Sandra‘s Closet

Happy 6oth Birthday, Barbie! Time flies…  Today, every passing minute sees more than 100 dolls sold worldwide, with 58 million sold every year. The iconic plastic doll has been a surgeon, a pilot, a singer and a president. She has been in a wheelchair and has a prosthetic leg. She’s been the Duchess of Cambridge, several characters in «Mad Men» and every member of Destiny’s Child.
But on her debut at the New York Toy Fair on March 9, 1959, she was just a doll in a swimsuit and ponytail, with white sunglasses in her hand.

First Barbie in 1959

Barbie’s success has remained as she continues to reflect culture and the world girls see around them.
Her evolution has been crucial, but never was easy. Created by Ruth Handler, who owned the toy company Mattel with her husband Elliot. She was inspired by the paper dolls her daughter Barbara played with, as well as a German doll named Bild Lilli.

Did you know that the inspiration for Barbie came from German BILD Zeitung? A doll called Lilli that was created in 1955.

Immediately, Barbie had a lot of success. She was an «adult», different to the baby dolls of the time. By 1960, Barbie was gainfully employed, as either a nurse, fashion editor, or flight attendant. The next year, she had a boyfriend, Ken, and the year after that, her first car and a pink dream house.

Lately, new additions to the «Barbie Fashionistas» line included a doll using a wheelchair and another with a prosthetic leg. For International Women’s Day 2018, Mattel released a new batch of dolls based «real-life role models» (for the previous post, click here please), among them aviator Amelia Earhart and artist Frida Kahlo.

This year, more than 20 new «Sheroes» will be immortalized as Barbies: among them, supermodel and activist Adwoa Aboah, and gymnast Dipa Karmakar, the first female Indian gymnast to qualify for the Olympics.

Me dressed in the Moschino x Barbie collection (for the post, click here).

Barbie did many designer collaborations such as an amazing shoe collection with Charlotte Olympia, was dressed by the likes of Moschino, Lagerfeld, or Christian Louboutin among others.

Margot Robbie will portray Barbie in upcoming movie about the child’s toy.

At 60 years old, Barbie stars in a Netflix series, «Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures,» and has almost 40 animated films to her name. In January, it was announced that Margot Robbie will play Barbie in a live-action movie. With 2 million followers on her instagram @barbiestyle, she’s one of of the big social media influencers and shares her outfits, and street-style shots.

I have been a Barbie fan since my early childhood and am proud of my pretty impressive collection. In my daughter’s old playroom, we still kept the Barbie corner. Happy Birthday, Barbie! Thanks to you, I feel sometimes like a little girl again…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Via Barbie and © Sandra Bauknecht 

Today it is International Women’s Day (IWD), a focal point in the movement for women’s rights, a day to celebrate womanhood. Let’s all be confident today and wear something fun that makes us feel good. I am looking forward to spending the evening among my best girlfriends, who always support and inspire me, who make me smile, whom I admire.

My look: Armonia checked wool-blend and cotton-gabardine trench coat and Nina leather tote in cognac, both by Gabriela Hearst, Philly pleated cloqué midi dress by Emilia Wickstead, embellished satin pumps by Miu Miu, and «DG hands» limited edition sunglasses by Dolce & Gabbana.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht 

For the first time ever, I did an interview together with my daughter for Swiss annabelle magazine. Over all these years, I tried to keep her out of the press and never showed her on my blog. Although she has been the one behind the camera, since I started my blog in 2009. Whenever it was possible, I took her with me on my business travels, to fashion shows or we interviewed designers such as Hilfiger or Lagerfeld.

Anouk with me at work: Meeting the Olsen Twins, Karl Lagerfeld and Tommy Hilfiger.

You would imagine she would love to follow in my footsteps, but you are completely mistaken. My girl is absolutely not impressed by the world of fashion as she has seen behind the curtains and knows it is in general not as glamorous as it seems. She dreams of studying psychology and acting in the US. I am very proud of her as she is one of the most grounded people I know. Being extremely responsible with her social media, she uses it only privately.

This diversity between us interested annabelle magazine. When Jacqueline Krause-Blouin, deputy editor-in-chief, approached us, it was important for me that Anouk took the decision herself. Now, being almost 17 years old, she saw it as an interesting project and we had a great conversation during the interview. The photos were taking by Pierluigi Macor and his assistant which ended up being a very fun afternoon.

TO READ THE INTERVIEW (IN GERMAN), CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Pierluigi Macor for annabelle, © Sandra Bauknecht

Naj Oleari is a beloved Italian brand that garnered extraordinary fame for its original patterned fabrics inspired by nature, which were applied to every kind of accessories. Many of those symbols became iconic especially for young people of the ’80s generation obsessed with designer labels.

This year, Naj Oleari Beauty is ready to come back and tell its new story with the launch of a complete make-up line (50 products – 200 references), packed in rose gold for a modern and refined look. The mythical illustrations of Naj Oleari adorn the details and finishes of every product. Compacts and lipsticks are made with innovative magnetic closures that make them even more practical and elegant.

Furthermore, it is the first time that a make-up line has been made with perfumes created exclusively by Maitre Parfumeur. Lipstick smell like marshmallows for example and nail polishes like fig sorbet.

Tonight, I attended the launch event in Zurich on Bahnhofstrasse at WeSpace. The room was divided into different corners with several activities, from getting your hair braided or a professional make-up look to a photo booth. My favorite part was to make my own lipstick. I wanted to create a perfect nude shade and mixed white, red and brown.

First, I had to melt the wax, then I added some glitter and raspberry extract for an anti-aging effect. The hardest decision was to choose the scent. Vanilla and coconut convinced me the most. After that, I had to go back to the stove to melt everything together. The liquid was filled into a small compartment and put for 20 minuted in the fridge. Et voilà I have the best smelling nude shade.

Thank you for this experience! Naj Olevari is available from end of March at all Müller drugstores in Switzerland.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

I am always on the search for outstanding talent in the fashion industry. Therefore I would like to introduce you to Christos Costarellos. Flowing fabrics, floral prints, delicate embroideries, lace appliqués and an amazing sense for colour are in the DNA of the Athens-based designer. His romantic language tells a story about every dress that is created with moulage and couture techniques inspired by ancient Greek mythology and infused with a youthful, bohemian edge.

«The creative process I follow forms a bridge that connects elements from the past, making them relevant to the present as they project ideas for the future.»
Christos Costarellos

Wearing Costarellos last month in New York (for the outfit post, click here please).

Born in Duesseldorf, Germany, he was introduced to the fashion world at an early age, as his parents both worked in this industry. He studied fashion design at Dimitrelis School of Fashion in Greece and then theater costume design at the London College of Fashion, England before founding his eponymous brand in 1998.

During Paris Fashion Week, I visited Christos in his showroom at the Westin Paris Vendôme and meeting him in person was a true pleasure. He has such an amazing personality and welcomed me with open arms. His passion for craftsmanship, fabrics and colours is contagious. After showing me a video of the quality of his production in Greece and the special creative techniques for the fabric of the dress below, I was really blown me away.

Costarellos F/W 2019

Therefore it is natural that from the beginning, Christos Costarellos has worked with an exclusive clientele, who deeply appreciate his fine tailoring and finishing details. By 2000, his production line was enriched with two new ateliers, which provided the flow for the collections’ development and the unique bespoke creations.

Costarellos Bridal Wear (different seasons)

With a modern approach to timeless, romantic silhouettes, you should definitely check out his bridal wear even if you are not a bride to be. Everyone looks great in a white gown at a black tie event…

Costarellos F/W 2019

Costarellos is on the right path. After many designers struggle to keep haute couture alive, he meets the women’s demand for high-quality clothes at prices way below couture level. His so-called «Nouvelle Couture» is for me a modern way to being sustainable; investing in a beautiful gown that lasts. I would love to declare fast fashion dead!

Costarellos F/W 2019

Many seem to be in accord with me. Meghan Markle is a huge fan! A worldwide distribution network with more than 50 selling points around the globe such as Net-à-Porter, Moda Operandi, Mytheresa, and Harrods are proof of Christos Costarellos’ dignified presence in the fashion industry! In Zurich available at Maison Gassmann.

Below you can enjoy some more photos that I took in the showroom. The beautiful F/W 2019 collection will hit the stores in September 2019 – #costarellosdreamers.

LoL, Sandra

Costarellos F/W 2019 (have a look at the sleeves below – such great craftsmanship)

Photos: Courtesy of Costarellos – Instagram @costarellos
and © Sandra Bauknecht

Welcome to the ​Empathy Suite, a Sky Villa designed by and featuring the works of world-renowned artist Damien Hirst. The artist has collaborated with Bentel & Bentel Architects to design the world’s most expensive hotel room. If you are looking for some for Instagram-worthy moment and you have a spare $100.000 per night, it’s your place to stay at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. Sin City has a reputation for excess, and the nearly $690 million renovation of the hotel has also filled it with a huge amount of impressive artwork, including works by Takashi Murakami, KAWS, Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and, of course, Hirst.

Once you pass through the gilded doors, you’re met with a 13-foot-long tiger shark that has been trisected into three tanks of formaldehyde, lofted above bottles of top-shelf spirits – Hirst’s first bar project in the United States, featuring the fierce sculpture titled The Unknown (Explored, Explained, Exploded).

The 836-square-meters two-story sky villa sits on top of the Palms and is the first and only of «its kind featuring a collection of contemporary art at this scale.» It’s an eclectic mix of blue-chip and street art that rarely mingles under one roof. With many original pieces from some of Hirst’s most notable series, a custom butterfly-motif mosaic tiled cantilevered pool overlooking the Las Vegas Strip and Venus gray marble featured throughout the villa, it will surely attract lots of celebrities – especially after the announcement that they’ll be holding a three-night festival for the anticipated opening of the KAOS nightclub, featuring the likes of Cardi B, Skrillex, and Travis Scott, with additional performances by Alicia Keys and Hozier at their Pearl Theater.

And if you were wondering where the name Empathy Suite derives from…. , because Hirst wants you «to feel empathy when you’re in it; empathy with all your friends wherever they are and whether you’re with them or not and to feel empathy when you’re spending the night with them in the suite and empathy with the whole world the morning after.»

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Palms Casino Resort

The LOUIS VUITTON TRAVEL BOOK series is an invitation to real and virtual voyages, enriched by intellectual stimulation and poignant moments. In its pages, the illustrations of renowned artists and promising young talents tell the stories of the cities and countries they have visited.
The creative worlds on show are highly diverse: during their travels, these artists from various corners of the world were free to choose their mode of expression and communicated their views of other places through drawing, painting, collage, illustration, cartoons or manga.

This spring, I am very happy that two of my favorite cities will finally be featured:
LOS ANGELES and SEOUL.

LOUIS VUITTON TRAVEL BOOK LOS ANGELES by JAVIER MARISCAL

Javier Mariscal, a graphic designer, illustrator, designer, filmmaker, painter, sculptor
and ceramist, is an artist who loves to challenge and who is fond of California. His love affair with Los Angeles began when he and his friend, film director Fernando Trueba, was nominated for the 2012 Oscars for «Chico and Rita», an animated feature film which won numerous international awards.

This is his fifth trip to Los Angeles. Unaffected and curious about everything, he makes friends, immediately getting their portraits down. He sketches figures and faithfully reproduces shapes and attitudes in seconds. Objects and landscapes get the same treatment, either with a sketch on his notebook, or a painting on the iPad.

Los Angeles reminds him of Valencia. The glaring white light that floods the clear blue sky is just the same as the sky above his native city. But what most excites him in L.A. are the neon lights, slogans, shop signs, billboards and logos that swamp the city. What Mariscal takes away from this is a wealth of astonishing typography. His visual universe is brought to life in the streets of Los Angeles — right before his eyes.

LOUIS VUITTON TRAVEL BOOK SEOUL by ICINORI

Icinori is a studio of designers, visual artists, screen printers and publishers dealing in art books, prints, animated books and concertina books. But first and foremost, Icinori is a truly astonishing pair, one soul with two heads, four hands and twenty fingers, belonging to the French-Spanish-Japanese Mayumi Otero and French Raphaël Urwiller, two graduates from the École Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs of Strasbourg, which is where they met. They founded Icinori in 2007 when they were still students.

During their many trips to Seoul — they notched up no less than four long stays between 2014 and 2017 — the Icinori pair had the chance to observe the impressive alertness and brisk energy of its people, simple and determined, disciplined and hard-working, epicurean and creative. The two have cleverly succeeded in capturing the beating heart of the capital, immersing themselves in its customs and performing arts, its layers of history and chinks in everyday life. Icinori draws the many details that make up the life of the city: residents’ rhythms, the movement of the street, traders, shopping as religion in Myeong-dong, cosmetic surgery salons, street food — such as the enticing odeng, mandu, «tornado potato,» gimbap and hotteok cakes. Here we have people dancing to K-pop. In the early morning metro, the air is already heavy with the sour scent of kimchi.

«Seoul is an organic city, with astonishing creative energy and visually very elegant, as seen in the powerful design, the signage, the sophisticated signs and typologies of the shapes — circles, triangles and other geometric figures. Good taste is everywhere, sometimes a bit crazy, but universal. It’s a mix of the baroque and the modern. A miracle of the ephemeral and the elegant.»

In book stores from May 2, 2019 for €45.00 each.
160 pages / hardcover
ISBN: 978-2-36983-179-2 (Los Angeles)
ISBN: 978-2-36983-180-8 (Seoul)

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton

Since Maria Grazia Chiuri has been at the helmet of DIOR, she has made feminism part of her designs. Last Tuesday she presented her F/W 2019 collection for the French Maison in Paris and the opening look of the show comprised a T-shirt with the title of Robin Morgan‘s classic work «Sisterhood Is Global». The American second-wave feminist activist and author was also present at the runway presentation.

Upcoming Friday, March 8th, we celebrate International Women’s Day, a good reason for Net-à-Porter to team up with some of their favorite ladies in fashion to create an exclusive capsule that you can explore below. Get ahead of the fashion game and be a woman in power.

Happy Weekend from Paris!

LoL, Sandra

International Women’s Day printed cotton-jersey T-shirt by Isabel Marant

International Women’s Day printed cotton-jersey T-shirt by Victoria Beckham

International Women’s Day flocked cotton-jersey T-shirt by ALEXACHUNG

International Women’s Day binary code printed cotton-jersey T-shirt by Rosie Assoulin

International Women’s Day embroidered cotton-jersey T-shirt by Chloé

International Women’s Day printed cotton-jersey T-shirt by Ellery

International Women’s Day printed cotton-jersey T-shirt by Perfect Moment

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands

With UN JARDIN SUR LA LAGUNE, HERMÈS celebrates dreams, and invites to discover a secret place in Venice, where fragrances come from the sky. In this vibrant and caressing perfume, the scents of magnolias and pittosporums mingle with sprays from the sea to create a singular gentleness.

Blooming in the shadow of dreams… this is the fifth fragrance in the HERMÈS Garden-Perfumes collection, the first in this line created by Christine Nagel, who is the Maison’s in-house perfumer since 2013.

Personally speaking, I like her perfumes a lot, and this one is extremely special, so different and intoxicating. Not as fresh as the previous ones, instead slightly oriental. A warm and sunny fragrance that puts a smile on your face and Venice references in perfumery are always interesting, don’t you think?

The illustration for the beautiful packaging is signed by the famous Bosnian artist Safet Zec.

UN JARDIN SUR LA LAGUNE
Eau de Toilette 30ml (CHF 76.00), 50ml (CHF 108.00) and 100ml (CHF 154.00)
Body Lotion 200ml (75.00) and Shower Gel 200ml (CHF 60.00).

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Hermès

Spring is already in full bloom. Are you ready to be fully repowered? Experience François Nars’ revolution in skin – radiance from every angle. Recharge your complexion with a radiance-boosting lineup designed to reveal your skin at its absolute best with an eye make-up in nude shades that will make others green with envy, especially if they are wearing the wrong foundation :-).

Featuring the new, limited-edition SUPER RADIANCE BOOSTER – available in one universal rose gold shade that flatters all skin tones – that amplifies skin’s illumination with a pearlescent glow and lightweight, layerable texture. You can layer it underneath or mix a drop with foundation to customize an all over, radiant glow. For a subtle highlight, blend onto high points of cheekbones, bridge of nose, cupid’s bow and décolleté.

What I truly like is that you can use it to intensify the radiant effect of NARS’ cult-classic complexion essentials:

– the high coverage, longwearing NATURAL RADIANT LONGWEAR FOUNDATION. NARS’ first 16-hour non-comedogenic liquid foundation that stays turned on by the power of radiance. Now available in 34 shades.

– fan-favourite SHEER GLOW FOUNDATION. The glowing, natural radiant finish foundation provides sheer, buildable coverage and evens skin tone. Now available in 34 shades for more luminosity.

– and the bestselling, multi-purpose RADIANT CREAMY CONCEALER. The award-winning multi-action concealer, contours, highlights, corrects, and perfects with medium-to-buildable coverage and a natural radiant finish. Now available in 30 shades.

To finish off your perfect complexion, I recommend the beautiful new, limited edition SKIN DEEP EYE PALETTE – the ultimate palette of nude shadows created for all skin tones. Go from subtle to smoky with rich mattes, lustrous shimmers, and smoldering metallic shadows, infused with NARS’ Pigment Power Suspension for a high-impact, silky effect. Each shadow can be used in a multitude of ways for a variety of François Nars’ signature looks. Wear it. Bare it. Make it yours.

TO SHOP NARS ONLINE, CLICK HERE PLEASE, or above on the respective highlighted text to be transferred directly to the product you like.

Tested and approved by me!

If you are living in the Zurich area, you can benefit from a free professional make-up consultation at Jelmoli. Just call +41 44 220 43 58 and meet Sophie Thibout, NARS make-up artist, who comes to the NARS Counter exclusively for 3 days: Tuesday 5th, Thursday 7th and Saturday 9th of March, 2019.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © NARS and © Sandra Bauknecht