Sandra‘s Closet

For a long time, the sun was the celestial body to be avoided. But, defiant and liberated from convention, Gabrielle Chanel decided that bronze would be her colour: one of freedom, leisure, and in a word, life. In Deauville, then in Biarritz and Cannes, the designer opened boutiques, located a few steps from the beachside. In love with the coast and outdoor life, a few years later in 1928 she acquired some land in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin on which she had her villa La Pausa built and where she welcomed her family and artist friends.

Coco Chanel, Misia Sert and Mme Philippe Berthelot on The Beach, Lido Venice.

Gabrielle Chanel had started creating collections calibrated for the dolce vita of beachside resorts, jersey outfits in Deauville from 1912 and fluid knits with supple lines in Biarritz from 1915. Among them the silk blouses with wide collars, inspired by sailors and worn by the designer herself, become a signature of this lifestyle. With its view over the Mediterranean and vast Provencal garden, La Pausa was a home port, a stopover between stays on one of the yachts belonging to the Duke of Westminster and the perfect setting for this casual chic outdoor wardrobe.

Coco Chanel, wearing «beach pyjamas», with Duke Laurino of Rome, in 1930 – a great example how Breton tops and nautical style sailed into our wardrobes.

Today Karl Lagerfeld honours this art of living, so dear to Gabrielle Chanel. The designer gives it a renewed vision, infused with youth and stylish energy. While in every collection there’s been surf and paddleboards, ping pong bats and other summer sport accessories, now COCO BEACH DE CHANEL sees the light of day, a ready-to-wear and accessory collection conceived for the beach and seaside resorts.

Chanel S/S 2018

For S/S 2018, swimming costumes and two-pieces, dresses, playsuits and terrycloth shorts but also outfits in fringed denim or belted striped sailor tops in ecru and burgundy silk make up this sporty line. Buttons are stamped with marine anchors while the iconic quilting is printed on jersey, and red, pink or black denim. Sailor’s bags held with the classic chain interlaced with leather, bowling bags, camera cases and clutches, coloured espadrilles with black toe caps complete this collection of swimwear and beachwear.

Another look from Chanel’s  S/S 2018 runway. 

Dedicated to life by the sea, this COCO BEACH DE CHANEL collection will only be available in a selection of CHANEL boutiques, naturally located in beachside resorts: Saint-Tropez, Monaco, Cannes and Nice for France, then Barcelona and Capri for Europe. Other holiday resorts drenched in sun all year round like Palm Beach, Santa Fe, Honolulu and Dubai as well as certain spots in Australia, Brazil, Japan, China, Singapore, Korea and Turkey will also receive the collection, available from mid-June through to September.

Chanel’s pop-up boutique in St. Tropez

From that first dive into the ocean at dawn to toes buried in the sand at dusk, this collection encapsulates the sun, life by the beach and the great outdoors. It’s the signature of a lifestyle dedicated to sunlight.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Chanel

Under the impetus of Karl Lagerfeld, CHANEL presents the first ever Coco Neige collection. A logical continuation of both Gabrielle Chanel’s love of the open air and the regular presence of sportswear in the CHANEL collections. A few years ago, the House even launched its own skis and snowboards. So today Karl Lagerfeld wanted to go a step further and create an entire line devoted to winter sports, designed for the slopes and the après-ski. 

Chanel skis and snowboards launched a few years ago

Coco Neige revisits the mountains by combining it with the codes of CHANEL: masculine/feminine inspiration, tweed and leather and quilting work set the tone for this line with its slender and sporty silhouettes. Satin, wool, fringed tweed, velvet, denim and leather are paired with waterproof and windproof materials, with heat-sealed seams and reinforced protection to take full advantage of the slopes and the après-ski terraces. Discretion is of course key: Coco Neige instils the attitude and the style of CHANEL through a palette of black and white with flashes here and there of blue and fuchsia. The camellia, the braid, the collar and pocket of the suit jacket all appear in a refined sobriety. 

Gloves in black leather and black and ecru tweed

Each item is made for skiing and boarding, allowing for maximum comfort and a great freedom of movement. The high collars of the parkas and the down jackets protect from the wind, the trousers and salopettes fit the legs beautifully, flaring out to cover ski-boots, while the jackets perfectly cover the lower back. 

Brooch in gold metal, black and white resin and white fantasy pearls

A hint of childhood memories is in the air with the slim-fit sweaters, the gilets with mountain motifs, the ribbed knit balaclavas, the crests and medals in the shape of snowflakes. Suede mittens, denim caps, nylon ushankas and wool berets add an urban touch to the collection. 

Short boots in beige leather

As for shoes, two-tone booties in shearling, mountain shoes with hooks and laces in tweed or in nylon, and boots in long-haired fur have all been designed for strolling through the ski resort. The bags play the high-altitude café terrace game: backpacks and shoppers in quilted nylon and shearling, and the 11.12 bag in suede braided with wool rub shoulders with a down-filled soft nylon line embossed tone on tone with the name CHANEL. 

Backpack in black leather and nylon and ecru wool

Finally, the eyewear, designed especially for the mountains. A pilot frame with 18-carat white gold lenses guarantees maximum protection against the rays of the sun and the luminosity of the snow. Its titanium structure ensures high impact resistance, protects the skin from the cold and is hypoallergenic. Its cable-style temples are curved for perfect support. Removable covers in quilted black, white, raspberry, pine green and grey blue lambskin embellish the frames. A pair of XS black ski goggles are elegantly simple with a CHANEL signed adjustable strap and can be worn with a helmet. When it comes to relaxing, a pair of sunglasses with a shield structure combine gradated black or silver mirror lenses with wide temples in black quilted leather embellished with the CC logo. 

Ushanka in navy blue polyamide and fuchsia tweed

With Coco Neige, Karl Lagerfeld imagines a collection that’s as aesthetic as it is sporty. Discover the nineteen silhouettes imbued with the style and the allure of CHANEL in boutiques from July 2018. 

LoL, Sandra

Brooch in gold metal, black and white resin and strass

Photos: Courtesy of Chanel

When it comes to evening make-up, I love anything glittery! Therefore I would like to introduce you to those amazing new bold shapes and shades, M·A·C‘s pro-approved glitter is now available to sprinkle its twinkle! From cheeky pink hearts to mesmerizing holographic flecks, you no longer have to be a make-up artist to enjoy this flash of panache. Rounding out the shiny new lineup is an extended range of the much-loved Lipglass in even more stellar hues.

LIPGLASS
Very Go Lightly shimmering champagne
Mystic Powers creamy peach
Good Juju sunrise pink
Shapeshifting Peach pinky nude with gold pearl

Magically Delightful shimmering coral
Elemental Focus dusky rose
All Things Magical muted rose pink
Signs of Spring soft pale pink w/ subtle shimmer

Soar neutral brown pink
Misbehaving creamy lavender purple
New Galaxy blue grey w/ purple & blue pearl
Lustrewhite clear-glazed with white sparkle
Steel Kiss dirty mauve with green pearl
*SRP 26.00 CHF

HOLOGRAPHIC GLITTER
Lavender Hologram purple flashing multicolour holographic
Pink Hologram pink flashing multicolour holographic
Gold Hologram gold flashing green holographic
Iridescent White iridescent white flashing pink and blue
*SRP 35.00 CHF

COSMETIC GLITTER
Platinum glittering silver
Yellow Gold glittering gold
Bright Bronze sparkling bronze
Copper sparkling copper
Rose sparkling rose
Heliotrope sparkling vivid purple
Black multi-dimensional black
*SRP 35.00 CHF

SHAPES
Pink Hearts heart shaped pinks and lilacs
Silver Stars star shaped silver glitter
*SRP 35.00 CHF

Available from now at all M∙A∙C locations and stores and at maccosmetics.ch.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of M∙A∙C

Greetings from beautiful and sunny Champagne where I spent some amazing days as guest of Moët & Chandon. I cannot wait to share with you this outstanding experience about champagne making. Here you see me in the Moët & Chardon L’Orangerie gardens in Epernay.

My look: Appliquéd cable-knit wool cardigan, tropical print silk cape shirt, tropical print pajama pants, and Ace embroidered low-top sneakers, all by Gucci. «Paris Cosmopolite» Pré-fall 2017 Métiers d’Art Gabrielle bag by Chanel and Audrey wayfarer sunglasses by Céline.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

You might have heard the news already as they had been announced a few days ago:
H&M revealed their newest designer collaboration with MOSCHINO, this time through Instagram live.

I was in the champagne with Moët & Chandon for an outstanding experience that I had no time to write about it before. Nevertheless, you might have heard about it but you still haven’t read my opinion about it which you might find interesting.

Funny coincidence: I wore Moschino’s Barbie collection to the Alexander Wang x H&M launch party in NYC in 2014.

First of all, I think that the time for designer collaborations is over. Somehow the magic went missing. Why is that? Personally speaking, in times, where street style fashion, sneakers, track pants and so on are totally trending, being stylish can be easily achieved, even on a low budget. Jeremy Scott, Moschino’s Creative Director, for example had a fantastic collaboration with Adidas before where you could find his aesthetics for a great price. Moreover, there are many new brands coming up, raising to fame through today’s advertising channels of social media.

Another coincidence: I met Jeremy Scott for the first time at an H&M party – in 2012 Anna dello Russo’s Paradise Ball celebrated her collaboration with the Swedish fashion giant.

When I was eagerly waiting during the last years for H&M’s new collaboration to be revealed, this one hit me unexpectedly as I had just forgotten about it. Nevertheless, personally speaking, I have always liked Moschino’s fun approach to fashion, especially since 2013 when Jeremy Scott has started to inject his pop energy, reminiscent of what Franco Moschino was famous for. Depending on the pieces Jeremy will create, this can be a great collection. Moreover, he is a designer of celebrity status with millions of fans, many of whom are also friends, such as Kate Perry, Lindsay Lohan and many more.

One of his buddies, no other than Gigi Hadid, revealed the new project with an Instagram live call to her friend Jeremy Scott. Her call was projected on digital screens at the annual MOSCHINO party in Coachella, California and live broadcasted on @hm surprising guests with the big news after midnight. Jeremy Scott and Gigi Hadid, were dressed in the first looks from the MOSCHINO [tv] H&M collection, a collection full of the vitality, playfulness and humour that has made the label one of the most beloved in fashion today.

«I am so excited about MOSCHINO [tv] H&M. My life’s work has been to connect with people through fashion, and with this collaboration I’ll be able to reach more of my fans than I’ve ever had the ability to do,» Jeremy Scott, Creative Director of MOSCHINO

For H&M, Jeremy Scott has designed new MOSCHINO collections for both women and men, as well as a full range of accessories and some extra surprises too. The collection will be available online and in select H&M stores worldwide from November 8, 2018.

The MOSCHINO [tv] H&M campaign is a radically innovative TV concept enmeshing social and traditional media to create a multi-platform takeover – a captivating new «zapping» experience for the digital world.

News were revealed last week at Scott’s annual Moschino Coachella Party: Jeremy Scott and Gigi Hadid dressed in the upcoming collection with Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M’s Creative Advisor.

Below you can find some of my favorite Moschino looks and accessories I wore over the past years, to see the complete outfit posts, click on the highlighted links. Let’s see if Jeremy will be inspired by one of those…

One of my favorite Moschino looks of all times: Barbie Girl.

Top left to right:  Love Pink –  When Fashion Meets Art – Good Girl
Bottom left to right: The Jacket Bag – Fast Fashion – California Cool

Infused with pop art: Jacket quilted leather shoulder bag.

Fashion kills: Cigarette box-inspired leather bag.

Looking at my photos, I can imagine that Scott’s surreal-Pop aesthetic will find many fans…
… to be continued!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of H&M/Moschino, © Sandra Bauknecht
#HMOSCHINO – INSTAGRAM @hm @moschino

History does repeat itself, and so do trends. Here’s another throwback to ’90s hair must-haves (after the revival of the barrettes) that is celebrated this S/S 2018 season: SCRUNCHIES.

Sarah Jessica Parker with a perm and a scrunchie in 1988.

It was no other than Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City who sentenced scrunchies in one episode to the purgatory of style faux pas with her portentous proclamation to her boyfriend Berger for mentioning a scrunchie in his novel, claiming that no New Yorker in her right mind would ever wear one. Love them, hate them, but you cannot ignore them, scrunchies were making a comeback even on the catwalk, and funkier than the ones we had been wearing decades ago.

Times change. Would it be controversial to say that now looking at those fabulous Balenciaga leather ones, I actually disagree with Carrie Bradshaw and totally think that they really are rather fabulous?!

YOU CAN SHOP THE BALENCIAGA SCRUNCHIES IN DIFFERENT COLOURS AT BROWNS FASHION AND NET-A-PORTER. FOR AROUND €150 EACH.

Styling tip: Because those leather scrunchies tend to keep sliding down your hair, I recommend giving it a good grip by applying SACHAJUAN’s Hair Powder to the part where the base of your ponytail will be. This will give your hair texture, fullness and help keep your scrunchie stay in place without adding any weight to your tresses.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Balenciaga and © Getty Images

A NEW SERUM FOR THIRSTY SKIN
HYDRATE WELL, AGE WELL
Every day, our skin is subjected to the ill effects of the cold, wind, pollution, UV rays, stress, fatigue and unhealthy lifestyles. These aggressors weaken and disrupt the skin’s natural hydration mechanisms. As a consequence, fine dehydration lines appear, the skin feels tight, and it loses its plump, supple and radiant appearance. As optimal hydration is the key to keeping skin youthful, Sisley created HYDRA-GLOBAL in 2007 to solve these problems. This hydrating anti-ageing product can restore the skin’s hydric balance while promoting the circulation of water within the epidermis to transport moisture deep down.

IN 2018, SISLEY’S RESEARCH IS GOING EVEN FURTHER BY CREATING HYDRA-GLOBAL SERUM Anti-Aging Hydration Booster – a «super-product» that boosts hydration and deeply quenches the thirstiest skin by helping it to restore itself by means of its natural hydration mechanisms. Hydra-Global Serum kick-starts intense and autonomous hydration by reteaching the skin how to take in water, circulate it through the different skin layers and retain it as much as possible.

THREE ACTIONS
1. Boosts water reserves
2. Promotes water circulation in the epidermis
3. Retains water at the skin’s surface – for longer.

Filled with water, the skin is more supple and more bouncy. The complexion is radiant and wrinkles are softened. Continuously moisturized, the skin is ready to withstand the hands of time and the gel-serum texture leaves a bare-skin sensation. Apply it morning and evening to face and neck as it perfectly complements the moisturizing action of all daily skin care products.

HYDRA-GLOBAL SERUM Anti-Aging Hydration Booster will be available from May 2, 2018 for CHF 247.00 (30ml).

Don’t forget, hydration is the first step in anti-ageing. As I am having very dry skin, I am totally in love with this new serum. After only a few days of having used it, I can see a big difference!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sisley Paris

Gosh, sometimes I still remember the time when I was a little girl and wore barrettes in all sorts of colors, especially in school to keep my hair out of my face. Funilly enough, I kept loosing them to the dislike of my mum. Now, we are back with this trend. But this S/S 2018 season, you would want to hold on to them tightly because they’re so much fancier and you wouldn’t want to loose a gold or bedazzled hair clip for over €100 each.

How to wear this hair accessory in 2018? The coolest way is to position it on the level of the top of your ear. Gucci‘s jaw-dropping, rhinestone-affixed logo version is a such a pretty way to secure a swept-back style.

TO SHOP GUCCI’S LOGO BARRETTES, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

Simone Rocha’s cast of Victorian-esque Brits captured the hearts of It-girls worldwide with their pearl-encrusted barrettes placed properly to the side.

TO SHOP SIMONE ROCHA HAIR CLIPS, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

Donnatella Versace’s delicate gold hairpins that graced the beautiful heads of Gigi, Kendall, and Kaia Gerber in Milan will definitely be on every fashionista’s shopping list.

TO SHOP VERSACE’S MEDUSA SLIDE, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

But leave it to the showstopping House of Saint Laurent to deliver the most extravagant (and expensive) hair clip of the season.

TO SHOP SAINT LAURENT’S EMBELLISHED HAIR CLIP, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

As these decorative details quickly make their way onto red carpets and the heads of street style’s finest, all that is left to say is: Let party season begin. Barettes in 2018 are much fancier than in the ’90s!

And to keep your hair in place, I recommend BJÖRN AXEN’S MEGAFIX HAIRSPRAY SUPER STRONG HOLD. This hairspray gives you shine, holds and is easy to brush out leaving no white flakes.

Stay tuned! Another ’90s hair trend is back that I will tell you all about this week!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands

The «Louis Vuitton New Wave» collection heralds a new attitude, taking inspiration from the musical genre of the same name to revisit the joyful, colourful spirit of the Eighties in an unexpected way.

This collection is rooted in the art of travel that sealed the House’s reputation as soon as 
it was founded in 1854. In particular, one trunk was decorated with a graphic, multicoloured motif that undulated like a wave. From this historical detail comes the subtle quilted design of the «Louis Vuitton New Wave» line. To make these bags the ideal everyday companion, like a favorite leather jacket you never leave home without, the house chose to create each style in exceptionally soft, supple lambskin.

Available in store starting July 7th.
Freesia and Emerald colours available starting September.

I am so in love with the embellished or denim version. One of those will definitely be on my shopping list!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton

My search for the perfect day to night dress was over when I found this gorgeous embellished one. Mini stands in this case for minimal dressing effort with a huge effect. This showstopper makes a sharp and chic style statement. Combined with my favorite clutch ever, the Chanel cigar box, I love wearing it around the clock.

My look: Ruffle trimmed single breasted wool coat by Gucci, Showmanship Dark Rush dress by Mary Katrantzou, suede over-the-knee boots by Saint Laurent, and cigar box clutch by Chanel from the Coco Cuba Croisière 2017 collection. Tribale earrings by Dior and diamond ring by Vainard Fine Jewellery.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht