Sandra‘s Closet

Time flies during Paris Fashion Week. There is so much going on. Besides from all those runway shows, you have many invites to cocktail receptions, special presentations and store openings. You go to “re-sees”, which means, visiting the showroom to explore the new collection from up close. I have so much too show you, but find barely time to work.

Here is the look that I wore yesterday to the Valentino F/W 2013 show which was one of my favorites, absolutely beautiful.

Double breasted jacket,dress with leather and lace appliqué, suede ankle boots, and tote bag, all by Saint Laurent,leather mini shoulder bag by Valentino and Diorette ring by Dior Haute Joaillerie.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Sunday night, I had a blast in Paris at the Purple x Bulgari dinner at the famous Café de Flore, followed by the after party at Le Montana. The room was filled with the “Who’s Who in High Fashion” and of course many celebrities such as Tilda Swinton and Adrien Brody.

Enjoy some of the impressions! It doesn’t get more “in” than here…

Caroline Gaimari (Purple) with me

Famous crowd: Tilda Swinton, Haider Ackermann, Betony Vernon, Sandro Kopp, Waris Ahluwalia, and founder/owner of Purple Olivier Zahm

Arriving from the Givenchy F/W 2013 runway show with an extravagant hairdo: Models Magdalena Frackowiak and…

…Isabeli Fontana, here with Olivier Zahm

Patrick Liotard-Vogt (Chairman A Small World) and Olivier Zahm

Olivier Zahm and designer Haider Ackermann

Patrick Liotard-Vogt with me

Charlotte Stockdale, Derek Blasberg, Samantha Traina, and Gaia Repossi

One of my favourite designers: Olivier Theyskens with me

At the after party at Le Montana

Waris Ahluwalia

I truly had a blast and went to bed far too late. But when I got to my hotel room, I had a meltdown when spotting the fag burns in my beloved strapless lace and tulle dress by Dolce & Gabbana.

I truly hope that Dolce & Gabbana can save this amazing piece!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Purple © Stéphane Feugère, © Sandra Bauknecht

Last night, I went to the Zurich opera ball (remember last year?) and only slept two hours. Sorry that I didn’t take some pictures of my outfit, I needed a photo-free evening. But I actually wore the same dress as for La Soirée Monegasque. When I got home pretty late, I still had to pack for Paris Fashion Week. Here you see me at the airport this morning.

My look: Leather biker jacket by Saint Laurent, embellished cotton-jersey sweatshirt by Matthew Williamson, Boyfriend cropped distressed jeans by Current/Elliott, Pashli two-tone mini shark embossed leather satchel by 3.1 Phillip Lim, flat tote bag by Saint Laurent, lace-up oxfords by Miu Miu (Available in many different colours. I bought mine in Zurich.) and Spectra trolley by Victorinox.

Very tired but all excited for some new adventures! Bonjour Paris!
Now, off to the Akris F/W 2013 show…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

This was my outfit that I wore to the Pre-Oscar Charity Brunch hosted by Montblanc and UNICEF to celebrate the launch of their new ‘Signature For Good 2013‘ initiative with special guest Hilary Swank at Hotel Bel-Air Saturday morning.

Of course, the sun was shining in Los Angeles but temperatures were quite chilly so that I was very thankful to have brought something warm.

My look: Pale pink mink fur coat with flower intarsia, black satin bag with floral embellishments, both by Prada,dress with leather and lace appliqué, bow-embellished patent-leather pumps, both by Saint Laurent, 4810 hoop earrings in pink gold with diamonds, Princess Grace de Monaco limited edition (8 pieces) watch, both by Montblanc.

Stay tuned for the upcoming post of the brunch…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht,
Photos of me (collage): © Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images for Montblanc

Yesterday, I was invited by Montblanc to attend a lovely, very intimate lunch with caviar and champagne at their Arts & Artisanery lounge at the Beverly Wilshire hotel. The rooms of the suite are decorated so beautifully with artwork from the German house’s Cutting Edge Art Collection. Along with many celebrities, among them Emily Rossum, Billy Zane and Pat & Michael York, I had the honour to explore some of the amazing pieces from their high jewelry line, that will surely be seen tomorrow on the red carpet of the Oscars 2013.

