Sandra‘s Closet

“I’m renowned for my love of a high collar and I wanted to create a true collector’s item,” says Karl Lagerfeld of his jewel-encrusted collar.

Fusing “the masculine with the feminine and uniting the world of fine jewelry and high fashion”, the designer’s spectacular collar is an extraordinary collector’s piece. Handcrafted from black suede, sparkling with pavé black diamonds and a single emerald- cut stone, produced exclusively for the Vogue UK jewelry editor Carol Woolton-curated Brilliant exhibition at Masterpiece, London, the capital’s luxury art and design fair, it will be on display from June 28th – July 4th. The piece will be accompanied by a hand-signed sketch from Mr Lagerfeld himself.

A percentage of profits from the sale will be donated to children’s cancer charity CLIC Sargent.

This collar will be available for shipping from 7th July.
TO SHOP, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

LoL, Sandra

In celebration of the spirit of craftsmanship, the Hermès Festival des Métiers (Festival of Crafts) made its first stop in Zurich – Switzerland. The French house’s first world-travelling exhibit invites you to meet with the artisans responsible for creating some of the world’s most luxurious leather goods, silk scarves, china and more.

Ever wondered what goes into the making of an Hermès product? Or why the Kelly bag is such a coveted item? Discover the Hermès universe your own way and enjoy the passion that the craftsmen put into every item. As one of them told me, their effort and long hours spent making those pieces is all worth it, once a customer wears and treasures their handiwork.

Open to the public, this free admission event is located at EWZ-Unterwerk Selnau (Selnaustr. 25, Zurich) starting today through June 10th, 2012 from 11 am- 6pm every day. It is a great experience for kids as well.

For all of you that are living abroad, here are some photos that I took yesterday at the pre-opening. Enjoy the craftsmanship!

Hermès has very high requirements for leather and the artisans will take time to find the best one to use. The difference lies also in how the bags are made by hand. It will take approximately 30 hours to create one single piece with only 3 produced per week. This explains the long waiting list for their iconic Birkin or Kelly bags.

It is pretty impressive to watch the craftsman assemble the really tine pieces of the movement for a mechanical watch.

The artwork for the famous silk scarves is designed by an artist, but the Hermès artisans will need to engrave the silkscreens by hand before starting the printing process.

At the printing station, you can see how each silkscreen, one for each colour, are precisely aligned and printed onto silk. Every single aspect of a silk scarf is done by Hermès: They rear their own silkworms, produce their own twills and mix their own dyes. After the printing, the scarves are left to dry, then the colours are locked in during a steam bath. After that, the silk scarves are washed to make them smooth and coated with a protective finish. Finally, they will be hand-rolled and hand-hemmed along the edges by craftsmen.

Every carré (the French name for it) has its own name, as for example the famous Brides de gala that was sketched in 1957 by Hugo Grygkar and which is still used these days.

Perfection and quality is essential to Hermès, the same applies to the tie making process. A craftswoman explains how the twills are rolled, folded and subsequently stitched into ties, using the same silk as for the scarves.

There are not many artisans in the world who can perform this process. Those silk scarves are only made by special order. It is a thicker kind of twill that comes with a velour-like coat. The craftswoman takes away parts of it with a sharp pointed tool. Just to do those red flowers takes her six weeks. She needs to be extra careful in order not to destroy the precious fabric.

The artisan uses real gold to paint the beautiful embellishments of the crystal glasses. The brown colour of the gold will change in the oven. To achieve the shiny effect, each glass has to be buffed by hand.

The fabulous china and porcelain products are also carefully hand-painted by artisans. After watching the process, you feel guilty for every piece you dropped in the past.

Also of interest is the house’s glove-making. When I asked the glover what is the best material for a glove, he said velour leather is his favourite to work with.

Hermès first started with horse-riding accessories and saddles. The equestrian heritage has been celebrated ever since. A saddle by Hermès is like a piece of art, especially when you look at those special editions with wings or leopard print that the saddler showed me yesterday.

I hope that you will enjoy this eye-opening exhibit as much as I did!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

The 65th annual Cannes Film Festival commemorates Marilyn Monroe on the 50th anniversary of her death, featuring her on the festival’s posters. Festival sponsor Chopard pays tribute to Marilyn Monroe‘s most memorable movie moment, her famous performance of “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend” in the 1953 musical comedy Gentlemen Prefer Blondes with a diamond necklace in honour of the blonde bombshell’s object of affection in the film, featuring almost 200 carats of diamonds.

On this occasion, the Swiss jewelry and watch brand exhibits “Marilyn Forever”, 25 unpublished images, captured by frequent Monroe photographer Milton H. Greene, previewed in the Chopard Lounge at Hotel Martinez. After the festival, it will travel to Chopard boutiques around the world alongside with the Monroe-inspired “Tribute Set”.

Eva Herzigova wore the Marilyn Monroe Tribute set from the Red Carpet collection composed of a necklace in 18-carat white gold set with beads diamonds (151.64 cts), heart shaped diamonds (30.72 cts) and diamonds (18.53cts) with matching earrings on the Cannes Film Festival’s opening night.

I was able to explore this stunning tribute jewelry creation designed by Caroline Scheufele closely at the Chopard lounge. It is truly breathtaking.

Diamonds and glamour: Marilyn Monroe and Chopard were destined to cross paths. Below you can see how the tribute set was created, a piece of art and craftsmanship.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Chopard, © Getty Images and © Sandra Bauknecht

Yesterday, the ‘Schiaparelli & Prada: Impossible Conversations’ exhibition has been unveiled during a dedicated press conference at the Costume Institute’s The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
The exhibition will be open to the public from May 10 to August 19, 2012.

The Met’s Spring 2012 Costume Institute exhibition explores the striking affinities between Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada, two Italian designers from different eras. Inspired by Miguel Covarrubias’s “Impossible Interviews” for Vanity Fair in the 1930s, the exhibition features orchestrated conversations between these iconic women to suggest new readings of their most innovative work.

Iconic ensembles are presented with videos of simulated conversations between Schiaparelli and Prada directed by Baz Luhrmann, focusing on how both women explore similar themes in their work through very different approaches.

The exhibition showcases approximately ninety designs and thirty accessories by Schiaparelli (1890–1973) from the late 1920s to the early 1950s and by Prada from the late 1980s to the present. Drawn from The Costume Institute’s collection and the Prada Archive, as well as other institutions and private collections, signature objects by both designers are arranged in seven themed galleries: “Waist Up/Waist Down,” “Ugly Chic,” “Hard Chic,” “Naïf Chic,” “The Classical Body,” “The Exotic Body,” and “The Surreal Body.”

Schiaparelli, who worked in Paris from the 1920s until her house closed in 1954, was closely associated with the Surrealist movement and created such iconic pieces as the “Tear” dress, the “Shoe” hat, and the “Bug” necklace. Prada, who holds a degree in political science, took over her family’s Milan-based business in 1978, and focuses on fashion that reflects the eclectic nature of Postmodernism.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of the The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Prada

Frieze Art Fair is renowned for cutting edge art and a fashion-forward crowd. Established in London in 2003 by the infinitely stylish Matthew Slotover and his co-director Amanda Sharp, it has become one of the art world’s hottest tickets.

This month, London’s coolest art fair hits Manhattan for the first time with the launch of Frieze New York. The four-day event (May 4-7) will see over 1000 of the world’s leading artists gather alongside curators, gallerists and collectors all set against a cool waterside backdrop and with a hip lineup of pop-up restaurants, parties and people to spot. And fashion trendsetters such as Net-à-porter and Mulberry join forces with the art world:

Co-publishers of Frieze Matthew Slotover and Amanda Sharp at the Mulberry dinner

On Friday, May 4 Mulberry hosted an intimate dinner in celebration of the Frieze Art Fair’s New York debut and in honour of the artists of Frieze Projects, of which Mulberry is the sponsor.

