Today, it was a more relaxing day, recovering from last night. I went on a little shopping tour around the city in my galaxy-print dress by Christopher Kane combined with my fur vest by Miu Miu, grey gauntlets by Stella McCartney and studded biker boots by Miu Miu. Scarf by Gucci, bag by Balmain. Below you will find just a few impressions from my walk…
Now I am at the hotel getting some rest for the big party tonight.
Will keep you posted on that.
LoL, Sandra
I arrived in my beautiful embellished silk blouse and the little camel coloured mini skirt, both by Chloé F/W 2010, combined with a shearling waistcoat by Ralph Lauren Black Label and a fur jacket by Prada, both from previous seasons. During the flight, I had perfered staying comfy in my flat suede Louis Vuitton boots from the Cruise 2011 collection. To protect my hair (it is raining in Florence), I put on one of my favourite hats by Balenciaga. Carine Roitfeld loves this one, too as you can see below (Photos: The Sartorialist).
In the evening, I just changed from my honey-coloured „Twenties“ micro-fishnet tights into my new „Rebecca“ tulle-look net tights with small dots, both by Wolford, and finished off my look with my green punk platform pumps by Yves Saint Laurent and my killer clutch by Balmain. Jewelry by Chanel.
Here in Florence, I am staying in a wonderful Junior Suite at the J.K.Place hotel which has a very spacious closet. You see it is quite filled…
I packed 30kg for the weekend. For fashionable days like that, you better be prepared!
LoL, Sandra
Happy New Year to you, my dear readers, may all your dreams and resolutions come true.
I started 2011 in St. Moritz, the glamorous place in the Alps that calls itself „the Top of the World“. The Swiss mountain village has been home to the jet set since many years, attracting celebrities, princesses and socialites from everywhere. When it comes to fashion, luxury is the keyword.
And speaking of glamour and over the top, the typical St. Moritz style means fur, fine jewelry, sequined dresses, lots of glitz and sparkles. In case that you forgot to pack something adequate, no worries. St. Moritz is a great place to shop with all big brands represented. So for somebody like me, who is not an avid skier there is enough entertainment program.
My St. Moritz look: Sequined dress by Balmain, sequined clutch with bow by Valentino, earrings by Prada and Tribtoo pumps by Yves Saint Laurent.
Last night, I went to the traditional New Year’s Eve cocktail reception hosted by well-known publisher Jürg Marquard and his wife Raquel.
The party always takes place in their amazing apartment located in the tower of the famous Badrutt’s Palace hotel overlooking the lake of St. Moritz. Previous tenant until the early ninties was gentleman-playboy Gunter Sachs.
My German based readers might recognize some of the faces below… Enjoy all those photos of beautiful people in beautiful outfits!
That is St. Moritz!
To a wonderful 2011!
LoL, Sandra
Hostess Raquel Marquard in a gorgeous gown by Dolce & Gabbana with her daughter, model Bianca Gubser to the left
Sophie Hermann wore one of the nicest dresses of the evening by Atelier Versace
Rebecca Schmid Robinson with me, both in sequined dresses
Dorothea Mühlemann in Alaia
Fabienne Bratschi in Dolce & Gabbana and Radio 24-host Elena Bernasconi, "The Redhead"
Nina Riegel and Alexandra Knapp Voith in Roberto Cavalli
Inga Jacobi in Valentino
From left to right: Hotelier couple Gigi and Andrea Kracht, me and Inga Jacobi
Andreas Knapp Voith with turquoise nail polish matching Raquel Marquard's dress
Gentleman with style: Andreas Knapp Voith wore the most extraordinary pair of shoes by Prada
Badrutt's Palace New Year's Eve decoration
Lorenzo Villoresi
As you might already know, I love perfume, especially extraordinary fragrances.
In the beginning of September, I was very lucky to visit one of the most outstanding perfumers worldwide in his studio overlooking the rooftops of Florence: Lorenzo Villoresi.
