Decent Exposure

Decent exposure is the key to success. Flash F/W 2022 most tempting trend. The nude mood will work for both exhibitionists and introverts. The new naked dress is sexy, confusing and here to stay… and if you look closer, it is actually not so naked at all.

LoL, Sandra

Printed jersey midi dress by Balmain

Printed long-sleeve top by Jean-Paul Gaultier x Lotta Volkova

Printed velvet kaftan maxi dress by Loewe

Printed mesh long-sleeved top by Loewe

Pink & green printed blazer by Y/Project x Jean Paul Gaultier
iconicon

Pit Power gold-plated sterling silver necklace by Anissa Kermiche

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.

My Look: Missing Summer

I am already missing summer so much that I want to show you one of my favorite looks shot at the beach of the Blue Palace Elounda hotel in Crete. In the background you can see the small island Spinalonga. It is actually a pretty creepy place, also known as the Leper Island, as that is where Greek lepers were quarantined until 1957.

My look is very colorful. The sunglasses are from the recent Loewe F/W 2022 collection. I adore the inflated style, it feels new. The Maison’s broken egg sandals are definitely a piece for the museum – I am completely obsessed. My bucket bag is from The Collector, a Geneva based brand, that is specialized in high end bags, preferably in exotic leathers.

My look: Lola cropped tie-front paneled linen topicon, matching Lola belted paneled linen midi skirt, and fringed faux raffia sunhat, all by Zimmermann, Broken egg sandals, and inflated oversized square-frame acetate sunglassesicon, both by Loewe, coral earrings by Oscar de la Renta, and bucket bag by The Collector.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht / Anouk Bauknecht
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.

My Look: Pink & Burgundy

Pink and burgundy – an unexpected color combination I absolutely adore. It feels sophisticated and different. The play between the lighter pink and darker burgundy provides quite the grounding contrast and when worn together it ensures you’ll turn heads everywhere you go.

My look: Concert leather-trimmed wool-blend coaticon, and Concert printed silk twill shirt dress, both by Zimmermann, VLOGO leather shoulder bag in pink, and Tan-Go patent leather platform pumps, both by Valentino, Dynasty oversized geometric-frame sunglasses by Balenciaga, and clip earrings by CHANEL (Métiers d’Art 2012 Paris – Bombay).

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht / David Biedert Photography
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise. 

Christian Louboutin – The Lipstick Heel

Where others dream, Christian Louboutin turns fantasy into reality. Inspired by the Rouge Louboutin lipstick, this new bijou heel embodies the Maison’s exceptional savoir-faire.

The stiletto heels are sculpted in the form of the house’s signature precious lipstick gold cases for an ornate look.

LipChick 100 patent-leather pumps
icon

LipChick 100 patent-leather sandals
icon

I am sure that you’ll want to adorn yourself from top to toe with the sexiest lips and heels of the season. Needless to say, I got the pumps… a must for my collection!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Christian Louboutin
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.

Trending: The Hot Pink Jacket

Hot pink is trending – it’s THE shade that has been seen allover the streets during Paris Fashion Week last week. For Valentino’s F/W 2022 collection, Pierpaolo Piccioli focused on this single color and created 48 head-to-toe looks in the mood-boosting hue, that was developed in collaboration with Pantone. It so catchy and energetic that it got even its own name, Valentino Pink PP.

I recommend getting a blazer, expertly tailored, to sport the electrifying shade on a daily basis. The buttons should be neutral, no gold ones or anything else that could distract from the color that has come a long way from its days of simply being a staple in a little girl’s closet.

Below you can shop the best chic pink explosion jackets of the moment!

LoL, Sandra

 

Oversized double-breasted wool and silk-blend crepe blazer by Valentino

Neon wool-blend blazericon by Jacquemus

Carter neon crepe blazer by Alex Perry

Blazer with feathers by Zara
icon

Double-breasted wool blazer by Alexander McQueen

Sequin single-breasted blazer by Dolce & Gabbana
icon

Photo of me: Fabrizio Vignali @iziophotography for Patek Philippe and Stills: Courtesy of the Brands
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.

Judith Leiber x Katy Perry

Global luxury handbag brand Judith Leiber Couture, known for her whimsical crystal minaudières, collaborated with musical superstar Katy Perry on an evening bag to celebrate the official icon of her latest concert tour «Play». This charming oversized mushroom handbag dazzles in red and champagne handset crystal and features bold pearlized stones for extra drama.

The mushroom crystal-embellished clutch is available at MATCHESFASHION for a much better price than on the Judith Leiber website, just click here to be transferred directly.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Judith Leiber
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise. icon

ZFF 2022 Opening Night

Every fall, the Zurich Film Festival takes place and provides a platform for the most promising filmmakers from around the globe. It aims to promote exchange between emerging directors, successful film workers, the film industry and the general public by showing the year’s greatest discoveries and most anticipated films.

Wearing a black Monique Lhuillier gown and Christian Louboutin shoes and bag.

I attended the opening night of the 18th Zurich Film Festival that kicked off at Zurich Convention Center with the European premiere of the inspirational Netflix production THE SWIMMERS. The film was presented personally by director Sally El Hosaini and actor Matthias Schweighöfer. The President of the Swiss Confederation Ignazio Cassis, who had just returned from NYC, emphasized the unifying effect of cinema on people and set the mood for the 11 festival days with his speech.

The cast of THE SWIMMERS as well as the real Yusra Martini on stage at the opening night.

I can absolutely recommend watching this amazing movie that tells the true story of sisters Yusra and Sarah Mardini, both talented swimmers, who were forced to flee the civil war sweeping their native Syria in 2015. They make the dangerous crossing to Europe in a refugee boat. When the engine fails on the open sea, they use ropes to pull the boat behind them for hours, saving numerous lives. Once in Germany, they met a swimming teacher (played by Matthias Schweighöfer) who trained them for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

«It is not just an inspirational film that reinforces our belief in the good of people,» explained Artistic Director Christian Jungen in his speech, «With war once again raging in Europe, it is also an extremely important film of our time, because it throws a spotlight on the plight of refugees. Cinema is the medium of empathy that allows us to view the world through the eyes of others.»

The Zurich Film Festival runs until October 2, showing 146 films, including a record 38 world and European premieres with star guests like Eddie Redmayne, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Sir Ben Kingsley, Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, Til Schweiger, Daniel Brühl and Iris Berben in attendance.

Christian Jungen, Elke Mayer, Matthias Schweighöfer, Ignazio Cassis, Yusra Mardini, Sally El Hosaini, Nathalie Issa, Corine Mauch, Sven Spannekrebs at the Opening Night.

If you didn’t get a chance to watch it, THE SWIMMERS will be available on Netflix from November 23, 2022. Please watch the movie, it will change the way you look at the refugee situation tremendously.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of ZFF, © Sandra Bauknecht / David Biedert Photography
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise. 

Prêt-à-Portea: The Couture Cakewalk

Arriving perfectly dressed for the new season, the S/S 2022 Prêt-à-Portea collection at The Berkeley London showcases couture cakes inspired by designers from Lanvin to Gucci. A contemporary twist on afternoon tea, this playful and stylish edit is set to become another favourite for sweet-toothed fashionistas.

This season’s collection opens with Oscar de la Renta – a striking orange gown crafted with apricot bavarois, salted Manuka honey and apricot ganache, topped with a meringue frill. A hero handbag from Michael Kors – whose bags were seen filled with flowers on the catwalk – has been created as a Victoria sponge with fresh strawberry jam, wrapped in an Opalys chocolate cylinder with flowers intricately piped with lime butter cream.

Gucci’s pink silk tuxedo has been reimagined in bourbon vanilla mousse and Emmanuel sponge, layered with peach compote and glazed with shimmering pink icing. This is finished with a thin chocolate jacket and bow tie. Meanwhile, Lanvin’s towering floral platform heels will stomp down the cakewalk made from chocolate biscuit, painstakingly piped with royal icing.

Schiaparelli’s couture golden mini dress combines caramel sponge, dark Valrhona chocolate and hazelnut praline, all topped with a shimmering, chocolate oversized collar. Richard Quinn’s buttercup yellow gown is immortalised in ice cream – chocolate wafer cones are filled with fresh fruit compote and pineapple and star anise sorbet, topped with bright yellow chocolate waves.

Finally, the Prêt-à-Portea pastry team have created a showstopper of a cake – designed to share – paying homage to Saint Laurent’s floral jumpsuit. An oversized red rose made of lychee mousse with fresh raspberry is set on a glossy white coconut cake, and finished with a green chocolate leaf.

As always, the tea also includes elegant canapés and sandwiches, with a selection of loose-leaf teas from the extensive collection.
Afternoon Tea is served Monday – Sunday: 1pm – 5.30pm.

Cannot wait to be back in London!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © The Berkeley and Courtesy of the Brands
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.

Vive la Légèreté

This week, Hermès celebrated its theme of the year «Vive la Légèreté» in Zurich in an intimate celebration at Kunsthaus. The motto was translated in multiple ways into a breathtaking setup, from the airy clouds decorating the swings where you could take a photo to the dreamlike pegasus installations at the open ceiling. Yvonne Leuthard, Press & Influence Manager Hermès Switzerland, explained to me that those pieces were used at another event in Paris before. Sustainable luxury is something very dear to the French Maison.

Ease became a subject of inspiration to which creatives and craftsmen were invited to respond. Hermès has always been a house dedicated to the quality and sensuality of materials and textures. Known for its precision and artistic complicities, a plethora of its offerings feature silk, soft and light as air.

Thierry Outin, General Director Hermès Switzerland, Sara Mathivet, Store Manager Hermès Zurich, and Florian Craen, Executive Vice-President Sales & Distribution, who had flown in from Paris for the night, welcomed the guests. Dancers dressed in floral costumes performed at the cocktail reception as well at the dinner and made the celebratory event a success.

The food was vegetarian with several outstanding courses prepared by Franzoli, from a fresh herb consommé to a «fir branch» to an amazing pavlova that was presented in a shape of a mountain. The titles of the courses were very pictorial, «the lake», «the undergrowth», «the meadow», «the glacier», «the forest», and «the summit», all inspired by Swiss landscaping.

The culmination of the night was a «golden rain» from above that gave this feeling of lightness and hope. Lightness is when the everyday becomes miraculous, it is in the gentleness of a smile, the tenderness of a touch, the gracefulness of a gesture and the beauty of a night like this.

Thank you, Hermès, for having me!

LoL, Sandra

My outfit was perfectly matching the theme with my winged heels and the cloudy skirt.

The Hermès crocodile gang.

With Kim Dang from NZZ

Photos:  © Sandra Bauknecht
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.

Rolls-Royce – The Six Elements Phantom

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dubai and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Abu Dhabi, are inspiring greatness at its best by collaborating with the Dubai-based world-renowned contemporary British artist Sacha Jafri for the inception of ‘The Six Elements’ Phantom.

Jafri is known for creating the world’s largest painting on canvas, Journey of Humanity (see above) over seven months during the COVID-19 pandemic in Dubai. With his work having been shown in the most prominent Art Institutions across the globe. The Dubai-based artist is described as ‘The Pioneer of Magical Realism’ and this century’s true zeitgeist, bringing painting with raw emotion back to the forefront of the art world. Sacha’s work acts as an electric shock to the senses, reminding us of the magic in the mundane and awakening the child within us all. His recent paintings celebrate the life’s achievements of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, President Barack Obama, HE Nelson Mandela, David Beckham and Sir Alex Ferguson. Sacha Jafri is widely regarded as one of the world’s most celebrated living artists and has raised more than $140 million for charities across the world from the sale of his art.

Coming back to this beautiful collaboration. These six one-of-one Rolls-Royce Phantom Series II motor cars will each feature a unique, painted Sacha Jafri Gallery, inspired by the one of the five elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Wind and Air, with Humanity as the ‘sixth element’. The project has the expressed aim of raising $1 million for charity, with associations to be announced later this year. The chosen beneficiaries will be Humanity-centric, spanning three sectors: Education, Health, and Sustainability.

Selected for his inimitable vision, style and use of colours, Jafri is crafting a unique Gallery for each Phantom Series II, themed around the Six Elements. The principle of adding Humanity as an element builds on the ethos of the British artist’s works around the five traditional elements. The underlying message is the need to reintroduce a sense of humanity to the world and to find balance within ourselves.

For Sacha Jafri, each of the elements evokes different emotions, spirit, energy and purpose. Fire represents passion and belief. Fire is balanced by earth, which represents grounding and roots. Air is the essence of life, enabling us to breathe. Wind enhances our feelings of freedom, whilst Water, supports our lyricism and fluidity. Humanity brings love, embrace, and the linking of souls.

«The six Rolls-Royce Phantoms will embody the emotion of each elemental force. The artistic journey begins and ends with emotion and intention, fuelling my inspiration to create the colour palette of the ‘Six Elements’. Earth, Fire, Wind, Water and Air are enhanced by the addition of a ‘new element’, Humanity – the very essence of life itself.
Rolls-Royce is a brand of intention, excellence, power, detail and passion – a brand that has been on a similar journey to my own. It has set new levels of achievement, with pioneering accolades yet to be surpassed. By embracing empathy, we are able to reconnect the spirit of our world, in connection with our Elements and the souls of not only the individual, but of the very idea of universal consciousness.
We are embarking on a journey that aims to continuously fulfil those values, keeping our intentions pure and driven, eternally. This commission is indicative of these principles, not only incorporating art for the sake of aesthetic inspiration, but also a nurturing of the soul, an uplifting of the spirit, and the embodiment of a true charitable cause
Sacha Jafri, Artist

The Rolls-Royce Phantom ‘The Six Elements’ motor cars will also feature a unique digital element. The marque is simultaneously launching «The Rolls-Royce That Keeps on Giving» NFT initiative, which includes six individual flythrough animations.

Each time any of the six NFTs are traded, a royalty of 20% will be donated to the chosen charity. The six distinct one-off NFTs are linked to each of the six Phantoms, however, owners can sell their NFT separately if they choose to do so. These NFTs will be uniquely embedded within the glove compartment of each Phantom Series II, enabling each of the six owners to view their NFT experience whilst sat within their car.

The eighth generation of Phantom was unveiled in 2017. When creating this new expression, Phantom Series II, Rolls-Royce designers and engineers were guided by the requests of clients, who implored Rolls-Royce not to make any major changes to an already iconic motor car. In answer to these client demands, only the lightest of design touches, embellishments, and adaptations have been incorporated. Indeed, Phantom Series II is not about what should be changed, but in fact, what should be preserved and protected.

Utterly unique to Phantom, the marque offers an extraordinary art-within-art canvas: The Gallery. Running the entire length of the fascia and conceptualised to house Bespoke creations with an uninterrupted glass enclosure. In this instance, these ‘Six Elements’ Phantom Series II motor cars were designed at the Home of Rolls-Royce around Jafri’s hand-painted galleries.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Rolls-Royce, © Sacha Jafri and via Humanity Inspired
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.