Sandra‘s Closet

“I loved working on the Lady Dior handbag. Most of my work builds on objects that already exist, which I then transform. I applied the same philosophy.”

– Anselm Reyes

When Fashion meets Art… Dior is collaborating with Berlin artist Anselm Reyle for S/S 2012. The original and vibrant collection of leathergoods, accessories and makeup, currently presented exclusively in a Miami pop-up Dior store during the Art Basel show is a dream and will be available worldwide in January 2012.

Dior has given to the artist total freedom on the creation of this collection and the outcome is vibrant and colourful. I definitely would like to own one of those bags!

ANSELM REYLE’S MAKEUP COLLECTION FOR DIOR

A „Camouflage“ Eyeshadow Palette
Adorned with the „Camouflage“ motif created for Dior, an eyeshadow palette offers a mixed harmony of violet, grey and black. Shiny and matt effects recall the artist’s leitmotifs and compose sophisticated eyes.

High-Impact Nail Lacquers
The nail lacquers are playful complements that set the tone in explosive colours. Bold violet of ultra-violet, deep black of untitled black, vivid pink of pink graffiti, vibrant blue of electric blue and a subtle silver of metallic silver compose an electrifying quintet that brings to mind Anselm Reyle’s passion for neon shades.

Here are some photos of the Dior pop-up store,
Miami Design District, 191 NE 40th Street, Miami, FL

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Dior

As you already know, I am a huge fan of Matthew Williamson. So of course, I paid a visit to his NYC store in the Meatpacking District on 14th street during my last visit.

The shop’s bridal section is just so wonderful. If I weren’t married already, it would be my absolute dream to wed in one of those gowns. If you are based in Europe, I recommend a visit to the London store.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Welcome to Everlane, the new online, members-only shop that has opened its doors today. Everlane co-founder Michael Preysman explained to Style.com the idea behind his new concept: „We just never understood why the most beautiful and simple products needed to cost so much. We’ve just cut out the middlemen so we can take smaller margins without sacrificing on quality at all.”

Everlane’s small collection of luxury basics will be all under $100, created by a team of in-house designers, including former brand directors from American Apparel. This means that you can buy your favourite basic tee in good quality for less than $15.

The Essentials Collection is available year-round, starting with four colors. Each month, there will also be a range of limited-edition pieces. For the festive season, the new e-commerce site is working on a collection of gift items, including canvas backpacks, iPod cases, jewelry, and scarves.

As there’s already a wait list to join, I invite you to sign up by clicking here.

LoL, Sandra

In Galleria del Corso in Milan: in the space formerly occupied by the Excelsior cinema, the Gruppo Coin has opened the new luxury concept store EXCELSIOR with 4000 sqm dedicated to fashion, food and design on seven floors, built by renowned French architect Jean Nouvel.

The flow of technological reflections takes visitors through a multisensorial shopping experience, from the basement (the Eat’s Store) to the top floor, the home of the luxury accessories. Customers can shop a large selection of beauty products, enjoy the patisserie Ladurée, a Tiffany store and fashion brands such as Givenchy, Chloé, Valentino, Holly Fulton and Proenza Schouler. Believe me, you could spend the whole day in this shopping temple!

LoL, Sandra

Designer clothes

Beauty temple

Olfactory bar

Ladurée

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

For all ladies who love to shop: Zurich has a new G-spot,“the Grieder spot”, so-called G.point, an innovative store concept, full of young brands, such as Rebecca Minkoff, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Butler & Wilson and Sam Edelman. The idea behind it is to offer something between high end and high street to cater to the budget challenged and to appeal to a younger audience that might shop one day the parent house’s designer fashion.

If you look around, you might find some unusual items that the buyers discovered during their trips around the world. The store is located next to the Grieder department store (In Gassen 20, 8001 Zurich/Switzerland) with its own entrance but is also connected to the main house. Soon to be opened in Geneva, too.

LoL, Sandra

G.irl Recha with me last night at the opening party

My outfit: Denim dress by Louis Vuitton, animal print sandals by Miu Miu and watch by Roger Dubuis.

A fun give-away for the press: A designer doll! I took Karl home…

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Zurich has got a new shopping oasis in the Seefeld quarter: Modestrom #110. Bibiana Stoecklin-Bruderer and Gabrielle Mazurczak have opened this weekend their second store that is filled with beautiful pieces from Nina Ricci (love!, the handbags and the prints are among my season’s favourites), By Malene Birger, Inès and Maréchal and Issa London among others.

Modestrom #110, Seefeldstr. 11o, CH – 8008 Zurich, phone +41 43 499 93 93 (new!)
Modestrom #53, Feldeggstr. 53, CH – 8008 Zurich, phone +41 43 499 91 91

Dream team: Bibiana Stoecklin-Bruderer and Gabrielle Mazurczak

The two lovely ladies have a good eye for exceptional beauty and carry some extraordinary things in their store which you might not find somewhere else such as Edition Poshette by Simone Bendix, an accessories collection inspired by vintage book covers, that also brings poetry into your life.

Magic fairies: Simone Bendix (to the left) with her sister.

Simone Bendix came for the shop opening to Zurich and presented her designs in an extraordinary way by telling us a fairytale-like story about how she came up with the idea:
“My fingers were always typing, pressing buttons and working, but they were actually longing for more, for fresh air, for feeling the paper of a good book and for the sensation of a soft fabric. One day, a butterfly came by and showed me the way…”

The beautiful brunette captured the audience immediately. No wonder as she used to be a well-known Danish actress. Today, she lives with Kasper Winding, who was previously married to Brigitte Nielsen, and their two kids in Paris.

Being a phenomenal artist, Simone creates original prints inspired by old book covers and transfers them onto accessories such as clutch bags, wallets and more.  Her romantic, vintage-inspired designs come with a very unique shape and style. To add to their sense of literary universe, Simone numbers her creations and gives them evocative poetic names such as “Mes Cartes À Jouer – May Good Fortune Find You”.

I found a lovely poem about her collection on her website. Please check it out, you can flip through the products similiar to pages in a book.

IDEA

Like all things of beauty,
this object that you now hold in your hands
began life as an idea.

The i.de.a. – from the Greek word for form or pattern –
begins in the mind.
Rubbing against our experiences, gaining in patina,
our ideas push upwards to find the light of day.

This Edition Poshette, a distillation of my ideas,
tastes and memories, is now yours…
Yours to cherish as a thing of beauty
on which to leave the marks
of your own prcious experience
and with which to live your own ideas
to the full.

Modestrom #110 carries a large selection of Edition Poshette along with many other fabulous pieces. And if the good fortune finds you, there will be nothing to keep you from shopping…
See you there!

LoL, Sandra

Beautiful display of Edition Poshette at Modestrom #110

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

For all mums and kids around Zurich, good news:
There are two new shops in town waiting for you to be explored.

In Zurich-Seefeld, Gaby Knobel, owner of the well-known children’s shoe shop Lolipop, has expanded her range with a new shop just across the street. Now, in addition to the large shoe selection, she also offers beautiful clothes from Lilly Gaufrette, Diesel and Hackett among others for boys and girls aged 0-12 years old.

Lolipop Kids Fashion, Seefeldstr. 55, CH – 8008 Zurich, +41 43 211 95 85

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Karin Grossenbacher knows her business well. After her huge success with Kids Design Lakeside in Thalwil, it was perfectly natural to open a store on the other side of the lake.
Now, she sells furniture and fashion (a large selection of D&G, Miss Grant and Moncler among others) also in Erlenbach. Don’t miss the generous basement to explore the latest trends for your child’s room while your little one enjoys sliding down the stairs. Karin and her team are waiting for you.

Lakeside Erlenbach, Seestr. 71, 8703 CH – Erlenbach, +41 44 722 1810.

A lot of tips and recommendations for families with kids offers the new Swiss online family magazine Familianistas. Enjoy!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

My last week in Istanbul was truly magical. I was impressed by the kindness and friendliness of the Turkish people and how wonderful and vibrant the city is. Shopping was a hell of a lot of fun. If you are based in Zurich and would like to experience some Istanbul fashion wonders, I recommend the newly opened shop Myracle – The Boutique (Freyastr. 21, 8004 Zürich).
Meryem Yalcinöz, who is Swiss with Turkish roots, carries yound Turkish designers as well as established brands like Machka and Ipekyol. Some of the shoes and jewelry pieces are even exclusively made for Myracle.

In case that I have whetted your appetite for a trip to Istanbul, Meryem also offers customized concierge services, from hotel recommendations to insider tips concerning dining and nightlife.
With her help, you can experience the city like a local.

LoL, Sandra

Yesterday, it was raining cats and dogs here in Istanbul. Unbelievable, where can I go for just one week of sunshine?!
To enlighten my weather depression, I went to Istinye Park, one of the most impressive shopping malls I have seen.

It felt a little like „Scotty had beamed me up to the USA…“ The mall showcases international brands like Zara, Gap, Massimo Dutti and many more. In addition to these stores, the shopping centre has fabulous restaurants and cafés such as Borsa restaurant and La Durée.
The outdoor section with a green central park truly resembles a Mini Rodeo Drive. It features high-end lines like for example Miu Miu, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and the local trendy department store Beymen.
With almost 300 shops in total, I was bound to find something…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Yesterday, I visited the Grand Bazaar (in Turkish, Kapali Carsi, meaning „Covered Market“) which is truly a whole new world. Made up of a maze of interconnecting vaulted passages, the Bazaar has its own banks, baths, mosques, cafés and restaurants, not to mention the thousands of shops, all glittery and fairy-lit in the absence of natural light. Since the rise of the mall, it is no longer the biggest shopping centre in the world, but it is definitely one of the oldest. You can browse through a sea of trinkets, jewelry, clothes, oriental decorations, fabrics, carpets and much more. I tried to capture some of my favourite impressions for you and hope that you will like them.

At the end of this post, you will see what I got to take a piece of Istanbul home with me. I am invited soon to a „1001 Nights“ themed party and this will be my costume…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht