Sandra‘s Closet

This summer, a dear friend of mine is getting married and she has wished for us bridesmaids to be dressed in pastel colors, every girl in a different shade, from rose to lavender, from light blue to soft yellow. My assigned hue is mint green and so I have been looking for the perfect gown. I came across those two beautiful dresses that might look pretty much the same but if you check their price tag, you might be extremely surprised…

SPLURGE: Pleated silk-chiffon gown by Elie Saab
STEAL: Cross front plissé-chiffon gown by Halston Heritage

LoL, Sandra

Dear readers, great news, here is an early Christmas gift. NET-A-PORTER.COM‘s international sale starts today and I pre-selected some fab pieces that are marked off 50%!

Get the look: Embellished belted wool-crepe coat by Carven, jacquard-knit mini dress by Alexander McQueen, Daisie leather shoulder bag by See by Chloé, suede and ostrich thigh boots by Emilio Pucci and rose gold-plated cuff by Arme de L’Amour.

Have fun shopping!

LoL, Sandra

Before the show will be taking place tonight here in NYC, the Alexander Wang x H&M lookbook has been revealed. It’s all about sport with strappy scuba dresses, heavy grey sweatshirts, mesh-paneled leggings, cropped bra-tops, leather jogging pants (I LOVE), and must-have parkas.

For the accessory-minded, there are boxing gloves, beanies, and duffels in the mix, many items branded with a big fat WANG logo. Stay tuned and start planning your shopping list ahead of time. The collection for both, women and men, will hit the shelves worldwide on November 6, 2014. I am off to the press conference now… more to come soon.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of H&M

Greetings from New York City where I am at the moment for the launch event of Alexander Wang x H&M. The highly anticipated collection which had been announced back in April, will finally hit H&M stores around the world on November 6, 2014.

While I am writing this post, I am enjoying the view from my room at the Soho Grand hotel.

The invitation says it all. Tonight, the cocktail reception will start at 7.30pm, followed by the show, a pop-up store where we can buy the collection first hand and a live performance which I am absolutely convinced will be amazing.

Do you remember Nicki Minaj and Prince playing at the Versace x H&M launch in 2011 or the amazing party to celebrate Maison Martin Margiela x H&M two years ago in NYC? We always talk superlatives. Be sure to follow me tomorrow on instagram @sandrascloset for live updates.

By now you might have seen some sneak previews of the very sporty collection. The press release reveals that Alexander Wang X H&M captures the speed of the city, mixing sports and performance of everyday life. The pieces are meant to be worn on the street, in the gym, at the club – the way women and men live their lives today.

Rihanna led the way and was already spotted in a look from the collection: a stretchy crop top and leggings emblazoned with Wang’s blocky logo.

In addition to apparel for both women and men, the collection includes shoes and bags, as well as “objects,” a selection of everyday items that are infused with a sense of humor and irony, as for example mini sized boxing gloves as key-rings or a whistle on a two-finger ring and for the victor, a magnetized Alexander Wang trophy cup.

Below you can enjoy a sneak preview of the advertising campaign shot by Mikael Jansson for Wang’s one-off collaboration with H&M that features sports gear like a hockey stick and boxing gloves plus real athletes, soccer player Andy Carroll and kickboxer Rivaldino dos Santos.

The female models are Joan Smalls, Raquel Zimmermann and Isabeli Fontana.

“We wanted to take certain elements of each sport and portray the ultimate warrior,” Wang told WWD. “The girls had to feel big and heroic, and Mikael used sunlight glares to heighten that effect against a stark white backdrop.”

I am truly excited for tonight’s event! Stay tuned for more!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht and Courtesy of H&M

I am a huge fan of Joseph Altuzarra’s work and really indulged into his F/W 2014 pieces from the runway. His eponymous label seamlessly blends French sophistication with American ease. Now, the award-winning designer has collaborated with US retailer Target to product a limited edition collection that aims to “instill a feeling of power, confidence and beauty in women everywhere”, which basically means that his must-have creations are available for a small amount of money.

Available globally at Net-à-porter, the line features Altuzarra’s signature sleek tailoring, feminine dresses and accessories. Here are my favorites, hurry, they will sell out fast!

LoL, Sandra

Orchid-print satin-jersey maxi dress

Embellished fringed georgette scarf

Embroidered jersey sweater

Python-print stretch-cotton twill pencil skirt

Sequined Swiss-dot chiffon dress

Photos: Courtesy of Altuzarra and Net-à-porter

Matching your watch to your look sounds like a dream as in general it might be too expensive to have every color available for your wrist and most of the cheaper versions just look dreadful. Good news! Finally, I have found a brand that offers the perfect  model in many beautiful hues for a fair price. The Rome Sport Chronographs by Jacques Lemans cost between €149.00-€199.00 and come in two sizes and many different color combinations.

Have fun introducing some color into your wardrobe. How cool is this khaki one to complement my F/W 2014 military pieces?!

LoL, Sandra

Jacques Lemans Rome Sports Woman in black with rose gold frame

Jacques Lemans – Rome Sports Unisex in hot pink

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

British supermodel and style icon Kate Moss’ eponymous range for Topshop is inspired by vintage finds and favorites from her personal wardrobe. For this collaboration, she went through her closet of pieces she found in vintage stores and kind of reissued them. From fringed leather jackets to pajama-style pants and tuxedo tailoring, each piece tells a story.

Below can see my hero buys and old pics of Kate to see where she got the inspiration from:

Fringed beaded tulle mini dress

One-shoulder chiffon mini dress – Kate wore it to a dinner at Hue in New York City back in 2003.

Embellished paisley-print chiffon top

Embroidered shantung mini dress – Kate was seen at the beach in St Tropez in June 2012 in a similar look.

Chiffon-paneled satin playsuit

Star-embellished crepe camisole – the print reminds me so much of the adorable dress Kate wore to her 30th birthday at the Dorchester back in 2004.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO EXPLORE THE COMPLETE COLLECTION.
Great pieces for less money – this is the way we love to shop!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Corbis, ©Rex, ©FameFlynet, Courtesy of net-à-porter

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

Peter Pilotto for Target has finally arrived. The wait is over – shop the hotly anticipated collection HERE. From fit-and-flare dresses and modern separates to sports-chic swimwear and standout accessories, this innovative collaboration is a fabulous way to own the London label’s signature kaleidoscopic patterns and cool cuts at an amazing price. Dress for less in perfection!

Printed stretch-matelassé dress – €81.00

Color-block and printed cloqué jacket – €71.00

Floral-print cotton-blend jersey top – €31.00

Printed paneled crepe skirt – €44.00

This collection cannot be shipped to Australia or Slovenia due to terms of trade and licensing restrictions.

LoL, Sandra

MONNIER FRÈRES is your online shopping destination for the most beautiful bags and accessories. Dress up your looks with these amazing pieces on sale.

1 Plastron necklace by Valentino
2 Rossella bowling bag by Moschino
3 Eye shopper by Kenzo
4 Alice shoulder strap handbag by Chloé
5 Igo plexi bag by Shourouk
6 Union Jack clutch by Lulu Guinness
7 Rockstud cuff by Valentino
8 Vavavoom pony clutch by Valentino

Great news is that Sandra’s Closet readers get an EXTRA 10% off. Use one of these promo codes at checkout: SCMNFWW10 for worldwide, SCMNFFR10 for France, SCMNFDE10 for Germany and SCMNFIT10 for Italy.

LoL, Sandra

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