My look: Neon stretch-crepe blazer by Antonio Berardi, printed cotton shirt by Carven, pleated wool-crepe mini skirt by Christopher Kane, 4810 hoop earrings by Montblanc, holographic faux leather pumps and matching faux leather clutch, both by Stella McCartney. (For more information on the holographic trend, please click here).

During lunch, I sat next to Pat and Michael York, who is famous for his roles in Cabaret, The Three Musketeers and Austin Powers, among many others. His wife Pat, a former editor of Vogue and Glamour magazine, and a passionate photographer, is a very captivating lady. With exhibitions all over the world, including one at Galerie Gmurzynska in Switzerland, her preferred  subjects are dissected cadavers. “I love the human body,” she explained to me. “It is so fascinating. Once you’ve looked under the skin, we all look the same. You feel how meaningless is all racial and religious prejudice.”

This unique piece from Montblanc’s Bouquet Collection is absolutely breathtaking. It features three blooming diamond studded roses and a gigantic star-shaped “Montblanc Diamond” and drapes comfortably around the neck.

Billy Zane with me. The actor is probably best known for his role as the arrogant Caledon Hockley, Rose’s fiancé in Titanic.

The bracelet and necklace from the Riviera Collection feature a cascade of briolette diamonds and a beautiful embellished closure.

Montblanc’s iconic Princesse Grace de Monaco Collection is a tribute to elegance. For the Pétales Entrelacés motif, the rose petals, in warm pink gold with or without diamonds pavé, are crafted in an intertwined way for rings, earrings, necklaces and braclets.

The last two days have already been so wonderful and I couldn’t be any happier to join Montblanc for the ultimate Oscar experience. I am off this morning to attend the Montblanc Signature for Good Charity Brunch at the Bel-Air hotel where many celebrities are expected and a gorgeous charity project will be presented. You can follow me on the official Montblanc Twitter account @montblanc_world and on Instagram @sandrascloset.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Yesterday, I arrived in Los Angeles in the late afternoon and went straight to my hotel, the Beverly Wilshire, one of the filming locations for the 1990 movie “Pretty Woman”. There, I attended a cocktail reception at the Montblanc Arts & Artisanery Lounge located at the fabulous Royal Suite, followed by a dinner at one of my favourite restaurants, Osteria Mozza.

My look: Black crystal embellished wool dress by Emilio Pucci and patent pumps with bows by Saint Laurent.

The decoration couldn’t have been more perfect for an Oscar experience…
The last photo of this post was taken this morning when I woke up after two hours of sleep. Gorgeous sunshine in the city of angels. I just love L.A.!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Dear German readers, have a look at the newest edition of GLAMOUR magazine. I am so proud to have five pages in the new trend part concerning my favourite online shops.

For all who cannot get their hands on the German GLAMOUR, here is a brief summary.

FASHION and more…
ASOS: Great shop to find trendy pieces for less money
CLOSED: The best pants in the world
COJE: A must for all who love romantic looks
FARFETCH: Shopping around the globe
LOUNGE LOVER: My choice for yoga and comfy clothes
LUISA VIA ROMA: The place to explore upcoming and established designers
MYTHERESA: Great selection of many designers, among them Givenchy and Balenciaga
NET-A-PORTER: My all-time favorite! Best online shopping on earth!
PULLANDBEAR: Statement fashion from Spain for the small budget

ACCESSORIES and more…
AVENUE 32: New star in shopping heaven
BOTICCA: Extraordinary jewelry and accessories by upcoming young designers around the globe
GIFTLAB: Great source for gifts and more
MONNIER FRERES: Pretty addictive website for all sorts of accessories

FAMILY & Co…
AMERICAN GIRL: A dream for little girls and their mommies
LOVELYSTUFF: The perfect shop to plan your baby shower or best friend’s wedding
NAMEITLABELS: Be creative and design your own labels
POTTERY BARN: Affordable furniture, home accessories and frames
TINY PRINTS: Greeting cards, perfect for the next holiday season

AMERICAN DREAMS
BERGDORF GOODMAN: My favourite US-shopping destination
J.CREW: Preppy chic par excellence
SSENSE: Many It-labels for both, men and women
INTERMIXONLINE: Paradise for all A-listers and trendsetters
MYUS: Your virtual US-address for all those stores that don’t ship to Europe or Asia

Happy Shopping!

