Sandra‘s Closet

You know how much I love my Royal Oak Frosted Gold watch that Swiss Haute Horlogerie Manufacturer Audemars Piguet launched in collaboration with Carolina Bucci. 2022 marks a new milestone as Audemars Piguet presents a new limited edition 34 mm Royal Oak Selfwinding in black ceramic. This timepiece is the fruit of the latest collaboration between the manufacture and Carolina Bucci. In celebration of the Royal Oak’s fiftieth anniversary, the Italian jewellery designer has created a dial endowed with a unique multi-coloured mirror effect paying tribute to the iconic Tapisserie design. Inspired by urban landscapes, the result is as unexpected as it is elegant. This limited edition is designed for both men and women and is available exclusively in Audemars Piguet boutiques and AP Houses.

A SUBTLE AND UNEXPECTED AESTHETIC
For her third collaboration with Audemars Piguet, Carolina Bucci has left behind her hammering technique, known as Frosted Gold, to enrich an all-black ceramic piece with a surprising dial. Always looking to meet new challenges, she decided to focus on contrasts. At first glance, the dial appears black, but on closer inspection it reveals a multi-coloured spectrum that brings the Tapisserie effect to life in the ever-changing light. To reach this result, a sapphire plate adorned with little squares achieved through micro-structuring is added on top of the brass dial plate to create rich rainbow-coloured plays of light. A golden metallisation, specially developed for the occasion, is also applied onto the back of the sapphire plate to create a mirror effect and shines light onto the dial. The pattern of iridescent colours varies from dial to dial, making each design unique. This limited edition comes in a presentation box that has also been designed by Carolina Bucci. For this special occasion, the jewellery designer wanted to use the Tapisserie pattern in relief, going into the finest details, to pay homage to the 1972 classic.

«I wanted to place a rainbow in the most unexpected of places, a little like when you see oil floating on a puddle in a city street… So here you have every colour of the spectrum on a canvas that is completely black, which is itself the absence of colour.»
Carolina Bucci – Jewellery Designer

MATERIALS FULL OF CONTRASTS
The black ceramic case and bracelet are highlighted by hexagonal pink gold screws that secure the bezel and create an elegant contrast of colours. All the components of the case and bracelet are finished with the Manufacture’s signature satin-finishing that is paired with polished chamfers for a maximum play on light. The bracelet has been slightly revised to provide a better visual effect. The pins connecting the links to the studs are no longer visible from the side, but are directly integrated into the studs.

The titanium and sapphire caseback is engraved with the inscription «Limited Edition Carolina Bucci» and reveals the Calibre 5800 beneath, which indicates the hours, minutes, seconds and date. In keeping with the finish on the screws, hour-markers and hands, the 22-carat pink gold oscillating weight features elegant microbead-blasted, polished and satin finishes. On the dial, the AP monogram has vanished to leave pride of place to the long-form signature which has been engraved on top of the sapphire plate and filled with white lacquer due to the singularity of the dial imagined by Carolina Bucci.

My beloved Frosted Gold watch.

A COLLABORATION IN CONSTANT EVOLUTION
Carolina Bucci first started working with Audemars Piguet in 2016 for the 40th anniversary of the women’s Royal Oak that was created by Jacqueline Dimier in 1976. It was for this special occasion that the Italian designer was invited to reinterpret the original design by Gérald Genta. Together with the Manufacture’s watchmakers, she brought the ancestral technique of Florentine hammering, or Frosted Gold, to the complex architecture of the Royal Oak.

This technique consists of creating tiny indentations in the gold with a diamond-tipped tool that results in a sparkle that looks like diamond dust. Two models were initially released – the 15454 in 37 mm and the 67652 in 33 mm in a choice of white or pink gold – during an international event with Jacqueline Dimier in attendance. This marked the beginning of Audemars Piguet’s collaboration with Carolina Bucci. Since 2016, the Frosted Gold finish has been applied to numerous watch collections, sizes and complications.

In 2018, the designer signed a limited edition of 300 pieces for Audemars Piguet, entirely crafted in frosted yellow gold with a unique dial. Instead of the model’s trademark Tapisserie design, Carolina Bucci chose a mirrored dial with a flat surface evoking the surface of a lake on a calm day, reflecting the surrounding landscape. Despite its apparent simplicity, the mirrored dial presented a number of technical challenges that the Manufacture’s artisans were able to overcome to perfection.

In 2020, she went on to design the K.I.S.S. collection of gold bracelets – available in two sizes and numerous tones with matching necklaces – that were inspired by her previous projects with the Manufacture. These creations reinterpret the aesthetic codes of a mechanical watch spring, creating a link between Haute Joaillerie and Haute Horlogerie.

«Born in Le Brassus, raised around the world.»

Today, Carolina Bucci pays tribute to the Royal Oak’s 50th anniversary, with a design in black ceramic contrasted with multi-coloured reflections on the dial, providing the watch with unexpected plays of light. The Royal Oak Selfwinding 34 mm will not only surprise watch lovers with its iridescence, but will also seduce them with its sober and discreet refinement.

Price: CHF 48 500 // Limited Edition of 300 Pieces

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Audemars Piguet, © Sandra Bauknecht
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I will be off to the Salon del Mobile in Milano this week. As I am in the process of furbishing our new home, this is something very exciting and fun for me. Something that has caught my eye are the 20 limited-edition pieces from Roberto Cavalli Home Interiors, the so-called QUEEN OF CAVALLI CHAIRS, designed by my lovely Fausto Puglisi, the Italian brand’s Creative Director.

Fausto Puglisi with me at the Cavalli Club in Milan a few years ago.

The chair’s neoclassical structure is sculpted out of carved wood with a matt black finish and upholstered in fabrics printed with the artwork, focus on recent collections.

Animal print motifs representt the United States of Cavalli, celebrating the brand’s DNA alongside prints that explode with bright hues of sunshine yellow, fiery red, deep purple, the indispensable black and white, and a striking emerald.

Behind the backrest, a metal plaque with a brushed gold finish carries the name and series number of the chair, marking an extraordinary item that straddles the boundaries between art and design. The limited edition brings the synthesis of classic rigor and irreverence to the finest in Italian furniture, conveying the maximalist yet multifaceted style that disguises the brand collections.

The QUEEN OF CAVALLI CHAIRS will be officially presented as part of the Roberto Cavalli Home Interiors stand at the Milan Salon del Mobile. The limited edition may also be admired at the Roberto Cavalli Boutique in Via Montenapoleone, where it will star sth the centerpiece of a special installation.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Roberto Cavalli, © Sandra Bauknecht
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The second instalment to the sell-out collaboration, Manolo Blahnik for BIRKENSTOCK issues a new collection of boundary-pushing icons.

The ultra-modern sensibility of the Arizona and the Boston are once again included in this collection, comprising of four new styles reinterpreted through Manolo Blahnik’s absolute and archetypal flair. The second drop introduces a newly designed style Rodra delivering eye-catching new editions in polka dot and PVC.

Rodra polka dot
The Rodra sandal in all-over polka dot is a new style created for BIRKENSTOCK by Manolo Blahnik, reflecting the playful attitude of the house. An elegant cross between the creativity of both brands, and a nod to the robust function of BIRKENSTOCK’s footbeds, the Rodra elevates the sandal for a new era.

Boston polka dot
Manolo Blahnik makes a bold statement with the polka dot print adorning calf hair Boston styles. This timeless polka dot is a signature of the collaboration and has featured across many of Blahnik’s past collections. The round-toed Boston slide has legendary status now amplified by the all-out ostentation of this new print.

Arizona pvc black & pvc white
The iconic PVC style of celebrated shoemaker Manolo Blahnik harks back to his classic 1970 designs, embodying a lightness in a structural and tactile sense. Now, Manolo Blahnik combines his transparent designs with a see-through spin on the Birkenstock Arizona sandal, arriving in two black and white PVC styles.

Presenting their most striking designs to date, the new styles in the Manolo Blahnik for BIRKENSTOCK collection will be available June 23rd at 1774.com, manoloblahnik.com, all Manolo Blahnik retail locations, as well as selected retailers worldwide.

