Sandra‘s Closet

Ariana Grande has been named as the new MAC Viva Glam frontwoman following in the same footsteps as Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna among other celebrities.

The 22-year-old singer will represent the Viva Glam branch of the famous beauty brand, which sells limited edition products with the proceeds going to charity.

Good girl? Bag girl? Ariana’s range includes her dark matte plum lipstick (CHF 28.00) and her shimmering light baby pink lip gloss (CHF 26.00). Show your both sides and don’t forget it’s for charity, every cent from the selling price of Viva Glam lipstick and lipgloss goes toward helping women, men and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS.

Available in Switzerland from January 21, 2016 at all MAC counters and online.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of MAC Cosmetics

What else could you wish for? A castle, a princess and a shoe designer. Sometimes dreams come true and you can feel like Cinderella. Only difference? I wouldn’t leave my heels behind.

Hostess Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis framed by Alexa Chung to the right and me to the left.

The occasion was very special. Princess Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis, Gianvito Rossi and mytheresa.com hosted a private dinner at the Palace of St. Emmeram in Regensburg, Germany to celebrate their collaboration.
The designer and the luxury e-tailer celebrated their successful on-going relationship which includes special capsule collections created exclusively for the site.

The Silver Salon

Cocktails were served in the breathtaking Silver Salon followed by dinner in the castle’s magnificent ballroom. Mike Skinner then entertained the crowd with a DJ set in the stunning Yellow Salon.

Gianvito Rossi with me in the Yellow Salon

It was truly a night to remember – a princess for one day. And isn’t Cinderella proof that a pair of shoes can change your life?

TO SHOP GIANVITO ROSSI AT MYTHERESA.COM, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

LoL, Sandra

The Ballroom

Fantastic couple: Justin O’Shea and Veronika Heilbrunner with me

Justin O’Shea and Serge Biasin

Singer Lena Meyer-Landrut with me

German actress Iris Berben

Dancing partners: Daisy Lowe with me

Selfie time for Lena Meyer-Landrut and Hannah Herzsprung

If you like my look, click here for the details.

Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis and guests

Dancing Time

Mike Sinner with his wife Claire in Balmain

Photos:© Getty / Gisela Schober & Isa Foltin for Mytheresa x Gianvito Rossi
© Sandra Bauknecht and via Bunte Magazine

It is a Monday evening and I am at home when my phone rings. It is Katy Perry from Rio de Janeiro where she is currently on her Prismatic World Tour 2015. A lovely chat about fashion, style and her collaboration with H&M for Christmas!

Katy Perry is one of the highest paid celebrities in the world and was the first artist to surpass 75 million digital downloads, and the only female singer to have five Billboards no1s from the same album (California Gurls, Teenage Dream, Firework, E.T. and Last Friday Night). The 31-year-old has the most Twitter followers as a single person with over 78 million and 33 million Instagram fans. This holiday season, the pop sensation, who writes most of her songs herself, has teamed up with H&M for a collection that offers all you can dream of for the Christmas season.

How were you involved in the creative process of the collaboration with H&M?
Cozy and cool are the key words. H&M approached me to be the face and represent the holidays for them. I wasn’t involved in the design process but I put the actual looks together.
For me it was an easy decision as I am so into all of the fall holidays, such as Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

It felt also very authentic to me because at the age of 13/14/15 I was starting my own style and I was always mixing H&M with my vintage clothes.

What is your favourite piece of the collection and why?
I actually have three. First I love the «elfie selfie» sweater, it is a funny, great piece with lots of embellishments and shows the outline of an elf.
Then there is a beautiful well-fitted black suit jacket that has sleeves like a kimono and the red dress that I wore for one of the shots with black dangling earrings. I have this latin flair in the photo which I like.

You are definitely no wallflower when it comes to fashion and trends. It seems like you truly enjoy dressing up. You are always catching eyes. Was your style always that eccentric? How did it evolve?
For me it is either dressing all the way up or a black and white tracksuit. It is never inbetween. It is a hundred percent or zero percent. In my teenage years or even in my twenties, I had always been very colourful and looked like in a cartoon. I never wore black as this is very boring to me. Lately, I started to wear a little black like black leather pants.

How do you dress when you are at home?
At home, I like being casual. I wear a tracksuit or my Calvin Klein top and bottom. But I always wear a lot of different stuff when I go out. I take a lot of chances not to be nominated for the best dressed lists but I like to have fun.

