Sandra‘s Closet

I am only in NYC for 48 hours which is not a lot of time especially with such a tight schedule. So I am trying to get the most out of it. Today, I met with jewelry designer Gabriele Frantzen at my favourite restaurant BG Bergdorf Goodman for lunch. It is always such a vibrant, eclectic place overlooking the Central Park on the seventh floor of the famous department store on Fifth Avenue.

Gabriele, who is dividing her time between Munich and NYC, creates amazing custom jewelry.
I invite you to have a look at her designs by clicking here.

Gabriele with me, we are both wearing Gabriele Frantzen necklaces

An amazing present and a wonderful addition to my closet!

At lunch, I run into one of my beloved actresses from Gossip Girl (her character is Lily van der Woodsen): Beautiful Kelly Rutherford. She told me that she just met with Albert Kriemler because she will be wearing an Akris gown to a gala tonight. Check out her new website by clicking here.

I am getting ready now for the big show tonight! So excited!

LoL, Sandra

The muse of Yves Saint Laurent and inspiration for his iconic and famous tuxedo died yesterday at the age of 63 after a battle with a „long illness“.

Loulou de la Falaise was an elegant beauty, a true fashion icon of her time. She entered the house of Yves Saint Laurent as both muse and jewlery designer in 1972 where she stayed until Saint Laurent retired in 2002. After that, she launched her own signature label.

De la Falaise is survived by her husband, Thadée Klossowski de Rola, a French writer, and their daughter, Anna.

The Yves Saint Laurent Holiday Look 2011 has instantly become an hommage to this amazing lady.
RIP Loulou de la Falaise!

LoL, Sandra

“Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world.” – Marilyn Monroe

In Milan, I met Burak Uyan, the designer behind the eponymous shoe label that leaves fashionistas around the world drool. He has worked for Givenchy, Giambattista Valli and Aperlai before launching his own label in 2010. Since then, he is on the rise, his creations are sold in high-end stores around the world. The reason? He creates high heels that you can wear without discomfort or pain.

Recently, Cameron Diaz wore his multi-coloured architectural sandals to the 2011 Teen Choice Awards and proved that the right pair of shoes can change your look completely. Her basic dress combined with those amazing heels took her outfit to a whole new level.

Burak Uyan with me

Enjoy the photos that I took in the showroom of the upcoming S/S 2012 collection and of his collaboration with the Mulleavy sisters.
Burak Uyan created the heels for their S/S 2012 Rodarte show.

Below you can see Burak Uyan’s S/S 2012 MOODBOARD:
His inspiration: Geometric shapes, the sea and butterfly colours.

My must-have for the summer is one of those multi-coloured bags, to-die-for!

Ladies, there is only one thing to say: Redefine your wardrobe from your feet up!
To shop Burak Uyan shoes, please click here.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

The German GQ Men Of The Year awards 2011 took place last night in Berlin. As I had told you already yesterday morning, it was Daniele Cavalli who walked away with GQ’s Man of the Year award in the category “fashion”, handed over officially by his father Roberto Cavalli. The laudatory speech was held by Elisabetta Canalis.

For the interview with Daniele Cavalli, please click here.

Daniele and Roberto Cavalli

Roberto Cavalli, Elisabetta Canalis and Daniele Cavalli

Jared Leto

While Jared Leto was awarded Most Stylish Man of the Year, it was model Daisy Lowe, daughter of Bush-frontman Gavin Rossdale, who led the women in style stakes, rocking a red, voluptious gown. She was also the „First Lady“ of the night and won the GQ’s Woman Of The Year award which was introduced by fashion designer Wolfgang Joop.

Wolfgang Joop

Daisy Lowe

Dionne Bromfield

Musical highlight of the event was the performance of 15-year-old Dionne Bromfield who dedicated her song to her late godmother Amy Winehouse.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Fuhr für GQ, © Tinnefeld für GQ

“Inspired by the glittering realm of Monaco’s legendary Monte Carlo Casino, La Monégasque collection is crafted with the Player in mind—the passionate, elegant, audacious individual who has mastered the high-stakes world. The timepieces in this daring collection utilize Roger Dubuis’ latest generation of cutting-edge movements, each respecting the brand’s grand aesthetic traditions while fulfilling the exacting standards demanded by the Poinçon de Genève. On each watch’s face, a dramatic and stimulating world artfully takes shape. And within each casing, a gorgeously calculated mechanism comes alive. Venture where captivating horology meets a flamboyant, bold lifestyle … where the gamer presides at the head of life’s table.”

The amazing invitation with a countdown clock.

To celebrate the launch of its new collection „La Monégasque“, Roger Dubuis had the pleasure to welcome more than 200 guests from all over the world in Monaco at the famous Hotel de Paris on Thursday night. The beautiful watches are inspired by Monte Carlo’s elegance and style so that the luxurious Swiss brand could not conceive any better place than the glamourous Mediterranean seaside resort.

Georges Kern, CEO of Roger Dubuis, greeted on the red carpet  international style icon Daphne Guinness, gallery owner Alex Dellal and renowned shoe designer Christian Louboutin among others.

When Haute Horlogerie meets glamour, it surely evokes a night of magic. For more information on the collection including 8 pieces of which some are limited, please click here.

LoL, Sandra

Alex Dellal and Georges Kern

Christian Louboutin framed by Daphne Guinness to the right and me to the left

Christian Louboutin sported his new shoe collection for men

One of the evening’s highlights was the outstanding performance of Curtis Stigers.

Alberto Cibrario, Leona Sigrist and Suryia Hill with me

Photos: © Tony Barson/Getty Images for Roger Dubuis and © Sandra Bauknecht

Paul McCartney, 69, seems to believe in third time lucky as he has tied the knot for the third time. The Beatle officially wed wealthy American Nancy Shevell, 51, at the Marylebone Register Office in North London yesterday.
Both the bride and groom wore designs by Stella McCartney. I liked the classic sleek white long sleeved dress with the white open toe heels a lot.

Congrats to the newly weds!

LoL, Sandra

Most of you know that I am a Louis Vuitton aficionado. Therefore I am always looking forward to the LV show that with its beautiful stunning decor surprises each season. Yesterday, it was a gigantic carrousel with models riding on it in pastel-coloured clothes, leaving quite another impression after Marc’s fetish-like creations for F/W 2011.

The S/S 2012 collection is sweet, full of rich details and materials, from matte crocodile jackets, coats and skirts to laser-cut tops and 3-D floral embellishments and plastic paillettes. I am completely taken by the tweed fabrics that are adorned with marabou feathers. The craftmanship that went into this collection is truly outstanding.

The last look was presented by Kate Moss, same as last season. But instead having her smoke on the runway in hot pants, she appeared in a light white floral dress like an innocent bride. I was wondering if she might be pregnant. Rumours are going around those days, same as the fashion crowd is wondering if Marc Jacobs will leave for Dior. The Louis Vuitton S/S 2012 collection looked like a slight approach. Let’s see in which direction fashion’s merry-go-round will be turning…

Below you can see some photos of the front row action!

LoL, Sandra

Caroline Sieber, Claire Courtin Clarins, Antoine Arnault, Virginie Courtin Clarins

Dasha Zhukova, Julia Restoin-Roitfeld, Carine Roitfeld, Marie-Amélie Sauvé, Rachel Zoe, Nicole Richie, Joel Madden, Peter Marino

Natalia Vodianova, Uma Thurman

Best friends: Marc Jacobs and Kate Moss

Alexa Chung in a Louis Vuitton dress from the F/W 2011 collection.

Last Sunday, Albert Kriemler presented his Akris S/S 2012 runway show during Paris Fashion Week and surprised us with some amazing prints which have become his signature.
Ladies, start your engines!

Like Miuccia Prada, the designer got turned on by cars this season and seeked inspiration from John Frankenheimer’s 1966 film Grand Prix, set in Monaco.

One print is a shot of the Hotel de l’Hermitage at Monte Carlo on a racing day with people watching the event from the balcony:

This dress would be the perfect look for Princess Charlene next May at the Monaco Grand Prix Formula 1 race, don’t you think? The princess, who has been seen many times in Akris, sat front row at the show and I am pretty sure that she was kind of Albert Kriemler’s muse for this collection.

Anna Wintour, Peter Kriemler and Princess Charlene front row at the Akris S/S 2012 show.

Haven’t seen Anna that happy in a long time…she must have really liked the collection.
Princess Charlene, Albert Kriemler and Anna Wintour.

Sport is an important trend for next summer and Akris offers some clean and crisp choices. But my favourite part of this collection is definitely the motor sports section!

Enjoy the looks! For my Zurich based readers, Gassmann carries a large selection of Akris.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Akris

Top off your fabulously chic signature look with Michael Kors fragrance for a chance to win a Michael Kors $1,000 gift card! Create luxurious, all-American sportswear looks for and combine them with his latest scent Gold!

Michael Kors will choose one grand prize winner himself to receive a $1000 Michael Kors gift card and a framed autographed copy of your winning set. In addition, one reader of Sandra’s Closet will receive a Michael Kors fragrance gift set. And remember all that glitters is not gold, so stay true…

How American style looks like in perfection showed Academy Award winning actress and director Angelina Jolie two days ago when she wore a white double face 3/4 sleeve v-neck sheath from the Michael Kors S/S 2011 collection while being honored for her outstanding humanitarian work by the United Nations Refugee Agency in Geneva.

Good luck! The contest runs from now until Oct. 7, 2011 at 11:59pm PST.

LoL, Sandra

Kate Winslet collaborates on a limited edition makeup collection with Lancôme to raise funds for her charity, The Golden Hat Foundation. The Golden Hat Foundation helps children with autism in a number of ways. Kate’s commitment started after the realisation of an Icelandic documentary in whichthe actress tells the tale of a child with autism: “A Mother Courage – Talking Back To Autism” (also as “The Sunshine Boy”).

So when Lancôme suggested collaborating on a fund-raising limited edition makeup line in partnership with her, promising to donate €150,000 from its sales profits to the Foundation, she jumped at the opportunity: “Lancôme’s instant offer of support was a huge display of confidence and generosity and I knew it would open many doors”, Kate said.

The Golden Hat Collection is a one-off line which comprises the basic beauty staples such as blush, lipstick and nail polish – each embossed with the Golden Hat symbol and Kate’s signature, available this month.

LoL, Sandra

L’ Absolu Rouge, N°132, N°340, N°341, N°343, each CHF 44, N°001 (La Base) CHF 35

Le Vernis, N°102, N°26, N°27, N°28, N°003, each CHF 25

Blush Golden Hat, CHF 65

Photos: Courtesy of Lancôme