Sandra‘s Closet

Mid June, I was invited by the lovely Gigi Kracht to her iconic Art in the Park event which she celebrated for the 12th consecutive year. This time, a very special presentation of one of the last masterpieces of the twentieth century awaited the guests at Zurich’s Baur au Lac gardens.

In collaboration with Galerie Gmurzynska, which celebrate the 20th anniversary of their representation of the Yves Klein Estate, another puzzle piece of Yves Klein’s career was brought back to life. The Venus Project was the major concept behind much of the work that Klein completed during the fall of 1961 and the early part of 1962. When Klein’s career was cut short by his passing in June of 1962 this project was left unexecuted.

Gigi Kracht to the right with her daughter Muki

Me in front of the exhibition

Famous jeweler Laurence Graff with Andrea Kracht, owner of the hotel Baur au Lac

Granddaughter of Yves Klein Seffa Klein with her grandmother Rotraut Klein-Moquay

Yves Klein’s family had flown in for this special occasion. Daniel Moquay who is the new husband of Rotraut, Yves Klein’s widow, gave a great speech during the intimate lunch hosted before the official exhibition opening: “Yves Klein travelled in 1961 with Rotraut in America for the occasion of his solo exhibitions at Leo Castelli Gallery in New York and Virginia Dwan Gallery in Los Angeles. During his journey, he had this vision in Las Vegas of having a kind of classical columns where he would have placed his “Venus of Alexandrie” which was the Louvre model that he painted in International Klein Blue. Unfortunately, he could not achieve his project. Several years later, a developer in Las Vegas has approached us and we had this idea to complete Yves Klein’s wish. We made a special edition of 30 blue Venus in order to present them in a hotel in Las Vegas. Regrettably the business went bad and we never could achieve the dream. Today we wish to show this very special project for the first time and to present this unique edition of 30 blue Venus, as the acme of the entrance of this place. For the first time, we will find the presentation that exactly correspond to Yves Klein’s dreams. We just wish you to enjoy this work, and the serenity of it.

We will also realize the other happening of Yves Klein: “Sculpture Aérostatique“, which consists in 1001 blue balloons that the artist released in the sky, place Saint-Germain des Prés in Paris, at the occasion of his show at the well-known Iris Clert Gallery in 1957. This event has been recently realized a couple of time at the occasion of Yves Klein’s retrospective shows in different museums all over the world.”

There was so much love for detail during the exclusive lunch hosted by Gigi Kracht before the opening. Even the roses were colored in International Klein Blue (or IKB as it is known in art circles). The hue that was developed by Yves Klein as part of his search for colors which best represented the concepts he wished to convey as an artist.

LoL, Sandra

Gigi Kracht welcoming her guests

Photos: Courtesy of Art in the Park, Yves Klein Estate and © Sandra Bauknecht

Yesterday, I was invited by Swarovski to attend the private opening of the global design forum Design Miami/ Basel 2014 followed by an exclusive dinner party. When I arrived, I was blown away by the amazing large-scale installation ‘Prologue’ created by Fredrikson Stallard.

The latest collaborative work between Swarovski and the acclaimed London-based designers is a monumental circular sculpture holding over 8,000 golden Swarovski crystal droplets within a patinated steel frame suspended from a beam.
‘Prologue’s’ luminous ring mimics the iconography of the sun and it shimmers as it constantly reflects and refracts light as it gently moves. It is a powerful representation of new beginnings and also a more abstract symbol of life and rebirth.

For over a decade, Swarovski’s creative collaborations have been a great opportunity for the world’s leading artists, architects and designers to experiment and share their most radical ideas using the medium of crystal.

Here I am with Nadja Swarovski, Member of the Swarovski Executive Board, in front of the art work who commented: “Fredrikson Stallard are amongst the most talented designers working today and their installations are always highly impactful and very beautiful. ‘Prologue’ is a glowing symbol of life, and its power lies in its scale. Its compelling presence draws the viewer closer, allowing us to feel a primeval connection with the sun.”

The artists Patrik Fredrikson and Ian Stallard with me yesterday.