What does fashion mean to you?
It is just another way to express my creativity and how I feel about myself. So many times, I am out in public to do something but I don’t get to meet people. I don’t get to shake everybody’s hand, but fashion is a way to present myself. What I wear gives everyone a feeling of how I feel that day. Sometimes it is fun, sometimes it is flirty but ninety percent of the time my outfit has a sense of humour.

What is favourite piece of clothing in your closet and why?
Not a favourite piece but I find that really nice jewellery never goes out of style. I have a big wardrobe and I go through it maybe twice a year and pull out all the stuff that doesn’t make sense to me anymore but I my jewellery tends to stand the test of time.

Three pieces of clothes or accessories every woman should own?
A nice pair of diamond earrings and they don’t have to be real. A little sparkle close to your face always highlights your face. A nice corset underwear. One of those pieces with a bra and undies that shapes your waist and a timeless black jacket that can go on for ten years.

Do you have a style icon? Somebody whom you admire for her or his looks? If yes, who and why.
Yes, I do. Two people come to my mind. I like Chloë Sevigny, the American actress, she can go in between, very chic and very hipster. Grunge, a little bit of 70s, she tries a lot of different things.
And my friend Rihanna. It is so fun to see her walk out of her hotel room in something that you never thought it could be wearable and she pulls it of so well without trying too hard.

You have changed your hair colour so many times. How do you keep your hair looking healthy despite all the colour treatments?
Whenever I die it, I will take a long time to get to the new colour. I would never go overnight! I play with a lot of a wigs that make it look like I am dying my hair all the time. I also trim my hair a lot along the way and luckily I am able to work a lot with super professionals.

Do you have a personal stylist? If yes, how do you work together. If not, how do you choose and get your looks?
I work with a couple different stylists for different themes. For the H&M campaign for example together with B. Åkerlund, Jonas Åkerlund’s wife, who shot the commercial. They are a team. She helped style it and was extremely creative. She is very costumy and knows how to put an outfit together. She is larger than life and works with the likes of Beyoncé and Madonna.

How would you describe your personal style?
It is all about having fun and expressing myself, not about playing a political fashion game. I don’t play by the rules, I don’t care if I make it to the best dressed list. If I feel my best, that is the list I want to make!

Thank you, Katy, for this very refreshing interview!

I still cannot believe that Katy Perry called me at home on a Monday night… this is just too cool!
The Katy Perry x H&M Christmas collection is in stores now.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of H&M
This interview is now also available in German and French in the recent L’Officiel Switzerland issues!

John Malkovich with me

When I read about this project, I was immediately drawn to it. Such a cool idea! John Malkovich and director Robert Rodriguez have teamed up with LOUIS XIII Cognac, one of the most luxurious spirits in the world, to make a movie that predicts what life will be like 100 years in the future. «100 YEARS: THE MOVIE YOU WILL NEVER SEE» won’t be released – and now read carefully – until November 2115. Yes, my dear readers, that means we all will never get to watch it.

The famous LOUIS XIII Cognac

LOUIS XIII Decanter Baccarat

The inspiration behind it was to draw attention to all the hard work that it takes to make each decanter of LOUIS XIII Cognac. Its grapes grow in the chalky soils of Grande Champagne, the most sought-after area of the Cognac region, in France. Just as four generations of cellar masters dedicate their lives to creating a masterpiece that they will never be tasting, the cast and crew of «100 Years» will never see the final cut of the film.

Grande Champagne landscape

A French art de vivre enthusiast, John Malkovich not only plays the leading role alongside Shuya Chang but also developed the original screenplay for «100 Years». This ground-breaking film comes with a lot of special effects and imagines how our planet might look like in a century in three different scenarios.

The first one shows the Earth overtaken by nature after it has been devastated by chemical warfare. Another explores the idea of a dark world ruled by technology. And in the third hypothetical vision, humanoid robots have taken control of the planet and humans have to run to escape.

To ensure that «100 Years» remains secure until its official premiere one century from now, the film was placed in a state-of-the-art safe, created in partnership with Fichet-Bauche, which will open automatically in 100 years when the timing is complete. The custom made piece is a marvel of design, featuring bulletproof glass and a revolutionary timer. Upon the closing of the safe, the door will not open until the countdown is complete, not even with a code or a key, regardless of access to a power source.

Le Grollet House of LOUIS XIII

For the premiere on November 18, 2115, one thousand guests from around the world received an exclusive invitation to give to their descendants to attend the big event at the House of LOUIS XIII, the Domaine du Grollet, in Cognac, France. Isn’t it amazing to imagine that some people might look up this post in 100 years and think of us, the ones that never saw the movie.

This outstanding project «100 Years» was celebrated on last Wednesday with an exclusive preview of the film’s trailer at James Goldstein‘s Sheats Goldstein Mansion in Los Angeles. During the invitation only event, John Malkovich, with LOUIS XIII, ceremoniously placed the film reel into the custom safe and set the timer for the official premiere in November 18th, 2115. This safe will be transported around the world under high-level security for an international tour beginning in Hong Kong on December 11th, before it reaches its final destination at the House of LOUIS XIII in Cognac.

Owner of the residence James Goldstein

Ed Westwick

Louis XIII Global Executive Director Ludovic du Plessis, director Robert Rodriguez and actor John Malkovich share a toast.

Actresses Jamie King and Emma Roberts

Louis XIII Global Executive Director Ludovic du Plessis at the party in Beverly Hills, California.

Film costumes on display.

Designer Zac Posen

Have fun watching the exclusive trailer below and join the conversation on social media with #notcomingsoon. You can follow LOUIS XIII on its social channels including: Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Either PR masterpiece or craziest film project ever, the concept is pretty cool. Don’t you think?

LoL, Sandra

Photos and Trailer: Courtesy of LOUIS XIII, Getty Images for Louis XIII

Today, my thoughts are with the people of Paris. Standing in solidarity with the French, I am appalled by yesterday’s heinous and immoral acts. So many amazing people live in the City of Lights and I am wishing all of them lots of strength. One of them is Azzedine Alaïa whom I met recently.

“It is Alaïa or not Alaïa! If it is not, you cannot negotiate.”

Rue de Moussy in the Marais district of Paris, a very unlikely location for a high end fashion store. This has been the address of Azzedine Alaïa’s Maison since over 20 years. It is home to the ateliers, the showroom, the store, an art gallery, his apartment, a hotel with three rooms and the famous kitchen where he eats together with his employees every day and where he welcomed my humble self for dinner. Famous artist and longtime friend Julian Schnabel designed some furniture for the space, such as a massive cashiers’ desk, embellished with the initials, “A.A.”.

The Alaïa store at Rue de Moussy

Housed in an 18th-century mansion, the new Alaïa store at 5 Rue de Marignan.

Before I arrive at the Alaïa temple, I had visited the second store on Rue Marignan which has been open since September 2013. It is quite the opposite on three floors, white, majestic, very artsy and clean, filled with the iconic pieces Azzedine is known for. You might say that he is one of the last couturiers. He is the master of tailoring. I haven’t seen one woman in my life that hasn’t looked good in an Alaïa dress and a pair of Alaïa shoes.

© Patrick Demarchelier

It is an amazing success story: born in February 1940 as the son of Tunisian farmers, he got inspired for his love of couture by his twin sister. He attended the École des Beaux-Arts in Tunis and studied sculpture which helped him define the silhouette of the modern woman. He had worked at Christian Dior, Guy Laroche and Thierry Mugler before opening his first own atelier in the late 1970s. There is no doubt, Azzedine Alaïa has made the sexiest clothes for the most stunning women on the planet, has rejected corporate fashion and become highly acclaimed among critics, designers – even first ladies. For me, it is a story of someone who has always stayed true to himself and has never given up on his own dreams and values, no matter how much more difficult it got because of this attitude. Being particularly successful since the 1980s, he is mostly famous for his tight fitting curve-hugging clothes and second-skin styles with complex seams and snaking zippers. Thanks to him, leather and Lycra have been elevated to the world of high fashion.

Long sheath dress known as the “powder puff” from the S/S 1994 collection.
© Paolo Roversi

Mr. Alaïa once said: “A woman is like an actress, she’s always onstage. She has to look great to feel good. If she’s going to wear clothes by a designer, … then the clothes should make something happen, something unexpected. The dress has to be part of her, she has to feel it on her body. … I prefer the woman to be seen rather than the outfit. Her head, her body, her hands — the garment is there to cover her, to underline something, and make her beautiful.“

Alaïa’s ability to flatter a woman’s body is unparalleled, his creations are timeless. I have been collecting his designs for over twenty years and not one of my pieces seems outdated.

Alaïa leopard love (F/W 1992), © Jean-Baptiste Mondino

He likes swimming against the tide. Whereas all designers follow the fashion week schedules, Mr. Alaïa premieres his collections at his own rhythm, in private défilés since over a decade now. He is openly not a fan of Karl Lagerfeld and had a big fall out with Anna Wintour who hadn’t included the designer’s work in the 2009 Met’s Model As Muse exhibition – which she had organized.

Azzedine Alaïa plays by his own rules. The tiny designer is used to make all the decisions himself. For him, being independent and putting all the effort in his creativity is the key to success. “It’s ready, when it’s ready.” Now, after over 30 years in business, he takes his kingdom to new heights with the launch of his first fragrance «Alaïa». Like an iconic dress of him, he wanted it to be like a second skin. Timeless, for the Alaïa woman, discreet and not vulgar. He created a team of four people to come up with the perfect scent. His longtime friend Carla Sozzani, founder of 10 Corso Como in Milan, famous fashion photographer Paolo Roversi, the French designer Martin Szekely, who created the bottle and last but not least Marie Salamagne, the nose behind it.

Marie Salamagne with me

For her it was an unusual encounter with a designer. Marie explains to me: “Once a month we met and discussed what was going to be the fragrance. Mr. Alaïa was were interested to interpret his childhood memories that he had of the smell of fresh water. He had this clear souvenir in mind of cold water running down the hot walls of his family house. Therefore he wanted the fragrance to show exactly this contrast, a mix of cool and warm notes at one.” He was very clear about his vision: “It is Alaïa or not Alaïa! If it is not, you cannot negotiate.“

Exploring the new Alaïa scent

Marie Salamagne used very fresh airy top notes to give this watery feeling that is transparent and pure. The idea to use pink pepper to add more lightness came from Mr. Alaïa himself. The second impression is floral, but in an abstract and not invasive way, built on peony and freesia. The base notes are warm and all about bare skin created through animal notes and musk.

The bottle is all about the same contrasting elements. Built like a sculpture, it resembles the iconic perforated cut used for his leather pieces. It is opaque black but when you hold it into the light, it becomes see-through. The packaging itself plays with the famous nude color, the color of skin that Azzedine Alaïa loves to work with. Personally speaking, I had a clear idea in mind of how «Alaïa» would smell like and the new fragrance has totally surpassed all of my expectations. It is different like the house of Alaïa is, yet timeless and unexpected. The designer was very clear about his vision: “It is Alaïa or not Alaïa! If it is not, you cannot negotiate.“

It was an amazing experience meeting Mr Alaïa himself. He is such a sweetheart!
Below are some more impressions of my time with him.

LoL, Sandra

Heading to dinner in head to toe Alaïa

Inside the Rue de Moussy store.

With Alaïa’s muse, actress Rossy de Palma, at dinner.

The famous Alaïa kitchen

One of the three hotel rooms

Trying the amazing gown that I wore to my friend’s wedding in Capri.

A lovely gift from Mr Alaïa: the laser-cut leather clutch.

The stairs inside the Rue de Marignan store.

Photos: Courtesy of Alaïa, © Sandra Bauknecht, © Paolo Roversi, © Jean-Baptiste Mondino and © Patrick Demarchelier

Yesterday, just one night after the world premiere in London, I attended the Swiss preview of the latest James Bond thriller SPECTRE in the presence of actors Naomi Harris and Dave Bautista at Zurich’s Hallenstadion as guest of Omega.

I have to admit that the product placement of Bond’s Omega watch is fabulous and funny. Once you watch it, you will know what I am talking about.

Last night’s event marked the largest Swiss premiere ever with almost 4500 guests attending the cinematic happening. After the screening, I enjoyed the VIP party in the foyer with my best friend.

My look:  Striped tiered feather jacket by Givenchy, blue Aleah bandage gown by Hervé Leger, Swarovski crystal necklace by Lanvin, black leather pumps by Saint Laurent, clutch bag by Prada, Horsebit blue topaz diamond white gold ring by Gucci Fine Jewellery and Limelight Gala watch by Piaget.

ABOUT SPECTRE

A cryptic message from the past leads James Bond (Daniel Craig) to Mexico City and Rome, where he meets the beautiful widow (Monica Bellucci) of an infamous criminal. After infiltrating a secret meeting, 007 uncovers the existence of the sinister organization Spectre. Needing the help of the daughter of an old nemesis (Lea Seydoux), he embarks on a mission to find her. As Bond ventures toward the heart of Spectre, he discovers a chilling connection between himself and the enemy (Christoph Waltz) he seeks.

The movie is definitely worth watching and I will do so again this Friday before it will officially hit the Swiss cinemas on November 5, 2015 at the ASW Top Secret Dinner, Pre-Screening and After Party. Hope to see you there!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © David Biedert Photography and © Sandra Bauknecht
SPECTRE © Danjaq, LLC, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., Columbia Pictures Industries Inc. 

What a night in NYC! I am still overwhelmed by this glam and fun event where the fashion and Hollywood elite joined forces on Wall Street to celebrate the launch of the amazing collaboration between Balmain and H&M. More is more is definitely something that goes for the Parisian Maison and yesterday was proof for it!

”Tonight has been a dream come true for me. The energy and vibe are unbelievable.” – Olivier Rousteing

Olivier Rousteing with me last night

Just like the opulent collection designed by Creative Director Olivier Rousteing, the party in the Big Apple was extra everything. Rousteing, who is bringing the brand’s DNA of music, couture, luxury and pop culture – he is the designer with the biggest instagram follower ship – together, said: ”Tonight has been a dream come true for me. The energy and vibe are unbelievable.” He created the hashtag #HMBalmaination where people could follow live the best moments of the night.

When I arrived at 23, Wall Street, I entered the highly secured venue over the stairs and found an ambiance similar to a subway system, referencing the campaign film – where Kendall Jenner, Olivier’s muse and friend, stars as the leader of a dance crew. While enjoying champagne, I mingled with the A-list crowd of top models, celebrities and Hollywood actors.

Singer Ellie Goulding with me

After the cocktail reception, I entered the next hall where the runway was built over two stories. Before the show actually started, a live dance performance took place as well as an exclusive sneak peek of the campaign music video. The guests were truly cheered up when Kendall Jenner opened the  catwalk, followed by some of the hottest models in the industry right now.

Swiss front row power: Kerstin Netsch, Editor in Chief Friday Magazine and Caroline Piccinin, Le Matin with me in the middle.

Kendall Jenner opening the runway

Jourdan Dunn

Alessandra Ambrosio wearing Olivier Rousteing’s favorite piece from the collection: the pearl-embroidered jacket.

Gigi Hadid

Karlie Kloss was my favorite on the runway.

Toni Garrn

The collection is all about affordable luxury. Olivier Rousteing took some of his best creations he designed over the past seasons and made them into one collection. Compared to other designer collaborations H&M did in previous years, the pieces are more expensive but I am still pretty amazed how this craftsmanship is possible for that amount of money. The collection is truly beautiful with lots of items you can enjoy for a very long time.

The Backstreet Boys

After the show, it was all about the music and energy. A live concert by the Backstreet Boys took guests back in time, especially my humble self as over 20 years ago, I was with them on a Germany tour with my own band. Personally speaking, the Balmain x H&M launch party was one of those nights you never want to end!

Olivier Rousteing and his friends, among them Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid and Alessandra Ambrosio, cheered to the Backstreet Boys.

The Balmain x H&M collection features fashion and accessories for both men and women, and will be available in selected stores and at hm.com starting November 5.

Now have fun to scroll through some more impressions of the night and check back in for more updates as I just uploaded my own photos today. The internet is too slow… there is much more coming up. Now I have some appointments in NYC before I am heading back home!
Talk to you when I am in Europe…

LoL, Sandra

René Zibold, PR and Communication Manager at H&M Switzerland (@monsieurené), is looking good in my marabou stole.

Guests being crazy about the red carpet arrivals.

German actress Diane Kruger

Amazing ambiance.

We couldn’t get enough of the Backstreet Boys!

Always a lot of fun with my colleague Caroline Piccinin from Le Matin in Geneva.

The normal craziness at the pop-up store late at night.

The clothes come well-protected in plastic hangers.

Olivier Rousteing even joined in the shopping fun late at night.

All Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

During Paris Fashion Week, I attended the launch of Valentino‘s newest scent: VALENTINO DONNA. Dressed in a bottle adorned with iconic Rockstuds, it embodies all that is at once classic and contemporary.

On my way to the fragrance presentation in Valentino dots.

Luminous and sensual, the scent, features a contrast of subtle ingredients that, when combined, create something that is truly unique. Created with old oriental techniques and comprising top notes of bergamot with middle notes of rose essence and iris, the perfume finishes with the lasting aroma of leather, patchouli, vanilla and a white musk accord.

Antoine Maisondieu and Sonia Constant explain their inspiration for Valentino Donna.

Created by perfumers, Sonia Constant and Antoine Maisondieu, VALENTINO DONNA is mysterious, exquisite and timeless, like a couture object, making it the perfect addition to your fragrance wardrobe for the season.

The rose, that is especially Sonia’s fingerprint, is used as three different extracts. Rose Absolute, the purest quality of Rose Oil and natural Rose Water Extract, which is created with the help of a new technology at Givaudan. It is the first time it is used in a fragrance.

Eau de Parfum 100 ml (165 CHF), 50 ml (115 CHF) and 30 ml (82 CHF)
Shower Gel 200 ml (57 CHF), Body Lotion 200 ml (64 CHF) and Deodorant 100 ml (54 CHF)
In stores now.

Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey during the presentation at the Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild in Paris.

The face of the campaign is French actress Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey, who embodies the Valentino Donna in the film, directed by Louis Garrel. Italy’s cinematic history has played an important role in the creation of the movie. Inspired by films like ‘Roma’ and ‘La Notte’, the commercial is shot very well. Rome is the source of inspiration and the historic home of the House of Valentino. Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli design for a modern, but traditional woman, strong and sensitive, determined and caring. Have fun watching it below!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Valentino and © Sandra Bauknecht

Tonight, I am invited by Tommy Hilfiger and the Zurich Film Festival and I couldn’t be any happier about it. Each year, Hollywood comes to Zurich. In 2013, it was Harrison Ford (for the previous post click here) and in 2014, it was John Malkovich who joined Tommy Hilfiger and Daniel Grieder, CEO Tommy Hilfiger, on this special occasion.

Time flies and I realized that I have never posted the pictures from last year. So here you go. Even 12 months later, it hasn’t lost any of its glamour.

Stay tuned for the photos of tonight. I promise it won’t take another year…

LoL, Sandra

John Malkovich, my humble self, Tommy and Dee Hilfiger

German actress Iris Berben with me

Trudie Götz (Trois Pommes) with me

Peter Fonda

Stefanie Heinzmann performed at the after party.

A day later, Dee Hilfiger, Tommy’s wife posted this on instagram. Very cute of her!

Photos: Courtesy of Tommy Hilfiger and © Sandra Bauknecht

Saturday night as part of the 11th Zurich Film Festival, I attended the wonderful IWC Schaffhausen “For the Love of Cinema” Gala Dinner at the Park Hyatt hotel during which Oscar winner Christoph Waltz presented the first-ever Filmmaker Award, worth CHF 100,000 in sponsorship. The award was set up by the Association for the Promotion of Film in Switzerland, which was founded last December by Marc Forster, IWC CEO Georges Kern, the co-directors of the Zurich Film Festival Nadja Schildknecht and Karl Spoerri, and the CEO of Ringier, Marc Walder.

To celebrate the occasion, the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer had invited some 200 VIP guests from the worlds of film, media, politics and commerce.

On the red carpet

Bernhard Burgener, Norbert Preuss and Michael Steiner (“Und morgen seid ihr tot”) and Lisa Blatter and Jan Gassmann (“Europe, She Loves“) receive the Filmmaker Award. 

From the four nominated films, the jury picked two winners: “Und morgen seid ihr tot” (“Tomorrow You’ll Be Dead”) and “Europe, She Loves”. Christoph Waltz, who presented the award, shot to fame with roles in “Inglourious Basterds” and “Django Unchained” by the American cult director Quentin Tarantino.

Christoph Waltz

“I am proud to be here in person to present this award, which is very important for the Swiss film industry. Providing sponsorship for filmmakers is a necessary and relevant task, one which makes a significant contribution to the diversity of Swiss film,” said the two-time Academy Award winner. The two winning projects were also each presented with an IWC watch – the Portugieser Automatic in stainless steel with a black dial and a special rotor engraving with “1st Filmmaker Award Zurich 2015”.

Actor Christoph Waltz, IWC CEO Georges Kern and director Marc Forster during dinner.

Philipp Fankhauser and band performed at the gala. 

After the dinner, we continued the party at Club Adagio into the small hours of the morning. It was a truly amazing night… thanks IWC Schaffhausen for having me!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Lennart Preiss/Getty Images for IWC