Frieze Projects is a not-for-profit initiative featuring commissioned artworks around the outdoor space of Randall’s Island, which are accessible to all visitors to the area. The dinner was held at The Crown restaurant on New York’s Upper East Side (readers of my fashion column in the SI Style magazine know this place already).

The beautiful decorated entrance to The Crown Restaurant

The ambiance

Among the fashionable guests: Derek Blasberg and Alexa Chung

The Clarins-Courtin sisters

Lana Del Rey

American singer Lana Del Rey performed during the evening, wearing the three quarter blouse in flame heavy lace and the fitted pencil skirt in flame, both from the F/W 2012 Collection. Lana was Emma Hill’s inspiration for Mulberry’s newest bag, the Del Rey, which launches in stores and online in mid-May.
(Stay tuned as I will keep you inform you once it hits the shelves).

Mulberry’s Del Rey Bag

Last night, May 5 influencers from the worlds of fashion and art came together to join NET-A-PORTER for a cocktail party and dinner celebrating Frieze Art Fair’s Chelsea Gallery Night, a night where more than 20 of Chelsea’s finest galleries opened their doors for a neighborhood block party filled with exclusive gallery previews, live music and food.

The NET-A-PORTER-sponsored event at the Hôtel Americano kicked off with roof-top cocktails and music by London DJ, Bip Ling, and continued with a seated dinner.

The Big Frieze hits NYC, I love!

LoL, Sandra

Christopher Kane with Natalie Massanet in a lace dress by Alessandra Rich

Giovanna Battaglia in a black leather coat
(Don’t we love the floral lace A-line dress by Miu Miu to the left and the neon-orange with white lace dress by Christopher Kane to the right in the background?!)

Olympia Scarry in head to toe floral prints by Proenza Schouler.

Designers Jason Wu and Roland Mouret

Photos: Courtesy of Mulberry, ©Craig Barritt/WireImage, Courtesy of Net-à-Porter and Frieze New York

Last night, I went to the exhibition opening of the Gunter Sachs Collection at Sotheby’s.

The art collection of famous German multimillionaire Gunter Sachs, who committed suicide at his chalet in Gstaad, Switzerland, at the age of 78, last year and who was once married to style icon Brigitte Bardot, will be sold at a Sotheby’s auction in London on May 22 & 23, 2012.

The 300 items are ranging from Pop Art works to Art Deco furniture, including paintings by Andy Warhol, Yves Klein and Mel Ramos, to name a few.

Sachs, one of the last great “playboys” and famed for his jet-set lifestyle, was friends with many famous artists.

Andy Warhol – Brigitte Bardot
Acrylic and silkscreen ink on canvas, 120 by 120cm
Executed in 1974
Estimate £ 3,000,000 – 4,000,000

I love this Bardot painting!

Visit sotheby’s.com/sachs for further information, highlights and videos. For enquiries regarding the London auction, please call + 44 (0) 20 7293 5390.

LoL, Sandra

Photo: AFP, Getty Images, Reuters

Mary Katrantzou has designed a Teflon Easter Egg for the Fabergé Easter Egg Hunt in London. The giant floral-embellished egg, which is on display at the fashionable May Fair Hotel for 40 days and 40 nights, went for £12.000.- in the charity auction.

The egg features several “metal flowers, Swarovski crystals, bells and whistles, the May Fair’s vibrant three-colour tiered Egg is described as ‘Man Meets Machine Meets Mother Earth'”. Reminiscent of Mary Katrantzou‘s beautiful S/S 2012 collection.

Happy Easter!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Mary Katrantzou

After we had visited the Gucci manufacture, we went to the Gucci Museo in the center of Florence (Piazza della Signoria, 10), which had opened its doors in September 2011.
For photos of the opening party, please click here.