LoL, Sandra

While you are reading this post, I am on my way to Los Angeles to live the ultimate Oscar experience with Montblanc. Stay tuned for many upcoming posts from my favourite city in the world. In the meantime, you can enjoy those exclusive behind the scenes photos of how my Montblanc Limited Edition Bespoke Ink SANDRA BERRY was born.

It all started with a trip to the headquarters in Hamburg… do you remember?

After the concept of “Sandra Berry” had been visualized in spring 2012, I had many sleepless nights, dreaming about the color for my personalized ink. Funnily enough, I mixed tons of nail polishes together to come up with that one hue I was thinking of. In Hamburg, the lovely and extremely professional Montblanc team helped me to finalize the perfect shade.

A few weeks later, I received the bottles with three slightly different colors. Now, it was up to me to choose. Sample number 3 became SANDRA BERRY.

The next step was the design of the bottle. In Zurich, I met with the ladies from Montblanc at one of my favourite restaurants in town, Bindella, for a very fun arts and crafts session. After a yummy lunch complemented by a tiramisu, the shape of the bottle, the bows, the colours and tags were finally determined.

In December right before the big launch event, we met at the Montblanc offices in Zurich to finish the product by hand. While enjoying champagne and chocolate truffles, we brought the packaging to perfection.

Those of you who were lucky to get one of the 100 limited edition bottles, know now, how much work and passion went into SANDRA BERRY. I truly hope that you will like it.

For my Swiss based readers: If you like to know more about the colour pink, have a look at my column in the recent March edition of the SI Style magazine in which I am telling you all about it. There is a reason why you “look in the pink”…

Talk to you soon from Los Angeles!

LoL, Sandra

Photo Sandra Berry: © Etienne Schwank. All other photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Miuccia Prada used Japanese elements, draped Duchesse satin and came up with a contemporary kimono style, while paying homage to Courrèges with ’60 silhouettes and red daisies. All mixed together, the Prada S/S 2013 collection has a very nostalgic feel while of course looking absolutely new and modern. That is something only Mrs Prada can come up with.

Photos taken in my favourite coat in my favourite Prada store in the world, ZURICH!

My beloved Prada accessories for S/S 2013.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Prada, © Sandra Bauknecht

Here is a brief summary of all my recent fashion columns in the Swiss SI Style magazine that I have been meaning to show you since quite some time. For the outfit posts, just click on the highlighted text below each picture.

November 2012: In this issue I wrote about my trip to Venice for the launch of Gucci Première where I was able to interview Blake Lively, the amazing visit of the Biennale des Antiquaires in Paris with Piaget and the St. Moritz Art Masters (more of this event will be coming up soon).

My look: Gucci Première Launch Event in Venice

Complementing the November issue, a special edition in collaboration with Jelmoli was launched in which I set the table for a perfect dinner (Stay tuned for a behind the scenes post to be published during the next weeks).

My Look: The Kite Runner Dress

December 2012: This time, I wrote an homage to my hometown Frankfurt and its very charming dialect.

My Look: Greetings from Frankfurt

January – February 2013: Talking about New Year’s resolutions, I went for a sporty theme and described some funny experiences when I was diving in the Indian Ocean.

My look: Place du Trocadéro

Another special edition came out this month: Style Mountain. This time, I was telling some anecdotes from St. Moritz.

My look: Putting on St. Moritz

If you are interested in reading all of them, click here to enter SI Style’s archive. Stay tuned as I will be showing you the newest column and a surprise tomorrow morning.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht