Sandra‘s Closet

This morning, I heard the news that Jonathan Saunders has resigned as chief creative officer of DVF (Diane von Furstenberg). He joined the brand in May 2016, after shuttering his own critically acclaimed but financially ailing London-based label after 12 years, and was responsible for the overall creative direction which means he was in charge from the corporate identity to product to store design to marketing.

Celebrating the collaboration in 2016: Saunders and von Furstenberg – the affection didn’t last for long…

Over the course of his design career, Saunders has become known for innovation, craftsmanship and his creative use of print, pattern and color. His inspired understanding of fashion has also resulted in collaborations with dancers, artists and interiors companies alike. Past honors include the 2012 British Fashion Council/Vogue Fashion Fund Award , and the 2012 British Fashion Award in Emerging Talent – Menswear. Born in Scotland, Saunders graduated from Glasgow School of Art in 1999 with a BA in Printed Textiles, going on to graduate from Central Saint Martins in 2002 with an MA with distinction in Printed Textiles.

Diane von Furstenberg in 1976 

Diane von Furstenberg first came into prominence in the 1970s, when she created her first and now-iconic jersey wrap dress, which came to symbolize power and independence for a generation of women and helped establish Diane as a legendary and crucial fixture in the industry. By 1976, more than five million dresses had been sold and Diane, at only 29 years old, was featured on the cover of Newsweek. After years of ups and downs, the collection was relaunched in 1997. Her first creative director, Yvan Mispelaere, left the company in 2012 after two years, as did Michael Herz, who was her artistic director from 2014 to 2016. According to reports, Diane is still involved herself very much in her eponymous company, which seemed to have caused some degree of friction with Saunders. Moreover, rumors are that she is planning to sell a stake in her company and has hired investment banking firm Michel Dyens & Co. to explore options.

Diane von Furstenberg Pre-fall 2018

Till today, DVF has struggled to re-establish its place in the market. Saunders’ last collection for DVF was Pre-fall 2018, presented earlier this month. To be continued…

TO SHOP DVF ONLINE, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of DVF

Embellished bomber jackets have been making quite the statement in recent designer collections. There is something special about this style. It is the contrast of the ornate embroidery, the floral embellishments or the vibrant hues on the sporty silhouette that everybody loves about them. And there is no end, the Pre-Fall 2016 collections are already filled with those must-haves.

Here are my favourites that are waiting for you:

1 Cecily embroidered crepe bomber jacket by Jonathan Saunders
2 Oriental Garden embellished crepe bomber jacket by Needle & Thread
3 Metallic leather bomber jacket by Gucci
4 Satin and lace-paneled tulle bomber jacket by 3.1 Phillip Lim
5 Floral-intarsia stretch-knit bomber jacket by Alexander McQueen
6 Lace bomber jacket by Gucci
7 Embellished striped wool and linen-blend and leather bomber jacket by Saint Laurent
(Amazing dinosaur embellishment on the back.)
8 Embroidered cotton and silk bomber jacket by Alexander McQueen
(Gorgeous floral embroidery on the back.)

I love bomber jackets. Here are some previous posts:

Embellished satin bomber jacket by Saint Laurent

Embroidered chiffon and twill bomber jacket by 3.1 Phillip Lim

Happy Shopping!

LoL, Sandra

Stills: Courtesy of the Brands
Photos: David Shama

 This week, I flew to the Côte d’Azur for a week filled with great adventures. My first stop was one of my favorite hotels in the world: the famous Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, located at Cap d’Antibes in the South of France. This place is just magical and for me filled with great memories. I was there with Dior for a great project that will be revealed in September.

My look: Grace sleeveless flower appliqué dress by Jonathan Saunders, cutout leather platform pumps by Saint Laurent, aviator sunglasses with Swarovski crystals by Chanel, vintage bag by Dior, Hapi leather bracelet by Hermès, diamond bracelet and ring by Vainard Fine Jewellery, Limelight Gala watch and rose diamond necklace by Piaget.

Now, I am in Cannes for the Film Festival. Stay tuned for more…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

How fun to add an unexpected flair to this daytime look with this olive, pink and black number. And good news is polka dots are here to stay, so a really good investment!

My look: Bomber jacket in olive green by Jonathan Saunders, cropped cardigan by Azzedine Alaïa, cotton polka-dot T-shirt and Cassandre small suede shoulder bag, both by Saint Laurent, leather and gabardine shorts by Tibi, scarf with fur trimming and leather boots, both by Gucci, diamond ring by Vainard Fine Jewellery and diamond studs by Cartier.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Futuristic fabrics are high on this new season’s designer agenda and holographic looks are having a major fashion moment for S/S 2013. It is all about “Dress to Shine”!

FASHION MEETS SPACE AGE

Christopher Kane showed his collection for S/S 2013 on a holographic catwalk and Alexander Wang turned off the lights to enlighten the special fabrics of his clothes.

Holographic sequins played a major role at Antonio Berardi…

… and Talbot Runhof.

The trendsetter this season is definitely Jonathan Saunders. His holographic pieces will be on every fashionista’s wish list.

Christopher Bailey makes us drool over his metallic shiny fabrics for Burberry Prorsum that shimmer in all shades of the rainbow.

If you cannot wait to sport the trend first, have a look at those accessories below that have just hit the shelves:

Stella McCartney and Proenza Schouler‘s sleek accessories are my favorite way to tap the trend, perfect for New Year’s Eve!

1 Holographic faux leather clutch by Stella McCartney

2 Holographic faux leather pumps by Stella McCartney
3 Holographic faux leather iPhone 4 sleeve by Stella McCartney
4 Holographic leather card holder by Proenza Schouler
5 PS11 mirrored leather wristlet clutch by Proenza Schouler

Holographic faux leather python print Falabella clutch by Stella McCartney

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands, © Sandra Bauknecht and via Style.com

London Fashion Week is always my favourite and the British designers are among the ones I like to wear the most. London is about individuality and the most extraordinary talents are based there. Prints and vibrant colours have been seen once more and the British capital seems to be in a blue mood.

Enjoy my little runway reviews!

LoL, Sandra

Mary Katrantzou makes all the heads turn and my heart leap for joy. I am such a big fan of her designs and her S/S 2013 collection has taken her creativity to a new level. Inspired by stamps and banknotes, Mary paired for example metallic brocades and Swarovski crystal mesh printed with banknote designs to achieve an eye-catching look. Her silhouettes were new and different from previous seasons. There is nobody else that flourishes like her. Thumbs up!

Stay tuned for an upcoming post in which I show you all the beautiful details of the collection that I photographed at Mary’s first own showroom in Paris.

Burberry Prorsum has been the blockbuster show of London Fashion Week since quite some time. The house’s social media forerun gives it a worldwide inimitable presence. For the next summer, Christopher Bailey has made “corsets and capes” his must-haves. Metallics in every shade and superb bags, especially in the translucent version will surely be among the house’s new season bestsellers.

Christopher Kane’s collection for S/S 2013 is certainly something for all fashion monsters, in the true sense of the word. At the first sight, you see simple pieces, all white on white, dresses and skirts in pastel hues – however, with a closer look it is clear that there is something more, some pieces are held together with big transparent plastic screws and there is Frankenstein on a T-shirt which will surely be copied a million times. I love it!

It was 15 years ago that Matthew Williamson launched his brand, and his glamourous cocktail and red carpet designs are still up-to-date. His amazing sense for colour could be seen in his S/S 2013 collection in perfection. Great news: Williamson is launching his own line of shoes for the next season, and he showed off his first platform styles on the runway.

Roksanda Ilincic is the queen of colour-blocking and she reinvents the trend each season new. For summer, Ilincic was inspired by the colour experimentation of the artist Josef Albers, something “rigid, masculine, and precise”.

Personally speaking, Peter Pilotto reminded me a little of Mary Katrantzou‘s previous seasons this time. And I don’t mean it badly, both designers belong to this famous new generation of prints. It was a very rich feast for the eyes, as Pilotto and De Vos created their prints three-dimensionally, while adding all sorts of ruffles and flounces. I like it a lot!

