
The closing dinner party of Firenze4Ever 3rd Edition took place in the beautiful gardens of La Specola museum. The theme of the party was „Animalier“.

I dressed up as a mixture between a mouse and a cheetah, a „cheetouse“.
Leggings and Top by Givenchy – Blouse and Cage Sandals by Alexander McQueen, Belt – Yves Saint Laurent, Headband with Mouse Ears by Louis Vuitton and Mini Boston Bag by Céline – Watch by Roger Dubuis.


Me with Dan Hasby-Oliver from Laststylelofdefense.com

Sebastiano and La Carmina were showing us the Japanese animalier trend: Pokemons, rabbit bags and plush dogs on the head.



It wouldn’t be LuisaViaRoma if they didn’t have some surprises for us that night. A beautiful ballet performance waited for us in the gardens. The dancers were dressed up as animal creatures. Kind of spooky but really beautiful.


The DJs of the night were pretty famous: Daniele Cavalli (Roberto’s son), whom I had met already at the last Firenze4Ever event in January, and Henry Holland, the designer of House of Holland were rocking the crowd.
Daniele

Henry
The last days were just so amazing, filled with many exciting moments. I have so much more to show you!
LoL, Sandra
Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

While Dior still hasn’t officially announced Galliano’s successor (and they won’t probably until September), the suspicion hardens that Ricardo Tisci, Givenchy’s Creative Director, will be the one. Since John Galliano’s unpleasant exit, Dior’s dresses have been stigmatised on the red carpet. In return, we have been spotting much more Givenchy lately. Might be a sign…
Liv Tyler, Mary-Kate Olsen and Alicia Keys wore Givenchy Haute Couture to the Met Gala in New York this month.
Naomi Campbell was a fringed beauty in an embroidered evening gown at the amfAR 2011 Fight Against Aids party in Cannes last Thursday. Photo: © PacificCoastNews
For the same gala, Courtney Love chose an absolutely spectacular Givenchy Couture gown with a plunging neckline and a sheer tulle-and-feather skirt.
Photo: © Francois Durand/Getty Images Europe
Beyoncé wore Givenchy for her video for her single Run The World (Girls)
As for me, Ricardo Tisci would be a great choice. I have been a big fan of his creations for a long time. He will surely infuse more gothic appeal to Dior but that doesn’t need to be bad, doesn’t it? And when Tisci leaves Givenchy, Haider Ackermann could succeed. I think I like that idea very much!
LoL, Sandra


Last weekend, famous supermodel Natasha Poly, who is ranked N°2 on Models.com, got a head start on all the bridal madness when she tied the knot with Dutch businessman Peter Bakker. The beautiful Russian got married in an intimate three day ceremony at Hotel Byblos in St.Tropez.
Riccardo Tisci, Creative Director of Givenchy, had the honour of dressing the bride for her big day and Leona Lewis gave a private concert for the 200 guests. I especially loved the lace sleeves and Natasha’s romantic hair style with white flowers accentuating her blonde waves.

Lara Stone, who is by the way the N°1 ranked model on Models.com had also worn a custom Givenchy bride dress last year at her wedding. And we will never forget how gorgeous Audrey Hepburn looked in Hubert de Givenchy’s bridal creation for the movie Funny Face in 1957…
LoL, Sandra

Chunky heels and wedges, this is what the summer 2011 is all about . Being more comfortable than high heels (especially if you live like me in a city plastered with cobblestones) and giving you a more casual and effortless look, those shoes will be surely bestsellers.
Enjoy those creations for this summer that are bold, daring and definitely different.



The footwear innovation for S/S 2011 is the flatform – a ballet flat elevated on a high platform heel, that gives you extra hight. Kind of reminiscent of summer espandrilles, but only higher. Designers are loving them at the moment.
And what about you? Are you a brick-like shoe lover?
LoL, Sandra

I love the colour combination of ink blue and teal with grey. Those shades just belong together. The outfit above proves my theory perfectly:
The gorgeous grey dress by 3.1 Phillip Lim (€305.-) and ink-blue belted long-length blazer by Elizabeth & James (€430.-) look stunning combined with teal accessories like the velvet ankle boots by Maison Martin Margiela (£455.-) and the cross-body bag by See by Chloé (€305.-).
For daily glamour add a statement necklace like the crystal-embellished one by 3.1. Phillip Lim (€590.-) and a cool leather bracelet by Chan Luu (€175.-).
Indigo eyeshadow by Givenchy (one of my favourites) and the OPI “Ski teal we drop” nail polish will top off your outfit amazingly!
Feeling blue can be fun!
LoL, Sandra

