Sandra‘s Closet

Dress, Pumps, Bag, Bracelet Scarf, Straw Hat and Sunglasses by Louis Vuitton
Watch by Roger Dubuis

On Sunday, at Bucherer’s summer event, I had my first official appearance as the ambassadrice for Roger Dubuis.

You have seen already my beautiful new watch on many occasions during the last weeks. I am completely in love with it. The grey strap works so well with the rose gold and diamond embellished case. You can wear it in an elegant way with a cocktail dress or sporty with some jeans and a tank top.

Moreover, this watch is truly special, outstanding and unique. Something that you don’t see so much. I have received so many compliments that I would like to give you more information:

Roger Dubuis was founded in 1995 and the manufacture is based in Geneva. Today, it belongs to the Richemont Group.

My watch is the ROGER DUBUIS EXCALIBUR LADY AUTOMATIC.
EX36-821-50-10-0RR01-F

Case: Round, 36mm, pink gold, 48 diamonds on the bezel

Carats: 0.99 on the bezel

Dial: Rhodium-plated satin sunburst
-Black transferred Roman numerals
Small seconds at 6 o’clock
-Rhodium-plated satin sunburst
-Pink gold ring, black transfer

Strap: Grey satin-finish fabric

Clasp: White gold adjustable folding buckle

Water resistance: 3BAR (30m)

Mouvement: Self-winding movement, RD821

Production: No Limitation

Price: CHF 27.500

My watch model was also gracing the welcome banner. The invited guests were able to browse through a large selection of Roger Dubuis watches (see more below). As Exaclibur is one of their main lines, the room was beautifully decorated with original knight’s amours.

Alberto Cibrario, Brand Manager Roger Dubuis, with me

Bucherer is carrying Roger Dubuis exclusively in their Zurich store on Bahnhofstr. 50. In case that you are not living in that area, have a look at the Roger Dubuis website for store locations and more information.

Enjoy the beauty of originality and pure luxury!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht and © Roger Dubuis

Yesterday, I was invited to explore the upcoming Thomas Sabo F/W 2011 collection. The presentation was held at the Asian restaurant Tao’s in Zurich and the location couldn’t have been better for the so-called „Exotic Issue – Pop goes Asia“ that draws inspiration from the electrifying nightlife of an Asian megacity, merging the power pop era of the ’80s with the coquettish charm of a ’30s Shanghai.

The new Thomas Sabo collection is dazzling and original, for both women and men. It brings up a kind of holiday feeling, the same you experience entering a foreign and magic world.

LB34 Leather Dragon bracelet with onyx, 925 Sterling silver

Enjoy the positive karma of the Buddhist Great Blessing symbols – which promise joy, health, peace and long life, among other things. What a lovely gift to surprise a beloved one!

Left: T0292 Panda pendant with white syn. zirconia and black enamel, T 0300 Fan pendant with black syn. zirconia and red enamel, 925 Sterling silver
Right: T0294 Panda pendant with white syn. zirconia, black enamel and a hand-crafted, white imitation pearl, 925 Sterling silver

Left: PE421 Lantern pendant with black syn. zirconia and red enamel, 925 Sterling silver
Right: H1755 Earrings with black syn. zirconia, 925 Sterling Silver

And not only for modern Geishas and Kung Fu fighters…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Thomas Sabo and © Debora Zeyrek for Tilllate

„To me, photography is an art of observation…
It is about finding something interesting in an ordinary place.“
-Elliott Erwitt

Recently I was invited by the Swiss private bank Clariden Leu to attend a very special soirée to celebrate the one year renovation of their headquarter on Bahnhofstrasse 32 in Zurich with the amazing exhibition „A World of Pictures“ by Elliott Erwitt. The photography legend had been flown in especially for the evening and it was a real honour to meet him.

Clariden Leu’s ‘Leuenhof’ was built in Neo-Gothic style between 1914 and 1915 and its impressive art gallery is the ideal venue for art exhibitions.

Olivier Jaquet, CEO Clariden Leu, gave an introductory speech and Birgit Filzmaier, owner of the gallery “19th & 20th Century Fine Art Photography” (the place to go if you are interested in Elliott Erwitts’s work) the laudation.

Elliott Erwitt with Mike Baur, Clariden Leu’s new Head Private Banking Switzerland

“Elliott Erwitt’s Best Picture? The Next One.”

Elliott Erwitt was born in France of Russian émigré parents in 1928. His formative years were spent in Italy. At the age of 10 he moved with his family to France afterward immigrating to the United States in 1939.

 

Grace Kelly, New York City 1955.

„It was pure luck. Luck is essential in photography.”