Shop Peter Pilotto S/S 2013 now on Moda Operandi!

After five years of showing in New York, Preen, a.k.a. Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi, returned to the London catwalk this season. Very pretty were the textured designs combining heavy fabrics with sheers to give the illusion of stripes.

Meadham Kirchhoff always reminds me of Vivienne Westwood at her best. This season, Ed Meadham and Ben Kirchhoff outdid themselves, staging a show so opulent and rococo that I just would like to have everything.

Vivienne Westwood Red Label seemed posh compared to Meadham Kirchhoff‘s baroque approach. Her models with full faces of green, blue, yellow, and pink makeupwalked on the catwalk in ’50s inspired clothing, from fine wool twinsets to pink silk jacquard skirtsuits and cocktail dresses.

Antonio Berardi came up with beautiful very feminine designs in all hues of blue, embellished with sparkling sequins. Tailoring has been his main focus since he emerged as a designer in the Nineties.

It’s all about the two piece for Jonathan Saunders who came up with this lovely red sequin look for example. Personally speaking, I have loved the first looks for which he used a kind of hologram-style shiny materials.

Looking outside, it is truly sweater weather! And this season, it is official, the cheesy holiday jumper got a style upgrade. Suddenly, all that we want are reindeers, snowflakes and jacquards. My favourite are Moschino’s penguins.

1 Penguin intarsia wool sweater by Moschino
2 Cropped wool-blend jacquard sweater by Alexander Wang
3 Fair Isle neon wool-blend sweater by Juicy Couture
4 Fair Isle knitted cotton sweater by Jonathan Saunders
5 Snowman intarsia wool sweater by Moschino
6 Snowflake sequined merino wool sweater by Markus Lupfer
7 Firgrove intarsia wool and alpaca-blend sweater by Aubin & Wills
8 Chunky-knit Fair Isle sweater by J.Crew
9 Polar bear intarsia wool and alpaca-blend sweater by Stella McCartney

Stylist Carolin Sieber rocks this trend by combining her Topshop sweater with a leather mini and Chanel booties. Get cozy for Christmas!

LoL, Sandra

Photo: © Mr Newton for Harper’s Bazaar

Fashion repeats itself and designers love to seek inspiration from previous decades. For F/W 2011, there were lots of 1940s-themed references. The best approach to reinvent this fashion era has been realized by Miu Miu, as well as by Gucci, Christian Dior, and Jonathan Saunders.

What do the `40s stand for in fashion? The world was at war which meant that resources were restricted everywhere. Fashion had to be more practical. Function was more important than form. Women’s skirts became much shorter and much simpler, but as seen today on the F/W 2011 runways, the basic A-line frame or slight flare of many of the skirts tends to flatter many figures. Floral prints seem to dominate the early 1940’s and have been lovely interpreted by Miuccia Prada for Miu Miu this season.

Women’s chunky heeled shoes were one of the marvels of 1940’s fashion along with stylish accessories such as gloves and feodora hats. Those must-haves for F/W 2011 are absolutely stylish and best of all, will make you instantly look mysterious like you are coming out of a spy movie.

LoL, Sandra

Today Jonathan Saunders will be launching his fourth collaboration with Topshop. The pieces are not as colourful as expected but  feature classic silhouettes with dazzling denim aspects that are definitely great buys for less money. Whilst he seems to develop a new clean form of geometric shapes and graphic, almost architectural patterns, print is still major to his designs. The designer collaborations will be available at the following Topshop stores: Oxford Circus, Liverpool and Manchester Arndale, as well as Selfridges in London, and online: www.topshop.com.

LoL, Sandra

Graphic patterns are a big trend for next summer, but the real news is digital manipulated prints.

A genius in creating those swirling effects is the Glaswegian designer Jonathan Saunders who since his graduation in 2002 from London`s Central Saint Martin`s college has been climbing up the ladder of success. Especially his resort 2010 collection (see above) that is available right now has a lot of those notice-me silk screening prints.