“Eco-Chic” is one of the keywords for next summer and hay fever seems to be a new tropical flu. Natural materials some even with a rough character to them were major on the runways.
At Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld manifested the ecological trend by sending his models carrying whicker baskets on their arms down the haystack aisle. He along with many other designers used raffia, woven cords and other faux-rustic fabrics for a variety of unexpected creations.
Since many years, Dolce & Gabbana have made the raffia tote one of their signature pieces for summer. This time in combination with another key material: lace.
Nothing confirms the hot season is close at hand like a giant straw bag or floppy hat. Loved by the Hippies in the 70s, those pieces are companions of longwearing resilience.
Let`s see when the raffia palm is branching out to you…!
To all of my viewers around the world: Happy New Year to you and thank you for being so lovely and faithful to Sandra`s Closet! May 2010 be sparkling, vibrant and joyful, bringing along many reasons to celebrate. And celebrations need fantastic outfits! So enjoy those stunning looks I put together for all of my fabulous cosmopolitan readers.
Let`s make a resolution for the New Year to experiment more and to enjoy unleashing our inner fashionistas.
May all your dreams come true!
LoL, Sandra
After the mint green “Jade” phenomenon, Chanel is setting another trend for your finger tips and this time be early enough to get your hands on one of those bottles coming out in the beginning of the new year. The grayed taupe colour with a brown undertone named “Particulière 505” was featured at their S/S 2010 fashion show.
To be honest, Chanel is only confirming an already established trend by OPI. Their colours “You don`t know Jacques” (a dark grey), “Over the Taupe” (a beige brown) and “Parlez-vous OPI” (a greyish purple) are in the same colour family and existing bestsellers. If you want to cut down your waiting time for Chanel`s shade, opt for those substitutes.
I love all these colours anyway as they are soft, subtle and suit most of the skin colours and outfits well.
See you at the Chanel counter or OPI shop!
LoL, Sandra
Photos: Courtesy of the Brands
Black and White is always a great combination and was seen a lot on the runways. For winter houndstooth was a must-have. For the upcoming summer 2010, stripes, op-art and graphic prints, some of them with an influence of ethnic ornaments, appeared on the runways.The top by Gareth Pugh is on sale at www.brownsfashion.com and a great buy for the next season.
If you are not so into patterns, you can also achieve the look with an accessory like a black belt on a white dress or combine the two colours by wearing a light top and a dark skirt or vice versa.
As I am a big fan of the nautical look, I like the black and white striped tops that you can order at www.topshop.com. They are cool, not so expensive and will give you an immediate fashion-update. Optional you can go for a black and white bag or shoes.
It is definitely a trend that you will have already in your closet. So start now and enjoy!
LoL, Sandra
Designers made colour one of the essential elements for their spring/summer collections. Turquoise, fuchsia, apple green and pale pink are at the top, all with a little touch of the 70`s.
Colourful accessories with beautiful details are a great way to turn up the va-va-voom factor as they will make an outfit look ultra-fashion forward and you will need just one single piece for that effect.
LoL, Sandra
The ethnic influence is undeniable this spring/summer. Numerous were the sources of inspirations that designers used for their creations. Embroideries, coloured beads, leather thongs and pompoms appeared everywhere. Embellishment is not the only important factor, to my eye the shape is essential, too. A lot of “gym bags” combined with add-on charms and tassels were seen on the runways. A leader of the trend is Marc Jacobs with his collection for Louis Vuitton. You should definitely get your hands on one of those bags. Good luck!
LoL, Sandra
As I have never outgrown my passion for Barbie dolls, this one is on top of my wishlist for Christmas: The Cat-burglar Barbie® by Christian Louboutin. Launched this December and first in a series of three, she received a complete head-to-toe Parisian make-over as envisioned by Christian Louboutin: “She needed great shoes, a thinner ankle and, to me, as I’m obsessed with feet, a foot more curved.”
The master of fabulous footwear completed her black cat-suit with four different versions of his statement red-soled heels that all come with miniature shoe boxes and cloth shoe bags (how adorable!!!). Also included with every one of the first Barbie® by Christian Louboutin limited edition dolls is a chic collectable calendar that documents all their jet-setting adventures together. Barbie “went” to Paris for one year exploring the designer`s ultra-fashionable life and visiting all his favourite places.
In February a safari-themed Barbie® by Christian Louboutin will be launched and the series will be completed in May with a creation dedicated to the Cannes Film Festival. If you do not want to miss them out, go to www.net-a-porter.com.
Merry X-mas to all of you! May all of your wishes come true…
LoL, Sandra
Lydia Courteille with me