Me in Mr Villoresi's office
This view is truly inspiring, as well as his laboratory is where you are only guided by your senses. „I wanted to realize a dream. Spices and essences have always fascinated me. Perfumery became my passion and later on my profession“.
In the atelier in front of Villoresi's library of scents with over 2000 essences.
His talent is not the fruit of specialised schools or master perfumers, but one which developed gradually thanks to his university studies in Biblical Philology and Ancient Philosophy, which in turn led him to travel extensively in the Middle East.
The experiences he gained there combined with the natural products of his native Tuscany make his creations so special.
In 1990, he fulfilled his vision and founded his Maison of Perfume in an ancient palace in Via dei Bardi in Florence where he focuses on the great traditions of Florentine perfumery and the original methods which have been used in this craft for many years.
In 2006, he won as the first Italian and independent creator of fragrances, the prestigious Prix Coty, which can only be awarded once in a perfumer’s lifetime.
Donna and Uomo were the names given to Lorenzo Villoresi’s first collection, after which he focused on the creation of monothematic fragrances which included his own personal interpretations of classic themes such as Musk, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Incenses, Spices, Vetiver and Wild Lavender. Those classic fragrances come in the blue bottles.
The green packaging stands for the Olea Europaea collection that is based on olive-oil offering products for the body, bath and hair.
His so-called fantasy fragrances currently draw inspiration from actual „olfactory visions“ which conjure up exotic and mystical worlds, moods and settings, including among others:
the suggestive Piper Nigrum (fresh, aromatic, spicy and peppery with reminiscences of oriental and arab markets),
the warm Alamut (rich, opulent and velvety flowers of a Thousand and One Nights, a sensual journey to the Orient),
and my absolut favourite, the sophisticated Teint de Neige, „the colour of snow“.
My Teint de Neige collection
Teint de Neige consists of powdery and sweet notes of jasmine, rose, ylang-ylang on a base of musk, Tonka beans and heliotrope. The aroma is delicately permeated by the richness of the natural extracts of precious flowers, recalling the light, images and atmosphere of the belle-époque.
A whole range of products is available from shower gel to body cream, from scented candles to room fragrances featuring this wonderful scent.
Getting to know Villoresi during the process of creating your personalised fragrance.
If you have always dreamt of having your own custom-made fragrance, Lorenzo Villoresi’ s atelier would be the place to go. During your appointment, you are spending 2-3 hours approximately with the artist himself. Your „tailor-made“ fragrance is then the result of a direct exchange between you and him; desires, words and feelings are processed together and transformed into a perfume.
Villoresi becomes a sort of Demiurge who, through his intellectual capacity and technical skills, can translate the essence of an ambition, dream or adventure into a fragrant product.
At the end of your appointment the personalised fragrance will be consigned to you. The price starts from €3600.-.
You have different options to choose from. One could be for example that you get the following:
1 Perfume 30ml in a crystal bottel with sterling silver top and label
1 Perfume 30ml in a glass bottle
1 blown glass funnel
1 velvet pouch
1 Exclusive fragrance certificate
1 Eau de Toilette 100ml in an extra bottle, with silver plated top and label
1 Eau de Toilette 100ml in a glass bottle
Villoresi describes his Haute Couture of the Senses like this: „ A perfume should provide a privileged insight into your own personal essence, a clue to your innermost thoughts and journeys of the soul; a door which can either be kept locked or left wide open, leading to opportunities, games and seduction.“
The genius could probably use a perfume rather than words to describe how he feels and also mentiones: „Perfumery is an unlimited world. In the creation of a scent it is possible to recall a feeling or a place, to move to an imaginary space or to invent new emotional dimensions“.
Lorenzo Villoresi also offers a wide range of wonderful home products from pot pourris and scented sachets to jars and dishes to exalt the beauty of your chosen fragranced leaves and woods. Scented candles are also available along with aromitizers and room fragrances with reed diffusers (launched last month).
Two new creations were introduced last year: the incense and perfumed crystals. Conceived from a deep knowledge and love for the Orient, they have been created for perfuming living spaces in a sophisticated way.
Interesting to know is that the term “perfume” comes from Per-Fumum: through smoke, referring to the sacred fumigations to offer thanks to the gods. The incense has always been linked to the world of perfume and can create a magical atmosphere in any room.
The maestro is recently in the process of building the Academy of the Art of Perfume, the world’s first interactive atelier, dedicated to essences and perfumes.
In the ancient family Palace in Via dei Bardi, Villoresi realizes his long-life dream: a centre, split on three floors with an internal garden, aromatic terraces and botanical trails, divided according different themes and study areas, where visitors can discover and delve into the ancient secrets of the art of perfumery and spice hunting.
The “wunderkammer” is said to open next year. I cannot wait to go there on a journey to stimulate my inner senses and to indulge in one of my biggest passions: perfumes!
If you are interested, Lorenzo Villoresi products are available through his online shop and in Zurich at Perfumery Osswald.
LoL, Sandra
Photos: Courtesy of Lorenzo Villoresi and © Sandra Bauknecht
It is weekend. Time to get cozy. If you have been looking for stylish clothes you could also relax in, I have the perfect solution for you: The beautiful Lounge Lover collection. Founded in 2004 by Belgian designer Sylvie Gabriel, the line focuses on easy chic loungewear, from soft cashmere pants to well-shaped tops and comfy wraps. Those ultra-luxe essentials work well around the house or for Sunday brunch. The perfect upgrade for your off-duty look!
Travel Babe
After the huge success of Sylvie’s Travel Babe set, there is going to be another great special edition:
Yoga Babe.
Folded away in a soft poem-embellished drawstring pouch you will find a metal grey support tank top with raw hem, completed by a stirrup legging with faux button fly.
The material has this wonderful velvety “second skin” feel. Available this November exclusively at net-à-porter for £149.-.
Two Lounge Lovers: Sylvie Gabriel and me
Those babes totally meet my fashion mantra!
Once a Lounge Lover, always a Lounge Lover.
LoL, Sandra
Ladies, it is official, there is a shoe heaven on earth, located at London’s department store Selfridges. The world’s largest shoe department opens its doors officially today.
Designed by world class architect Jamie Forbet, it is bigger than the huge ground floor of London’s Tate Modern.
Here some of the unbelievable facts:
-55000 shoes in stock at any one time
-4000 shoes on display
-150 international brands
-6 unique shoe galleries
-11 beautiful boutiques
-1 hanging garden
-1 restaurant located in between (hubby parking space)
A special preview party was held last week for an exclusive crowd to peruse the new space. Look at all those sweet treats in shoe shapes, so adorable!
Selfridges’ Director of Accessories Sebastian Manes describes it perfectly: „Imagine you are in a gallery. From the entrance you see a succession of doorways, and at the end a huge window flooding the space with daylight. Your journey begins at the front, with shoes from the best of the high street. Slowly you begin to travel through different galleries until you reach the end – the couture designer gallery, flanked by Chanel and Louboutin, and a vision of Eden – the new suspended garden at Selfridges. Shoe heaven!”
Unfortunately, they do not sell a lot of their brands online yet. So you will have to go on a little shopping trip to the British capital.
But here comes the best: You can say that you went through all the galleries. Imagine how impressed your art loving and intellectual girlfriends will be!
LoL, Sandra
Vending machines selling luxury goods seem to be on the rise. Katie Grand, editor-in-chief of LOVE magazine has teamed up with Selfridges to create such a machine for the beginning of London Fashion Week until October 15th. The new retail concept can be found in the lobby of London’s It-hotel St Martin’s Lane where many editors, models and buyers are staying at the moment.
You can get a lot of fantastic items, some highly exclusive, let me name a few:
-Falabella bag by Stella McCartney
-leather and sequined dress by Alexander Wang
-draped dress by Vivienne Westwood Anglomania
-a unique pair of trainers by Rick Owens customized by Chrome Hearts with solid silver hardware
-Amazona handbag by Loewe
-limited Dior nail polishes
-Mimosa candles by Diptyque exclusive to Selfridges in yellow
–Falke’s new „secret socks“ for men
-a vintage Rolex watch
-embossed leather wallets by Comme des Garçons
-clutch purses by Mulberry
A word to the wise, do not get drunk in the hotel bar, you might lose control and this could end on the way to your room passing the LOVE machine in a financial disaster.
LoL, Sandra
Stefano Pilati, creative director of Yves Saint Laurent, is responsible for the “Edition 24” collection, designed to meet the needs of a woman going on overnight trips.
It is a new attempt at travel fashion. The 24 looks are meant to be layered, mixed and put to versatile use from the airplane to boardroom, from day to evening. The leightweight, functional, stylish and timeless pieces that do not wrinkle easily are low-key, less expensive versions of the French house’s high-fashion designs. I think this is a very modern vision, a new concept of luxury, making packing –which I always hate- less work.
Below are some ideas that I put together for you.
Get your style passport!
LoL, Sandra
Photos: Courtesy of YSL
I am a total yogini. I just love every bit of yoga. And while practising, I still like to look and feel good. Nike and Juicy Couture offer a great selection of yoga clothing along with some gorgeous accessories. Juicy Couture has some fun slogan tops that I truly adore and that work all day long.
In case you have not tried yoga yet, be brave and give it a chance. But be careful, it will depend very much on the teacher if you like it or not. So give several studios a chance. Believe me, it is worth it. Yoga can be a great workout and for all sportmaniacs, you can sweat a lot, too.
It will make your muscles nice, tight and long and will give your body a lot of flexibility while integrating the mind and your emotions.
In Los Angeles, I was very lucky to train with Steve Ross, the so-called Yogi to the Stars by Instyle, with his own show “Inhale” on the Oxygen network and retreat leader at Maha Yoga.
Steve with me after a training with no make-up and due to all the sweating with curly hair.
Conveying his message perfectly, he gave me a signed copy of his fabulous book “Happy Yoga”.
„Here’s the yogi truth: There’s nothing to worry about. You are whole, complete, perfect, beautiful, loving, and blissful, and you know everything there is to know.“ – Steve Ross
With this in mind, you will look fabulous each day!
In Zurich, I am also very happy to practice yoga on a regular basis with Vasili Vlachos, an amazing teacher of Greek origin that has received his essence of yoga while living and studying several years at the famous Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI) in Pune, India, the home to the living legend Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar (Guruji) himself.
Iyengar yoga uses props, such as wooden gadgets, belts, ropes, to achieve perfection in your asanas more easily. It has become my favourite way to practise.
If you are living in Zurich and are interested, please feel free to contact the Iyengar Yoga Center of Maya & Vasili Vlachos.
Namaste!
LoL, Sandra
Some of the most important Prada icons become “mini” accessories: the shopping bag in nappa gauffrè, the backpack in nylon and the saffiano boxy shaped bag have been reinterpreted in a new 15 cm size.
Even F/W 2010’s “Yo-Yo bag” goes “mini” and becomes part of Prada’s heritage. The “Mini-Bags” turn into keyrings as well, which are made with the same fabrics used to make the bags.
Prada will also launch the “Pin Up Tricks” and the “Graffiti Tricks” collections that will include some fun earrings inspired by the work of street artists.The mini gift ideas by Prada will be available from November 2010 in the Prada Stores.
Prada Lisbon
It is always worth paying a visit to a Prada store, especially when it is a brand new one because it is sure to be filled with the best pieces of the season. Last weekend, I went to Lisbon where the legendary Italian label just has opened its doors on Avenida da Liberdade.
After conquering the market in over 70 countries, Prada has finally arrived in Portugal. Designed by the architect Roberto Baciocchi, the shop has some beautiful museum-like displays, resulting in a sumptuous “boudoir” ambience where each collection has separate compartments and is organised in different environments.
And for those travelling to Lisbon, I highly recommend a visit to the new Mude –Design & Fashion Museum. Take your time as you can spend hours in there.
LoL, Sandra