-Elliott Erwitt

Distinguished as both a documentary and commercial photographer, Erwitt has taken some of the most memorable photos of the 20th century, including portraits of Marilyn Monroe, Jackie Kennedy and Grace Kelly, as well as astonishing scenes of everyday life, filled with poetry, wit and a special sense of humor. Famous for capturing absurd split-second moments and subtle glances, Erwitt’s work is truly masterful. He likes children and dogs.

Jacqueline Kennedy, at the funeral of JFK, Arlington 1963

Dog Legs, New York City 1974

In 1953 freshly decommissioned from military service, Elliott Erwitt was invited to join Magnum Photos as a member by its founder Robert Capa. To date he continues to be an active member and one of the leading figures in the competitive field of photography.

Elliott Erwitt is said not to like talking about his photos as they talk for themselves. In the conversation between him and Ettore Gualtiero Robbiani, Clariden Leu’s art specialist and curator of the in-house private art collection, Elliott Erwitt’s evident sense of humour showed in his very witty answers and made him perennially quotable. Enjoy!

Elliott Erwitt, welcome to Zurich. How are you?

Most of the parts are working!

I have to confess I am really fascinated by you. What is this egg about?

Everybody has a tag here and I felt lonesome having no tag.

You are an eyewitness to history and a dreamer with a camera. You took some of the most memorable photos of the century. Where do you see your cultural roots?

Photographers don’t need to have roots.

Do you ask for permission taking somebody’s photos?

You never ask for permission. You shoot first and hope that they don’t realise. In Japan, it is very easy to be a photographer because everybody is. In Muslim countries it is hard as nobody likes their picture to be taken. In France, they have privacy laws, if people see themselves in the magazine, they can sue you if you don’t have a permission.

Couple Kissing, Santa Monica, California 1955

 

Have you been sued ?

I was sued by people who thought that they were in the picture but they weren’t.

How did your interest in photography raise?

Because of family circumstances, I was on my own since the age of 16 and I had to make a living. Taken photographs was a good way. You don’t have a boss. My only permanent job that I ever had was with the US military army. Everything else has been freelance.

Did you like the army?

I didn’t mind it.

Did you have your camera with you?

Always. I took some of my best pictures when I was in the army.

What is today your favourite camera?

I don’t have a favourite camera. I divide between my professional and personal work. For clients, you have to use the tools you need to achieve the results that your clients expect. For my own personal work, I walk around with a small camera, my Leica usually and that is quite seperate. One thing is for business, one thing is for hobby.

Miami Beach, 1962

 

And talking about influences? What were your early influences in photography?

My early influences were Italian films after the war, neo-realist films of Fellini, Rosselini, people like that. That was my main influence and apart from that the photography of Henri Cartier-Bresson which are the gold standards in my view of photography.

When it comes to being influenced you named Edward Steichen as a mentor. How did he influence you?

He didn’t influence me, he was just very helpful at that time. I was very young and I could use some help. He got me my first job by calling somebody up. He could do that, he was a very powerful man. My influences were as I mentioned before.

You once said that photography is a craft that everybody with normal intelligence could learn? But to take it beyond the craft is when the magic comes in? How do you actually approach your magic moments in a photo? Is it all staging, set-ups?

I don’t get up in the morning and expect to do magic. I think that magic is in the eye in the beholder. You don’t plan things. Good photography is not planned unless it is work which is planned. Photography which is interesting to me is simply an art of observation, organising elements, making fine prints.

Marilyn Monroe, New York City 1956

 

Coming to magic moments. In your career, you portraited Marilyn Monroe. I tend to say that you showed her in a different way than we know her. How was Marilyn as a person?

I was afraid that you asked that. I am always asked that question. She was very nice, very photogenic. She looked better in pictures than in real life. Also she looked pretty good in real life as well. She was a sensitive person, a little bit nuts. She was very kind to me.

Whom of the famous persons that you met was meaningful to you?

Famous people are ordinary people that became famous. President Kennedy, Fidel Castro, of course that is interesting. Those people are very historic figures. And the problem of taking a picture of those famous people is exactly the same than taking it of ordinary people.

When you mentor young photographers what are looking for in their work?

Visual sense, application, a kind of burning ambition because it is very difficult to succeed in photography. Digital photography makes it easy to become a photographer but hard to become a good one. So you look for energy, for perserverance, and as I said most importantly for visual sense.

Metropolitan Museum, New York City, 1988

 

What about ego? Do you need a strong ego?

A strong ego gets generally in the way of things. People don’t react very well to people with a strong ego. If you have it, keep it private.

Who is your favourite photographer living or dead?

The ones that are in my agency Magnum. Henri Cartier-Bresson is the champion of them. There are some that are very promising. Photographers who work for the passion, those are the interesting ones. The ones only on assignment are not the interesting ones, they are just earning a living.

Do you collect yourself?

I am not a collector. But I have exchanged with some of my friends.