Now, I would like to walk you through the museum and give you some information on the brand’s iconic looks and signature pieces. Enjoy!

Ground floor: TRAVEL

History tells how, as a teenager, Guccio Gucci worked as a lift boy at the Savoy Hotel in London where he was fascinated by the elegance of the upper class guests at the turn of the 20th century. On his return to Italy, the young Guccio opened a workshop specializing in the production of travelware and accessories. The first cases and trunks to be produced in Florence bore the inscription: G. Gucci, Articles for Travel, Florence. Defining the brand in English highlighted its founder’s international vision, which was aimed from the outset at modern travelers of the time across the globe. Impeccably high quality crafted goods, then as now.

Travel set “Leonardo” print, 1950’s

Trunk, pigskin, 1930’s

Travelling in style:

1st floor: PRECIOUS

A selection of jewelry and items showcasing Gucci’s creativity in finding unique ways to combine practicality and beauty. Crystal-studded minaudières, powder compacts, buckles and all sorts of jewelry pieces are all tiny but timeless treasures.

„Tiger head“ necklace and bracelet, enamelled silver, early 1970’s

Brooch, enamelled gold, 1980’s
This piece reminds me a lot of my Bague Diorette, don’t you agree?!
But Gucci was obviously first…

1st floor: FLORA WORLD

The story began in Milan in 1966, when Prince Ranier of Monaco brought his wife to the Gucci boutique. Roldolfo Gucci insisted that Princess Grace choose a gift to accompany the bamboo bag she had purchased. The Princess requested a scarf. Rodolfo felt that the House lacked one sufficiently beautiful for the royal style icon and so he commissioned illustrator Vittorio Accornero to create the most beautiful print he could imagine. Accornero returned with his painting: the “Flora”, a sumptuos, multi-hued, flowered template destined to become a design classic.

When Giannini revived Flora on printed canvas bags in summer 2005, a new generation succumbed to its charms. In 2006, it appeared re-scaled, re-coloured and abstracted onto Forties-style print dresses, jewellery and evening bags.

I was over the moon to see that my own closet has got some museum pieces.
How cool is that?!

1st floor: HANDBAGS

Bags are Gucci’s signature and therefore the museum dedicated one part of the exhibition to the house’s rich creative heritage of various models. Continuously evolving over the years, with creation of iconic models such as the Bamboo Bag, the Jackie and those immediately recognizable by Gucci symbols including the horsebit and green-red-green web (Web is the name for the iconic Gucci stripes).

Leather, „riding crop“, shoulder strap in horn, early 1970’s

Short handle bags in raffia, leather, pigskin, late 1950’s and early 1960’s

1st floor: EVENING

Gucci’s evening wear is designed to be worn on the red carpet and the most exclusive events on the international stage, from Cannes to Los Angeles and New York to Paris. The house’s couture label is called Gucci Première.

Here you can see some of the distinguished moments in the history of fashion and haute couture, celebrated through gowns worn by Hilary Swank and Naomi Watts.

2nd floor: LOGOMANIA

The GG is the most significant symbol in Gucci’s long history. The initials of founder Guccio Gucci first featured on the clasps of his bags in the early 1960’s, finding new interpretations over the years: recreated in gold and silver, on precious leather, velvet and silk.

Shirt and skirt, jersey with „horsebit“ print, suede, early 1970’s
Dress, silk with „horsebit and horseshoe print, mid 1970’s

Shoulder bags and moccasin, „horsebit print fabric“, mid 1970’s

2nd floor: LIFESTYLE

From fashion to items dedicated to leisure and recreational activities, Gucci’s style is reflected in every moment of daily life. From the opening of the first store in Florence in 1921, Guccio Gucci offered his distinguished clients giftware and souvenirs, a creative progress which has continued through the years, transforming his products into cult items: thermos holders and picnic sets, parlor games, table lamps, and sets of glasses and, more recently, even an electric guitar. Home or away, these are the items which complete the Gucci lifestyle.

2nd floor: SPORT

From horseback riding to golf, Guccio Gucci always found inspiration in the various sporting disciplines practiced by his most sophisticated clientele. Gucci logos and symbols customized technically competitive sport items which all had their own original style. Golf club bags, tennis racket bags, surfboards, flippers and masks are some of the latest items in the range, which showcase Gucci’s craftsmanship applied to products that complement the wardrobes of sports professionals and sports fans alike. More recently, Guccissima Leather has been used to cover items from bicycle seats and snow sleds to saddles and a whole host of riding accessories, reflecting the sport’s continuing influence in the House’s collections.

On display is also the outfit from Gucci’s second equestrian collection designed exclusively for Charlotte Casiraghi by Creative Director Frida Giannini that the equestrian heiress wore throughout her participation in the 2011 Global Champions Tour.

I hope that you have enjoyed your museum’s tour.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht, Celebrities: Courtesy of Gucci

You cannot be everywhere… The same day I flew to Paris for the amazing shoot with Dior, I was also invited to London for another special event.

La Mania – the Polish fashion house under the Honorary Patronage of Karl Lagerfeld – and Galerie Gmurzynska hosted a multimedia event, so-called “Fairy Tale Mania”, presenting La Mania’s F/W 2012 collection and exhibiting the new work of artist Marco Perego. You might recognize Perego’s work from last year’s post when I met him in Zurich.

In case you haven’t heard of La Mania before, here are some facts. The label is the brainchild of Joanna Przetakiewicz, launched in 2010 with the one-of-a-kind blessing by her friend Karl Lagerfeld who has been offering guidance and inspiration to the Polish designer. Joanna is not only wearing her designs, she is also one of the rare Haute Couture clients in the world. The last time I saw her, was at the Stéphane Rolland show in Paris.

The exhibition “Fairy Tale Mania” is open to the public until the end of February at the Royal Opera Arcade Gallery, 5b Pall Mall, London SW1 (free entry). It represents Poland in the International Fashion Showcase project, organized by British Council and British Fashion Council as part of London Fashion Week.

Below you can see some photos of the event in London.

LoL, Sandra

Marco Perego
MY SOUL: Don’t leave me empty…
Painted metal, resin
2011

Isabelle Bscher, daughter of Krystyna Gmurzynska, and artist Marco Perego

Lapo Elkann, Zaha Hadid and Marco Perego

Joanna Przetakiewicz with models in her F/W 2012 collection

Joanna Przetakiewicz with her partner Jan Kulczyk, a prominent Polish business oligarch

Mathias Rastorfer, Zaha Hadid, Isabelle Bscher and Krystyna Gmurzynska
Photos: © Brauer

During New York Fashion Week, at the Lincoln Center, Barbie threw open the sparkly, pink doors of her Dream Closet.

It’s a special 9,000 square-foot installation with all kinds of looks to pick from and try on, a demonstration of what kids can do at home on their own computers if they visit BarbieWow.com and have webcams.

The real attraction were the Barbie “dressing rooms,” where you pose while your picture is snapped on a giant screen, then allowing you to “try on” some of your favorite B-doll costumes.

Stephanie Cota, Barbie’s senior vice president of marketing, has been active during Fashion Week for several years. There was a runway show in 2009 for the doll’s 50th anniversary, featuring outfits by 50 designers who included Vera Wang, Diane von Furstenberg and Calvin Klein.

In all, 75 couture designers have outfitted Barbie over the years. Cota and her Mattel crew were loaded with Barbie tidbits: There’s a “Barbie Pink” Pantone colour and more than 1 billion outfits produced for her since she first hit stores as a “teenage fashion model” in 1959 wearing a black-and-white zebra stripe swimsuit.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht