choker (F/W 2002) and brooch (F/W 2010), all by Dolce & Gabbana, feather apron (S/S 2005) and lace-up leather boots, both by Prada (F/W 2001), plissé leather cuffs (F/W 2016) by Gucci, small classic black handbag with gold-tone metal chain by Chanel (F/W 1995), Venezia lace stay-ups (F/W 2003) by Wolford.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Last week, I attended the opening night of the 13th Zurich Film Festival that opened with Danish director Janus Metz Pedersen’s tennis thriller BORG/MCENROE. Based on actual events, it tells the  story of the 1980s tennis rivalry between the placid Björn Borg and the volatile John McEnroe. The evening was a lot of fun with different events going on, from cocktail receptions to the screening, dinner and after party.

With Patrick Liotard-Vogt at the opening of the 13th Zurich Film Festival.

My look: Silk chiffon-trimmed cotton-blend lace halterneck gown by Alessandra Rich, leather platform pumps by Gucci, Saffiano double handle mini satchel by Prada, and earrings by Miu Miu.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht
Thanks to my daughter for taking them!
Photo on the Green Carpet: © David Biedert Photography

After Salzburg, Rome and Ritz Paris, CHANEL will present its next Métiers d’art collection for Pre-fall 2018 in Hamburg, Germany, on the 6th of December 2017. The show will take place at the spectacular Elbphilharmonie, a true work of architectural prowess conceived by Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, and situated in the heart of the Port of Hamburg that just opened in the beginning of the year.

No word yet on why Karl Lagerfeld has decided to take his collection to his hometown, of course, rumors are whispering something about his final show which I absolutely doubt.

The beautiful interior of the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg will surely be a stunning backdrop for the show.

Each year, through the virtuosity of the German designer, the CHANEL Métiers d’art collection is taken around the world, and honours the exceptionnal savoir-faire of CHANEL‘s artisan partners, among which the embroiderers Maison Lesage and Atelier Montex, feather-maker Lemarié, shoemaker Massaro and hat-maker and milliner Maison Michel.

Chasing waterfalls for S/S 2018.

Lagerfeld just presented his S/S 2018 show for the French house on Tuesday at Paris Fashion Week, debuting some chic rainwear alongside artificial (but nonetheless astonishing) waterfalls in the Grand Palais. He is a true genius and I am so much looking forward what he will be showing in our mutual home country! Only two months exactly to ago…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Via Getty Images and Courtesy of Chanel

My avid readers know how much I love Munich, the city I lived in for eight years and the place where many important events in my life took place. Every little corner holds a memory. Therefore I was over the moon when HUBLOT invited me to join them for a «Wiesn Gaudi» to celebrate the launch of the amazing BIG BANG BAVARIA in bronze. Two renowned houses, HUBLOT & MEINDL, have joined forces to fuse innovation and tradition to celebrate Bavarian craftmanship and what could be more appropriate to present this «Art of Fushion» during the world’s most renowned festival—Oktoberfest?!

Traditions provide new generations with a unique way of reconnecting with their identity, it is why they last. Braudel said that in order to hope, in order to move forward, we also need to know where we come from.The Big Bang Bavaria is a concentration of history and traditions.

Jean-Claude Biver, Chairman of Hublot

When I arrived, I was brought directly to my hotel, Roomers Munich, which celebrated its soft opening during those days. Unfortunately, there was no time for me to change as the minute I entered the lobby, I had to leave immediately due to a fire alarm. What a pity!

In my beautiful room waited a surprise for me: a MEINDL dirndl that features ultra soft buckskin, the iconic material MEINDL has been relentlessly working with for many decades on its traditional production.

With Ricardo Guadalupe enjoying the first beer after the unveiling of the Big Bang Bavaria.

As if I had a premonition of what was to come, I was dressed already in Bavarian style and ready to go to the HUBLOT Boutique on Munich’s prestigious Maximilianstrasse where the BIG BANG BAVARIA was unveiled at 4pm on the dot in true «Wiesn» spirit with Markus Meindl, CEO of Meindl, present uttering the cry «O’zapft is», Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Hublot, opened the first barrel of the event just like at the Oktoberfest. It took three taps of the mallet to get the beer flowing.

«O’zapft is» – Markus Meindl and Ricardo Guadalupe

But how does the new watch look like? Cut from bronze, a material created in 3000 BC that has the advantages of non-magnetism, resistance to corrosion and a unique appearance, it is strapped onto two robust, hand-embroidered bracelets in deer leather.

Centuries of expertise and tradition lie behind the BIG BANG BAVARIA strap. Firstly, the craftsmanship of a family that has been passing down its passion for leather from father to son since 1683. The BIG BANG BAVARIA strap is reminiscent of the «Lederhosen», the short leather breeches that originated in Bavaria and have been the traditional clothing of the mountain people since the 18th century.

Just like the garment from which the strap draws inspiration, it is cut in deer leather and hand-embroidered with a pattern only possible to create on deer leather. Traditional sewing gives a 3D effect to the leather tanned using the MEINDL tradition.

It takes 3 to 4 months to tan the hide using an age-old technique. The hides are salted then plunged into a limestone-based liquid before being washed, then treated by hand with cod-liver oil and dried. The last two steps are repeated several times until the leather is entirely soaked with the oil. The hide is left to dry in the sun to develop a light brown colour. To bring out the velvet character of the leather is then rubber with sandpaper. MEINDL then applies and brushes the leather with several tropical wood bark colorants, a procedure repeated up to 5 times. The products used are all without preservatives or chemicals to respect nature.

Big Bang Bavaria version one

Delivered with two «One Click» straps, the BIG BANG BAVARIA easily changes its look thanks to its patented attachment system. There’s a version with a cuff in natural light brown deer leather, enhanced by two leather tabs embroidered with a deer head. The second version comes in «altsalzburg» (black-brown)-coloured deer leather, embroidered with oak leaves.

Big Bang Bavaria version two

The BIG BANG BAVARIA beats to the rhythm of Unico, the Hublot manufacture movement, with 330 components for a 72-hour power reserve—a self-winding bidirectional movement with a flyback chronograph and a column wheel on the side of the dial.

The BIG BANG BAVARIA is available now in the Hublot Boutiques (88 all around the world) in a limited edition of 100 pieces for  CHF 26900 / € 27900.

After our first beer in the boutique, we went to the one & only Käfer’s-Wiesn-Schänke – a must at the Oktoberfest – also for HUBLOT! While enjoying the iconic Bavarian «Schmankerl», the crispy duck and knödel (dumplings), I was singing to the amusement of my table-mates (all from the countries) to all the German songs played by the live band. But no worries, I can be pretty contagious and finally we were all  standing on the seats, dancing the night away.

Such a great piece but unfortunately a little too big on me… 

One of those trips I will always remember and a new memory added to one of my favorite cities. Thank you Hublot! Please create a BIG BANG BAVARIA in dirndl-style. I am convinced I would not be the only one loving it!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Hublot and © Sandra Bauknecht