Sandra‘s Closet

One of my favourite dresses at the moment is my leopard-print silk dress by Matthew Williamson. The bright colours and the bead-embellished pockets make it a spectacular cocktail choice.
I wore it recently with a navy clutch and yellow platform pumps from Miu Miu’s S/S 2010 collection. In addition, I added a statement necklace by Matthew Williamson from a previous season.

In case that you do not want to spend so much money on an eye-catching dress that you might not wear too often, I saw the perfect alternative at H&M. The cut is very similiar. It promises a good fit with corset panels and a concealed silicone trim in the bustier.
I truly love the heart print on the 100% organic cotton. What a wonderful way to dress up for Valentine’s Day, don’t you think?!

LoL, Sandra

Photo: © Sandra Bauknecht

Have you ever dreamt of owning a luxurious piece from Balmain? Now you might have a chance without your budget going overboard. Today you can shop Balmain at up to 80% off at the outnet.com. Get your hands on a divine military must-have or a sharp LBD. I love my Balmain jackets and wear them a lot (see below).
Happy shopping!

LoL, Sandra

Today is Black Friday, your official free pass for heavy shopping! Shopbop celebrates the Christmas shopping with the Big Event. The more you spend, the more you save – in addition to 20% off hundreds of new items. Sounds great to me!
Spend $250.- and get $50 off, spend $500.- and get $100.- off, spend $750.- and get $150 off, going up to saving $500 when you buy for $1500.-. Just enter code BIGEVENT at checkout. The offer ends upcoming Monday, November 29, at 11.59pm PT. Worldwide shipping is available.

I pre-selected some of the best items for you that will be perfect for the next season. Just click on the links below my collages and you will be transfered directly.
Don’t wait, enjoy the holiday cheer!

LoL, Sandra

Just in case you have just warmed up yesterday at your Lanvin for H&M shopping tour, more is to come. Another interesting designer collaboration will hit the stores this Saturday, November 27: Valentino for Gap.

Unfortunately, it will only be available at a few locations in Europe: Gap’s new Milan store, Colette in Paris, in London at Gap’s flagship store on Oxford Street (from 9.30am) and at Dover Street (from 11am).

Due to the limitation, it is a great chance to invest in special-edition Valentino at a high-street price.

Valentino designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli said: „We love mixing different cultures and we have been excited to mix Gap’s timeless essentials with our Roman culture of couture.“

The small capsule collection is all about ruffles meet khaki. A signature Valentino bow is also seen on a cute skirt. I like the idea of utilitarian basics such as cargo pants and parkas reinterpreted with a romantic twist.

LoL, Sandra

Zara has this months some amazing pieces giving you the opportunity to include some of the new season’s must-haves as well as some solid classics into your wardrobe. Decide for yourself if you want to go steal or splurge. Those styles are both ways great.

I always recommend to understand and recognize quality materials and craftmanship, not only a designer label. With this in mind, you will invest with confidence and mix with less expensive pieces to create your own individual, so hard-to-copy look. But be careful! Your shoes and bag should always be of good quality.

For all Zara pieces click here for the webshop (not available in all countries) or visit the nearest Zara store.
For all designer pieces you just have to click on the label in the text to be transfered directly.

One of the It-pieces for Resort 2011 is Stella McCartney’s ivory wool-twill tuxedo jacket with black and white lapels above.

Animal prints like cheetah (Azzedine Alaia) or leopard (Chloé) are very trendy at the moment. Spotted on an A-line swinging skirt combined with a leather top (Derek Lam) shows the real fashionista. Suede pumps (Jimmy Choo) are always a good investment.

The basics are your wardrobe’s building blocks. A bow-tie blouse (Balmain) combined with a pair of wide-leg pants (YSL) is a truly classic look. The colour combination of black and white always in style. Those items will last for years. Shoes by Gucci.

Of course, no list of basics is complete without the ubiquitous LBD (Little Black Dress) This season has been all about leather and this is going to stay. So why not indulging yourself in the trend material and adding a striking, sizzling touch to the classic piece (Bottega Veneta; Maje). Suede wedges (Bottega Veneta) give another modern, edgy touch.

Happy Smart Shopping!

