Sandra‘s Closet

“Dior is this agile genius of our times whose magical name contains Dieu (God) and or (gold).”
– Jean Cocteau

When I was with Marionnaud in London for the Rodial Beautiful Awards (post coming up in the beginning of next week), I had the chance to take a glimpse at the So Dior exhibition at Harrods, showcasing artists reinterpreting some of Dior’s most famous codes.

The Brompton Road store windows are transformed into Dior’s iconic colours of grey and white, featuring the complete product palette of the French Maison.

Inside the department store, on the fourth floor, I entered “the ultimate Dior experience”, from the house’s Lady Dior handbag to its instantly recognisable scent, J’Adore.

To celebrate the exhibition, Harrods has launched a set of limited edition Dior cupcakes. If you are unable to make it to the store, then fear not, as you can purchase them online HERE.

The Harrods Dior takeover will run until April 14, 2013.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht and Courtesy of Dior

The most technologically advanced high fashion store in Britain, and probably worldwide, opened its doors on London’s Regent street. It is the biggest Burberry branch in the world with four floors for an overall extraordinary shopping and digitally-advanced brand experience, bringing to life every aspect of Burberry World (burberry.com) for the first time.

“We are so excited to launch Burberry World Live at our new Regent Street flagship, bringing our physical and digital worlds together to create amazing experiences that encompass everything from fashion, to heritage, to music, to the Burberry Foundation.

Burberry Regent Street is one of the most architecturally and culturally significant projects we have undertaken. In renovating this iconic London building we have worked with some of the UK’s finest craftsmen to restore a wealth of historic features, at the same time as pushing the boundaries of digital technology. The result is a space defined by contrasts: at once imposing and intimate, its juxtaposition of craft and innovation is designed to delight, surprise and entertain. It is a reflection of how we approach everything at Burberry – revealing the different layers of the brand’s heritage within a modern context, and forever celebrating design and expert craftsmanship.” Christopher Bailey, Burberry Chief Creative Officer.

The shop is in Westmoreland House, which was built in 1820 for the Prince Regent.

Personally speaking, the most amazing piece of technology is the use of radio-frequency identification technology (RFID) in some of the clothes. When shoppers wearing the pieces approach one of the so-called “magic mirrors”, the mirror transforms into a screen that shows runway footage and exclusive videos.

Enjoy the Burberry Prorsum S/S 2013 show live streamed here on Sandra’s Closet on Monday, September 17th, 2012:

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Burberry

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STEPHEN WEBSTER

The famous jeweler lived in many different countries, among them Canada and the United States. Till this day, he enjoys travelling very much, but always comes back happily to his hometown: London. Below you will find his tips for the best places to visit in Great Britain’s capital.

Your favourite city in the world: 
LONDON

Your favourite restaurants: I am actually in this business as well and own three restaurants. 

HIX, 66-70 Brewer Street  City of Westminster, W1F 9UP,
+44 20 7292 3518
(Favourite dish: Webster’s fish fingers, fish & chips)
HIX BELGRAVIA, Pont Street, London SW1X 9EJ, +44 20 3189 4850
TRAMSHED, 32 Rivington Street, London EC2A 3LX, +44 20 7749 0478
It’s just opened in Shoreditch, which is the real trendy place for London. The menu primarily focuses on steak and chicken items. Greeting guests and reminding them of this fact is the spectacularly placed Cock and Bull piece from Damian Hirst created specifically for us.

Your favourite hotel: 
CLARIDGE’S, 49 Brook Street, Mayfair, London, +44 20 7629 8860.

Your favourite shop: SELFRIDGES
I especially love the food department.

Your favourite nightclub: 
THE WELLINGTON, 116A Knightsbridge  London SW1X 7PL, 
+ 44 20 7823 8211
I don’t hardly ever go to nightclubs anymore. If I do go to a nightclub, I go to the Wellington, which it’s the place where I know everybody, I know the DJ, and that’s probably what I’m looking for right now.

Your favourite art gallery: TATE MODERN, Bankside London SE1 9TG, +44 20 78878752

Your favourite park: HYDE PARK
I live right next to it and walk across it nearly every morning.

Your favourite transportation in London: THE TUBE
I use the tube, because if you don’t you’re going to get very frustrated. My motorbike, I keep at the country.

Thank you, Stephen, for sharing your insider scoop on London with us!

LoL, Sandra

British new It-label Teatum Jones has been asked by London’s famous hotel The Dorchester to create an exclusive printed scarf of the same name, that will be officially launched this September during London Fashion Week for S/S 2013, alongside a special Teatum Jones fashion tea. This is truly great news for a label only into its third official season and for all fashionistas among you.

‘The Dorchester’ scarf designed by Teatum Jones, measures 136cm by 136cm, is made of 100% pure silk double georgette and will be sold exclusively at Liberty, from Tuesday 18 September 2012, priced at £245.- and at shop.thedorchester.com.

The ‘Teatum Jones Fashion Tea’ will be held on The Promenade at The Dorchester bringing fashion week to everyday London fashionistas showcasing Teatum Jones F/W 2012 collection, and of course the  ‘The Dorchester’ scarf.

Afternoon tea sittings for this special event on Tuesday 18 September take place at 2.15pm and at 4.45pm, and are priced at £52 per adult including a glass of champagne. (Prices are inclusive of VAT and exclusive of service charge at 12.5%). For reservations or further information, please telephone The Dorchester on +44 (0)20 7629 8888 or email restaurants..

About Teatum Jones

Catherine Teatum and Rob Jones studied at Ravensbourne College of Design and Central Saint Martins respectively. They worked with Luella Bartley, Warren Noronha and John Richmond before setting up Teatum Jones, and were picked up by Liberty in their second season for S/S 2012. This year has seen the launch of the Teatum Jones’ S/S 2012 collection in Canada, adding to existing retail territories in the UK, US and the Middle East. Teatum Jones have also been name-checked on 2012 Hot Lists in UK magazines Vogue, Elle, Stella and The Observer.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Teatum Jones, Timeout and The Dorchester

“I’m renowned for my love of a high collar and I wanted to create a true collector’s item,” says Karl Lagerfeld of his jewel-encrusted collar.

Fusing “the masculine with the feminine and uniting the world of fine jewelry and high fashion”, the designer’s spectacular collar is an extraordinary collector’s piece. Handcrafted from black suede, sparkling with pavé black diamonds and a single emerald- cut stone, produced exclusively for the Vogue UK jewelry editor Carol Woolton-curated Brilliant exhibition at Masterpiece, London, the capital’s luxury art and design fair, it will be on display from June 28th – July 4th. The piece will be accompanied by a hand-signed sketch from Mr Lagerfeld himself.

A percentage of profits from the sale will be donated to children’s cancer charity CLIC Sargent.

This collar will be available for shipping from 7th July.
TO SHOP, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

LoL, Sandra

The Bulgari Hotel and Residences, London officially opened its doors last week. The luxury hotel located in Knightsbridge is the third hotel project of Bulgari Hotels & Resorts, following the opening of the Bulgari Hotel in Milan in 2004 and of the Bulgari Resort in Bali in 2006.

The Bulgari Hotel in London was designed for Bulgari by the renowned architectural firm Antonio Citterio, Patricia Viel and Partners, with Squire and Partners as the local architect for the project.

With the contemporary style, the hotel features sleek lines and refined colour combinations created using a variety of marbles, fine woods, and unique details. The hotel has 85 rooms and suites, including seven extraordinary Bulgari suites, each more than 200 square meters that offer a unique combination of refined amenities and exclusive services. Its restaurant and bar have been designed to become the destination of choice in Knightsbridge. The hotel also features a large ballroom, a private cinema and a 2,000 square meter Spa and fitness centre with a 25 meter indoor pool.

LoL, Sandra

The restaurant

The bedroom

The spa

Photos: Courtesy of Bulgari, © Massimo Listri and © Leo Torri

ROJA DOVE

The famous haute perfumer shares his tips for the best places to visit in Great Britain’s capital. He commutes between London and Brighton.

Your favourite city in the world: 
LONDON
There is no better place on earth.

Your favourite restaurant: 
THE WOLSELEY, 160 Piccadilly London, +44 20 7499 6996.

Your favourite hotel: 
CLARIDGE’S, 49 Brook Street, Mayfair, London,  +44 20 7629 8860.

Your favourite shop: HARRODS
Be sure to visit the Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie on the fifth floor.

Your favourite bar or nightclub: 
THE COBURG BAR @ The Connaught Hotel in Mayfair Carlos Place, London, +44 20  74997070.
I am not so into nightclubs, because I love to be able to talk to my friends. A good drink at a bar is much better. A destination for genuine bar aficionados.

Your favourite sightseeing spot: THE RIVER RESTAURANT @ The Savoy Hotel Strand, London, +44 20 7836 4343
From there you have a fantastic view of the river themse, the London Eye, the Houses of Parliament.

Your favourite park: ST. JAMES PARK

The scent of London: WOOD and LEATHER.
I actually did a scent once inspired by the city of London. It is a male city, not like Paris which is female. The gentlemen’s clubs rule the city. The architecture is clean and straight. So you see dark woods and lots of leather.

Thank you, Roja, for sharing your insider scoop on London with us!

LoL, Sandra

Here are the photos from Burberry‘s F/W 2012 advertising campaign celebrating Britishness, London and the Burberry heritage of weather protection in the brand’s most cinematic shoot to date. The campaign was shot at night under the creative direction of Christopher Bailey by Mario Testino at the iconic Royal Naval College in Greenwich, London.

The very British cast, actress Gabriella Wilde and musician Roo Panes star in their first advertising campaign.

“We wanted to play with everything that’s at the heart of the Burberry world – celebrating our brand and London through imagery, film, music, weather and our iconic outerwear, all in a very poetic and British way. 
Using London as the backdrop, we shot the series of cinematic, emotive black and white images and short films with the incredibly talented Gabriella Wilde and Roo Panes, who effortlessly bring the campaign and our collections to life across all of our platforms.”

Christopher Bailey, Burberry Chief Creative Officer

I truly like the campaign and Burberry Prorsum’s F/W 2012 collection is absolutely divine. Same as in Versace’s F/W 2012 ad campaign, the mood is very dark for the next season.Very contrary to this colourful and vibrant summer.

Below you can enjoy some behind the scenes shots.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Copyright Burberry/Testino

Frieze Art Fair is renowned for cutting edge art and a fashion-forward crowd. Established in London in 2003 by the infinitely stylish Matthew Slotover and his co-director Amanda Sharp, it has become one of the art world’s hottest tickets.

This month, London’s coolest art fair hits Manhattan for the first time with the launch of Frieze New York. The four-day event (May 4-7) will see over 1000 of the world’s leading artists gather alongside curators, gallerists and collectors all set against a cool waterside backdrop and with a hip lineup of pop-up restaurants, parties and people to spot. And fashion trendsetters such as Net-à-porter and Mulberry join forces with the art world:

Co-publishers of Frieze Matthew Slotover and Amanda Sharp at the Mulberry dinner

On Friday, May 4 Mulberry hosted an intimate dinner in celebration of the Frieze Art Fair’s New York debut and in honour of the artists of Frieze Projects, of which Mulberry is the sponsor.

Frieze Projects is a not-for-profit initiative featuring commissioned artworks around the outdoor space of Randall’s Island, which are accessible to all visitors to the area. The dinner was held at The Crown restaurant on New York’s Upper East Side (readers of my fashion column in the SI Style magazine know this place already).

The beautiful decorated entrance to The Crown Restaurant

The ambiance

Among the fashionable guests: Derek Blasberg and Alexa Chung

The Clarins-Courtin sisters

Lana Del Rey

American singer Lana Del Rey performed during the evening, wearing the three quarter blouse in flame heavy lace and the fitted pencil skirt in flame, both from the F/W 2012 Collection. Lana was Emma Hill’s inspiration for Mulberry’s newest bag, the Del Rey, which launches in stores and online in mid-May.
(Stay tuned as I will keep you inform you once it hits the shelves).

Mulberry’s Del Rey Bag

Last night, May 5 influencers from the worlds of fashion and art came together to join NET-A-PORTER for a cocktail party and dinner celebrating Frieze Art Fair’s Chelsea Gallery Night, a night where more than 20 of Chelsea’s finest galleries opened their doors for a neighborhood block party filled with exclusive gallery previews, live music and food.

The NET-A-PORTER-sponsored event at the Hôtel Americano kicked off with roof-top cocktails and music by London DJ, Bip Ling, and continued with a seated dinner.

The Big Frieze hits NYC, I love!

LoL, Sandra

Christopher Kane with Natalie Massanet in a lace dress by Alessandra Rich

Giovanna Battaglia in a black leather coat
(Don’t we love the floral lace A-line dress by Miu Miu to the left and the neon-orange with white lace dress by Christopher Kane to the right in the background?!)

Olympia Scarry in head to toe floral prints by Proenza Schouler.

Designers Jason Wu and Roland Mouret

Photos: Courtesy of Mulberry, ©Craig Barritt/WireImage, Courtesy of Net-à-Porter and Frieze New York

The Berkeley London designer afternoon tea, Prêt-à-Portea, is inspired by the themes and colours of the fashion world. The menu is transformed every six months to follow the changing seasons in fashion. All served on fine-bone china by Paul Smith for Thomas Goode.

The new S/S 2012 collection sees designers such as Dolce & Gabbana, Jason Wu and Valentino grace the Berkeley’s tea stand as Prêt-à-Portea adds a creative twist to the classic elements of the traditional English afternoon tea with cakes and pastries resembling the latest catwalk designs for the style conscious.

Prêt-à-Portea is served in the Caramel Room daily from 1pm to 6pm.

Christian Louboutin must have neon yellow high heeled chocolate biscuit with signature red sole
Jason Wu romantic cherry bavarois and coconut cream topped with playful pink skirt and biscuit heel
Mulberry white chocolate crème de menthe and raspberry mousse topped with a lemon meringue
Miu Miu 1950’s inspired vanilla bikini biscuit with red hot icing and playful white bow

Valentino romantic peach cake dress with light pink champagne jelly and edible flower
Fendi nautical red and white striped vanilla cake filled with fraise des bois cremeux accessorized with oversized yellow button
Michael Kors safari opera cake with dark chocolate and mocha filling topped with signature leopard print
Dolce & Gabbana light blue Sicilian blueberry sponge cake wicker basket wrapped in chocolate
Gucci art deco Grand Marnier and dark Valrhona chocolate mousse embellished with golden beads

And for those who are still hungry, a mouth-watering selection of miniature savoury skewers, taster spoons, elegant canapés and tea sandwiches is served.

I truly enjoyed this fashionable tea time. 
For Prêt-à-Portea reservations, please call +44 (0)20 7107 8866.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of the Berkeley Hotel and © Sandra Bauknecht