Prices will range between € 345 and € 395.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Birkenstock / Manolo Blahnik
#manoloblahnikxbirkenstock
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There is so much hype about the release of the Louis Vuitton and Nike «Air Force 1» designed by Virgil Abloh. Now, finally in June 2022, 9 editions of the sneaker – first presented as part of the S/S 2022 Men’s Collection – will be launched globally through an inclusive digital activation, with members of the Maison’s community offered early access to order the shoes.

Until May 31, 2022, the 47 editions of the «Air Force 1» imagined by Virgil Abloh were exhibited to the public in the showcase Louis Vuitton and Nike “Air Force 1” by Virgil Abloh in New York City. This event coincided with a number of corresponding art installations around the city. Manufactured in the Maison’s Manufacture in Fiesso d’Artico, Venice, Italy, each design fuses the sneaker’s original codes with the Maison’s finest leather, materials and insignia of Louis Vuitton, and the distinctive visual grammar of Virgil Abloh.

Celebrating its 40th year, the classic Nike «Air Force 1» was designed in 1982 and is one of the most successful shoes ever created. A cultural symbol in its own right, Virgil Abloh viewed the sneaker as an objet d’art emblematic of self-generated cultural provenance. The 47 expressions of the Nike «Air Force 1»  were created for a Louis Vuitton collection rooted in the Amen Break, a little-known drum break of a B-side created by the funk-soul group The Winstons in 1969, which would be sampled and go on to underpin the hip-hop and jungle genres, and splinter into thousands of the pop tracks most familiar to us today.

In June 2021, Virgil Abloh explained his approach: «The Air Force 1 is a sample like the Amen Break. A t-shirt is an ‘Amen Break’, a suit is an ‘Amen Break’. We’re all iterating on the same ideas. But, in my canon, the Air Force 1 puts the edge on the blade. This object happened way before me, but to get to a context where it’s adjacent to the t-shirt and the suit, its logic has been forty years in the making,» he said.

In February 2022, 200 pairs of the sneaker designs were sold at auction, to benefit The Virgil Abloh™ «Post-Modern» Scholarship Fund.

The 9 editions selected for Louis Vuitton in-store release cover mid-tops (EUR 2,500) and low-tops (EUR 2,000), and will be made available in Nike sizes ranging from 3.5 to 18. The launch includes the classic all-white sneaker embossed with the Louis Vuitton Monogram, and a riff on the same design in black suede. Two-tone editions in white with either green, red or blue detailing nod at the rainbow motif key to the work of Virgil Abloh at Louis Vuitton. Likewise, a metallic gold sneaker pays homage to the designer’s debut collection for the Maison, while patchworked multi-colour renditions celebrate his distinct graphic language.

Finally, a Damier edition is adorned with a «Louis Vuitton» graffiti motif created by the artist Ghusto Leone. The full launch includes:

• White mid-top in Monogram embossed plain calf leather.
• White low-top in Monogram embossed plain calf leather.
• Black low-top in Monogram embossed calf suede.
• White and Gym Green low-top in a trompe-l’oeil canvas executed in printed Monogram leather and Monogram embossed calf leather.
• White and Comet Red low-top in a trompe-l’oeil canvas executed in printed Monogram leather and Monogram embossed calf leather
• White and Team Royal Blue low-top in a trompe-l’oeil canvas executed in printed Monogram leather and Monogram embossed calf leather
• Gold low-top in Monogram embossed metallic canvas.
• Silver and multi-colour patchwork low-top in Monogram embossed calf suede and monogram embossed metallic canvas.
• Sail and Multicolor mid-top in Damier leather with an Azur graffiti print (available in sizes 5-18)

As a way of building bridges between countries and cultures, the late Virgil Abloh merged the worlds of high fashion and streetwear. The Louis Vuitton and Nike “Air Force 1” by Virgil Abloh can be seen as another unifying motif. Hard to get your hands on, but absolutely worth it! It is a piece of fashion history. I attached for you the making of the sneakers. So interesting to experience the craftsmanship going into the shoes.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton / Nike
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For Resort 2022, Maria Grazia Chiuri looked for sportswear as an inspiration and introduced a special sportswear line along the Dior Vibe sneaker. For the best shopping experience, Dior has been launching a series of pop-up stores around the world, which also present the new amazing Dior and Technogym Limited Edition series of home wellness products.

Within this new project Technogym and Dior have joined forces to devise these unique pieces, some of the most iconic of the brand – Technogym MyRun connected treadmill, Technogym multifunctional workout bench and Technogym exercise ball – reinterpreted in a white version enhanced with a Dior star, the founding couturier’s lucky charm, and the name «Christian Dior», the House’s emblematic signature, highlighted by five horizontal stripes in contrasting colors. Working out has just become so much more fun and stylish, don’t you think?!

The new Dior and Technogym Limited Edition products are available in Dior pop-up stores in Shanghai, Sanya, Beijing, Chengdu, Hong Kong, Seoul, Taipei, Bangkok, London, Beverly Hills, Soho, and Tokyo, as well as in a selection of pop-ins – in Paris, Milan, Tokyo, New York and Seoul.

Please find below more information about the Dior and Technogym Limited Edition series:

TECHNOGYM MY RUN FOR DIOR

This stylish, compact and quiet treadmill connects to your tablet and offers a wide range of on-demand running and walking workouts. By simply placing a tablet on the MYRUN console users can choose the on-demand workout by their favorite trainer.

TECHNOGYM BENCH FOR DIOR

This innovative bench offers a maximum variety of exercises options in a small space. Its innovative design includes a series of dumbbells, elastics and knuckles that allow to perform over 200 exercises thanks to an extensive library of on-demand workouts available on the Technogym App. 

TECHNOGYM BALL FOR DIOR

Designed to keep you on the move even while sitting, Technogym Ball is both a seat and a wellness tool, with a complete exercise program for flexibility, toning and balance.

Produced in Italy at the Technogym Village, these special creations reflect a mutual commitment of inspiring a lifestyle that combines physical exercise and style to motivate people living a happier and healthier life.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Dior/Technogym and © Sandra Bauknecht
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THE MAGIC OF A MEDITERRANEAN AWAKENING
The Italian fashion brand forte_forte celebrates Mirto di Panarea
forte_forte and Acqua di Parma are teaming up for the first time in an all- Italian love story. The «forte_forte loves Acqua di Parma» moniker is the result of the collaboration between a fashion house with a dreamy allure, focused on creating timeless designs filled with emotions, and a Maison symbolic of the most refined Italian style. The two houses share a passion for craftsmanship and for Made in Italy culture, for the atmospheres of Italian landscapes and for a pure and spontaneous beauty inspiring a revitalising rebirth. They come together to celebrate Mirto di Panarea, one of Acqua di Parma’s most loved fragrances.
More than just another capsule collection, «forte_forte loves Acqua di Parma» evokes the magic of Spring and its rebirth, inspired by the aromas and colours of the fascinating Aeolian island. This kaleidoscope of emotions radiates a new freedom, fluttering on the wings of a butterfly and a dragonfly. An iridescent atmosphere, vibrating with light and energy.

forte_forte aims to eliminate the distance between clothes and the wearer, by placing the focus on feelings and emotions. This joint project between the brother and sister team of Giada and Paolo Forte began in 2002 with a limited collection of hand-finished tee shirts. The fashion house creates special designs in which the Made in Italy is represented by the quality of the garments and a constant research driven by the desire to create pieces that are in complete symbiosis with the wearer’s body. This concept perfectly matches with Acqua di Parma’s core values.