About the Fredrikson Stallard
Patrik Fredrikson and Ian Stallard formed their design partnership in 1995 and have become internationally recognized as leading exponents of British avant-garde design. They have the ability to translate their vision into simple yet emotionally engaging furniture and product designs.
‘Prologue’ by Fredrikson Stallard was first shown at Art Basel in Hong Kong in May 2014. It is the second time Fredrikson Stallard have shown a dramatic large-scale installation for Swarovski at Design Miami/ Basel. The ‘Iris Collection’ was presented in 2011.

If you get the chance, I highly recommend a visit to Design Miami/ Basel (open until June 22, 2014). It is absolutely worth it.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Happy Easter to all of you, my fabulous readers! This year, I would like to share with you some of the probably most stunning Easter eggs ever seen, coming from the house of Fabergé, a name that is synonymous with eggs of the most luxurious kind.

In New York City, Fabergé has been sending the residents on their biggest ever egg scavenger hunt to raise millions for charity. Almost 300 giant egg sculptures were scattered around the city’s five boroughs. The jeweller had commissioned renowned artists, designers and architects to create the two-foot tall eggs as part of a citywide art display. Among those participating in the project are Tracey Emin, Mark Quinn, Zaha Hadid, Ronnie Wood, Peter Beard, Diane von Furstenberg, Marchesa, Oliver Theykens and Bruce Weber.

Those amazing egg sculptures are auctioned off (bidding has already started) until April 26 on Paddle8 to raise money for the conservation organization, Elephant Family. The hunt will also gather funds for Studio in a School, a program that brings visual arts to New York City’s public schools.

Some of the amazing egg sculptures by famous artists such as Jeff Koons or Julian Schnabel will close on Paddle8 at 12:00pm EST on Tuesday, April 22nd. Live auction begins on Tuesday, April 22nd at 07:00PM EST.

Fabergé is hoping that the New York initiative will repeat the success of The Fabergé Big Egg Hunt in London in 2012, which set two Guinness World Records and raised more than $15 million for charity.

In London, Fabergé has teamed up with Harrods for a creative collaboration that will run until 21st April 2014. An exhibition space has been set up in the famous department store, with the famed Brompton Road windows and façade dressed in Fabergé flags, telling the story of the legendary jewelry house.

On display is a a rare masterpiece, an original Fabergé Egg – The Apple Blossom Egg, together with other historic Fabergé treasures. This Egg was designed in 1901 and is beautifully crafted in gold, diamonds and nephrite.

Harrods Exclusive
To celebrate the extravaganza, Fabergé has created a limited-edition Spiral Tassel Pendant, available exclusively at Harrods. The modern, playful, diamond-set egg comes with a stunning gemstone tassel, finished with amethyst, tsavorite, or spinel.

Happy Easter Sunday!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Fabergé

There are some press releases that get me overly excited. This is one. Shu Uemura ‘Art of Hair’ launches a new product so-called TEXTURE WAVE, a dry workable spray for buildable grip, fuller touch and moveable texture.

The wave effect was key on the runway for S/S 2014, comprising lightly airspun texture right through to sensual, volumised curls. Texture Wave is the perfect product for recreating these styles with a no-shine finish.
CHF 45.00 (250ml)

The new styling innovation is insipred by one of the most famous Japanese works of art – the Great Wave of Kanagawa. It dates back to the 1830’s as the first print in Katsushika Hokusai’s series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji. Caught in movement, the wave composition is dynamically extending, about to break.

In the mood for volumised, sensual curls? Why not try a look called WINDY WAVES (see cover photo)?
Step 1: Form curls using a wide-barrel curling iron, working sections in interchanging directions, inwards and outwards.
Step 2: Loosen curls with fingers and apply Texture Wave while tousling layers. Hair is left with texture and shape, but still free to move, like the waves it is inspired by.

To create on-trend, TOUSLED WAVES on shorter hair, begin by lifting sections and spraying Texture Wave through the roots, lengths and ends. Ruffle and scrunch with fingers to achieve un-done movement.

Create an effortless DISHEVELLED PONY by following these few simple steps:
1. Section the front of the hair by parting down the middle. Lift hair at the back and apply Texture Wave whilst tousling.
2. Gather the hair into a low ponytail at the nape of the neck, spraying Texture Wave through the lengths for a mussy finish.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Shu Uemura and Style.com

FOULARDS D’ARTISTES III NEW CREATIVE COLLABORATIONS FOR S/S 2014

This summer, Louis Vuitton continues its world tour of the vibrant street art scene by inviting three new artists from three different continents to collaborate on its collections of textile. The artists of this third season are André Saraiva, famed for his jaunty ‘Mr. A’ character who inhabits the walls of Paris, American Kenny Scharf, and INTI from Chile.

