Sandra‘s Closet

Today, I received the breaking news that Raf Simons will join Prada starting April 2, 2020. Rumors had been out since quite some time and now it is official. The Belgium designer will join the Italian fashion house as co-creative director alongside Miuccia Prada with equal responsibilities for creative input and decision-making. Their first runway presentation together will be for S/S 2021 in September 2020. «It’s a new wind,» said Miuccia Prada and I have to admit that I agree with Tim Blanks who wrote: «I cannot think of anything like this in the history of fashion.»

In 1978, Miuccia Prada inherited the label that was known for luggage making and transformed it into a global fashion brand with her creative designs. Prada has been a true trendsetter for decades, sometimes too fast thinking for the fashion world, she is often a few steps ahead of the game. Her iconic black nylon backpack launched in 1985 caused a real fashion frenzy and has been popular since then. In 1989 she added ready-to-wear to the offerings. Simons, who will continue to design his namesake menswear label, is the first designer from outside the Prada family to join the house since its inception.

Trendsetting: Prada S/S 2012 ad campaign photographed by Steven Meisel

Today at the Prada press conference, Simons announced: “Prada is a brand that I have been interested in my whole life. I cannot wait to express to all of you the dialogue I will have with Mrs Prada and her team. To be really honest, Mr Bertelli approached me right after my exit from Calvin Klein. Miuccia and I had a conversation about creativity in today’s fashion system. And it brought me to open dialogue with many designers, not just Mrs Prada. We have to re-look at how creativity can evolve in today’s fashion system.»

Power couple: Patrizio Bertelli and Miuccia Prada

Simons, who had worked with Prada and her husband Patrizio Bertelli before, when he was hired as creative director of Jil Sander in 2005. Prada had bought the German label and was looking for someone to fill the shoes of the namesake designer at that time. Simons’ seven-year tenure at the brand was an absolute success, and the Prada Group sold it to a London private equity firm in 2006.
Simons later worked at Dior and his latest venture was at Calvin Klein, where he was chief creative officer, and abruptly excited in December 2018.

Presented in Milan last Thursday: Miuccia Prada’s last single show for F/W 2020

Miuccia Prada has still a very strong view on fashion. Yet, it seems hard for her at the moment to translate this into sales. Rumors had been that the family is planning to sell to one of the big conglomerates. With the appointment of Simons, it seems that the Prada family will keep it a family business that also owns Miu Miu and Church’s.

Good luck, Raf!

They will have all my support – I have been collecting Prada pieces since a very young age and have always been very fond of the brand. Good luck to Raf, I am really excited to see what the two creative masterminds will come up with…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Prada and © Sandra Bauknecht

Prada presents images created by Thomas Demand for the new window displays for its stores across the world, a radically beautiful and colourful sequence of blossoming cherry trees that celebrates the arrival of spring.

Hanami – which means ‘flower viewing’ – is the centuries-old Japanese art of enjoying the beauty of flowers. The cherry blossom season, a highpoint in the year, marks the end of winter and represents the youth, zest for life and emotion embodied by spring, a truly universal image and a powerful symbol of energy.

Spread seamlessly across the shop’s windows, Demand’s floral images, entitled Blossom, give rise to a vibrant narrative which, inserted into the real world, creates a new dialogue with passers-by in cities around the world.

This work fits perfectly into the German artist’s oeuvre, which has the concept of photography as a global language at its heart. Demand is known for making photographs of three-dimensional models that look like real images of rooms and other spaces, often sites loaded with social and political meanings. He thus describes himself not as a photographer, but as a conceptual artist for whom photography is an intrinsic part of his creative process. Having studied sculpture under Fritz Schwegler at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf alongside Katharina Fritsch and Thomas Schütte, Demand began his career as a sculptor. In 1993, he began to use photography to record his elaborate, life-sized paper-and-cardboard constructions of actually or formerly existing environments and interior spaces, and soon started to create constructions for the sole purpose of photographing them. The photograph he takes of this model with a large-format-camera is the final stage of his work, and it is only this image, most often executed in an edition of six, that is exhibited unframed behind Plexiglas, not the models. On the contrary, Demand destroys his «life-size environments» after he has photographed them.

In this series for Prada, Demand once again rebuilds existing images and replaces them with an artificial version of themselves. In his collaboration with Prada, his work encounters and enters into a fruitful exchange with the world of fashion.

The installations, with a curved or box-shaped illuminated backdrop, are rounded off by steel display stands with a matte pink Perspex surface, or illuminated cylinders with the same floral pattern as the scenery.

Te display can be admired at Prada’s stores in New York, Milan, Paris, London, Tokyo, Singapore, Los Angeles and other selected cities starting this month.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Prada – © Thomas Demand

Prada is celebrating Valentine’s Day with a special selection of gold and white gold fine jewellery for both men and women.
In an exquisite, highly original style, precious materials are handcrafted in sophisticated designs that reinvent Prada iconic symbols and the themes of the new collections.

Vibrant hearts, baroque pearls, rock guitars, romantic roses, playful robots but also keys, rabbits, bananas, and the brand’s triangular logo – in gold and diamonds – relive Prada’s history through
contemporary and timeless earrings, bracelets, pendants and necklaces with an unmistakable hint of irony.

Prada’s fine jewellery is made using 18-carat gold and diamonds from suppliers with Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) certification.
The RJC is a non-profit organisation, founded in 2015 to promote responsible practices from an ethical, social and environmental point of view and respect for human rights in the handling of metals and precious stones, from their extraction right through to their sale.

Now on sale at selected Prada boutiques worldwide as well as on prada.com, exclusively for USA, Japan and UAE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Prada

Last week was crazy. Monday Dubai, Tuesday Abu Dhabi, Wednesday London and Thursday back in Zurich for one night to celebrate my 10 year blog anniversary with LA MER at Jelmoli before leaving again for Frankfurt. The evening was fantastic and I cannot wait to show you everything!

In honor of LA MER, my outfit was inspired by the sea and I went for this wave-printed top and a seashell clutch in shades of the ocean.

My look: Grosgrain-trimmed printed stretch-jersey turtleneck top by Kenzo, embellished leather-trimmed pleated cady maxi skirt by Christopher Kane, Donna crystal-embellished leather sandals by Prada, faux pearl and satin clutch by Balenciaga, silver-plated, Swarovski crystal and faux pearl clip earrings by Miu Miu and Horsebit blue topaz diamond white gold ring by Gucci Fine Jewellery.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Sanjeev Velmurugan

A partnership to begin a partnership. The first release – Prada for adidas Limited Edition – is an homage to adidas, championing an emblematic adidas Originals shoe – the Superstar sneaker, originally launched in 1969 and still a lynchpin of adidas Originals style. It also introduces a new bag silhouette, the Prada Bowling bag for adidas, which echoes the Prada Bowling bag as well as the adidas gym bag, in and of itself referencing the world of sports, a style that serves to illustrate the shared narratives and intersecting heritages of Prada and adidas.

Prada for adidas Limited Edition – an homage to timeless classics that transcend generations – is offered for woman and man in exclusive limited editions of 700 pieces, both footwear and accessories numbered with a unique serial.
The duo retails online through adidas.com and prada.com, and at selected Prada stores worldwide from December 4, 2019.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Prada / adidas #pradaforadidas

Prada intensifies its digital strategy with the launch of the totally revamped version of prada.com, the brand’s e-commerce platform and go-to source for editorial content. Currently available in Europe only, the new layout will be rolled out to other markets over the course of 2020.
Reflecting the quintessential identity of Prada, the website seamlessly combines updated browsing features with the brand’s aesthetics for a unique shopping experience and creative immersion into the Prada universe sure to make an impact on visitors.

The project’s keystones – synergy, dynamism, flexibility, responsiveness and omnichannel features – deliver a perfect balance of editorial content and e-commerce wrapped in an elegantly simple design. The site offers an interactive experience featuring surprise mini-videos that play during navigation, personalized content and paths that vary thanks to a modular framework based on users’ needs, topped off by the usability from any device and an enhanced integration of online and offline channels.

The ‘Pradasphere’ section with its refreshed image moves dynamically between past, present and future, taking the visitor on a tour through fashion shows, special projects, campaigns, films, events and locations of the Prada universe via two original browsing modes, with the possibility to apply filters by category and year. Every click is a total revelation.

Making its debut in December 2019 the new section Prada Time Capsule will offer an exclusive product for men and women to be sold in a limited edition only on prada.com for a 24-hour period. Once a month Prada Time Capsule will be updated with a new item that can also be selected among the iconic objects from the brand’s archive.

And last but not least you shouldn’t miss #PradaSeditiousSimplicity, a celebration of the preciousness of the everyday, an expression of the style of life, a piece now.

Take a picture of you and experience the Prada Resort 2020 Collection campaign creating a customized composition to share.

Follow this link to experience your very own #PradaSeditiousSimplicity: https://www.prada.com/de/en/seditious-simplicity.html

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Prada and © Sandra Bauknecht

Who would have ever thought that we will be wearing cycling shorts and chunky headbands again? But let’s be frank, in their modernized way, they look absolutely stunning, don’t you agree?!

My look: Melissa satin-trimmed wool tuxedo jacket by Stella McCartney, bow-strap crepe blouse, appliquéd jacquard-knit shorts, embellished satin pumps, frame comic-print leather bag, and bow-detailed embellished satin headband, all by Prada, Grace cat-eye 60’s style sunglasses by Tom Ford.

Possession 18-karat rose gold diamond ring by Piaget, Happy Hearts 18-karat white gold diamond ring by Chopard, 18-karat yellow gold earrings with diamonds and yellow gold diamond ring, Tank Américaine in yellow gold with diamonds all by Cartier.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

In the end of last month, when I attended the opening of the BOSS flagship outlet (for the previous post, please click here), I told you already a little bit about the OUTLETCITY METZINGEN in Germany, located close to the city of Stuttgart. High end brands such as Breitling, Burberry, Bottega Veneta, Gucci, Prada, Fendi, Valentino, Missoni and soon also Moschino and Alberta Ferretti can be found here alongside many others for a great price. Personally speaking, some of the stores look better and are bigger than in Zurich…

Just opened on September 26, 2019: Fendi at OULETCITY METZINGEN.

Superlative is the magic word when you want to talk about this shopping village that stands for one thing above all else: the exciting combination of supposed contrasts. If you appreciate unusual and exclusive shopping experiences for a great budget, this will be your new shopping destination. At OUTLETCITY METZINGEN, you can immerse yourself in a world of exclusive brands in an authentic inner-city atmosphere within award-winning architecture and take advantage of discounts of up to 70% all year round. Whether you want high fashion or outdoor clothing, exclusive It-pieces or just the thing for the whole family, the outlet’s wide range of premium and luxury brands makes it easy for you to find exactly what you need.

Award-winning architecture at OULETCITY METZINGEN makes you feel visiting an amazing US mall.

This weekend would be a great opportunity to visit one of Europe’s most popular outlets as OUTLETCITY METZINGEN is celebrating in a big way on October 11 and 12, 2019. The so-called FASHION CITY EVENT offers special highlights, great promotions, shopping on Friday until midnight and the start of the outlet’s own club for customers. The different celebrations seek inspiration from shopping metropoles such New York, Paris, Milan or Shanghai. Sightseeing from a new perspective – all dedicated to fashion – and for a great budget! Enjoy!

LoL, Sandra

Inside the Gucci outlet store.

Inside the new Valentino outlet store.

Don’t miss the gigantic Prada outlet store on two levels.

Welcome to Jimmy Choo at OULETCITY METZINGEN.

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Capes appeared on the fashion radar last year in full force, when an array of designers put their high-fashion spin on this classic cover-up. Personally speaking, I have been a fan of capes since forever because they are the perfect pieces to wear over voluminous shoulders, big sleeves or embellishments. The trend is thankfully still going strong and giving us good incentive to go hands-free when we wrap up this season. My advice, opt for a statement piece that will make heads turn. It can be inspired by the current ’70s bourgeoisie trend, come with a military vibe, be vibrant or knitted. Here are my favorite ones available with the power to elevate even the plainest of outfits.

LoL, Sandra

Eureka double-breasted camel hair cape by Max Mara

Pleated cashmere cape by Loewe

Asymmetric leather cape by Saint Laurent

Two-tone wool-blend cape by Chloé

Button-embellished double-breasted wool and cashmere-blend cape by Balmain

Reversible wool and silk-blend cape by Gucci

Double-breasted scalloped houndstooth wool-blend bouclé cape by REDValentino

Long single-breasted wool cape by Prada

Leather-trimmed wool-blend cape by Burberry

Organza-trimmed wool and silk-blend crepe cape by Valentino

Wool-blend cape by Valentino

Embellished silk-crepe cape by Givenchy

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands

I am such a summer girl and I am always sad when the cold season is knocking at the door. Especially as I love wearing sandals. The dainty, super statement sandal has reigned as one of the most popular shoes of the summer, as seen on celebrities and street style stars who embraced the eye-catching look. Great news is that this fall the transition is easy and it’s not time yet to leave your high heel sandals behind as there are so many beautiful options to get you through fall.

LoL, Sandra

Metallic textured leather-trimmed suede sandals by Prada

Eve crystal-embellished metallic lizard-effect leather sandals by Attico

Crystal-embellished mesh and suede sandals by René Caovilla

Floral-appliquéd metallic leather sandals by Dolce & Gabbana

Swarovski crystal-embellished leather sandals by Prada

100 crystal-embellished metallic leather sandals by Gianvito Rossi

Marie Edwina 100 feather-trimmed satin and PVC sandals by Christian Louboutin

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands