Sandra‘s Closet

Back with Love, from a Parisian Wedding Weekend

My loves, I am back. After a few weeks of digital detox, a little pause I truly needed, I could not imagine a more beautiful reason to return to you than this: I am in Paris, celebrating the wedding of the daughter of one of my closest friends from New York, and my heart is overflowing.

Congrats Taylor and Vincent!

The most beautiful bride Taylor in Stéphane Rolland

This is not just any celebration. It is a three day festival of love, glamour and friendship, and it has only just begun. The bride wears Stéphane Rolland, and so does the mother of the bride. The couturier himself is here in person, which tells you everything about the warmth and intimacy of this wedding. Seeing his sculptural artistry on two women I hold so dear moves me deeply.

Jani and I last night at the pre-wedding cocktail party

The mother of the bride, Jani Gerard, is one of those rare friendships that feel like destiny. We met years ago over breakfast in Anna Wintour’s office, in the company of Kim Kardashian, and from that very first conversation something clicked. Over the years she has become a true friend, the kind you laugh with, confide in and cherish. Being here to share the most emotional milestone of her life as a mother means more to me than words can say.

I wore CHANEL for the first night.

Last night the festivities opened at Hôtel de Crillon, with stunning views over Paris, ice cold champagne, endless conversations and the pure joy of embracing girlfriends from all over the world. Moments like these remind me why I love what I do, and above all, the people I get to share it with.

What touches me most is the energy of the women gathered here. So many wonderful, accomplished women who inspire and support one another, and many of them dear friends of mine.

I am always having the best time with Corina.

Among them my good friend Corina Mihaila Lapin, whose stunning jewellery line Stéfère Jewelry could be spotted sparkling on many fingers throughout the evening …

Lovely Chrissi with her husband.

… and my dear Chrissi Sayare, who runs the most wonderful luxury resale and vintage shop TBC Luxury Resale. Do yourselves a favour and follow her on Instagram @tbcluxuryresale, her finds are pure treasure. This is what true friendship in our world looks like: women celebrating women, in life and in style.

With my childhood friend Anouschka and her husband.

Tonight it continues, and I can hardly wait. It feels so good to be back, my loves. The most beautiful chapters of this weekend are still ahead, and of course I will take you with me.

LoL, Sandra

Love is in the air in Paris. 

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht
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Let’s Talk Hormones: A Lunch with Sunday Natural at the Club zum Rennweg

Sunlight was falling through the windows of the Club zum Rennweg, the table was laid in white, and for once a Zurich lunch was not about hemlines or handbags. It was about the invisible orchestra that conducts our bodies every single day. Together with Sunday Natural, I had invited a group of wonderful women to an afternoon under the title «Let’s Talk Hormones», and what unfolded was one of the most open and honest exchanges I have hosted in a long time.

Our guest of honour was Dr. Katharina Maria Burkhardt from Vienna, a specialist in endocrinology, who gave us a rare insight into how hormones truly work together. Estrogen and progesterone, thyroid hormones, cortisol and insulin do not act in isolation. They speak to each other constantly, and when one voice rises or falls, the others answer. Stress, for instance, keeps cortisol elevated, which in turn can disturb ovulation and lower progesterone. Thyroid function influences the availability of our sex hormones, and estrogen in return affects how the thyroid is regulated. Little wonder that the majority of us experience hormone related symptoms at some point in our lives, from fatigue and mood swings to irregular cycles and the many faces of perimenopause and menopause.

What I found most encouraging was the professor’s message that we are not powerless. Sleep, nutrition, movement and stress management form the foundation, and where the body lacks certain nutrients, targeted high quality supplementation can support the system in finding its balance again. Which brought us, quite naturally, to our partner for the day.

Me with the lovely Sunday Natural team (from left to right): Clarissa Boeker, Miriam Blendorf-Preusche, Sandra Gehlen, and Stefanie Befort.

Sunday Natural was founded in Berlin a little over a decade ago out of frustration with the quality of supplements on the market. The founder wanted to create the kind of products they would take themselves and recommend to their own families. The result is a philosophy they call the True Clean Label: naturally sourced, bioactive ingredients, gently extracted, laboratory tested, free from GMOs and from the controversial additives, fillers and binders that so many capsules still contain. Even the capsule shells are kept pure. With its own research and development team and a range of more than a thousand products, from vitamin D3 and magnesium to adaptogens and fine Japanese teas, Sunday Natural has become the fastest growing premium nutrition brand in the German speaking world. Clarity, cleanliness and uncompromising quality are the three words I would choose for it, and after this afternoon I understand why so many women in my circle already swear by it.

The menu was created around Sunday Natural products, and it was extremely delicious, proof that conscious eating and true pleasure are not opposites. Between courses, the conversation flowed freely. Women shared their own experiences, asked the questions they had never dared to ask their doctors, and left with notebooks full of ideas and a new sense of ease about a topic that still carries far too much silence.

Thank you to Sunday Natural for a partnership that felt so effortless, to the Club zum Rennweg for the perfect setting, and to every woman at the table for her openness. This was only the beginning of the conversation.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht / Anastasia Diadio @diadio.anastasia
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The magical opening evening of a birthday weekend in the Tuscan hills, dressed head to toe in white.

The first evening of the weekend, and the most special of all: Petra’s actual birthday, in the hills above Florence with the most enchanting theme: White Starry Night. Everyone, everything, was dressed in white, despite the beautiful table cloth that was reminiscent of Toile de Jouy by Dior, her favorite brand.

The setting was Villa I Collazzi, roughly thirty minutes from the centre of Florence, along the old road to Volterra in the hills above Scandicci. Arriving felt like stepping straight into a dream. A long approach lined with cypress trees standing like sentinels, and then the villa itself, rising on its hilltop terrace, majestic and serene against the Tuscan sky.

This is no ordinary house. Villa I Collazzi is one of the most celebrated Renaissance residences in all of Tuscany, its design long attributed by local legend to Michelangelo himself and later carried to completion by Santi di Tito. Built for the Dini family in the sixteenth century and lovingly cared for by the Marchi family since 1933, it holds centuries of history in its stone loggias and Italian gardens. From the terrace, on a clear evening, you can even glimpse Brunelleschi’s dome shimmering in the distance.

As the sun softened over the vineyards, the guests began to gather, and the effect was pure enchantment. Everyone in white, glasses of chilled wine catching the last of the golden light, laughter drifting across the gardens. The dress code did something quite wonderful: it turned a party into a living tableau, elegant and timeless, as though we had all wandered into the same beautiful painting.

Dinner unfolded beneath the stars, the villa glowing softly behind us, the warm Tuscan air carrying music long into the night. Petra, radiant as ever, had set the tone for the whole weekend, the kind of evening that reminds you why these gatherings of dear friends matter so very much.

And this was only the beginning. The White Starry Night was the opening chapter of a birthday weekend I will treasure for a long time to come. More on that very soon.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht
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Once a year, Zurich turns into the world’s biggest techno party, and I celebrate it my way: in the garden of the Baur au Lac, champagne in hand, close to the beat, yet beautifully removed from the crowds.

I wore a Pucci catsuit. Its psychedelic print is perfect for a day like this, plus a bow hair clip fastened to my belt. Practical for putting my hair up, pretty as an accessory.

Saturday also marked the first anniversary of my beloved Mama’s passing, so I did the only thing that felt right: I danced my heart out. For her, with her. Love, tolerance and the freedom to be exactly who you are. That is the message of the Street Parade. And it was hers too.

My look: Catsuit in pastel colors by Pucci, Tribute woven leather espadrille wedge sandals by Saint Laurent, GG Marmont belt bag by Gucci, satin bow barrette by Jennifer Behr, Impatiens cream white earrings by Oscar de la Renta, necklace with heart charms, and chain belt with yellow rose, both by Alessandra Rich.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht / Sanjeev Velmurugan
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Ballon Rouge by Gassmann holds a special place in my heart. I used to shop there for my daughter Anouk when she was little, and it is still the most beautiful children’s store in Zurich. Before the summer break, AERIN invited me to an afternoon on the boutique’s hidden terrace, beautifully decorated and the perfect setting to dive into the world of AERIN fragrances.

My favorite is Amber Musk. On its own, it feels like being wrapped in the softest cashmere, more of a winter scent really, but layered with Mediterranean Honeysuckle it turns into a wonderful summer fragrance. The highlight: we had our bottles engraved and painted the scents in watercolors, which I enjoyed far too much.

The dress code called for pastels, so I wore Simone Rocha, paired with shoes that made quite the splash: a mix of kawaii and 90s goth girl. Ballet-inspired shoes are everywhere right now, but Simone Rocha was pioneering the look years ago.

My look: Layered tulle dress, egg leather-trimmed clutch, embellished platform track sole ballerina sneakers in nude, and silver-tone, faux pearl and crystal earrings, all by Simone Rocha, and logo-plaque cat-eye sunglasses by Fendi.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht / Simon Ohneiser
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Noon at Globus Zurich, first floor, and the beauty department has a beautiful centre of gravity: two counters standing side by side, Memo Paris and its more secretive younger sister, Floraïku Paris. Waiting to welcome us was John Molloy, the Irishman who built both maisons with his wife Clara, a glass of something chilled in hand and a story ready for every bottle.

I could have listened to him all afternoon. Somewhere between the neroli and the vanilla we discovered that John shares a birthday with my daughter, one of those small coincidences that makes a conversation feel like a reunion. He had come bearing gifts, too: salt from Menorca, gathered on the island where he and Clara keep a house and spend a good part of the year. The timing was perfect, because Menorca is also the name of Memo Paris’s newest fragrance.

Memo Paris, founded in 2007, has always treated perfume as a form of travel, each scent the memory of a place. Menorca, composed by Sophie Labbé, is that island at first light.

Menorca, Memo Paris
Top: bergamot, lemon, ginger
Heart: neroli, iris, carrot seed
Base: salty musk, mineral notes, sandalwood

It opens bright and sunlit, then settles closer to the skin: neroli warmed by iris and earthy carrot seed, before a salted, mineral musk arrives like seawater drying on the arm after a morning swim. Knowing that John and Clara truly live that landscape of salt flats, dry stone walls and limewashed houses made the scent feel less like a launch and more like an invitation into their summer.

The second house, though, was the one I had really come to understand. Floraïku Paris is the Molloys’ quieter masterpiece. Born in 2017 after a journey to Japan, it takes its name from the haiku, and Clara writes a short poem to accompany every scent. Where Memo carries you across the world, Floraïku slows everything to the pace of a tea ceremony. The collection is organised into three rituals: Enigmatic Flowers, Secret Teas and Spices, and Forbidden Incense.

Each bottle hides inside a lacquered bento box, its sculpted cap lifting away to become a travel spray. John’s years in fashion, including a long chapter at Kenzo, show in this almost obsessive attention to object and gesture, while Clara, who spent a year learning Japanese, gave the house its soul. I had the pleasure of meeting her on another occasion, when she passed through Zurich. You can read about that afternoon at Odéon here.

The fragrance at the heart of the day was Sand and Skin, revisited this season as a Limited Edition.

Sand and Skin Limited Edition, Floraïku Paris
Top: Lysylang and Mahonial (luminous ylang and soft mimosa facets)
Heart: amyris, sandalwood, cedar, patchouli, ylang-ylang
Base: Madagascar vanilla, benzoin, labdanum

Warm, golden and unmistakably sensual, it is Madagascar vanilla and benzoin melting into ylang-ylang, wood and resin, the scent of skin that has spent a whole day in the sun. Here the afternoon closed a beautiful circle.

The artist quietly sketching our portraits, Mauro Carraro from Geneva, is the very illustrator who dressed this Limited Edition, his signature midnight blue and gold leaf drawn into sinuous ropes that move like sand across the cap. To be drawn by the same hand that shaped the bottle, on the day of its Zurich debut, is exactly the kind of detail Floraïku does so beautifully.

We ended where every good story should, upstairs at Roofgarden Globus, lunch above the rooftops of the city, the light long and the conversation unhurried.

Menorca, CHF 275. Sand and Skin Limited Edition, CHF 320. Both now available at the Memo Paris and Floraïku Paris counters, Globus Zurich, Beauty Department, first floor.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht and Andrea Monica Hug for Memo Paris
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An Evening of Leather and High Jewelry: YVY x Bvlgari in Zurich

Stepping into the YVY showroom, I was immediately reminded why Yvonne Reichmuth is one of the most exciting names in Swiss design. The evening brought together two worlds that, on paper, could not be more different: the sensual, handcrafted leather universe of YVY and the Roman glamour of Bvlgari. In reality, the pairing felt effortless, bold, and refreshingly new.

Wonderful Yvonne Reichmuth with me

Yvonne has built her reputation on leather, above all her signature corset belts, sculptural statement pieces that have become true collector’s items. What surprised me most that evening was discovering how far her vision reaches beyond accessories. Her showroom revealed a whole range of beautiful garments, each one carrying her unmistakable signature: precise craftsmanship, a strong silhouette, and that perfect balance between edge and elegance.

What made the collaboration with Bvlgari so compelling was the courage behind it. Instead of following the usual event formula, both houses dared to try something different, to walk a new path and to let their aesthetics speak to each other. Supple leather next to a gleaming mix of white and yellow gold creates a tension that is impossible to resist, and the guests clearly felt it too.

Culinary surprises were part of the evening as well. Star chef Ralph Schelling treated us to a completely unexpected menu, entirely vegetarian and absolutely delicious, proving once again that plant-based cuisine can be every bit as luxurious as the setting it is served in. Paired with generously flowing champagne, his creations added yet another layer of indulgence to the night and kept the conversations sparkling until late.

The crowd itself was one of the highlights of the night. Loyal YVY clients mingled with Bvlgari devotees, quite a few of whom I was delighted to see again, while I also met wonderful new faces. This kind of mix is exactly what makes an evening memorable: genuine conversations, shared passions, and the feeling that everyone in the room truly appreciates craftsmanship.

With beautiful Christa Rigozzi and Yvonne Reichmuth

For the occasion, I put together an outfit inspired by Yvonne’s aesthetic, the world of Bvlgari, and, with a wink, the current football fever sweeping the country. All the details on my look will follow very soon in a separate post, so stay tuned.

The evening’s mastermind Christelle Huwiler.

I have to confess that my arrival was slightly more dramatic than planned. Shortly before the event, I found myself quite literally stuck in a dress that refused to let me go, and in the end it had to be cut open to free me. Not every evening starts with a pair of scissors, but it certainly makes for a good story, and it made the glamour that awaited me at YVY all the sweeter.

Evenings like this one prove that Swiss design and Italian high jewellery share more common ground than one might think: a love of beauty, a devotion to craft, and the confidence to break new ground. Grazie, Bvlgari, and merci, Christelle and Yvonne, for a truly special night in Zurich.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht/ Zosia Prominska
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Sephora Turns 10 in Switzerland: Join Me at the Beauty Party of the Summer

Ten years ago, Sephora arrived in Switzerland and changed the way we shop for beauty. On July 9th, the brand is throwing a birthday party worthy of the occasion, and the best part? You are all invited.

Sephora Switzerland is taking over the Soluna Beach Club on Lake Zurich for one glamorous summer evening, bringing together press, creators, brands and the entire Swiss beauty community. Expect interactive brand activations, surprise moments and plenty of product samples from favourites such as MAKEUP BY MARIO, TATCHA, tarte, OLE HENRIKSEN, AESTURA, ghd and Sephora Collection.

The celebrations will continue beyond the party. Together with its long-standing partner Manor, Sephora is planning a series of exclusive summer apéros in Manor stores across the country in August, so keep your eyes open for details.

The event is open to the public (18+) and admission is free. Simply reserve your ticket here.  ​

WHEN | Thursday, July 9th, 2026  ​
TIME | From 5pm onward​
WHERE | Soluna Beach Club​
Bellerivestrasse 264, 8008 Zurich

A decade of beauty deserves a proper toast, and where better than at the lake? See you there, my loves!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht and Courtesy of Sephora and Soluna Beach Club
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Walking into the John Madejski Garden on Wednesday evening, you could feel that this one was special. The V&A Summer Party was turning ten, and the museum had pulled out all the stops, throwing open its courtyard for what has quietly become the most coveted night in London’s summer calendar.

With interior designer Pernilla Bennet of House of Bennet

A decade ago the museum turned its annual fundraiser into something far cleverer than a gala. The concept is simple and rather brilliant. Every summer the V&A invites a committee of leading creative voices to shape the evening and, crucially, to bring emerging talent into the room.

One of my favorites and definitely one of the most outstanding talents at the moment: Harris Reed, who officially stepped down as the creative director of Nina Ricci in March 2026, after a three-and-a-half-year tenure, is now focusing entirely on his eponymous namesake demi-couture label that is to die for!

Another designer I adore is London-based Molly Goddard, who is a real sweetheart, and truly deserves the title «Queen of Frill».

This year that committee included Harris Reed, David Furnish, Grayson Perry, Sandy Powell and Yinka Ilori, and the result is a guest list where a fresh Central Saint Martins graduate might find themselves deep in conversation with the patron who goes on to change their career. The party raises vital funds for the museum, but it also does something money cannot buy. It keeps British creativity alive, connected and celebrated.

Opening speech by Tristram Hunt, Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Returning this year carried its own meaning, because the party had taken a break in 2025. In the past the evening often doubled as the curtain raiser for a major new show. When I last attended in 2024, the night marked the opening of Naomi: In Fashion, the museum’s glorious tribute to Naomi Campbell. This year there was no exhibition opening to coincide with the celebration, which personally speaking I missed. Half the thrill has always been stepping into a brand new world the moment the doors open.

