Sandra‘s Closet

Get the look of sweet Kristen Bell. Last Sunday at the Teen Choice Awards the blonde 30-year-old actress looked so pretty on the red carpet in her breathtaking organza dress by Stella McCartney. This scintillating bright dress cannot fail to impress with its captivating sheer and embroidered detailing.

Kristen kept her outfit simple and just added a pair of nude heels by Brian Atwood and a cocktail ring. This is elegant sophisticated style par excellence!

Kristen and me last week in Los Angeles

Her newest movie “Burlesque” will be out in November in which she stars along with Cher and Christina Aguilera. Can’t wait for that!

LoL, Sandra

Today, I will be heading back to Zurich after two amazing months in Los Angeles. For the flight, I spoiled myself with this super-luxe travel kit from Lanvin comprising of silk-satin slippers and an eyemask in a cute little pouch. I chose the leopard-print version but it also comes in nude and black.
A perfect vacation essential and a great gift for a fellow fashionista who loves to travel in style.

LoL, Sandra

Do you want your children to be colouring in style? Thanks to Hermès, they will be able to scribble fashionably in the brand-new most exclusive colouring book ever.
Hermès Les 4 Mondes is available for $130.- which sounds kind of expensive for twelve pages and 24 designs (markers sold seperately) but it is a real steal compared to the French house`s bestselling toys like the pull-along wooden horse for $600.- or the cute plush animal for $520.-. I am sure that all fashionable Mums will love it and that children could not care less.

To the cream of the crop, better start them young!

LoL, Sandra

Ancient Egyptians considered the scarab beetle to be lucky and obviously Tomas Maier does, too. For his F/W 2010 Bottega Veneta show, he adorned his models with beautiful metallic-green scarab beetle charms.
The lucky animal decorates rings, earrings, necklaces and bangles. My favourite is the multi-strand necklace which is unfortunately also the most expensive one. Those pieces will rock every outfit. Available online, at Bottega Veneta stores and at net-à-porter.

So ladies, start pushing your luck!

LoL, Sandra

A dear subscriber of Sandra`s Closet asked for help. She is going to a wedding which will take place in a beautiful garden of a winery in Napa, California and wants to look stunning. Her request was that the outfit should be around $1000.- max.

I put some gorgeous styles together in different colour combinations. Let’s start with something classy in beige and gold for approximately $800.-. Contrast the polished look with a pair of cut-out booties and a hat for an über-stylish statement. (Dress by Karen Millen).

Soft pink is an exquisite colour to wear for a wedding party. The shift dress by D&G Dolce & Gabbana is a fabulously feminine choice. Complement the delicate pastel tone with suede pumps and a golden clutch.
The pochette by Anya Hindmarch is a little pricey at 525.- but an investment piece for many occassions to come.
I totally adore the hat clip for only $10.-. This modern and stylish take on the traditional wedding accessory will make you stand out of the crowd.

A contemporary choice for day and night is this purple halterneck dress for $355.- by Halston Heritage. The brand carries a lot of gorgeous dresses for less money.
Cinch this sculpted style at the waist with the self-tie belt and wear it with understated jewelry and strappy sandals for first class cocktail chic. A feather hair clip for only $27.- could give you that Blair Waldorf attitude. The whole outfit is $745.-. You can add a stylish leopard cardigan for $350.- if it gets chilly.

I love this vibrant asymmetric dress by Halston Heritage. The bright hue will look awesome on brunettes and dark haired ladies. Sharpen the playful rose detail with stunning lace booties and a beaded clutch. Bangles are always a fabulous finish. The complete look is without the jewelry around $850.-.

But careful, it is hard not to steal the show in those gorgeous outfits.
To a great wedding party!

LoL, Sandra

American actresses Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen launched their hip ready-to-wear and accessories label in 2007.
The brand’s name The Row derives from London’s historic Savile Row which has inspired their line: Traditional tailoring with a strong focus on clean lines, ultra-refined silhouettes and figure-flattering fit. I am completely in love with the leather mini skirt and long cashmere cardigan.

