Sandra‘s Closet

Based in Miami, Del Toro was founded in 2005 by Italian-born Matthew Chevallard, and originally sought to fill a void in the marketplace for affordable customized slippers.

It didn’t take long for the brand to become successful and so the collection evolved to include new styles such as sneakers, drivers, and espadrilles among others. Handmade in Italy, my favorite choices are those amazing S/S 2014 flats that tell a whimsical story with every step.

THE DEL TORO S/S 2014 COLLECTION IS AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER HERE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Del Toro

This was my outfit I wore to the Piaget Rose Garden Party at my place. I kept it very simple to draw attention to the beautiful diamonds. The semi-sheer style of my dress is precisely lined to provide coverage exactly where it’s needed and to show skin in the right spots.

Shop my look: Crochet-knit gown by Missoni, Tribute patent-leather sandals and Betty leather shoulder bag, both by Saint Laurent, diamond rose ring, necklace and Limelight Gala watch, all by Piaget.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Lady Gaga is the face of Versace‘s S/S 2014 campaign, the first time that the famous singer has starred in any fashion advertising. Channeling Donatella’s iconic look, the very long platinum blonde hair, Lady Gaga appears in a series of images shot in London by Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott, wearing pieces from the new summer collection along with some must-have accessories, such as the new Palazzo bag, which was introduced at the S/S 2014 show.

The campaign marks the latest stage of a continuing friendship between Donatella Versace and Lady Gaga. It began with Lady Gaga wearing archive Versace pieces in her video for Edge of Glory, with most recently Lady Gaga titling a track on her new Artpop album Donatella. “I am honoured that my friend Lady Gaga is the face of our new Versace campaign. I wanted to capture her true beauty and spirit in images that are elegant and alluring. She is like family to me, the embodiment of the Versace DNA.”

TO SHOP VERSACE ONLINE, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Versace

This fall, I hosted a very special event at my place: The PIAGET Rose Garden Party. Being an ambassador for the brand, I was very excited to invite my friends to explore the PIAGET ROSE collection and the amazing COCKTAIL inspired statement rings during a beautiful late summer night. My garden was filled with lots of Yves Piaget roses that have the most exquisite scent one can imagine and we all enjoyed this night surrounded by precious jewelry pieces, good friends and delicious food. Enjoy some impressions below!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Eddymotion and © Sandra Bauknecht

Yesterday, four years ago, the probably biggest adventure of my life has started, I published my first post and Sandra’s Closet was born. I am so grateful for all the amazing things that have happened since then. My blog has taken me on such a beautiful adventure and I would like to thank you all for following me and supporting my work. Without you, the success wouldn’t have been possible.

As you know, I have taken another challenge that I am very happy about. I am the editor-in-chief of L’Officiel Switzerland and really enjoy working along my great team. Therefore, I am having another exciting year in front of me and you will get – of course – the essence of it through Sandra’s Closet.

If you get a chance, check out my new photo section where I uploaded some of the celebrities I have met during the last four years… and can you imagine that this is the 2040th post I have published?!

A huge thank you to Martina Bortalani for the portrait in today’s Sonntagszeitung!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht, Sonntagszeitung: © Esther Michel

Recently I was invited to explore PANDORA‘s new Essence Collection during an extremely yummy lunch at the Park Hyatt in Zurich.

The contemporary concept is featuring a slender sterling silver bracelet with an accompanying assortment of 24 sterling silver charms, hand-finished from precious metals and symbolic stones, each representing an inner value. It taps into current trends for personal and emotional connection, presenting different women that are each expressing their inner values such as joy, trust, passion, confidence, love, courage, faith and wisdom.

The new Pandora Essence Collection is in stores now around the world and a wonderful gift idea for a dear friend, a beloved sibling or your dear mother for Christmas. It is also the perfect way to express the essence of you, something meaningful around your wrist that reminds you every day of the values you care about.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Pandora and © Sandra Bauknecht

Yesterday I flew to Paris to celebrate the reopening of GUERLAIN‘s legendary address – 68, avenue des Champs-Elysées, which will officially open its doors this Saturday. Since 1914, it had been the house of the family and also the first boutique with only 45m² until 2005.

Peter Marino, Laurent Boillot (CEO Guerlain) and Guy Martin (Chef G68)

Today, it has become a temple of beauty with 1000m² on four floors, expressing the house’s DNA with an unbelievable atmosphere that has not forgotten its past. It is the biggest mono brand beauty store in the entire world. Peter Marino designed the store concept, displaying amazing pieces of art and giving the house’s history space. He encrusted marble into marble in a modern way and said that he relied on his wife for any advice on beauty.

For Peter Marino, “perfume is something in the air, something that is not concrete, that travels through the atmosphere.” Therefore he came up for example with a ceiling installation in the entrance that he called “lost in fragrance”, a very flowing and captivating interior design.

Yesterday with Guerlain’s famous face Natalia Vodianova

A happy Sandra exploring Guerlain’s temple of beauty, filled with house’s iconic fragrances and makeup products.

The store also has a private shopping room where you can indulge into the Haute Perfumery.

Here, you will find exceptional bottles, like for example the Queen Secret, a diamond encrusted bee that opens her wings to reveal the perfume you choose (€400.00 per piece) or a perfumed watch that combines the craftsmanship of watchmaking, jewelry and perfume making.

On display in the store are also some amazing vintage pieces.

An hommage to Guerlain’s iconic L’Orchidée Impériale line is this artwork by Marc Quinn.

To celebrate the opening, different limited or special editions have been launched such as a face powder of which only 400 pieces will be available or L’Eau 68, created by Thierry Wasser, that weaves a thread between the past and the future. Its scent, floral and woody, plays off the contrast between warm and cool spices.

Moreover, you can find a silk scarf selection or perfumed gloves which are amazing and said to keep their scent for a very long time.

The charming Olivier Echaudemaison, Creative Director of Guerlain, with me yesterday.

On the fourth floor, the amazing Guerlain spa is located. Nine rooms offer a relaxing and calming atmosphere with a very holistic approach. Every treatment is tailor-made for the customer. Different massage techniques from all over the world are combined to cater to the needs of the individual.

The waiting area has its own orchid garden and the entrance is just breathtaking.

In the basement, you will find the G68 restaurant where one of the best French chefs Guy Martin is treating his exclusive clientele to sophisticated and luxurious food – French Haute Cuisine. Martin has worked closely with Guerlain’s in-house perfumer Thierry Wasser. Following the same approach to creativity, they invented food that is called like the fragrances, working with similar ingredients. Martin said: “You have to understand the brand. You have to work with the best qualities, looking for the right products. It is a cuisine of comfort, pleasure and travel.”

I am completely in love with their tea selection named after their iconic fragrances that is also available to buy.

Guerlain’s legendary address is a feast for your senses, where you can indulge in luxury and beauty like nowhere else.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

We all know that Karl Lagerfeld is a genius and he has proved it once more with his S/S 2014 runway show for Chanel for which he had transformed the Grand Palais into a gigantic white-walled hangar of paintings and sculptures, very Art Basel-like. All seventy-five artworks that served as the backdrop for this artsy collection were made by Lagerfeld himself.

On the runway, he showed amazing backpacks, toughened with a spray-painted version of the iconic logo and colorful chains that will surely fly off the shelves.

Ladies, get yourselves on the wait lists now (I am already on). Those backpacks are the next season’s must-have and in the meantime check out the ones by MCM.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Chanel

Something for my Swiss and German based readers: 
The December issue of SI Style magazine featuring my monthly column is available now. This time, I am telling you some anecdotes meeting different celebrities. Below you can see some of favorites.
If you like my outfit, have a look at this previous post.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Last Wednesday, the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Days Zurich 2013 officially started with the opening gala. More than 26 designers from America, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and Switzerland presented their collections from November 13 – 16, 2013 at the Schiffbau in Zurich.

I started the night with an event for American Express Centurion where I gave the exclusive clientele an insight into the world of fashion and catwalk shows. Before the runway presentations started, we enjoyed a gorgeous dinner in the VIP tent, prepared by no other than Frank Widmer from the Park Hyatt, one of the official partners of the MBFDZ.

The first designer to present that night was Gabriele Colangelo, who is said to probably succeed Jil Sander after her  recently-announced departure from her namesake label. The charming Italian, who had worked for Roberto Cavalli and Versace, has a minimalist aesthetic which could be quite a nice fit for Jil Sander. For this season, he was inspired by Japan, Samurai trousers and sandals. If you look close, his devotion to texture can be seen in many details.

Gabriele Colangelo with me backstage

The Swiss designers Eliane Diethelm and Joanna Skoczylas presented their bridal collection LBD White, romantic creations for the most beautiful day in your life.

Polish designer Maciej Zień launched his first collection at the age of 17 and has made a brilliant career during the last 15 years. In Zurich, he presented his S/S 2014 collection with interesting details that showed a lot of skin.

The German twins Daniela and Annette Felder who are based in London immersed the Swiss fashion crowd in a watery-themed S/S 2014 collection for their eponymous label Felder Felder. Models appeared on the runway with damp skin and slicked-back hair giving the impression they had just emerged from the waves.

The Felder twins with me and below with Lena Gercke.

It was a great night and I had a lot of fun. Stay tuned for the upcoming posts about the other three events.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht, © Mercedes-Benz Fashion Days Zurich,
A huge thank you to © Andrea Monica Hug and © David Biedert for those lovely pictures of me