Sandra‘s Closet

Red leather, knee-high. Lola knew what she was doing. A boot like this changes your posture before it changes anything else, and you feel it the moment you stand. I wore mine at L’Oscar London, which runs a Kinky Boots package until July 11, 2026 and which looks like a stage that has been waiting all day for an entrance.

Then the coat. Embroidered, a showpiece that could headline on its own. The rule says pick one hero piece. I wore two –  including the clutch, it actually makes three.

My look: Renata embellished maxi coat by Alice + Olivia, cotton-poplin and jersey bodysuit by Valentino, vintage red leather boots by Prada, rushed logo belt by CHANEL, hedgehog clutch by JW Anderson, and crystal heart clip-on earrings in gold-tone brass by Alessandra Rich.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht / @georgiashane
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Some backdrops are simply made for fashion. And L’oscar London, with its theatrical baroque interiors and that extraordinary butterfly wall, happens to be one of them. Before heading out to celebrate my dear friend Monica’s birthday, I took a moment in my hotel to capture this look, and honestly, the setting did half the work.

There is something deliciously dramatic about L’oscar London. The décor is bold, layered, and unapologetically opulent, the kind of place where every corner feels like a stage set. That butterfly wall in particular is pure magic, both whimsical and grand at once. The perfect mirror for a night that was about to unfold in equally spectacular fashion.

My Chicago girl chose The Berkeley for her London birthday celebration, and what a celebration it was. The kind of evening that reminds you why dressing up matters, why effort has its own reward, and why the best friendships are the ones that make you fly across cities without a second thought.

So yes, a social butterfly in every sense. Not the restless kind who flits from surface to surface, but the kind who transforms, who shows up, who makes the moment.

And the outfit? Very much part of the story.

My look: Rachel black jumpsuit by Nadine Merabi, Angel platform sandals by Gucci, VSLING mini top handle handbag in black with sparkling embroidery by Valentino, silver-tone crystal clip earrings and crystal-embellished snake necklace, both by Alessandra Rich.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht / @georgiashane
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise.

There is something about a great hotel entrance that sets the tone for everything that follows. Leaving L’oscar London for a morning appointment, dressed in a look punctuated by dots in all sizes, that just add the right amount of decadent drama.

L’oscar, London’s intimate jewel on Southampton Row and part of the Swiss Michel Reybier Hotel Group, was a first for me. It will not be the last. More on this very soon.

My look: Bow-embellished polka-dot silk-shantung jacket, matching polka-dot silk head scarf, polka-dot grain de poudre flared pants, Crasher VLogo sequined leather sandals, VLogo chain necklace, matching VLogo chain bracelet, all by Valentino, Brixton stretch-jersey camisole by The Row, walnut clutch by JW Anderson, Linda sunglasses by Tom Ford, and Mitza ring by Dior Fine Jewellery.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht / @georgiashane
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Where Wine Meets Performance: L’oscar London Launches Cabaret & Cabernet

Some evenings are simply dinner. This is not one of them.
L’oscar London, the discreet five-star boutique hotel housed in a former Baptist church off Holborn, has created something genuinely hard to categorise. Cabaret & Cabernet is a monthly experience series launching this summer, held on the first Friday of each month in the hotel’s extraordinary Committee Room. Just 25 guests per evening, no exceptions.

The premise is seductive: each wine is not merely poured but performed. Working with Crowd Pleaser Events, a collective with over two decades of theatre production experience, L’oscar has choreographed bespoke cabaret performances for every pour. Movements mirror tannins, rhythm follows acidity, gesture tells the story of origin and vintage. The table becomes a stage. The glass becomes a prop. The sommelier, armed with expertise and a flair for dramaturgy, guides the room through it all.

Executive Chef Arturas Kondratjevas completes the picture with a multi-course menu designed not to accompany the wines but to meet them as equals. Textures, temperatures and flavours are calibrated with precision, always leaving space for the real conversation happening between glass and stage.

The setting feels almost inevitable for this format. Teal walls, peacock motifs, bespoke chairs and a sweeping 19-foot table create a room that sits beautifully between opulence and intimacy. Jacques Garcia’s baroque reinvention of the original church interior is the kind of backdrop that makes everything feel slightly theatrical already.

Cabaret & Cabernet runs on the following Fridays in 2026: 5 June, 3 July, 7 August, 4 September, 2 October and 6 November. More at loscarlondon.com.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

L’oscar London, 2-6 Southampton Row, London WC1B 4AA
+44 20 7405 5555

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © L’oscar London
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