The weather, for once, played its part beautifully. Glasses of Nyetimber caught the last of the evening light, Jessie Ware took to the stage, and the garden hummed with that particular energy you only find when fashion, art, music and a little British eccentricity collide all at once.

Performance by Jessie Ware.

I will be honest with you. I did not see everyone. The garden was so full of wonderful people that I spent most of the night lost in the kind of conversations you simply do not want to walk away from. That, for me, is the real luxury of an evening like this. Not the spectacle, but the company.

Photos: @gettyentertainment

The room held its share of icons, too. Mick Jagger, effortless as ever. Ellie Goulding, radiant. Maya Jama, Akshata Murty, Edie Campbell, Olly Alexander and Munroe Bergdorf were among the faces moving through the candlelit garden, alongside what felt like the whole of London’s fashion and art world gathered in one glorious place.

Always fun seeing my friend Mark-Francis Vandelli, who stars in «Ladies of London».

Ten years in, the V&A Summer Party has lost none of its magic. It remains a love letter to creativity, a celebration of one of the great cultural institutions of our time, and proof that the best nights are the ones spent among brilliant people under a perfect summer sky.

Here is to the next ten.

LoL, Sandra

So nice seeing Juergen Teller again with whom we worked so much at Marie Claire Germany many years ago. He is one of the best photographers I know that has a very special language.

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht
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Portrait Hotels: Where the Ferragamo Legacy Meets the Art of Personalised Living

Some hotel collections are built on amenities. The Portrait Hotels are built on something far rarer: the belief that true luxury is not a standard to be met, but a life to be lived.

The Ferragamo S/S 2023 fashion show was held in the open-air courtyard of the Portrait Milano

Born from the Lungarno Collection, the hospitality arm of the Ferragamo family, Portrait is the brand’s most refined expression yet. Three iconic addresses, three Italian cities, one guiding philosophy: that a hotel should feel less like a destination and more like a home you never knew you had.

At the heart of each Portrait property is a dedicated Lifestyle Team whose sole purpose is to dissolve the distance between guest and city. Personal recommendations, curated experiences, and an instinctive attentiveness to individual preference transform every stay into something entirely one’s own. As proud members of the Leading Hotels of the World, the Portrait addresses occupy some of the most storied corners of Rome, Florence, and Milan.

Portrait Roma unfolds across 14 magnificent suites on the Via Condotti, Rome’s most distinguished address, steps from the Spanish Steps and the eternal theatre of the Dolce Vita. The crown jewel, the Penthouse Trinità dei Monti, opens onto a private terrace with views of one of the world’s most iconic monuments. A rooftop lounge completes the picture: breakfast as the city stirs, cocktails as it glitters.

Portrait Firenze is a suite-only sanctuary poised above the Arno, a quiet remove from the energy of the Ponte Vecchio and the boutiques of the Via Tornabuoni. Florentine architect Michele Bönan designed interiors that feel at once personal and timeless, translating the city’s Renaissance sensibility into the language of contemporary elegance. Here, the hotel does not surround the city. The city surrounds the hotel.

Portrait Milano, the collection’s most ambitious chapter, opened in 2022 within a magnificently restored former archiepiscopal seminary on Corso Venezia. Architect Michele De Lucchi oversaw the building’s meticulous transformation, while Michele Bönan furnished 73 rooms and suites with his signature blend of warmth and precision. At the heart of the property, the Piazza del Quadrilatero, a sweeping open courtyard of over 2,800 square metres, creates a new promenade connecting two of the city’s most elegant streets. The property also houses Longevity, a pioneering urban spa that fuses biohacking technology with the holistic principles of Blue Zone philosophy, a first of its kind in a major European city.

Across all three addresses, the Portrait spirit remains constant: craft over convention, intimacy over grandeur, and the quiet confidence of a family that has always understood that the finest things in life are made, not manufactured.

I had the privilege of experiencing this world first-hand at an intimate dinner in Zurich, hosted at Ornellaia alongside Valeriano Antonioli, CEO of the Lungarno Collection. The evening was a culinary journey through Italy in miniature: sparkling Bollicine from Trentino to begin, followed by a menu that moved gracefully from Milan to Florence to Rome, mirroring the very cities where the Portrait houses reside. To sit next to the man who steers this remarkable collection, and to hear the story of the brand told with such passion and conviction, was a reminder that behind every great hotel is a great vision. I left the evening with a deep appreciation for what Portrait Hotels represents and a genuine excitement to experience the properties themselves.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Portrait Hotels and © Sandra Bauknecht
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