With the big sock-in-shoe trend, it seems all natural that designer have come up with a very convenient way of doing it: Inbuilt rib-knit stockings.
As for me, I have found it always difficult to decide with shoe size to buy if I have to fit in some thick ribbed wool socks, too. Now, my problem is solved.
Pull those boots on with a mini skirt and your legs will look surprisingly long! You can play with the length of the stocking, taking it all up as a dramatic choice or chopped down for a cool style.
I am all up for it, and you?
LoL, Sandra

Thank you for all the lovely feedback on my recent coverage of my Paris Fashion Week’s highlights. Many of you were asking about my outfits, so please find herewith some detailed information.
At the Stella McCartney show, I wore a lot of her designs:
The cropped slouch-fit wool pants worked so well with the snake-print tank and the studded boyfriend blazer. The pale rose python scarf matched the top and gave a little hint of colour.
To finish off the look, I put on a felt hat by Dolce & Gabbana and my beloved stocking-detailed suede ankle boots by Givenchy for new-season cool. A very practical and stylish bag in one is the embroidered medium PS1 by Proenza Schouler.
Please stay tuned as I will give you more details on the must-have shoes and bags spotted at Paris Fashion Week soon.
So long, Happy Shopping!
LoL, Sandra

Can you guess where we are in time-travelling after my lastet posts about lace and rocking hot black leather? Yes, we have arrived in the `80s. For some people, the golden decade was the worst one fashionwise but since a few seasons designers have relied on some of the worth recycling styles. The leggings and skinny jeans came back around 4 years ago and who would have ever imagined their ongoing success?! They have definitely conquered my closet and I never want them to vanish again as the modernized versions are stylish and comfy in one.
Designers have returned 20 years this F/W 2010 to find the `80s ma-ma-material beauty and so can you. Let`s begin!

You might feel like a virgin in a sharp leather pencil skirt, sequined blazer and fishnet stockings. Add lots of accessories like the iconic safety pins, stacked bracelets and big cross pendants for the ultimate killer look!

Balmain launched a real boom with the return of the shoulder pads. The last seasons, fashionistas have crazed all over the world for the must-have blazers and jackets. The hype is definitely not over yet! Party like it`s 1982 in those brocade and patchwork nightclub nostalgia pieces from the F/W 2010 runways. Absolutely screaming hot are red leather leggings, another must for this winter!

The `80s encouraged self-expression with eyecatching neon colours and rainbow dyes. I would not do the complete look but you can easily embed one sparkling bright piece into your daily wear. One thing I am not so sure is about the über-teased hair…. probably a little too much retro-style. But nevertheless the point of fashion is that girls just wanna have fun! So let`s start experimenting….

In case that you are looking for your personal Jesus, try black leather and fringes. So hot! Sequined leggings combined with a denim jacket would turn you also very fast back to the `80s without looking disguised.

If you want to find the fashion cure for this winter`s style heritage, you could opt for a goth look with an asymmetrical cropped sweater or some cut out off-shoulder-tops. And I am sure that this Friday, you will be in love.
My personal `80s-inspired object of desire is this gorgeous suede buckled V-neck dress by Balmain. Available from today at net-à-porter. This is rock glam chic at its best! Hard to beat it.
LoL, Sandra

Thanks to the remaining lingerie trend, lace is the connecting thread from boudoir to the office to the dance floor. The most oustanding lace designs were seen on the F/W 2010 runways with black being the dominant colour. The return of womanhood is one of the biggest themes this season and the delicate, sensual fabric is the perfect addition. It makes women feel and look very ladylike and sexy.

No worries, it does not mean that you need to go half-naked. Inject new season`s attitude into your wardrobe with just one ultra-feminine piece. A lace blazer like the D&G one for example makes a fabulous addition to your basics collection. Combine it with a pair of jeans for instant cool chic.

Those lace dresses are cut to create a defined silhouette and will make heads turn after you. These elegant cocktail and black tie pieces are an investment in timeless style. Wear one thing lace and accessorize minimally.

Accessories are always a great way to make a fashion statement. But just one or two at a time, do not overdo the lace addition. Too much is too much!
Stockings, leggings or gloves in the trend material are super hot. I am crazy for the handmade cuffs by Aurélie Biderman. They are made of vintage lace dipped in blackened silver or gold. So beautiful!
LoL, Sandra