ANDRÉ SARAIVA
For André Saraiva, his studio drop cloth was the inspiration for the background of his interpretation of Louis Vuitton’s Monogram shawl. Once he had translated his paint spatters to the luxurious silk and wool wrap, it became a natural habitat for ‘Mr. A’, the artist’s signature blue figure with asymmetrical eyes.

KENNY SCHARF
Californian Kenny Scharf, a remarkable figure in the worlds of painting, sculpture and performance, describes himself as a pop-surrealist artist whose guiding principle is to reach out beyond the elitist boundaries of fine art and to connect to popular culture. He has covered Louis Vuitton’s giant silk crepe square with a colorful collage of astronomic motifs and symbols of pop culture on a blurred psychedelic background.

INTI
True to his name, derived from the Inca sun god, INTI is inspired by ancestral Andean culture, which he transcribes in brightly colored, monumental works. He revisits the giant square with a sun motif referencing the image of ‘Wiracocha’, god of TIWANAKU culture, one of the most important Inca deities. Infused with warm shades of gold and orange, the design is bordered in red with a pattern of ancient symbols surrounding the Louis Vuitton signature.

Alongside these artistic collaborations, Louis Vuitton introduces further new designs for S/S 2014.

Two are variations on the iconic leopard print created for Louis Vuitton by the artist Stephen Sprouse: the Leopard Spray giant silk crepe square combines leopard spots with a spray-paint motif in vibrant fuchsia or pimento,…

… while the Leopard Pop stole, available in coral or pimento, presents a delicate arty gradation of shades.

The Monogram Rayures shawl juxtaposes faded denim-style stripes with lines of brighter coral or pimento,…

… while the Papillon silk square is woven with a subtle tone-on-tone Monogram pattern. Its generous size and array of colors, including beige, black, fuchsia, orange and violet, make it a stylish and versatile choice all year round.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton

The encounter between MSGM and Toiletpaper has inspired a limited edition collection of unisex sweatshirts, with a mix of surrealism and bright colours in an unmistakable style. The inspiration, passion for music and the digital world of Massimo Giorgetti, creative director of MSGM fashion brand, blend with the distinctive spirit of provocation of Toiletpaper, the independent image-only magazine founded by artist Maurizio Cattelan and photographer Pierpaolo Ferrari. A surprising, dynamic and sometimes irreverent world which celebrates the fusion between fashion and contemporary art.

Lipstick, eyelash curlers and a new take on ‘I heart you’… which one is your favorite?
The limited edition collection is available at Farfetch, Luisaviaroma and Matchesfashion.

LoL, Sandra

During the last two weeks, the Grand Palais hosted the flagship exhibition dedicated to the spirit of Miss Dior, the house’s famous and first fragrance. To celebrate the opening night, celebrities such as Natalie Portman, the face of Dior, Sophie Marceau, Karl Lagerfeld and many more came to see the exhibition themselves, followed by an amazing after party also hosted at the Grand Palais. I felt very honored to be invited to such an exclusive event.

Arriving with Mary Ma, international model and Chinese fashion designer.

Christian Dior himself, a creative and visionary genius, managed to unite couture and perfumes. During my visit to the exhibition, I enjoyed exploring the designer’s life and work plus his artistic influences.

To illustrate his passion for art, it also presented the works of fifteen contemporary women artists, who were inspired by the iconic scent Miss Dior. Below you can see my favorite artworks.

ALYSON SHOTZ
” I love that idea of there being no surface, no inside or outside. Surface is structure, and vice versa. These shapes are created by assembling a large whole, piece by piece. The observer visually combines all the little parts and when he walks around the sculpture, his eyes and brain assemble these shapes in different ways.”

For New Yorker Alyson Shotz, the rose theme, a flower dear to Christian Dior, also inspired her sculpture Infinite Rose with its reflections of steel and dichroic film, which changes color and shape depending on the movement of light, and that of the observer.

