Sandra‘s Closet

LV gets a new meaning… Lagerfeld Vuitton, Louboutin Vuitton… sounds too good to be true?! It is reality, on September 10, 2014, Louis Vuitton will reveal the amazing collaboration with the group of six famous creatives as part of THE ICON AND THE ICONOCLASTS project.

Among those visionaries from the worlds of fashion, art and design are Karl Lagerfeld, Rei Kawabuko, Christian Louboutin, Cindy Sherman, Marc Newson and Frank Gehry, who has also designed the window displays for September.

Each of them has been given ‘carte blanche‘ to to reinterpret the brand’s iconic monogram bag or luggage. The limited edition pieces will go on sale from mid-October in a very select number of Louis Vuitton stores and range between €2000 – 4000.

Classic Monogram Keepall 45 by Louis Vuitton

The monogram was launched with worldwide patents on it in 1896 by Georges Vuitton as a tribute to his late father Louis, who had died in 1892, and was considered revolutionary in its time. Its graphic symbols, including quatrefoils and flowers (as well as the LV monogram), were based on the trend of using Japanese and Oriental designs in the late Victorian era.

Today, Louis Vuitton revealed some exclusive behind the scene photos of the creative process!
Cannot wait to see the results on September 10, 2014! Stay tuned!

LoL, Sandra

Karl Lagerfeld

Christian Louboutin

Frank Gehry

Cindy Sherman
Photos: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton

During Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin in July, one designer caught my eye: IRENE LUFT. I have loved almost every single piece she sent down the S/S 2015 runway. Airy, light, feminine, her designs made of PLAUEN LACE are breathtaking.

Based in Munich, Russian-born Irene Luft followed her mother’s tracks, a master tailor, and did her apprenticeship as a couture artisan. She graduated with distinction from the renowned German Master Craftsmen School for Fashion (Deutsche Meisterschule für Mode) and later from the Akademie für Mode & Design in Munich.

The most stunning detail of her work is the use of the famous PLAUEN LACE, a product of Saxon textile art, which has become a crucial part of every collection. The beautiful material was at its best in 1900, when it won the Grand Prix at the World Exhibition in Paris but fell into a deep slumber during the world economic crisis in the late 1920ies. As the first high fashion designer she revived and thereby somehow inherited the spirit of Plauen Lace, the tradition and know-how of a seemingly already lost part of fashion.

TO FIND OUT WHERE TO SHOP IRENE LUFT, PLEASE CLICK HERE.
I definitely want one of her amazing lace dresses!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Tata! Here are the first pics of of the highly-­anticipated collector toy, Barbie Lagerfeld, a collaboration between Mattel, Inc. and KARL LAGERFELD.

Taking inspiration from the the designer’s signature style, Barbie Lagerfeld is dressed in his likeness with accents taken from the real KARL LAGERFELD line. Borrowing from Karl’s iconic silhouette, the doll wears a tailored black jacket, white high-collared men’s shirt with French cuffs and black satin cravat finished off with fitted black jeans featuring the iconic all-over head print. The exclusive doll is adorned in accessories that include black fingerless gloves, sunglasses, black ankle boots and a leather purse with silver metallic accents.

The worldwide launch is set for Monday, September 29, 2014 during Paris Fashion Week. The Platinum-label Barbie Lagerfeld doll will be available in limited quantities (only 999 dolls will be produced) for approximately $200 USD or €200 Euro through exclusive retail channels including; NET-A-PORTER, select KARL LAGERFELD retail stores, TheBarbieCollection.com, and Colette in Paris.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Karl Lagerfeld and Mattel, Inc.

Yesterday, I flew to London for a very special and intimate dinner hosted by Net-à-Porter to celebrate one of my favorite designers Mary Katrantzou at the Blakes hotel. It is always a pleasure as Alison Loehnis, President of Net-à-Porter, brings together the most amazing women from all over the world.

Here you see me with my friend Anouschka whom I also had met at a previous event of Net-à-Porter. Some of you might recognize her from this post a few years ago when we went to an evening at the V&A museum with legendary French shoe designer Christian Louboutin. Funnily enough, we realized that we both went to the same school in Germany… what a small world. We stayed in touch and it is always great fun seeing each other.

Trio infernale reunited: Lupe and Anouschka with me.

My beloved Mary Katrantzou with me.

Meeting new friends last night: Olivia Buckingham from Hong Kong…

… and my stylish soul sister Sarah Somberg from San Francisco.

What a great gift: A one-of-a-kind art work by Mary Katrantzou.

It was an amazing night and I fell asleep like a little baby in my beautiful suite at the Blakes. A place I can totally recommend if you are looking for a small luxury boutique hotel. Stay tuned for the details of my outfit coming up soon…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

“A person carries off the hat. Hats are about emotion. It is all about how it makes you feel.”
– Philip Treacy

Perfect for weddings or a day at the races, Philip Treacy‘s outlandish headpieces are entirely handmade by his small team in London. He believes wearing a hat should make you feel empowered. The Irish-born milliner received his first headdress commission from Isabella Blow when he was studying at the Royal College of Art. Since then, his extravagant designs have been spotted on the most famous heads in the world.

TO SHOP PHILIP TREACY ONLINE, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Philip Treacy, © Andrew Crowley

In June 2014, Cash & Rocket will return for its third consecutive year, and this time the amazing Valentino‘s Creative Directors Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli want to make this journey even bigger and better and are once again participating in the charity event, which will take place from June 5th to 8th, 2014.

Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli with me

Seventy women from the worlds of fashion, music, cinema and business will begin the car tour from the striking Piazza San Marco of Venice which ends in London, with stops along the way in Geneva and Paris. The donations collected will help support three important humanitarian organizations – Shine On Sierra Leone, OrphanAid Africa and Sumbandila – to support African children and their families with health assistance and educational programs in Sierra Leone, Ghana and South Africa.

For the occasion and to further support the project, Maison Valentino will donate 20% of proceeds from the sale of several products from the Rouge Absolute Signature capsule collection and six other special products especially created by Creative Directors Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli.

These special items will be available at www.valentino.com and www.net-à-porter.com and in Valentino boutiques in Paris and London.

Maria Grazia Chiuri, Co-Creative Director, came in first last year raising the most amount of money and she is determined to beat her own personal record. She will be personally involved in fundraising monies and will drive one of the thirty-five red sports cars that will travel 1600km, from Venice to London.

“As a woman and mother, I am very happy to be able to help other women and children. I am profoundly convinced that it is essential to give them an opportunity for development and education, which gives me a chance to give back what I have received” – Maria Grazia Chiuri.

The Valentino team can be followed along the different stages of the race through the dedicated donation website Just Giving. Let’s help Maria Grazia to win once again first place and to collect the most donations!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Valentino and Cash & Rocket

“London’s where I was brought up. It’s where my heart is and where I get my inspiration.” – Alexander McQueen, January 2000

The amazing Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibition is coming to London – and great news is that you can buy a ticket from 10am tomorrow morning (Advance booking is advised – this can be done in person at the V&A; online; or by calling 020 7420 9736 (booking fee applies)). After endless rumours that it would, the V&A announced that it will host the exhibition from March 14 to July 19, 2015 in partnership with Swarovski and supported by American Express.

The original version of Savage Beauty at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York in 2011 was organised by the Costume Institute and became one of the Museum’s top 10 most visited exhibitions. Now, this outstanding large retrospective of the late designer’s work is to be presented in Europe for the first time,  showcasing McQueen’s visionary body of work. Spanning his 1992 MA graduate collection to his unfinished A/W 2010 collection, McQueen’s designs will be presented with the dramatic staging and sense of spectacle synonymous with his runway shows.

For me, a must-see again!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Alexander McQueen

Mary Katrantzou has been on the scene for less than six years yet her designs that are mostly inspired by flamboyant prints have become must-haves among fashionistas around the globe. I have been a huge fan of her work from her first collection and am over the moon about her newest success story: The Greek designer is to collaborate with Adidas.

Statement sweatshirt (S/S 2014) by Mary Katrantzou

The line that will comprise clothing and footwear is said to launch in November being a long-term union. Katrantzou follows in the footsteps of Raf Simons and Stella McCartney among others by joining forces with Adidas.

Oxenda silk-jersey dress (S/S 2014) by Mary Katrantzou

Looking at her S/S 2014 designs inspired by shoe laces and sporty sneakers, it is obvious why the German sportswear brand has been eager to bring her amazing aesthetic to the house.

Cocktail dress with sneaker print (S/S 2014) by Mary Katrantzou

Trompe l’oeil in a really fun way, we will surely get a kick out of it this winter!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Mary Katrantzou

What an exciting Sunday morning! H&M has revealed their new designer collaboration. The Swedish fashion brand has partnered with no other than Alexander Wang who leaked the news via instagram this morning before the official press release has been sent out!

Left: Alexander Wang with me, right: Margareta van den Bosch, H&M’s Head of Design, with him

Alexander truly keeps himself busy, designing his eponymous line as well being at the helmet of Balenciaga. But all good things come in threes and I am sure Wang’s designs for H&M will fly off the shelves.

In the video Wang posted on instagram, a countdown clock appears, and when the timer runs out, “WANG X H&M” pops up alongside the numbers 11:06 (the release date).
The line will be available on November 6, 2014 in 250 stores worldwide.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of H&M and © Sandra Bauknecht

Recently I was invited by Net-à-porter to London for an intimate evening with A-list style icons Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen to preview their beautiful S/S 2014 collection. Named after London’s historic Savile Row, THE ROW delivers a directional take on tailoring with a focus on clean lines and refined cuts.

For the new season, the twins were inspired by travels around the world and imagined a modern, well-dressed nomad woman. There were references of Arabia in the long layers and the models’ veils, Northern Africa in the printed djellaba, a fishing village in the macramé sweater and matching cross-body hobo bag, and some Siberian influences in the dense outerwear.

It’s the first time Ashley and Mary-Kate are offering shoes, and they’ll be sold in limited editions. The Row’s fans would be wise to put their names on the list now.

Mary-Kate to the left and Ashley to the right with me

YOU CAN SHOP THE ROW ONLINE HERE. The best address to get an elegant downtown mix of superbly crafted wardrobe staples.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Via style.com and © Sandra Bauknecht