What does a fashion design share with a fragrance?
«In this exciting story, the alliance between a fashion design and a fragrance generates a dynamic choreography that transports us into a dreamlike world, filling our senses with emotions and magic. Together, they create an intimate and special bond with our soul and body, enveloping it in a wonderful embrace.» – Giada Forte

A mythical landscape that lives in the delicate and dreamy design created by forte_forte for the Maison. Butterflies and dragonflies spread their coloured wings, in a fluttering flight that celebrates freedom and rebirth and that is reflected in a kaleidoscope of flowers abloom. The radiant yellow Parma tones alternate with the violet of myrtle berries, the symbol of an island suspended in time, on an aquamarine background with pearlescent reflections. Everything vibrates with life, whilst in the air you can breathe the scents of aromatic herbs that grow spontaneously and free-flowing in the Mediterranean scrub ecosystem.

The heart of the collection is the Mirto di Panarea fragrance in the novel 100ml format. The luxurious aesthetics of forte_forte dialogues with the regenerating notes of the fragrance. The aromatic warmth of myrtle is combined with basil, sparkling citrus accents of lemon and bergamotto di Calabria. In the heart of the fragrance accents of sea breeze meet jasmine and rose. The base notes intensely shine with mastic and juniper combined with cedar and amber.

Joyful and modern, the motif wraps around the cylinder box and the green coloured glass bottle that calls to mind the fragile beauty of ceramics. Made with a bright and special iridescent paper, the packaging, like a forte_forte dress, surprises and makes you dream, creating an intimate and exciting bond with those who opt for this fragrance. The outer cylinder is embellished with a small crochet decoration, its shape recalls a warm and bright sun. The charm scoubidou around the bottle cap in cobalt blue and fluorescent yellow tones and with a precious gold medallion, can be transformed into a bracelet or an anklet, a hair clip or a colourful and joyful keychain.

Apart from the fragrance, «forte_forte loves Acqua di Parma» includes the Discovery Set with the three fragrances Mirto di Panarea, Arancia di Capri and Fico di Amalfi in 12ml vials. The box, entirely covered with forte_forte designs, invites you to discover the authentic essences of the Italian Mediterranean. The Mirto di Panarea scented candle, a unique interior design element, with the glass decorated with the kaleidoscopic motif of flowers and butterflies embossed also on the packaging, will fill the house with the sparkling awakening notes of the Mediterranean nature.

«forte_forte loves Acqua di Parma» also embraces sustainability in line with the programme of the Maison «Acqua di Parma Futura». The outer packaging is made of fine paper approved by FSC, an international certificate for responsible forest management throughout the world.
The fragrance bottle, with a recycled plastic cap, features a separable dispenser to make recycling easier. «forte_forte loves Acqua di Parma» is a fragrant dream that unites two Italian stories in a tale of emotions.

Mirto di Panarea Eau de Toilette 100ml: CHF 153
Candle 200gr: CHF 87
Discovery Set: CHF 75

I am off to Italy today with Brunello Cucinelli… so excited for another love story!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Acqua di Parma
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Another year, another adventure! Follow Christian Louboutin as he embarks on a modern-day Odyssey through Athens and the Cyclades.

Playing tour guide to the designer, Mrs. Tependris, and her faithful poodle Pepe – created by Konstantin Kakanias, Christian’s dear friend and multi-faceted artist and illustrator.

Inspired by the land and the sea, the two limited-edition styles of Greekaba also play out in a variety of sizes and silhouettes. A rich artwork that tributes to the rich cultural heritage and craftsmanship of the Mediterranean.

You didn’t think they’d forget the shoes, did you? Explore the capsule that puts Greece’s rich cultural heritage firmly in the spotlight.

Consider this your one-way ticket to Greece!
To shop Christian Louboutin online, click here please.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Christian Louboutin
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Balenciaga presented his off-schedule Resort 2023 show on Sunday in the Big Apple. It took place at The New York Stock Exchange – a place the fashion crowd normally doesn’t have access to – and began with the ringing of the opening bell.

The French brand embarked on the unusual timing for a company first, under Demna’s direction, to hold a show in NYC. The invitation was a fat stack of fake 100s. And one thing is for sure, you need a good income to get those new pieces that will surely become a hit as Balenciaga revealed his collaboration with adidas in the last part off the show. Latex bodysuits fully covered models’ faces and send all focus on Balenci-adidas. Classic adidas pieces like Three Stripes tracksuits, hoodies, jerseys, and tees get the Balenciaga treatment, boasting updated oversized silhouettes.

The Balenciaga Triple S sneaker comes with the famous adidas stripes, either in white/black and blue/white colorways for CHF 975. However, for me the best pieces of the collection and something that will make its way into Sandra’s Closet.

The tight classic mini dress costs CHF 55 the adidas way (left) and CHF 1390 with the Balenciaga treatment (right). Sorry guys, but this is ridiculous. There I am out!

Balenciaga x adidas is now available only for one week until May 29 on Balenciaga’s webstore. So, act fast, but save some money as Gucci x adidas will officially drop in June. Gucci and Balenciaga both belong to Kering and they obviously like the German manufacturer of athletic shoes and apparel.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Balenciaga
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Finally my kind of cryptocurrency I love and trust! On April Fool’s Day, Tiffany & Co. announced it is venturing into the world of cryptocurrency. Now, the joke is up and while cryptocurrency may not be in the cards, the House revealed that it will sell a limited series of 499 18k yellow gold coins— TiffCoin—that celebrate the jeweler’s heritage and nod to the future of Tiffany & Co.

From 1973 until 2007, Tiffany & Co. offered Tiffany Money — actual silver and gold coins that could be exchanged for Tiffany & Co. jewelry. While the tradition is no more, the release of TiffCoin is an homage to this legacy. Each TiffCoin is individually engraved and numbered, featuring a T insignia with currency-inspired graphics. The exclusive 18k gold coin is 34.8 mm in diameter, 2.8 mm thick and comes in an exclusive TiffCoin case within the iconic Tiffany Blue Box® and retails for $9,999.99 USD.

Originally announced as a drop available for only 24 hours, there are still some available for good customers. By buying the TiffCoin, you will also get access to special events in the future.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Tiffany & Co. @ tiffanyandco
Tiffany, T&CO., Tiffany & Co., The color and word mark Tiffany Blue, and the design and word mark Tiffany Blue Box are trademarks of Tiffany and Company and its affiliates. © 2022 Tiffany and Company. All rights reserved.

Ten years after its global collaboration, Louis Vuitton launches chapter two of its partnership with Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, hitting stores worldwide in January 2023.

Since the creation of Louis Vuitton in 1854, the Maison has nurtured strong ties with the art world, collaborating with a series of artists who have brought their unique vision to Louis Vuitton. These close relationships have produced often radical reworkings of the Maison’s most iconic creations, in the process rewriting the rules of creative collaborations between luxury brands and artists. Yayoi Kusama’s collaboration in 2012 (Part one in July 2012 –  Part two in October 2012) flourished through various universes of the Maison, from exhibitions, products and a series of unique window installations, which included a startingly life-like mannequin modelled after the artist herself.

Finale at the Louis Vuitton Cruise 2023 show in San Diego and some detail shots:

Yayoi Kusama, born in March 1929, is an avant-garde artist whose perspective is expressed through myriad techniques from sculpture, painting, installation, filmmaking, photography, and happening, to writing in a variety of styles. She is regarded as a precursor to Pop and Minimal art, yet her diverse art practices resist any singular classification. Yayoi Kusama’s artworks originated from hallucinations such as where the red flower patterns on a dining table’s tablecloth started to spread across the walls, floor, and even across herself…She has been battling her inner fears and obsessions and pursuing the mysteries of life by depicting the hallucinations she has experienced since her childhood. Please click here for a post about her retrospective in Berlin last year.

Look 51 Louis Vuitton Cruise 2023

As a celebration of the Maison’s relationship with the artist and to mark the 10-year anniversary of the first collaboration, a handful of leather goods were premiered during Artistic Director of Women’s Collections Nicolas Ghesquière’s Cruise 2023 fashion show at the Salk Institute in San Diego. These exclusive bags feature a reinterpretation of the artist’s obsessive dots across Louis Vuitton signature shapes as well as on new models. A true first taste of a transversal collaboration that, come January 2023, will radiate through all Maison categories.

More information will be disclosed at a later date.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton
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