Sandra‘s Closet

“If Yves Saint Laurent was a religion, his divinity would be a woman.”
Cotton-poplin shirt, chain-trimmed leather mini skirt, patent-leather escarpins and Cabas medium leather tote, all by Saint Laurent.

Complementing the house’s beautiful prêt-à-porter collections, Yves Saint Laurent launched many iconic and famous fragrances over the years:
1971 Rive Gauche  – for the woman, who asserts herself
1977 Opium – for the women, who is mysterious and sensual
1983 Paris – for the passionate woman
2009 Parisienne –  for the freedom-loving woman

2013, Manifesto – a declaration of feminity is added:
The expression of audacity, excess, and desire.  A bouquet of jasmine punctuated by green notes and a bold trail combining wood, vanilla, and tonka beans are the scent’s very own signature. In a flacon reminiscent of the silhoutte of a woman. The face of the fragrance is actress Jessica Chastain. The composition was developed by Anne Flipo and Loc Dong.

ORIENTAL FLORAL
Top notes: Bergamot and black currant
Heart notes: Sambac jasmine and lily of the valley
Base notes: Cedar, sandalwood, vanilla and tonka bean

EdP 30ml (CHF 84.-), EdP 50ml (CHF 124.-) and EdP 90ml (CHF 157.-)
In stores now.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of YSL and © Sandra Bauknecht

The Dior event in Paris last week was truly amazing. The Dior team spoilt me constantly during my stay with wonderful birthday surprises. How creative they are was clear when we went for dinner Thursday night. Held at the ice rink of the Plaza Athénée which is located at the inner courtyard of the famous Parisian hotel, we were welcomed by a Swiss chalet atmosphere and a cute Saint Bernard dog.

View of the ice rink from the top

As I have done many dinners on the ice in St. Moritz before, I knew exactly what to wear in order not to get cold.
My look: Mink coat by Prada, fur boots by Prada Sport, scarf, bag and bracelet, all by Anselm Reyle for Dior, Diorette ring by Dior Haute Joaillerie and fur hat by Marc Jacobs.

Lovely Montasar Dumas (Dior Paris) and Huda Heidi Kattan with me.

From left to right: Me, Sofie Valkiers and Gala Gonzalez

Raclette prepared by three Michelin star chef Alain Ducasse was a big surprise. Who would have expected having a Swiss traditional dish in Paris?! Very funny, the two Swiss ladies, Manuela and my humble self, were shoveling the yummy cheese in our mouth, whereas most of the other bloggers were a little overwhelmed by the heavy food.

Manuela Pastore (Dior Switzerland) explained enthusiastically how to eat raclette.

Pumpkin soup as a starter

Spotted – the cutest iPhone cover ever, available here.

A surprise birthday dessert. Thank you, Dior, for this wonderful experience!
Stay tuned for all the photos taken during the day for the house’s new beauty launches.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

This weekend, I went straight from Paris to Kitzbuehel in Austria to celebrate the 35th birthday of my lovely friend Tine. It was such a great party. We started with a cocktail reception at the Stanglwirt where the photos of my look were taken, followed by a trip with the cable car up to the summit station of the Hardkaiser from where we climbed up the hill to the very cozy Rübezahl Alm. Of course, the dress code was “traditional costume”.

Since many years, I have been collecting dirndl-style looks from different designer collections.
My look: Tyrolean jacket, top with lace sleeves and matching skirt by D&G Dolce & Gabbana, earrings and necklace with velvet ribbon (my birthday gifts) by Dolce & Gabbana, embroidered bag by Valentino,lace tights and hat, both by Dolce & Gabbana with brooch and gamsbart by Gucci, suede pumps by Saint Laurent.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Busy men demand skincare products that work hart, smart and fast. Therefore gentlemen, I have good news for you. You can check off multiple items off your daily grooming to-do list with this single, highly advanced, efficient product:

PRO LS ALL-IN-ONE FACE TREATMENT by LAB SERIES Skincare for Men
Today’s most advanced face essentials combined in one super-light, fast-absorbing formula.

What are the benefits?
Soothing: Calms the look of irritation and redness
Moisturizing: Replenishes hydration, helps rebuild and fortify the all-important moisture barrier
Repairing: Diminishes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
Mattifying: Absorbs oil instantly, leaving skin looking clean and less shiny

Apply it after cleansing or shaving, great for everyday use, for travel and for your gym bag. Available in Switzerland starting from March 11th, 2013 for CHF 38.00 at selected department stores and online at www.labseries.com.

LoL, Sandra

Photo: Courtesy of Lab Series

One dress – two ways. I am so in love with my tiger print dress by Mulberry from the F/W 2012 collection, a versatile piece that works for chic as well as for casual occasions. Personally speaking, I think that Emma Hill, Creative Director of Mulberry, has brought the British label to an amazing level of style. I have become quite a fan of her designs. During LUISAVIAROMA‘s third edition of Firenze4Ever in 2011, I had the chance to meet her personally. For the post, please click here.

My chic look to the left that I wore to the SIHH 2013:
Tiger print dress(the same print is on sale: animal print silk blouse),Lily leather shoulder bag with tiger embellishment, both by Mulberry, Tribute patent-leather Mary Jane pumps by Saint Laurent, 4810 Collection hoop earrings by Montblanc.

My casual look to the right:
Same dress, bag and earrings, plus mohair sweater and scarf with tiger, both by Mulberry, Culte sunglasses by Miu Miu and ruffled leather ankle boots by Valentino.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

The combination of black and white is shaping up to be one of S/S 2013‘s hottest trends, namely in the form of stripes. Marc Jacobs, Dolce & Gabbana and Moschino showed one of the most stunning two-tone takeovers. I am convinced that chances are high, that you already have a few black-and-white-striped pieces in your closet, but look for a style update to take it up a notch. To get in on one of summer’s boldest trends, step inside to shop my picks now.

Dresses from left to right:
Scooter striped stretch-twill dress by Marc by Marc Jacobs
Striped cotton-blend sheath dress by Lanvin
Wide stripe sun dress by Dolce & Gabbana

Personally speaking, a striped blazer is my must for this season. An easy way to take your outfit to the next level.

Jackets from left to right:
Striped satin blazer by Balmain
Striped cotton-blend blazer by Lanvin
Stripe-print lurex blazer by Saint Laurent
Striped glossed rayure-effect blazer by Saint Laurent (I couldn’t resist this one…)

Paloma suede and metallic sandals by Saint Laurent
Walk the line and have fun!

LoL, Sandra

My dear friend Karo from Geneva sent me this for my birthday and I thought it was so hilarious that I had to share it with you. Young Karl Lagerfeld and Grace Coddington… time flies!
Thanks to everyone who made my birthday so special!

A huge thank you to the Dior team with whom I spent an amazing day today. I am in Paris at the moment for the launch of the French house’s newest mascara and something I cannot talk about yet. Follow me on Twitter and look out for #dioriconicevent to stay up-to-date. A detailed post will be coming up soon. Now, I am off to dinner at the Plaza Athénée Ice rink “Les Bancs d’Hiver” by Chef Alain Ducasse.

LoL, Sandra

Fresh and fierce, strong and sexy; the NARS Spring 2013 Color Collection introduces a vibrant, ‘90s-esque palette that sets the tone for a season of audaciously feminine looks.

The ’90s have been back on the runways and this is the perfect make-up to complement your revived look. François Nars has created a collection that heralds spring’s arrival with shades ready to make a graphic statement. Look your best as the face of the campaign, model icon Stella Tennant.

The collection will be available in Switzerland end of February 2013.

Another great product will be launching in March 2013: The long awaited, skincare infused Radiant Creamy Concealers from NARS, that had been spotted during New York Fashion week S/S 2013 when the house’s make-up teams were using them backstage. They come with an amazing creamy liquid formula and will be available in 10 different shades for CHF 40.- each.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Nars

First of all, I love birthdays and I love being the birthday girl! Since my early childhood, this has never changed. Therefore I can happily say today: Happy Birthday to Myself!

This morning, my family surprised me with some very promising boxes from Dior and Dolce & Gabbana and the inside was as good as the outside, see for yourself. Especially the Dior ring put me in the perfect mood for my exciting trip to Paris with the French Maison tomorrow morning.
Stay tuned for more to be posted soon!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Great news for all fashionistas among you! The gorgeous Mary Katrantzou S/S 2013 collection has finally hit the stores!

TO SHOP MARY KATRANTZOU S/S 2013, PLEASE CLICK HERE!

Personally speaking, I am completely in love with Mary’s amazing prints that are this summer synonymous with foreign travel, as stamps were the exotic inspiration for her outstanding collection along with banknote sparkles. With a perfectly-placed print, those pieces are a striking choice for day and night, an effortless way to wear bright and bold colours.

During Paris Fashion Week, I went to the showroom to marvel at all those beauties and I was in very good company. See who was playing dress-up:

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.

From left to right: Sandra Bauknecht in Alias dress, Miroslava Duma in Ziggy dress, Viviana Volpicella in Kathmandu dress and Eugenie Niarchos in Lella print.

Mary Katrantzou with me

Silk dress with botanist print

Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis in Venezuela jacket with me in Teleport dress

The collection makes all heads turn. Here are some of my favourite looks:

Starsailor biker jacket and leather skirt

Kathmandu  dress

Stamper dress

Ziggy dress

Teleport dress

Alias dress

Finally, Mary has added bags to her collection and those clutches are true beauties. The only question is which one do you want to get?

YOU CAN PRE-ORDER YOUR FAVOURITE MODEL HERE.

Amazing collaboration: Current/Elliott x Mary Katrantzou

The range comprises denim jackets, dresses, skirts and jeans – all of which are covered with bold prints, the likes of which the London-based designer is known for. The collection will hit the stores in February 2013.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht, Runway photos via style.com and Buro24/7.ru