LoL, Sandra

Thursday night in New York City, Sofia Coppola, Andie MacDowell, Emma Roberts, Anna Sui, Tory Burch and Alexander Wang, among other guests, came out to celebrate the collaboration of the Lanvin for H&M collection and to enjoy show stopping designs by famed Lanvin artistic director, Alber Elbaz, at The Pierre hotel.
The haute couture creations, which were customized pieces from the Lanvin for H&M collection, made their way down the catwalk with the help of famed models Asia Chow, Pixie Geldof, Dree Hemnigway and Anna dello Russo.

The looks from the haute couture show along with five original sketches from Alber Elbaz went up for auction on www.lanvinforhm.com. All proceeds will be donated to UNICEF. The online auction will end on November 26th at midnight CET.
I especially adore the sketches.

Below you can see some photos from this amazing night (Photos: Courtesy of H&M).

LoL, Sandra

Sofia Coppola and Anna Sui

Elettra Wiedemann and Tory Burch

Emma Roberts

Patrick Demarchelier and Andie MacDowell

Anna dello Russo

Today for the first time at the Outnet: Alexander Wang up to 70% off! This is your chance to include the designer’s famous off-duty model look into your wardrobe without your budget going overboard. The S/S 2010 collection, with which he won the Swiss Textiles Award in 2009, offers endless options, from the iconic Rocco bag to the must-have quilted shorts.

The sale is live now. Hurry so you don’t miss out! Just click here.

LoL, Sandra

The new s.Oliver ON STAGE collection has hit the stores. From now on, s.Oliver will launch a special music inspired collection with one star each year and design his or her stage outfit.
This time, the looks are inspired by two prodigies: Australian guitarist Orianthi and German-Canadian violinist David Garrett. The two musicians are also the testimonials for the campaign.
If you are dreaming of a rockstar allure, you can try your new style without spending too much money. The leather jacket for example costs €249.- and the sparkling waistcoat is around € 60.-.

David Garrett’s concert “Rock Symphonies” on November 24th in Basel is already sold out. You can win 2 tickets in collaboration with tilliate and s.Oliver for a meet & greet that night.
Good luck!

LoL, Sandra

My gorgeous press kit

Today, I was lucky to attend the Lanvin for H&M press preview. The line created by Alber Elbaz is breathtaking. Beautiful materials, well-tailored cuts, it seemed to me almost like a best of Lanvin collection, a playful take on his favourite pieces.

Please find herewith some impressions from the lookbook and more pictures of the ad campaign plus my personal photos that I took today in the showroom. They show the beauty of the clothes and accessories perfectly. I have also included the complete price list with all upcoming items, in Swiss Francs.

“What does luxury mean today? Can luxury be exclusive and democratic at the same time? How can we translate the essence 
of luxury to a wider audience? The world around us is changing rapidly and I find myself asking these questions more and more. 
Designer’s work is usually tailored to a very small group of people, but the collection for H&M was about trying to translate the dream 
of luxury to the masses. It was almost like going back to school for me.” Alber Elbaz, artistic director of Lanvin. Well done, Mr Elbaz!

Ladies, I will see you on November 23, 2010 because I want Lanvin…not flowers!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of H&M
Lookbook, Photographer: Stéphane Gallois, Models: Irina Lazareanu and Vincent Olivieri
Campaign, Photographer: David Sims, Models: Natasha Poly, Hannelore Knuts, Tati Cotliar, Simon Nessman, Jane Schmitt and Garance Dumont

In the showroom.

I am totally in love with this dress and necklace.

The clothes come with the beautiful hangers.

Feminine dresses.

The fake fur looks a little like Chanel's fantasy fur, amazing!

Vibrant flower prints worn with pearls.

The illustrations by Alber Elbaz are fantastic.

I adore the T-shirts.

Leopard print and lipsticks.

Cute little clutches.

Love those men shoes!

Since May 2007, Kate Moss had designed thirteen times in a row for Topshop. But all good things come to an end and so her fourteenth collection for the fast-fashion chain will be her last and probably her best. The amazing pieces with Kate’s so famous bohemian chic plus a vintage-inspired jewelry range will go on sale November 2nd.

In honour of the big success, there will be also the “Kate Iconic“, a capsule collection of the ten most popular designs of the last years, like the must-have one-shoulder dress above.

I am in love with the supermodel’s style and you?

LoL, Sandra