57th Street Gallery, New York City, 1963

 

This year, you received the Infinity Award 2011 for Lifetime Achievement from the International Center of Photography. Can you please describe what it is like to receive that honour? It is the lifetime Oscar  of photography.

It is a little bit embarrasing. It seems like your life is over. You get a nice dinner, a little statue, people think that you are okay. But it really shouldn’t influence you that much.

You son Misha is a photographer as well. When he told you about his future plans, how did you react? What advice did you give him?

Get a dayjob! But here is an amusing anecdote: When my father retired, he decided to become a photographer because he wanted to follow in his son’s footsteps which I thought was very sweet.

Thank you Mr Erwitt for coming!

Thank you all for showing up! I couldn’t imagine that I am that interesting.

What an honour: Elliott Erwitt with me.

LoL, Sandra

Watch the Burberry Prorsum Menswear Spring/Summer 2012 Show Live from Milan here on Sandra’s Closet, today at 5pm (Milan Time)!

Be among the first ones to see the hot male models parading down the runway in the next summer must-haves by Christopher Bailey.

The Burberry Prorsum S/S 2012 menswear collection will be available to purchase immediately following the show through the “Runway to Reality” concept developed by the brand. You can go on burberry.com and buy outerwear and bags from the collection.
Orders that are placed immediately after the show on Saturday 18 June until Monday 27 June 2011 will be delivered within 8 weeks.
After that you will have to wait until December 2011, when the collection will hit the stores.

More from Italy’s fashion capital to come!

LoL, Sandra

Why have one celebration when you can have two? We had double the fun on 11 June when Mulberry marked their 40th birthday with the launch of a beautiful anniversary book, ‘Mulberry’, at Firenze4Ever.

And I might have been in beautiful Tuscany, but nothing gets in the way of Mulberry’s love for English tea. We were treated to a cup of tea or a glass of elderflower bubbly and cucumber or salmon and cream cheese sandwiches – crusts off, of course. Afternoon tea wouldn’t be complete without cake, so I practised my cake-decorating skills with Victoria sponge.

Among the guests was not only a giant inflatable gold Bayswater, but also Mulberry’s Creative Director Emma Hill who had especially flown in from London for the event.

Emma Hill, Mulberry’s Creative Director

Me in front of the giant Mulberry Bayswater

I was given a copy of the lavish book so that I could take time to browse through the pages of behind-the-scenes peeks at Mulberry through the years, largely photographed by Venetia Dearden.

This beautiful coffee table book took nearly 3 years to create and is a collection of 480 pages of exquisite, never-before-seen images. It will be available in Mulberry stores and from mulberry.com from 1st July 2011 for £55/ $90/ €65.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht and © Mulberry

While being in Florence, I was able to explore the new Pop Up Greenhouse by RED Valentino which will officially opens its doors today at Piazza Strozzi.

The temporary space will stay until the 17th of June.

It is a beautiful botanical scenario, where you unexpectedly find yourself in a luxuriant, verdant place like Alice in Wonderland.

 

 

In this imaginary greenhouse the young protagonist of the RED Valentino story light-heartedly continues her journey.

Her romantic fantasy and vivid imagination are her means of expression.

 

 

 

A cloud of delicate fluttering white butterflies comes to life, seemingly lifting this airy, magical world and carrying it to a fairytale setting. The decoration is divine.

Gardening elements become objects for displaying exclusive garments. Scarves are enclosed in transparent glass bulb boxes. Galoshes hang in wood crates while colourful costume jewellery is “planted” in small white flower pots.

 

If you are a romantic woman, you will fall in love with the magical surrounding. The collection was created solely for this fairytale space: each garment and accessory was especially designed and presented in this dreamy, light-hearted setting. Flirty garments and accessories are playfully paired up with garden elements. Work aprons and rubber galoshes becomes whimsical accessories for overalls, while flowers and butterflies embellish the fabrics of dresses, skirts, and accessories, all in a burst of colourful prints.

Even the colours are inspired by nature: rose, hyacinth, and thyme are used on natural materials that are traditional elements of the RED Valentino world.

 

This new chapter in the marvellous RED Valentino fairytale, signed by Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli, will visit next St. Tropez, France from 11-18 July, 2011 at Place Celli. After that, Knokke, Belgium is the following stop from 4-7 August, 2011 at Place Van Brunnen Plein.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

 

The closing dinner party of Firenze4Ever 3rd Edition took place in the beautiful gardens of La Specola museum. The theme of the party was „Animalier“.

I dressed up as a mixture between a mouse and a cheetah, a „cheetouse“.

Leggings and Top by Givenchy – Blouse and Cage Sandals by Alexander McQueen, Belt – Yves Saint Laurent, Headband with Mouse Ears by Louis Vuitton and Mini Boston Bag by Céline – Watch by Roger Dubuis.

Me with Dan Hasby-Oliver from Laststylelofdefense.com

Sebastiano and La Carmina were showing us the Japanese animalier trend: Pokemons, rabbit bags and plush dogs on the head.

 

It wouldn’t be LuisaViaRoma if they didn’t have some surprises for us that night. A beautiful ballet performance waited for us in the gardens. The dancers were dressed up as animal creatures. Kind of spooky but really beautiful.

 

The DJs of the night were pretty famous: Daniele Cavalli (Roberto’s son), whom I had met already at the last Firenze4Ever event in January, and Henry Holland, the designer of House of Holland were rocking the crowd.

Daniele

Henry

The last days were just so amazing, filled with many exciting moments. I have so much more to show you!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Last night, LuisaViaRoma held a private dinner party at La Specola in the Salone degli Scheletri with a very special opera performance. Surrounded by skeletons, the scenery was incredible. We all had a lot of fun during our night at the museum. Only Ben Stiller was missing…

LoL, Sandra

BryanBoy

La Carmina – a Tokyo based Gothic Lolita and Japanese fashion blog

Yvan (Face Hunter)

Wendy’s (Nitrolicious) hands

Andrea Panconesi (Owner of LuisaViaRoma) and Eva Cavalli, wife of Roberto Cavalli

Eva with me
Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Today, I have arrived in Florence for the 3rd edition of Firenze4Ever. LuisaViaRoma voted me among the most influential international fashion bloggers and invited me to three days of fashion fun. So stay tuned for many exciting photos of very special events.

Mulberry, the English brand that will celebrate its 40th anniversary this year, will be launching an exclusive behind the scenes book by Venetia Dearden and celebrate this with a classic English tea party. This is just one of the many fascinating things to happen. Tomorrow I will kick off the F/W 2011 season with the Total Styling Lab.

Please enjoy the first pics of today’s opening night. I am sure that you will recognize parts of my outfit from my previous post.

Blazer and cropped metallic leather motocross pants by Balmain, top by Tom Ford, shoes by YSL, bag by Céline, jewelry by Chanel and my new watch by Roger Dubuis.

 

Next week I will tell you much more about my beautiful new watch by Roger Dubuis.

 

Me tonight with Chiara Ferragni (The Blonde Salad)

…giving an interview…

…and having fun with my two favourite blogger colleagues BryanBoy and Wendy (Nitrolicious)

…trying to convince them to take off their iconic glasses…

…et voilà!

Now, I am in the hotel room enjoying my goody bag.

Good night!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

The reason why I am in the Hamptons is the global press launch of Baume et Mercier’s newest addition to their watch family: The Hampton. Sandra’s Closet is one of the first ones to unveil this beautiful new creation.

Let me take you on a little trip to make you understand more about the idea behind the collection.

Baume et Mercier took inspiration from the Golden Twenties. It was the era of jazz, the emancipation of women like Marlene Dietrich and Louis Brooks and the spirit of the Great Gatsby. Most importantly, it was the beginning of leisure time. Recharging your batteries and the relaxed style of the Hamptons has transformed into a watch.

Alexandre Peraldi, Baume et Mercier’s Creative Director, had a myriad of models from the `20s, `30s and `40s to get inspired from.  The first Hampton collection had been launched in 1994 and today, it is celebrating its rebirth.

The new Hampton watch has a satine domed volume at 12 and 6 o`clock, an enhanced curve sapphire crystal and a curve case side at 3 and 9 o’ clock.

In different workshops, we learnt more about the design process which was very interesting. Below you can see some wax templates and first sketches.

Alexandre Peraldi got inspired by the Art Déco architecture that is emblematic for this period along with the amazing art community in the Hamptons. Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Lee Krasner and Jackson Pollock were all part of this movement.
Below you can see the studio of the Pollock-Krasner house where one of the workshops took place.

Today, celebs like Gwyneth Paltrow, who is the brand’s ambassador, Stella McCartney, Cindy Sherman enjoy their vacation homes in Long Island’s happening East End.

For the straps, Baume et Mercier invented a new technology to achieve different levels of softness. The alligator cannot grow too big in order to have the perfect size of the skin’s pattern. The animals mostly come from Louisana and Florida.

The production of the sapphire glass takes 10-25 minutes per step.

The Hampton’s range for women comes with a quartz movement, the gentlemen’s watches with a mechanical one.

The prices are affordable, a key aspect for Baume et Mercier. The core collection for men for example is around CHF 3000, the emblematic pieces retail between CHF 7700 -13000.

 

For lunch we experienced a truly beautiful scenery. We went to the Kennedy house located directly at the beach where the advertising campaign was shot.

Even our pictures were taken and transformed into little pieces of art.

Italian photographer Francesco Carrozzini to the left with the beautiful Baldwin family that modeled for the campaign.

What a lovely day! Stay tuned for more to come and to see the final result of the new Hampton watch by Baume et Mercier.

LoL, Sandra