Sandra‘s Closet

I met Naomé Schenk through ASMALLWORD a few years ago and was immediately impressed by her energetic and positive charisma. Nothing seems to stop her. Not even her disease, Ullrich-Turner syndrome (TS), also known 45,X, or 45,X0, a genetic condition in which a female is partly or completely missing an X chromosome. Signs and symptoms vary among those affected. For Naomé, it meant not being able to walk anymore when she became a teenager. Today, she conquers the world in a wheelchair and plays E-hockey (Electric Wheelchair Hockey) enthusiastically.

Creative and daring, Geneva-based Naomé has always been an effective dreamer who wants to have a positive impact on the world around her. Passionate about fashion and luxury, she has been following trends for many years. She notes the growing concern of consumers of luxury goods about the meaning towards their shopping.

Bio-ethical Swiss cotton

Therefore she launched By Naomé, her own luxury fashion brand totally Swiss made which gives back all its benefits to charity. Each collection is the result of an encounter between By Naomé, a renowned artist and a charity. The T-shirts are organic and sewn with certified bio-ethical «Swiss Cotton», the most qualitative cotton in the world that feels like silk. By Naomé has been awarded the Butterfly Mark, powered by Positive Luxury, in recognition of being a sustainable, social and innovative brand.

This season, By Naomé joins forces with contemporary artist Hadrien Dussoix. The so-called «The First Date» collection is limited and consists of 5 emblematic works, available as artwork and T-shirt.  The Womanity Foundation and the Giving Women association have been chosen as the respective charity, so all the profits of the collection will be donated to them.

Naomé’s mission is strong and her vision is clear: through her actions, she wants to have a real positive impact in the world. She therefore wanted to create an ambitious project that was in line with her values: respect, sharing and boldness.

Me with the «Need Less Want More» T-Shirt by By Naomé

Naomé, you were diagnosed with the Ullrich-Turner syndrome when you were a little girl. Can you tell us a little more about it, how this has changed your life and how you have adapted to the situation?
Ullrich’s Syndrome is a rare disease that has affected less than 50 people so the core medical team never really knows what to do or what to advise. The disease is progressive but I am currently in a «stable» period. As a child, I had a lot of pain, vomiting and time spent in hospital – it brought me a lot in the sense that when you are stuck, limited and suffering, you quickly understand what is essential and how to live your life to the best of your ability to be happy, without losing time. These months spent in the hospital have allowed me to know exactly where I wanted to go. I finally saved some time thanks to this forced reflection.
Also my illness entails that I have caregivers who help me 24 hours a day, it is a strength and dependence sometimes very difficult to manage that has totally influenced me.

When did you launch By Naomé? What was your inspiration behind it? And how
much time did it take you to launch your first collection?
By Naomé is really my dream since I was a teenager, to have a positive impact. Passionate about fashion, art, luxury, I wanted to create a concept that could be an example of ethics, creativity, that would have a positive impact by making this concept a 100% charitable concept, because we give all the profits to charities! I first created the Caritative Actions By Naomé association in January 2018, in order to carry out this project. The production part, sourcing 100% Swiss made took time and was complicated, but then we had a wonderful launch at Globus in May 2019.

The T-shirts are designed by artist Hadrien Dussoix. How was this collaboration
born? How was your creative process? How were you involved?
A mutual friend introduced Hadrien and I to each other. When I saw his work, I was immediately inspired. Hadrien has had great success with paintings that showed strong, funny, provocative sentences in written… I immediately thought it would match my T-shirt concept perfectly and proposed the project to him. Hadrien invested himself a lot of time, totally voluntarily, and we had a superb, harmonious collaboration. Everything was very simple and efficient. Hadrien first created the paintings and then we decided on the T-shirts. I am very honored and happy to have collaborated with such a renowned contemporary artist as Hadrien Dussoix!

Will other artist collaborations follow?
Yes, of course! There will be at least one collection per year, each time with a new artist partner! Stay tuned!

By Naomé – all Swiss made

The T-shirts have an amazing quality, are made from bio-ethical fabrics. Where do
you produce and how did you find the right production place?
It was really a puzzle, because there are almost no more workshops in Switzerland. Manuela Soldati, a talented friend and stylist, helped me. We spent days contacting dozens of places. Finally we found a small workshop in Lucerne, where everything is sewn on site! The material is Swiss Cotton certified organic, one of the most qualitative materials in the world, a rare cotton that looks like silk to the touch. The whole thing is 100% Swiss made, it’s an integral part of the concept!

The packages, the hanger, there are so many details that are outstanding. Are you
behind all of this? Can you tell us a little more please.
Thank you very much! It is clear that I am 100% present in both, the concept and the realization, I like to have control over everything and do everything in detail, and this is essential when you want to do something of high quality. I have always loved beautiful things, big brands, so I take inspiration from them and try to do the best I can! I still have lots of ideas and opportunities for improvement, however!

How much of the proceeds of the sales go to charity? Can you please tell us a little why
you choose the respective charity.
100% of the profits go to the charities we support! So our only costs are production, the rest goes to the associations. Each collection has a theme, a cause. For this first collection, Hadrien Dussoix and I have chosen the cause of women – that is why we support Womanity and Giving Women, two Geneva-based associations that support poor women around the world. It is also a process because I ensure that associations are transparent and do an effective job – I have met members personally and am aware of their daily actions.

Please also tell us a little bit more about the upcoming charity event in November.
What is your idea behind it? It is not the first time you are doing such an event?
Could you share some details of the program with us please?
Yes, we are organizing a Charity Gala on November 13th at the Baroque restaurant in Geneva. We have organized 5-6 events since the launch, but it will be the first of its kind. Honestly, everything started to get organized barely 2 months ago, I was very keen to do it, so I contacted some friends, and everything accelerated and was set up very quickly. We are honored to have Kristina Bazan give a private concert, Anish @watchanish who will be our host, partners such as Bulgari, Perrier-Jouet, Newby, Marini etc…. Honestly it was crazy, but when I want to do something – I do it all the way and I don’t pay attention to the «standards».
Everyone told me that we had to organize such an event at least 1 year in advance, and now, in just 2 months – we are almost SOLD OUT! I am really looking forward to it!

You are now 24 years old. You seem to be unstoppable and know what you want from life at such an early stage. Do you think that the circumstances you were born with made you stronger? What would be an advice you gave to your younger self. Something you wished, you knew before.
Yes, I am 24 years old and I can’t even imagine who I would be or what I would have done if I didn’t have this disease. It’s unimaginable. The advantage of being limited allows you to focus, and it is very hard in our time full of distractions, of being able to focus, especially for young people. One advice I could give is to take a lot of time for yourself, it must really be your priority, personally I love spending time alone and thinking, viewing my future, thinking about who I am and what I want. You have to know where you’re going if you want a chance to get there! One piece of advice I could give myself is to be less trusting and much more cautious.

Naomé in three words!
Passionate, ambitious, positive.

Thank you so much, Naomé for giving us such a deep inside in your personal life and your beautiful project!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © By Naomé, via Instagram @iamnaome @bynaome and © Sandra Bauknecht

In February, I met Cameron Saul the first time during a breakfast in Zurich. Cameron is absolutely inspiring to talk to, a true visionary who really makes a difference in this world. Together with his father Roger (Founder of British luxury fashion brand Mulberry), he launched the Bottletop Foundation in 2002 through a design collaboration with Mulberry.

One of the iconic Bottletop x Mulberry bag.

At the heart of the campaign was a handbag made from recycled bottle tops in Africa that was lined with Mulberry leather in Europe. The bestselling design was heralded as a sensation by the international fashion press, generating local employment and raising vital funds for grass roots education projects in Africa.

Cameron Saul with me in Zurich in the beginning of the year.

In the end of April, I flew to London to celebrate the launch of #Togetherband, held at the Quadrant Arcade. A movement started by Bottletop, the sustainable British accessories brand, to bring awareness to the 17 Global Goals formulated by the UN in 2015 through a partnership with the UN Foundation, WWF, Project Everyone, Eco Age, Global Citizen and the Founding Partner UBS. These groups created the #TOGETHERBAND campaign, which promotes those 17 Global Goals that are meant to protect the earth and foster prosperity by 2030.

They include no poverty, zero hunger, gender equality, climate action, clean water and sanitation and life on land, among many others. The #TOGETHERBAND campaign sets out to create a global community of over one billion active citizens coming together to achieve the Goals through sustainable fashion, contemporary art, music and documentary film.

At the heart of the 17 month non-profit campaign are 17 sustainably and ethically produced friendship bands. The bracelets are created using recycled ocean plastic and melted-down firearm metal from El Salvador and are made by a group of women in Nepal who have been rescued from human trafficking. The colour of each band represents a different Global Goal which will be fronted by 100 carefully curated high-profile Official Ambassadors, among them Doutzen Kroes, Michelle Yeoh and Arizona Muse, for each goal from across the cultural spectrum, with the power to affect real change and inspire a movement.

Cameron and I at the launch event with our Togetherband bracelets in front of the iconic tapestry that is made up of upcycled metal tabs collected from those discarded on the streets each of which is then individually prepared and hand painted in Brazil.

With each band you buy, you get one to give to a friend, and you’re encouraged to share the bands on social media with #TOGETHERBAND. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the sales will go towards projects to further the Goals. Interesting to know is that the UBS Optimus Foundation has been selected to help fund life-changing projects with the profits from this campaign.

With Gabriel Cohen, UBS Wealth Management, to the left and Cameron Saul to the right.

Sergio P. Ermotti, UBS Group Chief Executive Officer, says: «We are excited to be the Founding Partner of #TOGETHERBAND. Sustainability is a priority for our clients and for us. As the leading global wealth manager, UBS already contributes to setting the standards and collaborates in and beyond our industry. We are particularly proud that the UBS Optimus Foundation has been selected to help fund life-changing projects with the profits from this campaign.»

Cameron Saul, Co-Founder of BOTTLETOP, says: «We have always believed in the power of sustainable design and creative culture to engage people powerfully in development issues. Through #TOGETHERBAND we are thrilled to combine artisanal craftsmanship with the immediacy and reach of social media to facilitate a cross cultural conversation around the Global Goals as we engage everyone who wants to come together for a healthy future.»

I am very proud to be among those Ambassadors, raising awareness for Goal 12, which stands for responsible consumption and production, something I have been trying to communicate for a long time through my blog. Should the global population reach 9.6 billion by 2050, the equivalent of almost three planets could be required to provide the natural resources needed to sustain current lifestyles. Achieving economic growth and sustainable development requires that we urgently reduce our ecological footprint by changing the way we produce and consume goods and resources. Therefore I always recommend to keep your pieces and combine them in different ways. Furthermore, I constantly try to convey the message to invest in clothing of good quality that will last and to stay away from fast fashion.

With lovely Arizona Muse who is one of the Official Ambassadors for the campaign.

HOW
The 17 month non-profit #TOGETHERBAND campaign will feature one goal promoted per month through a combination of live events, films and targeted social media outreach by key global thought leaders. The campaign ladders up to the UN General Assembly in September 2020; the key milestone ten years ahead of the target date for us to have achieved the Goals. 100% profits from the campaign will be donated to ground-breaking projects advancing each of the Global Goals.

Rocking #Togetherband: With singer Izzy Bizu who also live performed at the after party.

SOCIAL MEDIA
Led by 100 carefully curated Official Ambassadors for each Global Goal, this is designed to be a high visibility social media campaign. Each Ambassador will share their support for the Goal they are representing by showing themselves wearing their #TOGETHERBAND in selfies and by posting documentary film content on their social media channels – creating a tidal wave of visibility and attention for each Global Goal.

Buy One Give One:
With every band purchased you will receive two.
One to wear and one to share.
Mini #TOGETHERBAND RRP £20 / $25
Regular #TOGETHERBAND RRP £35 / $45

#TOGETHERBAND will be sold at www.togetherband.org and via select retail partners.
Enjoy more photos below…

LoL, Sandra

Switzerland in the house: a close friend of Cameron and part of the movement: Nachson Mimran, Creative Director of the Alpina Gstaad Hotel and CEO and Co-Founder of TO.org.

Bottletop bags on display at the event.

With Cameron’s father, Roger Saul, founder of Mulberry, at the launch event.

Event location.

Izzy Bizu singing live at the after party.

After party of a successful launch event.

Photos: Courtesy of Togetherband and © Sandra Bauknecht

To support the release of her new album «Lover,» out this week on August 23, 2019 Taylor Swift announced that she’s working with British fashion designer Stella McCartney on a special—and sustainable—fashion collaboration, featuring organic fabrics, leather made from recycled polyester and vegetable waste oils, and even a reusable water bottle.

«She’s been a friend for a really long time, and also just a woman I respect so much,» Swift said of McCartney during an Instagram Live. The collection is inspired by the songs on the album, and is including a bomber jacket, purse, and many tees in all sorts of amazing pastel hues and tie-dyes. You don’t need to be a teenager to like those pieces…

Tune in to Taylor’s YouTube channel at 5pm EST on August 22, 2019 to see Stella and Taylor reveal more about their creative process.

The collection will be available in a special pop-up store in New York City called «The Lover Experience» that will take place between August 23-25, 2019 and online here. It seems to be the only place fans will be able to purchase the limited edition tees (at least for now). The jacket and purse, however, will also be available on Stella McCartney’s website starting the night of August 22, 2019.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Stella McCartney
via Instagram @taylorswift @stellamccartney #StellaxTaylorSwift

Pack a slice of Asia wherever you go and beat the heat with the most stylish leather and horn fans, you might have ever seen! Handmade by skilled artisans and inspired by the market stalls of Java, Putri Soediono launched Pubumésu, after cutting her teeth designing theatrical accessories for Vivienne Westwood.

Putri Soediono

A third culture kid with a traditional and eccentric Asian upbringing, she holds a degree in Fashion Accessories from London Cordwainers. For her designs, that also include bags, she combines the traditional shadow puppet making of her native Indonesia with a passion for statement pieces.

Banana leaf printed leather and horn fan

Conch shells printed leather and horn fan

Watermelon leather fan

Pineapple printed leather and horn fan

Here you can enjoy some photos of the outstanding craftsmanship that goes into the fans. Every cut, stitch, shaping, forming, and treatment is conducted in the brand’s Indonesia – based factory, involving a team of classically skilled craftsmen and women, dedicated to the art of leather craft.

The team uses 100% tanned leather from cattle locally sourced on the island of Java, that is carefully treated to provide you the signature distressed look for that little edge of punk. The outcome, an entirely handcrafted piece of leather accessory you can call your own.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Pubumésu, Instagram @pubumesu

Deriving its name from the Latin term for «sense and emotion,» RATIO ET MOTUS only launched in 2018, yet New York-based Angela Wang and Daniel Li, the creative minds behind the brand, are already making waves with their cult pieces. Their classic and artful handbags immediately caught the attention of NET-A-PORTER’s fashion buyers who support the label as part of their Vanguard initiative, that is promoting new and rising talent in the industry.

The brand aims to produce products with considered design details utilizing Italian craftsmanship all while keeping longevity in mind. Being sustainable is important to them, therefore the duo only source leather from local Italian tanneries with a mission of low carbon footprint, minimum toxic wastage, low water consumption and ethical supply chain. All leathers used in the collections are by-products from the meat industry and the water repellent lining is made of vegan leather.

Look out for the unique «Disco» bag, which has modern details like specific slots for iPhones …

… or opt for my favorite, the «Twin Frame» leather tote. I adore its sleek, structured silhouette with the separate clutch at the front that can be unscrewed and used alone.

TO SEE AND SHOP ALL BAG MODELS, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Ratio et Modus and Net-à-Porter

Yesterday evening, I was invited to an evening on the topic of the future of fashion and fabrics by UBS at the FREITAG Lab in Zurich.

The evening started with a private guided tour of the FREITAG factory by Daniel Freitag himself, founder of the Freitag brand, followed by drinks and networking and then seated dinner whilst listening to a presentation of Christina Dean, founder of The R Collective and Redress and a UBS Global Visionary, who was addressing the problem of waste and pollution by the fashion industry. My avid readers might recognize her from the UBS Unique – Economy of Fashion forum in 2017.

The first messenger bag F13 TOP CAT is exhibited at the MoMA in New York.

Let me get started with the story of FREITAG which is a truly inspiring one. In 1993, graphic designers and brothers Markus and Daniel Freitag were looking for a functional, water-repellent and robust bag to hold their creative work. Inspired by the multicolored heavy traffic that rumbled through the Zurich transit intersection in front of their flat, they developed a messenger bag from used truck tarpaulins, discarded bicycle inner tubes and car seat belts. This is how the first FREITAG bags took shape in the living room of their shared apartment – each one recycled, each one unique. By the way, the first messenger bag F13 TOP CAT wrote fashion history and can be looked at at the MoMA in New York.

Each FREITAG bag is unique made from truck tarps.

With their innovation, the brothers inadvertently triggered a seismic event in the world of bag making. Its tremors have since made themselves felt in Zurich and the cities of Europe and spread all the way to Asia, making FREITAG the unofficial outfitter of all urban, bike-riding individualists. Today, FREITAG is one of the most hyped brands in Thailand and Japan. The products are available in 24 by the brand owned stores as well as at over 400 resellers around the world with an extensive choice of over 4000 unique products available in the online store. I was pretty impressed of the work that goes into the shoot of each product. Imagine that every single bag is unique and therefore needs to be photographed individually.

Each bag is shot separately for the online store.

FREITAG likes the tarps that they make bags from to have some popping color schemes, but it’s not always so easy to find them, especially since they want to use truck tarps that were on the road for quite a time.

Since the first F13 TOP CAT messenger bag, the collection has spawned a full range of over 80 different models for all your carrying needs: from smartphone and laptop sleeves via backpacks and on to handbags, shoppers and travel bags.

Creating new shapes and models is part of the design process.

FREITAG has been at home in the Nœrd industrial complex in Zurich-Oerlikon since 2011. This is where the truck tarps we collect are taken apart, washed and cut to size. The sewing has been outsourced to other Swiss companies.

A great sustainable concept: unscrewed buttons.

Newest project: a small clothing line.

In 2014, the bag-makers gave themselves a new raw material to play with: F-ABRIC. Developed in-house from the ground up, the rugged, completely compostable textiles are based on bast fibers that are produced using a minimum of resources within a 2500-kilometer radius of headquarters. F-ABRIC thus more than lives up to the FREITAG philosophy: «We think and act in cycles.»

The team works following a self-management strategy. Each team member shows the time that he or she works on a project with the help of LEGO stones on a board.

«I stepped back as CEO. I am an originator, apostel, incubator and more.»
– Daniel Freitag

Daniel Freitag with me

FREITAG has not only committed to the circular, closed-loop economy but is also organized in circles: in 2016, the company, which still belongs to the Freitag brothers, abandoned the classical hierarchical structure and replaced it with Holacracy, a form of organization based on self-management.

We were served a yummy Züri Geschnetzeltes in form of mushroom protein instead of meat for the vegan surprise dinner at Noerd Kantine.

The guided tour by Daniel Freitag was very impressive and so was the vegan dinner in the Noerd Kantine, which is in the same building as the Freitag Lab. Personally speaking, FREITAG is a company that I would like to work in.

Christina Dean with me

Christina, who calls herself a «sustainable fashion advocate», started Redress following a phenomenal life-changing professional and personal experience. She used to be a dentist, then a journalist before moving to Hong Kong. After a bike trip through Southern China, she became increasingly interested in China’s environmental crisis. The more she investigated the sources, the more compelled she became by how the country’s fashion and textile industries were contributing to this drastic situation, which not only affects the planet but is also killing people.

Rescue. Reuse. Reimagine.

«Waste is not waste until it is wasted.»

This insight led to a huge professional change. First, she only wore for one year clothes that other people had thrown away. Parallel, she started the NGO Redress, followed later by The R Collective, that creates sustainable fashion using rescued textile waste sourced from the world’s leading luxury fashion brands and reputable mills and manufacturers. These materials are reused through upcycling, reimagining the destiny of textile waste with timeless designs. With these innovative techniques and sustainable designer collaborations, the team is catalysing the circular fashion revolution.

«Let’s be global fashion citizens, not consumers.» – Christina Dean

This said, I am wishing you a happy and inspiring long weekend!
Thank God it’s Friday, or as we Germans say Freitag…

LoL, Sandra

Photos in first college and of the first messenger bag: Courtesy of FREITAG
All other photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

This week during the Kering 2017  Talk at the London College of Fashion, GUCCI President & CEO Marco Bizzarri unveiled the brand’s new ten-year «Culture of Purpose» sustainability plan with two major announcements. One is very surprising to me, the house’s pledge to go fur-free beginning with the S/S 2018 collection by joining the FUR FREE ALLIANCE. According to a statement, GUCCI will no longer «use, promote, or publicize animal fur» in its collections and will be organizing a charity auction of remaining animal fur items with proceeds to benefit LAV and THE HUMANE SOCIETY.

Gucci President & CEO Marco Bizzari at the Kering 2017 Talk

Building on its long term CHIME FOR CHANGE campaign for gender equality, Gucci is donating € 1 million as a Founding Partner of UNICEF’s Girls’ Empowerment Initiative, which underpins the company’s approach to creating a more responsible business.

This will help UNICEF reach more than 50,000 girls directly with programs aimed at empowering them, and indirectly reach 150,000 more.

Gucci’s bestseller: the Horsebit-detailed shearling-lined leather slippers.

Following Kering’s sustainability framework, the plan is focused on three pillars:

Environment – Gucci is committed to reducing its environmental impacts and is setting ambitious targets to create a new standard in luxury retail, e.g. guaranteeing the traceability of 95% of our raw materials.

Humanity – Gucci recognises the value of its employees and is dedicated to enhancing the lives of the people who make its products as well as supporting communities, e.g. responsible and innovative management of the supply chain (Gucci was recently awarded with the Green Carpet Fashion award for Sustainable Innovation), gender equality (59% women senior manager, campaigns to support girls and women empowerment), diversity and inclusion (membership with Parks).

New Models – Gucci is developing new solutions by applying technical innovation to improve efficiency in its production and logistics. e.g. setting up an incubator and start-up environment to foster innovation within the company.

A look from the Gucci S/S 2018 that will obviously not be produced!

Explaining the origins of GUCCI’s progressive approach, Marco Bizzarri attributed dynamic change to the unified vision he shares with the brand’s creative director, Alessandro Michele, «In selecting a new creative director I wanted to find someone who shared a belief in the importance of the same values. I sensed that immediately on meeting Alessandro for the first time. Together, by committing to a culture of purpose, taking responsibility and encouraging respect, inclusivity and empowerment, we want to create the necessary conditions for a progressive approach to sustainability.»

To a better future!

LoL, Sandra

This Resort 2017 fur coat with snake intarsia will probably become a museum piece.

Photos: Courtesy of Gucci, © Getty/Gucci

During the vibrant atmosphere of London Fashion Week, I had the pleasure to participate in a very interesting new project combining the world of finance and fashion: UBS Unique – Economy of Fashion.

Just as the world around us is changing, the face of wealth is evolving. The global income of women will grow from USD 13 trillion to USD 18 trillion by 2021* – more than China and India’s combined GDP growth and since 2015, women have held 30%** of global private wealth.

As women are looking for a response to their needs, UBS Unique has been created. The aim? To catalyze a long-term change in the financial industry to better serve women and to enable them to make the most of their wealth.

My lovely host, Kathrin Genovese Head Vice Chairmen Office, Global Ultra High Net Worth

Therefore a lovely group of female ultra high net worth individuals from all over the world was invited by UBS to London for two inspiring days. The event had it all: shows, talks and insights on how fashion can change the world for the better.

As I thought you might be interested in what I have taken home from UBS Unique, here’s a quick roundup of insights from the event’s speakers.

«The future of fashion will see creativity re-emerge as a key driver to take us from our current crisis state and into a new model for fashion. If we don’t push creativity at every step of the fashion supply chain to find new ways to design, produce, sell, wear and dispose of clothes, then we face a bleak future for fashion.”» – Christina Dean

From left to right: Christina Dean, my humble self, Giorgia Caovilla and Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis.

The look of love – how will the fashion industry change?

Women should “fall in love with the fact that fashion is a force for good,” says Christina Dean, founder of Redress – an organisation working to reduce waste in the fashion industry. Christina believes fashion’s ethical future is in the hands of young designers and consumers. Or as Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis describes it vividly, “it’s down to designers to rebel. There’s a lot of pressure on designers to become commercial so it stops creativity. I am anyway bored of all the fashion shows. There are too many.”

Online shopping is definitely an opportunity as emerging designers cannot always afford a retail space. They have a different pricing model. But in terms of sustainability it can cause also problems as people end up buying multiple sizes knowing they’re going to return it.

Dress with Sense – the practical guide to a conscious closet by Redress

How can you play your part in making fashion more ethical?

As I am always promoting, you can easily play your part in making fashion more ethical by buying the things you love and wear them for longer. When shopping, think about the value, not the price. And consider ways you can make sure your investments match your ethics.

You can also donate your quality, branded items with high value to charity Redress for resale.

Designer Mary Katrantzou and me framed by UBS key speakers, James Gifford, Senior Impact Investing Strategist, Chief Investment Office, UBS Wealth Management, to the left and Helen Brand, Head of Equity Research, European Luxury Goods, UBS Investment Bank

A short industry outlook

The top 3 words executives used to describe the fashion industry in 2016*** were: «Uncertain, Changing, Challenging.» But despite the wider economic slowdown last year, fashion has been a key value-creating industry for the world economy. In 2017, a slight recovery is expected to a point where the industry may see some growth next year.

Let’s take China for example. Chinese growth hit a soft patch: a stock market dip and real estate concerns have decelerated chinese growth, and shifted attention to India, Turkey, and other high-growth markets. China’s fundamentals, including growth of the middle and upper classes, remain strong and the government’s new fiscal policies are expected to improve conditions in 2017, but uncertainty remains.

A woman shops in a Louis Vuitton store in Shanghai. © SCMP Photos

London-based Helen Brand, Head of Equity Research, European Luxury Goods, UBS Investment Bank, trusts in the mid market and expects “growth going forward to come from the Chines middle class consumer and therefore more at the entry level price points, with more chances for the handbag category compared to watches as many brands still have to strengthen the CHF 2000-5000 offer.“

Last week, I had the chance to preview the upcoming H&M Conscious Exclusive Collection 2017 at the new showroom in Zurich which is a dream by the way. The Swedish fashion house knows how to amaze us when it comes to affordable fashion, but it’s the work the brand is doing with its latest sustainable line that will blow you away.

Natalia Vodianova is the face of the campaign and looks absolutely divine in my favorite dress of the collection: a dreamy, blush-pink gown that seems to float on air, made of the new material BIONIC® – a recycled polyester made from recovered plastic from shorelines, waterways and coastal communities.

It is the very same plastic that is constantly polluting our beach ecosystems that is used throughout the newest Conscious lineup. Have a look at the video at the end of this post explaining the new material further.

Launching in stores and online April 20, you can enjoy here the mind-blowing preview of the future of fashion.

The full assortment will also include of men’s and kids’ clothes and accessories as well for the first time a fragrance.

LoL, Sandra

My favorite dress on display in the Zurich showroom…

… along with more beautiful pieces from the collection.

Those tulle dresses are also absolutely beautiful.

Photos: Courtesy of © H&M and © Sandra Bauknecht

«Vegan as a fashion statement» – Stella McCartney has been the pioneer to blend fashion with sustainability by creating shoes and bags without using animal products. The only drop of bitterness? Her designs are high-priced and not easy to afford. Inspired by the idea to offer fashion with added value at a consumer-friendly price point, my lovely friend Swiss model Bianca Gubser partnered up with Nicole Frank to launch The No Animal Brand collection.

Their designs of shoes and bags that are manufactured without using any animal products look great as you can see and are now available in Switzerland at Jelmoli Zurich. Other point of sales in Europe are going to follow soon. Below you see some impressions of the launch event in the beginning of December.

LoL, Sandra

Clifford Lilley, Raquel Marquard and Franco Savastano with me

Thank you David Biedert Photography for the lovely pictures!