MARIA NEPOMUCENO
“I decided to bring the bottle of Miss Dior perfume, which for me is an object related to elegance and delicacy, to my own universe. I transformed the shape of the bottle into an object made of clay, from which tentacles and roots protrude, but also crevices with emerging organic elements.”

Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1976, Maria transcends the Miss Dior bottle to create an organic and sensual installation using different material. Spirals of nylon, rope, straw and woven pearls are rolled up in an endless process, like a living sculpture, moving matter that bonds everyday life, cosmology and genetics.

JOANA VASCONCELOS
“I enjoyed being able to merge with the Miss Dior spirit, and its combination of extremes, that engage the world of couture and playfulness, architectural rigor and cotton candy lightness.”

My avid readers might recognize Joana Vasconcelos from her current solo exhibition at the Gucci Museo in Florence. For Dior, she has imagined a carbon fiber bow some 3 meters wide adorned with almost 1.665 perfume bottles and LED lights. This is probably the most impressive installation of the exhibition.

NIKA ZUPANG
“Starting out with a vision of the idealized and somewhat conservative Dior woman, I wanted to shake up her image. I didn’t want to distort it, I just set out to highlight the strengths of her unique, singular character.”

Recognized the world over for her objects midway between fantasy and narration, the Slovenian designer explores femininity from every angle with a series of pieces and collaborations, highlighting sensuality and seduction. Here, she created a fairy-tale pavilion dedicated to women and their aspirations. This was one of my favorite artworks of the exhibition.

KAREN KILIMNIK
“When seeing this piece, I would like visitors to the exhibition to want to take a look through the archives of Dior.”

Born in Philadelphia, Karen Kilimnik dramatizes today’s consumer society and the world of images through her paintings and lyrical installations, with a profound sense of romanticism. Inspired by the 18th century Drottingholm Theater in Sweden and the design sets for Alexei Ratmansky’s production of Psyche, but also fascinated by the Dior archives and first models, she has taken a new look at the follies and gloryfiers.

CAROLE BENZAKEN
“In Miss Dior, I don’t see a woman, I see colors and landscapes. It is a relationship between skin and veins, heart and heartbeat, music, life.”

With Carole Benzaken, media – drawing, painting, photography, video -, intertwine and overlap each other. She designed a majestic but fragile opalescent glass sculpture spanning one meter, surrounded by seven back-lit vats decorated with wooded landscaped drawings, like the idea of a liquid and immaterial fragrance that takes up and appropriates space.

POLLY APFELBAUM
” I decided to create a work that reflected Dior’s audacity and the brand’s tradition of allying the new with the classical.”

It was the houndstooth pattern that inspired the American artist’s large-scale installation, hand-woven in Mexico using the traditional weaving techniques of Oaxaca.

LEE BUL
“Smell is the most closely related sense to memory. A sense that appeals to emotions more than a reason.”

An unmissable figure from the Asian artistic scene, she created a dozen monumental sculptures in crystal and aluminum. For this exhibition, she has taken a new look at the olfactive memory of Miss Dior, its light and modernity at the center of an installation designed as a manifesto, standing 5 meters high and weighing almost 500 kg.

I stepped inside this suspended cocoon for a private journey on self-reflection.

CARLA MATTI
“I chose to interpret the theme of Dior’s beloved rose in my own poetical way.”

Under a venomous hybrid appearance, the works of Carla Matti are about nature and reality, the world and its virtual dimension. This young Italian artist scanned then recomposed and computer printed in 3-D the legendary Miss Dior rose which is transformed into a sculpted rose garden full of original flowers taken from a bend of five different floral varieties.

At the after party: Having fun with the fabulous Montasar Dumas.

It was such a fabulous event and I truly had a blast. If you like my look, here are all the details: Black strapless dress by Prada, pointed leather Mary-Jane pumps by Saint Laurent, skirt belt, feather stole, handbag and pearl necklace, all by Dior.

Thank you Vanity Fair for featuring me among the most amazing celebrities!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Dior, Vanity Fair and © Sandra Bauknecht

As promised in my previous post last week, here are all the details concerning the amazing collaboration between Dom Pérignon and Jeff Koons, which was launched during New York Fashion Week.

Personally speaking, I am crazy for this project as it involves three things I adore: champagne, the colour pink and one of my favourite artists! The limited edition ‘Balloon Venus’ is based on Jeff Koons’ work that was inspired by the Venus of Willendorf, a tiny paleolithic figurine discovered in Austria and dated to around 23 000 BC.

The Balloon Venus is part of Jeff Koons’ Antiquity series that begun in 2008, playfully exploring motifs from the History of Art with his trademark creative verve. The artist adapted the Balloon Venus sculpture for Dom Pérignon, by transforming the original statue in a smaller version which when opened, reveals a bottle of Rosé Vintage 2003. 650 will be produced, of which 20 will be sold in Switzerland for CHF 18’500.00 each.

Jeff Koons also designed better priced limited-edition gift boxes for the Dom Pérignon Rosé 2003 (CHF 449.00) and the Dom Pérignon Brut 2004 (CHF 199.00), available exclusively at Globus in Switzerland.

The launch event in NYC was held at the Stephan Weiss Studio in Greenwich Village. The berry-coloured ambiance was truly amazing, with different installations to explore the ‘Balloon Venus’ by Jeff Koons.

Born in 1955, Jeff Koons is one of the most recognised and solicited of all contemporary artists. He currently resides and works in the city of New York. Earning worldwide acclaim with his large-scale sculptures he has received numerous awards and honours in recognition of his cultural achievements. For him, “the real power behind art is to put us in contact with feelings”.

Throwing a bottle of Dom Pérignon with his wife.

Today, Dom Pierre Pérignon’s visionary mind and exceptional boldness to declare, at the end of the 17th century, to make “the best wine in the world” is in the hands of Chef de Cave Richard Geoffroy who creates each vintage of Dom Pérignon with pure excellence.

Champagne is my guilty pleasure and when it comes in a package like the ‘Balloon Venus’, I feel like a kid in the candy store, being on cloud nine!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Dom Pérignon, all event photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Hugo Boss has launched an interesting art project with an exhibition at London’s Saatchi Gallery, that will run through September 2013, under the name “Red Never Follows” that showcases different art works by 20 international creatives, inspired by HUGO. To highlight the German brand’s history, the word “Follows” on the key visuals is spelled as “Fol20ws,” and Berlin based artist Steffen Seeger has painted the one line drawing, that stands for the house’s last 20 years.

Last night, he was in Zurich for an interactive art show at the store on Bahnhofstrasse. It was a pleasure to meet Steffen and I was very excited to get my own art work done by him. We partied on the shop’s terrace, while enjoying the beautiful sunshine.

My look: Two-tone stretch-jersey contour dress by Stella McCartney, coral shape heels and patchwork bag, both by Chanel, bracelet by Hermès.

In addition to the exhibition, the brand has launched a line of 20 celebratory fashion items that are  available online and in store.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Hugo Boss and © Sandra Bauknecht

For F/W 2013, Louis Vuitton has invited three new international street artists – Eko Nugroho from Indonesia, EINE from the UK and Franco-Tunisian eL Seed – to bring their vision to bear on its emblematic giant silk square. This latest collaboration continues Louis Vuitton’s world tour of the buzzing street scene, which began last season with AIKO, RETNA and Os Gemeos – themselves following in a tradition of partnerships with contemporary artists, including Stephen Sprouse, Yayoi Kusama, Takashi Murakami and Richard Prince.

Mixing urban and pop influences with traditional Indonesian motifs, Eko Nugroho’s intriguing design conjures up a mythical beast in deliberately clashing colours, which twists across a geometrical background of scale-like shapes in blue and khaki.

Drawing on Louis Vuitton’s heritage, EINE expresses the excitement of travel in words and colour, printing the phrase “great adventures” in bold block letters and eye-popping shades onto a dramatic black background, and framing the entire design with the Louis Vuitton signature.

Inspired by Arabic calligraphy, eL Seed imagines the graceful swirls of this ancestral art overlaying the Monogram pattern. One half of the design is printed in fuchsia, while the other is covered with a discreet filigree that reveals, rather than conceals, Louis Vuitton’s iconic motif.

I love the new scarves so much and Stephen Sprouse‘s iconic print is still among my favorites. Which one is yours?

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton