Sandra‘s Closet

“Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.”

I came back from my amazing road trip through the US this week and left immediately to Munich for a day with Bobbi Brown. Stay tuned, I will tell you all about it very soon.

During the last 5 weeks, I went through 9 states – Illinois, Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Utah, Nevada, California, Hawaii and Texas – and besides the horrible hail storm in South Dakota, I was blessed the whole time with beautiful sunny weather. So I was quite shocked when I got back to Switzerland where there was no sign of summer at all. Surprisingly, I found severe hail damage in my garden, my pool cover looked like shot with a pump gun. What a subtle irony! And when I experienced a mini tornado yesterday at Lake Zurich, I was inspired to this outfit.

Mini Tornado in Zurich on July 21, 2012 (Photo via Tagesanzeiger)

Invest in some great fall key pieces. Bottle green is one of the hottest colours for the season. Peplum hems appeared on many runways and are one of the most flattering trends. A trench coat is a true classic piece that works for so many occasions and definitely belongs in your closet – with Burberry you cannot go wrong. Finally, add a piece of colourful statement jewelry.

Mid-length cotton-gabardine trench coat by Burberry London, fine-knit wool peplum top, bottle-green De Manta leather tote, skull-print modal and cashmere-blend scarf, skull-embellished umbrella, all by Alexander McQueen, stretch-leather skinny pants by Yves Saint Laurent, multi-stone cuff by Emilio Pucci and ‘Original Tall’ Wellington boots by Hunter.

Nars Fall 2012 collection offers for your eyes and nails some icy shades with stormy names:

Vent Glacé (Glacial Wind) Duo Eyeshadow, CHF 59.-

Storm Bird Nail Polish (Limited Edition), CHF 32.-
Both available from August 2012.

Good news: The weather forecast says that the arrival of summer is close in Zurich. Let’s hope that the weather gods will be merciful.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Nars

During the last days I showed you so much from my recent road trip through the US. But the country I live in, Switzerland, has a lot to offer as well. Before I left two weeks ago, Pomellato celebrated its store opening with a nice cocktail reception high above Zurich’s rooftops.

Can you imagine that this terrace (see photos below) is never open to the public? It is a real treasure hidden on top of the building.

If you visit the boutique, check out their latest collection: Sabbia by Pomellato in rose gold with brown diamonds, diamonds and black diamonds. So beautiful!

LoL, Sandra

Sabbia Collection
Rings starting at € 1980.-, Bracelet € 9845.-

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

As you might have realized already, some of this week’s posts have been dedicated to sustainable luxury. But what does this new fashionable expression actually mean?
Sustainability poses an opportunity to explore alternatives to the norm, to propose innovations and ideas for a closer connection of technology and nature, to develop and experiment with recycled and natural materials.

In our daily life, we are not willing to compromise very much in order to live and consume responsible-minded. Today, there are many brands who try new ways to combine both lifestyles. One of them is the Volvo Car Corporation.

Yesterday, we shot a short movie for the launch of the Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid in Switzerland.

Their new Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid is the world’s first diesel plug-in hybrid, and the economy benefits are just incredible. At the touch of a button, you can choose which of the three driving modes you want to drive at any given moment: Pure, Hybrid or Power – meaning you have „three cars in one“. The V60 Plug-in Hybrid can be recharged from a regular power outlet (230V/6A, 10A or 16A) at home or in a car park.

Yesterday, I had the car for the day and drove around the city of Zurich sometimes on pure electricity which was totally amazing. It is pretty impressive that it is not only totally silent, but you can accelerate reasonably hard in electric mode without the diesel motor kicking in. As you sink in the black leather upholstery with contrasting stitching and inlays of blue-grey wood, you are definitely not thinking of going green.

Let me take you on a ride to some of my favourite spots in my recent hometown.

First stop: HOTEL BAUR AU LAC

I love this beautiful hotel set in its own park, with a stunning view overlooking the lake and the Alps. The terrace is one of my favourite places to lunch in the summer.

This weekend, the famous hotel park will host the opening event of Zurich’s ninth “Art in the Park”. The exhibition shows sculptures in the garden of the legendary 5 star hotel until August, 6th 2012. It is created and curated by Gigi Kracht, the wife of Andrea Kracht, the hotel’s sixth-generation owner, in collaboration with Gallery Gmurzynska.

A warm welcome upon my arrival.
My look: Orange-fuchsia bi-colour silk shirt and “Audrey” wayfarer sunglasses, both by Céline, stretch-leather leggings and green python “1970” bag, both by Gucci and booties by Chanel.

On my way, I received many compliments from people who loved my car.

Second stop: SHOPPING AT GUCCI

As you know, I love Gucci and I am a huge fan of their new sustainable collections. The trunk of the Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid has enough space for many shopping bags. Awesome!

It is always too much fun shopping with Stefano Polli, Gucci’s store manager in Zurich.

Third Stop: SUSANNE WISMER BLUMEN

I love my green oasis at home to relax and I always have flowers on display. Yesterday, I got my favourite ones: a huge bunch of pale pink peonies.

Fourth stop: RESTAURANT SEEROSE

Personally speaking, whenever I am there, I feel like being on vacation. Surrounded by the mountains and the lake, nature is embracing you in the city. Where else in the world can you find this?

By the way, when you switch to the “pure” almost silent mode, you have a similar effect while driving. You can hear the wheels on the asphalt and the wind around you. Such a beautiful and relaxing feeling.

I hope that you have enjoyed my little ride through Zurich!

The indicative price of the Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid luxurious “Pure Limited Edition” is starting at CHF 78.600,- in Switzerland.

After the initial batch of 1,000 cars for model year 2013 (of which 79 will go to Switzerland) this upcoming December, production of the V60 Plug-in Hybrid will increase to 5,000 cars as of model year 2014.

Stay tuned for more… and a huge thank you to all who liked my facebook page. It has reached today over 30.000 likes!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

I am part of a very interesting and extraordinary project for the launch of the new Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid with different events taking place during the next days.

Starting today until this upcoming Monday, June 11th 2012, Volvo Switzerland is turning Zurich Main Station into an open street art studio. Seven Chinese artists will constantly repaint, respray and restyle the new car, expressing their interpretation of the sustainable mobility of tomorrow. Stop by if you get a chance to get an exciting insight into China’s contemporary art scene.

Tonight’s opening night presented an amazing live art and dancing performance. Volvo’s brand ambassador, Melanie Winiger, former Miss Switzerland winner and model, was dressed and painted all in black, followed by strokes of gold. Famous guest of the night was Andres Andrekson aka Stress, (see last photo below).

Richard Monturo, Volvo Vice President of Global Marketing, and Swiss chef Pascal Schmutz with me in the middle.

Stay tuned for more to come – especially if you are curious how the “three-dimensional canvas”, the new Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid, looks like. The two of us went on a little adventure trip today. The whole event is also streamed live via webcam at volvoartsession.com.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

In celebration of the spirit of craftsmanship, the Hermès Festival des Métiers (Festival of Crafts) made its first stop in Zurich – Switzerland. The French house’s first world-travelling exhibit invites you to meet with the artisans responsible for creating some of the world’s most luxurious leather goods, silk scarves, china and more.

Ever wondered what goes into the making of an Hermès product? Or why the Kelly bag is such a coveted item? Discover the Hermès universe your own way and enjoy the passion that the craftsmen put into every item. As one of them told me, their effort and long hours spent making those pieces is all worth it, once a customer wears and treasures their handiwork.

Open to the public, this free admission event is located at EWZ-Unterwerk Selnau (Selnaustr. 25, Zurich) starting today through June 10th, 2012 from 11 am- 6pm every day. It is a great experience for kids as well.

For all of you that are living abroad, here are some photos that I took yesterday at the pre-opening. Enjoy the craftsmanship!

Hermès has very high requirements for leather and the artisans will take time to find the best one to use. The difference lies also in how the bags are made by hand. It will take approximately 30 hours to create one single piece with only 3 produced per week. This explains the long waiting list for their iconic Birkin or Kelly bags.

It is pretty impressive to watch the craftsman assemble the really tine pieces of the movement for a mechanical watch.

The artwork for the famous silk scarves is designed by an artist, but the Hermès artisans will need to engrave the silkscreens by hand before starting the printing process.

At the printing station, you can see how each silkscreen, one for each colour, are precisely aligned and printed onto silk. Every single aspect of a silk scarf is done by Hermès: They rear their own silkworms, produce their own twills and mix their own dyes. After the printing, the scarves are left to dry, then the colours are locked in during a steam bath. After that, the silk scarves are washed to make them smooth and coated with a protective finish. Finally, they will be hand-rolled and hand-hemmed along the edges by craftsmen.

Every carré (the French name for it) has its own name, as for example the famous Brides de gala that was sketched in 1957 by Hugo Grygkar and which is still used these days.

Perfection and quality is essential to Hermès, the same applies to the tie making process. A craftswoman explains how the twills are rolled, folded and subsequently stitched into ties, using the same silk as for the scarves.

There are not many artisans in the world who can perform this process. Those silk scarves are only made by special order. It is a thicker kind of twill that comes with a velour-like coat. The craftswoman takes away parts of it with a sharp pointed tool. Just to do those red flowers takes her six weeks. She needs to be extra careful in order not to destroy the precious fabric.

The artisan uses real gold to paint the beautiful embellishments of the crystal glasses. The brown colour of the gold will change in the oven. To achieve the shiny effect, each glass has to be buffed by hand.

The fabulous china and porcelain products are also carefully hand-painted by artisans. After watching the process, you feel guilty for every piece you dropped in the past.