So good news is that the famous twins started their e-commerce business today. With worldwide shipping, the cult label is available to fashionistas everywhere.

The F/W 2010 collection is an understated and classic take on everyday’s wear with an edgy twist to it. The luxurious fabrics underline the effortless chic. This is minimalism at its best.

LoL, Sandra

It is August and the majority of fall campaigns can be seen now in the new fashion magazines, ads just keep coming out of the woodwork and so I wanted to give you a brief summary of the most important ones and by whom they were shot.
It is funny to see that this world in particular is pretty small and some photographers are ahead of the game.

My personal favourite is Bottega Veneta`s strong expressive F/W 2010 campaign. Shot by the godfather of energetic graphic photography himself: Robert Longo. The artist has became famous in the late 1970s and early 1980s with his series „Men in the Cities“ that depicts men and women in business attire contorted in extreme positions.

The winner this season seems to be renowned Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott. The dream team that has defined the look of the past decade, shot the most campaigns. Enjoy my preview:

The American photographer and long-time protégé of both Franca Sozzani and Anna Wintour, editors-in-chief of Italian and American Vogue is also a big shot in the world of fashion photography. No wonder, Steven Meisel shot all those gorgeous campaigns.

Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinood Matadin, a fashion photographer duo that is well known for their independent art work. Most of their photographs are both critical and slightly disturbing as you can see in the campaigns they shot for F/W 2010.

Italian-born Mario Sorrenti is a photographer and director best known for his spreads of nude models in the pages of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.

Peruvian fashion photographer Mario Testino has shot many fashion stories and celebrities. His work has been exhibited in numerous galleries and museums.

Hermès has come up with another really beautiful advertising campaign shot by Paolo Roversi. I love his romantic, vintage looking photos that always seem to tell a story. To me, a perfect choice for the French house!

Bruce Weber is a well-known face in the world of advertising photography. His career really took of in the late 1980s and early 1990s with his famous advertising images for Calvin Klein.

Juergen Teller‘s work is extraordinary and with a distinctive design. His raw style makes him one of the most influential fashion photographers working today.

Multi-talent Karl Lagerfeld likes to keep everything in his own hands. So no wonder that he shoots the advertising campaigns for his own collections for Chanel and Fendi.

Steven Klein is an American photographer that shot many high-profile advertising campaigns for various clients. This season he was hired by Dolce & Gabbana to capture a close knit Italian family with Madonna as the matriarchal figure through his lens.
Great job!

LoL, Sandra

Our time machine is moving further. After the glam references of the past decades, some designers also saw the impact of architectural purity during the 90s and there is something intrinsically cool about today’s new minimalism.

The creations are great investment pieces, very versatile, less extreme and more functional. You could go through decades wearing the same thing and looking great.

If you want to add some 90’s minimalist sophistication to your wardrobe, think more about tailored silhouettes in superb quality. Draping, asymmetry and unusual fabrics give maximum choice for minimal style.

The colour palette is mostly muted with a lot of white, camel, grey and black. But if you love the bright hues, it does not mean that you cannot buy into minimalism. There were lots of beautiful choices on the runways.

To conclude our trip through time, those pure outfits have more longevity than any other seasonal looks. But wether or not, trends never really go out of fashion, it just takes a while for them to resurface and each decade has the same key factor, the need to be fashionable.

With this in mind, enjoy the comeback of 90’s great fashion moments!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands

Due to the ongoing leopardmania, there will be a lot of wild cats around this winter, so you probably better make sure to stick out of the crowd. And the best way might be Dolce & Gabbana`s colourful twist on their signature animal print.  What started last season in blue and red, is for this fall all about pink and green.

Give your wardrobe some va va voom and pick your leopard print essentials for this fall. A stylish cardigan or scarf will bring a bit of colour to an all black outfit and an animal-print bag will add an instant hit of glamour to your daily look.

Make a roaring fashion statement in those colourful leos!

LoL, Sandra