Sandra‘s Closet

Can you guess where we are in time-travelling after my lastet posts about lace and rocking hot black leather? Yes, we have arrived in the `80s. For some people, the golden decade was the worst one fashionwise but since a few seasons designers have relied on some of the worth recycling styles. The leggings  and skinny jeans came back around 4 years ago and who would have ever imagined their ongoing success?! They have definitely conquered my closet and I never want them to vanish again as the modernized versions are stylish and comfy in one.

Designers have returned 20 years this F/W 2010 to find the `80s ma-ma-material beauty and so can you. Let`s begin!

You might feel like a virgin in a sharp leather pencil skirt, sequined blazer and fishnet stockings. Add lots of accessories like the iconic safety pins, stacked bracelets and big cross pendants for the ultimate killer look!

Balmain launched a real boom with the return of the shoulder pads. The last seasons, fashionistas have crazed all over the world for the must-have blazers and jackets. The hype is definitely not over yet! Party like it`s 1982 in those brocade and patchwork nightclub nostalgia pieces from the F/W 2010 runways. Absolutely screaming hot are red leather leggings, another must for this winter!


The `80s encouraged self-expression with eyecatching neon colours and rainbow dyes. I would not do the complete look but you can easily embed one sparkling bright piece into your daily wear. One thing I am not so sure is about the über-teased hair…. probably a little too much retro-style. But nevertheless the point of fashion is that girls just wanna have fun! So let`s start experimenting….

In case that you are looking for your personal Jesus, try black leather and fringes. So hot! Sequined leggings combined with a denim jacket would turn you also very fast back to the `80s without looking disguised.

If you want to find the fashion cure for this winter`s style heritage, you could opt for a goth look with an asymmetrical cropped sweater or some cut out off-shoulder-tops. And I am sure that this Friday, you will be in love.

My personal `80s-inspired object of desire is this gorgeous suede buckled V-neck dress by Balmain. Available from today at net-à-porter. This is rock glam chic at its best! Hard to beat it.

LoL, Sandra

My object of desire at the moment is this animal print trench dress from Gucci`s pre-fall 2010 collection, available now at Neiman Marcus and Gucci stores for approximately $2300.-. Spotted this month already at Queen B Leighton Meester on the Gossip Girl set in New York, this piece is a must!

The dress is so versatile and works perfectly for different occassions. You can wear it in the office with a blazer and dress it up with some sharp overknee boots plus a `70s inspired fur bolero or vest for a night out. I am totally in love with the shoulder details.

So Ladies, sharpen your claws and get ready for the catfight!

LoL, Sandra

Simone Harouche, L.A.-born stylist and globetrotter, is the mastermind behind Hollywood`s new must-have accessory label: Simone Camille. The colourful unique patchwork bags are handmade and comprised of vintage textiles that come from all over the world. She acquired a one-of-a-kind material collection during her years of travelling as a wardrobe stylist that inspired her to make a bohemian carryall for herself.

The hype started in 2009 after Nicole Richie was so taken by Simone`s creation and wanted one for herself. The rest is handbag history.

The amazing hippie bags with beautiful embroideries and embellishments like mirrors, beads and light-catching coins have been spotted on many celeb shoulders. Available from today at www.net-a-porter.com retailing between $1155.- – $1885.-. Quite expensive for something that you might find on the markets in Ibiza, but believe me the details and craftsmanship are worth every penny.

Add a touch of exotic to your wardrobe and make a gypset statement!

LoL, Sandra

Yesterday evening at the premiere of “Salt” at Graumans Chinese Theatre in L.A., Angelina Jolie looked every bit Hollywood`s reigning queen. The spy thriller is due on 23rd of July in the US and one month later in the UK.

Photo: Courtesy of Asprey

At her big night, the leading lady kept her look cool with a sexy black sequin tube dress by Emporio Armani, nude peep toes by Salvatore Ferragamo and just one piece of jewelry from her own collection that she had designed for luxury jewelers Asprey last year. The snake bracelet has been part of the very limited serpentine-inspired Protector Collection, with only 10 items of each design available and all proceeds going to the power couple`s charity.

But her best accessory might have been King Brad who appeared fur-free, meaning without his beard, looking a little like a young Robert Redford in his aviator sunglasses and Tom Ford suit. As I am a bag-addict, I immediately saw that the beautiful brunette showed up without one. So I was wondering what Brad might have been carrying in his pockets…

Angelina wore her favourite colour dress as in LBD (Little Black Dress). In fashionista circles, this is a must-have and the general consensus is a thumbs up! The sequins gave her classic look a sexy twist and the nude pumps worked perfectly with it.
In case you do not own a dress like that, please consider one. At the moment, there are a lot of beautiful ones available of which many are on sale. Here is my pre-selection:

If you prefer doing-it-yourself, I recommend a visit to the notions department. Sequin fabrics are not too expensive and used preferably for costumes. Just sew the material together and voilà there is your tube dress!

A sparkling LBD is a lifetime investment! Do it the Angelina way…

LoL, Sandra

Chanel is expanding their iconic J12 lineage with their first diving watch: The new J12 Marine. It will be available in two different sizes (42mm and 38mm) and three colours (blue, black and white). All versions have ceramic, unidirectional rotating bezels, come with a rubber strap, are waterproof to 300m and possess all attributes for going deep into the sea. Inspired by the force of the oceans and maritime symbols, the choice of surf legend Laird Hamilton as ambassador for Chanel`s J12 Marine watch could not have been any better.

Rachel Bilson and Kristen Bell at the party.

On Sunday, a fashionable crowd along with many celebrities like Rachel Bilson, Kristen Bell, Cindy Crawford and Robert Downey, Jr. just to name a few could see the perfect match for themselves at Chanel`s launch party held at Ron Meyer`s stunning Malibu home. The French house celebrated their new J12 watch with an outdoor screening of the documentary “Hollywood Don`t Surf” by Greg MacGillivray – a cinematic retrospective of fifty years of Hollwood surfing movies that had premiered at 2010 Cannes Film Festival before.

As it can get really chilly at the Pacific coast in the evening, Chanel made sure that the guests are covered in style with to-die-for branded towels, pillows and black pashminas. The decoration was right down to the last detail, even the beach ball in the seaside pool carried the Chanel emblem.

I have always been a big fan of the J12 collection. Now, you can see my object of desire to the right: the Chanel  J12 Marine 42mm in blue, Ref. H2559. The prices of the new models are approximately between $4700.- and $4900.-.

LoL, Sandra

Since almost 2 years now, I have been in two minds about how colouring my hair. I used to be a blonde before letting it grow out. But I realised my undecisiveness bestowed a gift upon me. My hair is having the new must-have It-colour: Bronde!

Photo: Marie-Luise Kammerer

I know it is another new term but I am loving it. It is a little brunette and a little blond– a combination that almost suits everyone instantly bringing out a warm glow in the face. Forerunners of those honey, caramel, buttersotch  and cognac-coloured highlights or let`s better say lowlights are Gisèle Bündchen and Jennifer Lopez among many others.

Sarah Jessica Parker paraded the very natural, sun-kissed look wonderfully in Sex and the City 2 with just a little lighter colour framing her face.

The much-coveted hue has two other advantages: it is budget- and texture-friendly. I still love silky, shiny and healthy-looking blonde hair but the time of too-much broken platinum “blonderexia” is definitely over.

I am enjoying my low maintenance version of blonde and my upgrade for brunette.

LoL, Sandra

Isabella Rossellini`s love for Bulgari started as a child during the glamorous golden years of 1960s Rome when she accompagnied her famous mother, Ingrid Bergman, to the Italian jeweler in Via Condotti in Rome. The daughter of two legends became her own style icon and has been wearing Bulgari jewels to exclusive occasions many times.  Today, this long and felicitous relationship has generated an exclusive leather creation that was unveiled yesterday for the haute couture shows in Paris: The “Isabella Rossillini” bag by Bulgari.

It reinterprets the elegant style of the former golden screen divas in a modern key and comes in four colours and materials to reflect Isabella`s personality.

I love the handmade enameled claps embellished with semiprecious stones.

Find out which one suits you best!

Black patent leather with plain flaps treated with a pearl effect symbolizes optimism.

The version in walnut pony calf leather with flaps in chocolate leater and an amethyst lock reflects elegance and bold temperament.

Brown mud chevron canvas and chocolate leather show nonchalance and simplicity, the closure of gray enamel and tiger`s eye harmony.

The black and white graphic animal effect stands for Isabella`s modern cosmopolitan spirit. (Photo: Fabrizio Ferri)

The lining is finely printed with a single, eccentric motif: playful snails inspired by Isabella`s recent efforts to support the ecological cause by making short educational films about the reproductive habits of the animal world. I truly invite you to see those short movies (by Jody Shapiro).

Applauded at the Sundance, Berlin and Tribeca film festivals, they combine comedy and curiosity and have since been made into a book.

As the season`s retro glance focused a lot on the `50s and `60s, the new Isabella Rossellini bag is a stylish accessory to carry around this fall. Available from this month in all Bulgari stores worldwide.

LoL, Sandra

Yesterday I showed you the first sketches of the Gucci Kids collection that will make the hearts of the tiniest trendsetters leap with joy. I am at the moment in L.A. and this might have inspired me to today`s post. Celebrity offspring following in their parents` stylish footsteps is seen here everywhere. Photographed by trendhunters, the kids have an already well-established look like their style-icon mums and dads.

With Suri Cruise leading the way at the ripe old age of 4, who would have thought the little girl that newly born already graced the cover of Vanity Fair magazine would become such a fashion superstar?! There are blogs devoted to her style, designers send her presents (remember Ferragamo`s Sofia tote) and it might be only a matter of time before Hermès creates the “Suri” bag. You can argue about the „high heels“ she is wearing but the mini fashionista definitely rocks the Burberry check and ballet tutus. Malicious gossip has it that she is pushed by her parents. Regardless of the veracity or otherwise of that account, I can assure you that my love for fashion started very very young, too. I drove my mum crazy with my strong attitude towards my own style.

The little fashion icons also play a pivotal role in the advertising concepts of their actress-designer-mums that mostly have their own fashion lines. Doesn`t Suri looks adorable in her mum`s Holmes & Yang dresses?

Or let`s look at No Doubt frontwoman Gwen Stefani who designs the stylish L.A.M.B. collection and dresses her son in the subsequent line for little L.A.M.B.s.

Ex Beverly Hills 90210 star Tori Spelling has turned her style into a clothing line for kids age 0 up to 4 years named Little Maven. The mother of two also wrote a book about fashionable motherhood.

Another book author is Nicole Richie whose second novel “Priceless“ will be in stores this fall. She is probably the most experienced and successful designer of all these fashionable mums. Her two lines are named after her daughter`s three names: The accessories and shoe collection is called House of Harlow 1960 and the clothing line Winter Kate. Nicole has a great vintage inspired boho-chic style with a modern edge. She also got a lot of credit for her maternity line that she created in collaboration with A Pea in the Pod.

That the tiny trendsetters can become grown-up “Material Girls” shows the example of Madonna`s thirteen-year-old daughter Lourdes Leon who is co-designing with her mum a juniors clothing line named after Madonna`s 1984 hit song for Fall 2010.  It is a mix of fierce and cute elements with a lot of references to the singers former look like a tutu dress paired with studded combat boots. The Material Girl collection will be sold exclusively at Macy`s for back-to-school-season starting August 3rd.

LoL, Sandra

The cult of Louis Vuitton`s Stephen Sprouse leo scarf is a worldwide phenomena. It started in 2006 when Marc Jacobs made his first tribute to the artist, who had died at the age of 50 in 2004, by using the leo print the two had created together. An It-stole was born.
The first colour marron has become an integral part of every year`s collection, followed by other seasonal versions. Wrapped around many celeb necks, the scarf is bound to go down in history as one of the most famous of its kind.

Another historical moment took place last month in London when Louis Vuitton celebrated their new store on New Bond Street with the launch of 4 limited editions of their iconic Leo scarves. Only available in the British capital, they were sold out immediately on the opening day.

I know so many who were diappointed the last years because they missed the new colours. We do not want this to happen again! Here is the preview of the two latest designs for F/W 2010, said to be in stores around August. The statement piece was seen already on Margherita Missoni in Monte Carlo (see above). Always good to be friends with a designer.

So girls, who are not on good terms with Marc, get yourselves on the wait lists now and claws out for the new leo!

LoL, Sandra