Also of interest is the house’s glove-making. When I asked the glover what is the best material for a glove, he said velour leather is his favourite to work with.

Hermès first started with horse-riding accessories and saddles. The equestrian heritage has been celebrated ever since. A saddle by Hermès is like a piece of art, especially when you look at those special editions with wings or leopard print that the saddler showed me yesterday.

I hope that you will enjoy this eye-opening exhibit as much as I did!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Finally, Switzerland has a Mulberry store. Located in Zurich’s luxury shopping district, the new shop has a selling surface of 150 square meters on two floors, with a wonderful selection of accessories, shoes and womenswear from the English luxury brand.

Del Rey in Black Soft Spongy Leather –  990 EUR

Check out the newly launched Del Rey bag, inspired by American singer Lana Del Rey, one of fall’s must-have bags.

Mulberry, Storchengasse 4, CH-8001 Zurich

LoL, Sandra

Del Rey in Black Forest Soft Matte Leather – 990 EUR

Del Rey in Deer Brown Grainy Print Leather – 990 EUR

Del Rey in Petrol Veg Tanned Lambskin – 1120 EUR

Photos: Courtesy of Mulberry

Meet Geneva-based contemporary jewelry designer Suzanne Syz and her unconventional, original designs.

Suzanne cites Andy Warhol, Francesco Clemente, Julian Schnabel, Jean Michel Basquiat and Jeff Koons – all of whom she was friends with when she lived in New York City in the 1980s – as influences on her art-inspired creations. She loves using unusual materials and radiant colours.

Her “Live Savers”, inspired by the famous American candy, belong to Suzanne’s iconic designs.

Isn’t that “Smarties” necklace (around CHF 100.000) absolutely divine?!

When I met her, she said: “Jewelry should be individual and reflect your personal style.” She takes this vision seriously. All her designs are highly individual one-of-a-kind pieces and there is no way that she will reproduce the exact same one.

Suzanne Syz is exclusively available at Landolf & Huber in Zurich, Switzerland – a jeweler that I can highly recommend.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Suzanne Syz

Yesterday, I attended a dinner party hosted by Navyboot and Andres Andrekson aka Stress to celebrate the launch of their first collaboration, so-called SBNB – STRESS by NAVYBOOT collection at the Swiss National Museum in Zurich which turned into an absolute hot spot last night.  Among the small gathering of 60 guests, were Baschi, Bligg, Mousse T. and Jubaira Bachmann.

The sneakers for men’s only (Adrian, we want them, too, especially the croc version!) are inspired by the historic battle at Sempach in 1386 – a theme that has been reinterpreted for modern times and has been recreated as a picture on some of the models’ soles. The advertising campaign shot by Stefan Heinrichs has been staged as a modern version of the battle with Stress in the role of Arnold von Winkelried (see above).

Just in time for the Christmas season starting in early December, they will be available at NAVYBOOT stores in Switzerland and Germany. Prices will range from about 129 CHF for the flip flops to about 498 CHF for the high top sneaker.

Lovely scenery at the entrance.

Inside the Swiss National Museum in Zurich

The yummy dinner was served on a rustic wooden table.

Momo, Stress,  Creative Director NAVYBOOT Adrian J. Margelist and DJ Mousse T with me.

This foot below belongs to Navyboot’s Creative Director Adrian J. Margelist. He and Stress are the only two having the croc-python version of the iconic sneakers.

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Today, the Blick magazine wrote an article about last night and named me one of the most important fashion bloggers! I am honoured, thank you, Flavia!

LoL, Sandra

Something for my Swiss based readers, the 2012 edition of the WW magazine is available from today. I was asked to be in the committee to nominate the 200 most renowned personalities in Zurich.
If you are interested, you can buy your issue at the news stand or order it here.

Zazou Mall, the best Swiss singer of the German music star DSDS contest with me last night at the release party.
My outfit: Overall by Stella McCartney and Elsie bag by Chloé.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

For all ladies who love to shop: Zurich has a new G-spot,“the Grieder spot”, so-called G.point, an innovative store concept, full of young brands, such as Rebecca Minkoff, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Butler & Wilson and Sam Edelman. The idea behind it is to offer something between high end and high street to cater to the budget challenged and to appeal to a younger audience that might shop one day the parent house’s designer fashion.

If you look around, you might find some unusual items that the buyers discovered during their trips around the world. The store is located next to the Grieder department store (In Gassen 20, 8001 Zurich/Switzerland) with its own entrance but is also connected to the main house. Soon to be opened in Geneva, too.

LoL, Sandra

G.irl Recha with me last night at the opening party

My outfit: Denim dress by Louis Vuitton, animal print sandals by Miu Miu and watch by Roger Dubuis.

A fun give-away for the press: A designer doll! I took Karl home…

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht