Sandra‘s Closet

Have you ever dreamt of owning a one-of-a-kind Hermès Birkin bag? Here is your chance! Travis W. Simmons infuses an icon of sophistication with the boldness of punk in this vintage 35cm clemence leather version, graffitied with purple sinuous detailing throughout. Words exemplifying the movement’s spirit are intricately placed within these waves.

The handbag features two rolled top handles, a belt-style strap with a padlock-and-key clochette and gold metal feet.

TO SHOP THIS ONE-OF-A-KIND 35 BIRKIN BAG, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

LoL, Sandra

Sad news today: The founder of the famous Italian fashion house Missoni, Ottavio Missoni, died this morning at his home in Sumirago at the age of 92.
Born in 1921 in Ragusa on the Dalmatian coast, he had a natural gift as he was a very talented runner which gave him the nickname “son of Apollus.” At the age of 16, young Missoni made the Italian national team, and still today, he held the national 400-meter record for a 16-year-old.

After he had met his lifelong partner, Rosita Missoni, in 1948, the couple founded the company in the 1950s and their famous zigzag knits have been considered Italian sophistication in perfection for many decades since today. Among their fans have been celebrities such as Lauren Bacall, Marcello Mastroianni, Madonna and Diana Vreeland, the legendary Vogue editor.

Rosita and Ottavio have three children which have been all working in the family business. A blow to the family came earlier this year as Vittorio, the oldest son, who was in charge of the management of the company, was aboard a small airplane that went missing in Venezuela.

Rest in peace, Mr Missoni and thank you for the beautiful colourful knits. Your legend will live on…

LoL, Sandra

Photo: © Davide Maestri, © Jürgen Teller

This week was very busy and exciting for me. MCM opened their first European flagship store in Zurich and to celebrate the occasion I was asked to be the blogger host for the MCM Blogger Makeover 2013. Together with MCM, Sandra’s Closet invited their favourite Swiss bloggers for a fun photo shoot in the studio of Christian Dietrich, followed by the opening party in the evening at the new shop, located at Münsterhof.

Stay tuned for the upcoming post when the official photos will be revealed and to see who was part of the event. Below are some behind the scenes shots that lovely Gray took of me. Thank you to MCM and everyone who participated in the shoot!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of MCM, © Sandra Bauknecht, © Carina Scheuringer

After I had finished my amazing shoot with Louis Vuitton for the Art of Packing in Munich, I went to the opening of the house’s new ‘Maison’ in the evening. As some of you might already know, I had been living in the Bavarian city for eight years and it is definitely my favourite German spot. Therefore, I was completely excited to see Louis Vuitton’s new location as well as spotting so many familiar faces in an iconic location at the heart of the city. It was the former Munich post office known as Residenzpost and I had been there many times in my life.

For more details about my look, please click here. The fabulous trench coat is also from Louis Vuitton and belongs to the Icons collection.

When I entered the new ‘Maison’, I felt like entering ‘Vuitton Heaven’… I embarked on a journey of unexpected discoveries through an outstanding range of must-haves and inspiring art installations. Paying tribute to the history of the building, the store also showcases an area dedicated to ‘Ecriture’, the new collection of writing instruments.

A real eye-catcher can be spotted in the form of the first German postage stamp, the ‘Schwarze Einser’ in permanent display. A limited edition of Louis Vuitton stamps were also edited for the event and I am very happy to have such a set at home.

Many celebrities from all over the world had flown in to attend the superb event.
Enjoy my impressions:

German actress Hannah Herzsprung

Model Franziska Knuppe with me

German actor Moritz Bleibtreu

Gorgeous Olivia Palermo

Jamie McGregor Smith, photographer for Louis Vuitton, shot some nice pics of me on the stairs of the new store.

German actress Alexandra Neldel

What an honor: American actress and star of the night Uma Thurman framed by Roberto Eggs, President of Louis Vuitton Northern Europe, to the left and my humble self to the right.

Richard Deacon‘s sculpture “Sunday in the Country”, 2005

The after party took place right next door. The decoration was amazing, with hot-air balloon dummies placed in the center of the room.

Olivia Palermo’s model-boyfriend, Johannes Huebl.

Very sweet Cosma Shiva Hagen with me

Live act: Marina and the Diamonds

The famous singer with me

Germany’s Next Top Model winner 2009, Sara Nuru

The German magazine Bunte named me a style icon, wow! It was an unforgettable event and I am so happy that I was part of it. A huge thank you to the Louis Vuitton team!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht, Courtesy of Louis Vuitton, © Brauer Photos and © Jamie McGregor Smith

Trend forecasting in perfumery is very similiar to the world of fashion, it is seasonal in terms of olfactive notes and compositions. This summer, it is all about fruity scents composed of ingredients such as passion fruit, mango, guava and litchi combined with aquatic florals.

Here are the most mouthwatering new flankers:

L’EAU D’ISSEY Summer Eau de Toilette by Issey Miyake

The exotic summer flanker of the original L’Eau d’Issey, created by Alberto Morillas, is carrying us away toward new evocations of scents, flavors, and colors. This year, discover the juicy, sparkling sweetness of exotic fruit.

AROMATIC FRUITY

Top notes: Pink grapefruit and litchi
Middle notes: Guava and passion fruit
Base notes: Vanilla and wood

Available now for CHF 85.00 (100ml).

WOMANITY AQUA CHIC Eau de Toilette Légère by Thierry Mugler

The energetic and sparkling limited edition 2013 summer version of the original comes with a provocative freshness without loosing its identity.

AROMATIC FRUITY

Top notes: Black currant, red berries and coriander
Middle note: Mandarin blossom
Base notes: Spices and woody notes

Available now for CHF 59.00 (50ml).

OH LOLA! Sunsheer Edition Eau de Parfum by Marc Jacobs

Inspired by sun-kissed pleasures, Marc’s summer version of Oh Lola! emits hints of vanilla, peony, and raspberry. It’s more fresh and sheer than its predecessor and I love its delightful green bottle.

FLORAL FRUITY

Top notes: Raspberry, wild strawberry and pear
Middle notes: Peony, cyclamen and magnolia
Base notes: Vanilla, sandalwood and tonka bean

Available now for CHF 115.00 (50ml)

DAISY Sunshine Edition Eau de Toilette by Marc Jacobs

Radiant, colourful, full of joy, dressed in the happiest flowers of the season, this limited edition scent is designed to compliment your summer wardrobe.

FLORAL FRUITY

Top notes: Red currant, guava and mandarin orange
Middle notes: Lily-of-the-valley, litchi and violet
Base notes: Musk and woody notes

Available now for CHF 98.00 (50ml)

LoL, Sandra

Photo: © Sandra Bauknecht, Stills: Courtesy of the Brands

Each year, the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art holds the Met Gala, the fashion event of the season and the party of the year, to celebrate the newest the exhibition. This spring, it will be about PUNK: Chaos to Couture, on view from May 9 through August 14, 2013, will examine punk’s impact on high fashion from the movement’s birth in the 1970s through its continuing influence today. “Since its origins, punk has had an incendiary influence on fashion,” said Andrew Bolton, Curator in The Costume Institute. “Although punk’s democracy stands in opposition to fashion’s autocracy, designers continue to appropriate punk’s aesthetic vocabulary to capture its youthful rebelliousness and aggressive forcefulness.”

If you want to find out more about the exhibition, please click here.

Enjoy the best looks from the red carpet of the Costume Institute Benefit last Monday. On top, you can see Sarah Jessica Parker who took the night’s punk theme to heart, and went for this stunning Giles Deacon dress, combined with a Philip Treacy punk hat and plaid Christian Louboutin boots. Madonna understood the invitation well and showed up in Givenchy.

Anne Hathaway had the most surprising look with her bleached blond hair which I loved. Of course, the vintage Valentino gown was the perfect match.

And here is an amazing opportunity, you can PRE-ORDER those extremely sexy couture red carpet looks (all F/W 2013) below directly now for seven days. How cool is that?! Just click on the highlighted text to be transferred directly.

Emma Watson in a matte black crepe crossover tie strap gown with high slit by Prabal Gurung.

Kate Bosworth in a short body-conscious dress with 3/4-length sleeves and diamond embroideries on pink lurex jacquard by Balmain Atelier.

Anja Rubik in a lambskin and macrame dress by Anthony Vaccarello.

Gisèle Bündchen in a bonded crepe and macrame one sleeve halter dress by Anthony Vaccarello.

Taylor Swift in a black silk crepe gown with black lace inserts, black chiffon sunburst pleated back and silver-gold embroidered crystal neckline by J.Mendel.

Kate Mara in a short dress with woolen crepe base, heart-shaped neckline and architectural modules by Delpozo.

Christina Ricci in a turquoise silk taffeta McAndrew tartan corset gown by Vivienne Westwood Couture.

And don’t miss Moda Operandi‘s amazing punk pop-up store where you can find all those  must-have pieces. Mmh, Hedi Slimane was obviously not so wrong with his F/W 2103 collection…

LoL, Sandra

This might not be the sexiest post of all, but it will help you to have a wonderful smile which can be quite sexy though…

Daily dental hygiene is very important. In order to keep your mouth clean, brushing and flossing your teeth is indispensable. If you are not happy with your tooth position, pay a visit to an orthodontist. It is never too late. I can only recommend Invisalign, transparent braces which are the clear alternative to metal ones. These see-through aligners are virtually invisible as well as removable. I did it around five years ago and am absolutely in love with the result. In Zurich, the best place to go to is Dr. Marco Tribò, who is probably one of the most experienced orthodontists in that field worldwide.

Here are some products that I can only recommend, your jumpstart for a healthier mouth!

SWISSDENT CRYSTAL Repair & Whitening Toothcream

This enamel strengthening toothcream with natural whitening effect should be applied in the evening. It contains biominerals which help to strengthen the tooth’s crystalline structure through biomimetic mineralization. The patented low abrasion formulation is particularly suitable for teeth that are sensitive and have been frequently whitened or bleached. The fruit enzyme papain and xylitol, a natural antibacterial ingredient, helps to keep them healthy. Great news is that it doesn’t include any peroxide.

Available online or at Jelmoli in Zurich among others.
CHF 29.00 (100ml)

PHILIPS SONICARE AIRFLOSS

Using dental floss to clean between your teeth can be cumbersome and time consuming. With the new tool, you can easily clean between all of your teeth in just 60 seconds and it is fun.

Called a game changer in the industry by dental professionals, the PHILIPS SONICARE AIRFLOSS removes up to 99% more plaque. With a quick burst, microdroplets of water are accelerated by pressurized air to disrupt and remove plaque in-between teeth. The speed and force of these droplets are incredibly effective yet proven gentle on your gums.

Available for € 99.99 at your dentist.

LISTERINE® ZERO™

Your PHILIPS SONICARE AIRFLOSS works best with this alcohol-free mouthwash. Voted by more than 3,000 consumers, SHAPE editors, and beauty experts as one of the best beauty products of 2011, its formula cleans deep to kill millions of bad breath germs for a cleaner, fresher mouth!

Available for CHF 8.00 (500ml).

LoL, Sandra

Stills: Courtesy of the Brands, Photo: © Sandra Bauknecht

I love what I do and that makes me happy. If you find the thing you really enjoy doing, work will not be work anymore, it will become pleasure. Sandra’s Closet is my passion, my addiction and my daily dose of fulfillment. I hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy posting it.

Here you see me on my way to one of my favourite sushi places in Zurich: GINGER. I included some photos of my beloved dishes below.

My look: Trompe l’oeil dress with oversized sweater top and leather skirt by Closed, blue long sleeve top by H&M, H Hobo Grande soft off-white nubuck leather bag by Hogan, silk scarf and cross necklace, both by Gabriele Frantzen, bangles by Sal y Limon, Kate ankle boots by De Siena, Tank Americaine watch by Cartier and Mat Opaque 80 tights in black by Wolford.

LoL, Sandra

Beef filet with ponzu sauce

Salmon carpaccio with egg

Salmon aburi

Kingfish carpaccio

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Meet the new Bowletto! Karl Lagerfeld‘s black and white bowling bag is a sleek and sporty carryall. The internal pockets and spacious interior make this textured-leather design perfect for all your daytime essentials. Such an eye-catching piece to complement your trendy graphic monochrome look. A bold statement bag for a great price.

TO SHOP THE NEW BOWLETTO BAG, PLEASE CLICK HERE.
Stay tuned for an outfit post in which I am wearing my new must-have coming up soon…

LoL, Sandra

Still: Courtesy of Karl Lagerfeld, Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

It was such an honour to be photographed by the renowned Steve McCurry during the St. Moritz Art Masters. Here is the official photo that he took of me. I have to admit that I was hoping for a more “Pirelli”-like look but it was truly interesting how such a famous photographer saw me in a different light. He preferred my shoulders to be naked, asked me to remove all my jewelry and to put my hair in a bun. I don’t see myself in the picture but I like its sobriety and I am very thankful to own such a photograph by Steve McCurry.
For the behind the scenes post, click here please.

LoL, Sandra

Photo: © Steve McCurry