Sandra‘s Closet

Last weekend, I was invited to a birthday party in Fribourg with the dress code «Choose a Quentin Tarantino Movie Character». The possibilities are versatile but one that I truly liked and that looks great in daily life is the style of Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) in Pulp Fiction. The 1994 movie is known for its many twists, but most poignant of all is her dance with Vincent Vega (John Travolta). It’s in that scene that Mia sports the outfit that has inspired one of the most popular Halloween costumes of the last two decades, with a white button down shirt as the quintessential piece combined with black cropped pants.

My look: Bandage flared pants by Hervé Léger, cotton-poplin shirt, sequined gun shoulder bag, and Janis suede platform pumps, all by Saint Laurent, Petit Jardin embroidered stretch-tulle underwired bra by La Perla, and diamond ring by Vainard Fine Jewellery.

You’ll never watch that scene the same way again when I tell you what else made it so iconic for a fashion lover. It was the nail polish on Mia’s fingers. First debuted at the F/W 1994 CHANEL show, Le Vernis Rouge Noir made its screen debut in Pulp Fiction 25 years ago. Until today, the hue is still one of the most coveted—and questionably duped—color in both fashion and beauty history.

I really like this hair style (the wig is from atop.ch). What do you think? Time to get a new hair cut?

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht 

In 2019, COROMANDEL lends itself to a new variation and inspires the eighth Parfum in the LES EXCLUSIFS DE CHANEL collection. Darker and more intense, this new interpretation of COROMANDEL exalts the opulence of its oriental-woody trail.

A true exercise in perfuming style, the creation of a parfum requires an intimate understanding of the original fragrance in order to accentuate the most characteristic features and thus intensify its olfactory signature. From the richly woody oriental fragrance COROMANDEL, Olivier Polge, Perfumer Creator for the House of CHANEL, chose to magnify the dark and smoky facets with a special focus on three raw materials that are key to its identity. Frankincense is heightened to give the Parfum a vibrant and vertical power that builds upon contact with the skin. A more concentrated quality of labdanum fully reveals the smoky and leathery accents of its ambery note. Lastly, a densely textured, velvety benzoin gives the COROMANDEL Parfum trail a warm and captivating depth.

Inside Coco Chanel’s apartment: her beloved coromandel screens.

A bolder expression of the COROMANDEL personality, the Parfum is an even greater evocation of the lacquered screens that lined the walls of Gabrielle Chanel’s private apartment. Intense and mysterious, its dark woody trail recalls the deep shades of these luxurious objects from the Orient, with which it shares an exotic elegance and exquisite refinement.

LES EXCLUSIFS COROMANDEL Parfum 15 ml for CHF 274.-
Available in Switzerland from Mid September at CHANEL Zürich, Geneva, Bongénie in Geneva, Jelmoli Zurich, and Manor Geneva.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of CHANEL

Any pet lover will say that life just seems better with a dog. The furry friends keep us company, entertain us, comfort us, protect us, and seem to make life fuller and more complete. I grew up with a dog and I still remember those beautiful years at his side. Today, I cannot pass a dog without a little cuddle. Henry kept me company while taking the photos of this floral-print linen outfit that is one of my favorites at the moment.

My look: Goldie cropped ruffled floral-print linen top, Goldie floral-print kick-flare linen trousers, and floral-print cotton visor, all by Zimmermann, Marmont fringed logo-embellished metallic cracked-leather pumps by Gucci, logo earrings, side packs in yellow, and  yellow logo cuffs, all by Chanel, «Mitza» ring by Dior Fine Jewellery and cat eye metal mirrored sunglasses by Fendi.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht 

With this outfit post, I would like to invite you to explore the Net-à-Porter x Zimmermann capsule collection of luxe bohemian pieces sure to evoke wanderlust like this paisley print dresses with cut out details. Find everything you need for the perfect transitional wardrobe. I wore recently to a night out with one of my beloved girlfriends.

My look: Fringed wool-jacquard cardigan by Etro, Eyes on Summer cutout printed cotton and silk-blend chiffon maxi dress by Zimmermann, waist bag with chains and pearls by Chanel, Bianca leather sandals by Saint Laurent, gold-tone necklace with shell charms, gold-tone and shell choker, long gold-tone and shell necklace, and gold-tone and shell earrings, all by Isabel Marant.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

It’s the ruching on those leather belts that gives them a vintage charm without losing sight of the respective brand’s leatherworking history. The finishing touch on so many of the latest runway pieces, it is the perfect way to temper a billowing dress or oversized blazer. Use it to define the waist for a smart occasion, the choice of the buckle is all yours…

LoL, Sandra

Green ruched leather belt by Gucci

Black ruched leather belt by Gucci

White ruched leather belt by Bottega Veneta

Black ruched leather belt by Bottega Veneta

White ruched leather belt by CHANEL

Gold ruched leather belt by CHANEL

Black ruched leather belt by CHANEL

Black ruched leather belt by CHANEL

Black ruched leather belt by Dolce & Gabbana

Stills: Courtesy of the Brands
Photo in the collage: © David Biedert Photography 
(For the complete outfit post, click here please).

«Women think of all colours except the absence of colour. I have said that black has it all. White too. Their beauty is absolute. It is the perfect harmony.»
Gabrielle Chanel

«Noir» and «Blanc,» the CHANEL absolutes, made elegant, timeless and iconic by Gabrielle Chanel and still the enduring signature of her House today. For F/W 2019, black and white, the ultimate symbolic (non) colours of CHANEL, are explored and reinterpreted by Lucia Pica, CHANEL Global Creative Makeup and Color Designer, for a stylized and sumptuous beauty collection.

From the formalized and abstract to the silken and sensuous, Lucia Pica infuses her new approach to these power colours of CHANEL with both an appreciation of their transcendent absolutism and an eye for the nuanced gradations of the spaces in-between.

In tune with the Modernist architectural and cultural environment of Paris, part of the embracement by CHANEL of black and white could be seen as a reflection of her time; the ebony and ivory of Art Deco interiors, the delineated graphic lines of the Moderne, the stylized photographic and cinematic images that proliferated, even those images of Mademoiselle herself… It is while bearing all of this in mind that Lucia Pica has approached the ultimate graphic colours of CHANEL, both celebrating and humanizing them – literally making them flesh, for the contemporary consumer.

Lucia Pica now sees these colours from the life of Gabrielle Chanel as part of a manifesto for modernity in beauty for contemporary women. Embracing the aura of the silver screen and the silver print, particularly concentrating on the gradations of colour to be found within these processes, sepias, greys and new «Rouge Noirs» emerge. Sparkling, shimmering textures add an all-over glow of glamour, while delineated and structured mattes make a more direct appeal. Altogether, the collection is a meeting of fantasy and reality, the stylized with the organic, a perfect harmony of absolutes.

«Black and white are the colours I relate most to Gabrielle Chanel; the time she lived in, the power she gave these colours, the way they appeared in her life. Black and white were in her surroundings, in the interiors, in the architecture of Paris as well as in the symbolism of her life.» Lucia Pica

LIPS
Rouge Allure Liquid Powder CHF 48.-
974 Timeless
978 Bois de Nuit
Rouge Allure Velvet Extrême CHF 48.-
128 Rose Nocturne (Edition Limitée)
130 Rouge Obscur

Rouge Coco Gloss CHF 39.-
814 Crystal Clear (Edition Limitée)
816 Laque Noire (Edition Limitée)

NAILS/HANDS
Le Vernis CHF 33.-
713 Pure Black (Edition Limitée)
711 Pure White (Edition Limitée)
Le Lift La Crème Main Galet 50 ml CHF 80.- (new!)
La Crème Main 50 ml CHF 64.-

EYES – The intense focus of the collection
Les 4 Ombres CHF 77.-
332 Noir Suprême (Edition Limitée)
334 Modern Glamour
Ombre Première Top Coat CHF 43.- (my favorites!)
317 Carte Blanche (Edition Limitée)
327 Pénombre (Edition Limitée)

Stylo Yeux Waterproof CHF 35.-
949 Blanc Graphique
88 Noir Intense (Repromotion)

Le Volume Ultra Noir de CHANEL CHF 47.-
90 Ultra Noir

FACE
Le Gel Pailleté CHF 60.-
(Edition Limitée)
A transparent shimmering gel

«There is an idea of extreme fantasy as well as reality in this collection, of something very stylized or delineated while embracing the day-to-day. There is a certain palpability to the texture; it is so real it becomes part of your skin. At the same time the sparkle hovers above it, becoming almost like an aura, a kind of glamour seen in films – LE GEL PAILLETÉ is very much about this.» Lucia Pica

The Noir et Blanc de CHANEL make-up collection will be available from end of August, 2019. The Le Lift La Crème Main (hand cream) will be available from beginning of September 2019.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © CHANEL

«I decided who I wanted to be, and that is who I am.» Gabrielle Chanel

The bold, independent character of Gabrielle Chanel would determine her fate and change the course of history. In 2017, CHANEL created a fragrance in her honor, a reflection of her extraordinary, determined and passionate spirit: GABRIELLE CHANEL. From the scent to the bottle—both firsts in the history of CHANEL—and the choice of name, it pays tribute to the woman she was before Coco Chanel.

This creation is an expression of Gabrielle in the radiant light of her personality laid bare. It illustrates the liberated woman who revolutionized an era with her visionary take on the world, fashion and beauty. Driven by an inner strength, she was an avant-garde inventor who changed the rules, broke with convention, and made her voice heard. This namesake fragrance is her aura. It personifies the freedom to be unique, to truly be one’s self.

In 2019, GABRIELLE CHANEL Eau de Parfum is reinvented with GABRIELLE CHANEL ESSENCE. Familiar but unlike no other, this new olfactory variation shows a more vibrant and opulent side. Inspired by the very essence of Gabrielle’s radiance, the fragrance shines with intensity, inviting all women reveal their true selves, to follow their instincts by expressing their freedom and speaking their mind. The voluptuous scent works its magic to reveal each individual identity. Solar, it heightens the dazzling charisma of the woman who wears it with warmth and luminosity.

Margot Robbie is the face of the campaign, for the previous post click HERE please.

«With GABRIELLE CHANEL ESSENCE, I wanted to cut to the essentials, to the heart of the fragrance, and reaffirm it with a more voluptuous trail.»
– Olivier Polge, House of CHANEL Perfumer-Creator

This grand floral immediately produces a solar vibration on the skin and makes the woman who wears it shine. Its vibrant heart, stirred by the four white flowers revered by the House, «like a chorus in CHANEL fragrances», radiates throughout the composition. The essence of creaminess, Grasse tuberose plays a majestic role. Elegant and slender, opalescent white, the delicate star-shaped flower prevails as the most fragrant of the plant kingdom. Grown in Grasse exclusively for CHANEL and extracted using a process specific to the House, it is divested of its usual leather, waxy, green and animal facets.

Softened in such a way, it reveals a modern quality, as if smelled in the open field. The enigmatic scent, warm and opulent, is a natural expression of its petals’ velvety texture. The other flowers serve to transcend it: jasmine, the essence of intensity; ylang-ylang from the Comoros, the essence of radiance; and Tunisian orange blossom, the essence of freshness.

A fragrance is like a musical composition…

A matter of balance, the art of creation… To highlight this floral nectar, Olivier Polge, in cooperation with the CHANEL Laboratory of Fragrance Creation and Development, revisited the entire composition. The luminous and airy GABRIELLE CHANEL becomes solar and enveloping with the ESSENCE. He gave the top notes a softer whisper of citrus and added a tangy dash of red berries, and heightened the sensual, voluptuous trail with base notes of sandalwood, vanilla and white musk.

Available from August 31, 2019.

GABRIELLE CHANEL ESSENCE Vaporisateur 50 ml CHF 127.-
GABRIELLE CHANEL ESSENCE Vaporisateur 100 ml CHF 183.-

Furthermore, there will be two amazing additions to the original fragrance GABRIELLE CHANEL offering two new ways of perfuming: a Twist and Spray and a Hair Mist. Two new products to enrich a line that already features a Foaming Shower Gel, a Moisturizing Body Lotion and a Deodorant Spray. A fragrance ritual that prolongs the floral, luminous and solar trail of GABRIELLE CHANEL.

With its new travel-friendly design, GABRIELLE CHANEL Eau de Parfum is easy to slip into your purse and take with you wherever you go. Simple and intuitive to use, GABRIELLE CHANEL Twist and Spray gives you the freedom to wear fragrance at any time of day.

In a travel-friendly format you can slip into your purse, GABRIELLE CHANEL Hair Mist offers a new approach to perfuming. Spray directly on your hair or brush to scent your locks with the sunny, floral notes of the fragrance. Its new formula makes hair look smoother, softer and shinier, while intensifying the trail of GABRIELLE CHANEL.

Both also available from August 31, 2019.

GABRIELLE CHANEL Eau de Parfum Twist & Spray 3×20 ml CHF 151.-
GABRIELLE CHANEL Parfum Cheveux 40 ml CHF 70.-

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © CHANEL, #GABRIELLECHANEL #CHANELFRAGRANCE

The shape of Egyptian pyramids is thought to represent the primordial mound from which the Egyptians believed the earth was created. There is something enticing about their structure with its mesmerizing symmetry, yet captivating simplicity. This F/W 2019 season, designers were inspired by the structural benefits of this three-dimensional triangle shape that allows an evening handbag to provide spaciousness with plenty of room to store the necessities of the night.

Personally speaking, those pyramid bags have a luxury feel, and retain an element of the mysterious that I truly love. Which one is your favorite?

LoL, Sandra

Pyramid bag in black and gold stripes by CHANEL

Embellished  pyramid bag by CHANEL

Pyramid metallic leather clutch by Saint Laurent

Pyramid bag by LZL

Lia leather pyramid bag by Nita Suri

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands and © Sandra Bauknecht

Greetings from Saint Tropez at the French Riviera. I love this contradictory place with its jet setter elegance and quaint old town French style. One of my favorite brands at the moment is Zimmermann. Their luxe bohemian clothing is sure to evoke wanderlust and all of their offerings for the perfect beach wardrobe.

My look: Verity floral-print linen maxi dress and floral-print cotton headband, both by Zimmermann, Saffiano double handle mini satchel by Prada, round sunglasses with triple chain by Chanel, The Rockstud 105 leather sandals by Valentino and rose diamond necklace by Piaget.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Today’s post is dedicated to the new luxurious drops for the sporty girls – a must for extreme athletes who are into high fashion. These items may be too precious for actual use but can serve as the perfect decor for sport lovers.

Ping Pong Set James Monogram Eclipse Canvas by Louis Vuitton (€1500)

Table tennis, anyone? Ideal for travel, this sporty set includes two professionally designed ping-pong paddles, regulation balls in a custom holder, and an exclusive cover crafted of masculine Monogram Eclipse canvas, accented with an LV Circle medal.

Basketball by CHANEL (€1990)

As part of the accessories of the Métiers d’Art Paris-New York 2018/19 collection, this basketball is available in black with either silver or gold detailing. It comes with the matching harness that’s either detailed with silver or gold hardware on the black leather sling. Let’s start playing basketball…

Skateboard by CHANEL (Price on request, on the US website $7700)

With this, the skateboard has officially become a luxury item. The cruiser-style must-have by CHANEL is crafted from black lacquered wood that is accented with a white interlocking logo. Its underside features an embossed quilting pattern referencing the French house’s signature technique.

Surfboard by CHANEL (Price on request, on the US website $8900)

On the surfboard you can see a standout silver detail on the board which is made from aluminum, glass and polyurethane.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands