Everybody loves Carven
JustJared, Getty, MyFashDiary, The Man Repeller

I am sure I haven't been the only one to notice how successful Guillaume Carven's S/S 2012 has been so far. But what I think is most grate about this popularity is the fact that the women that have been wearing his designs are totally different from each other. Beyoncé and her sister Solange did a super sexy take on his blouse and asymmetrical dress while others like Bérénice Bejo, Jessica Alba or Lily Collins went for a more demure look. And even hip trendsetters like Leandra Medine from The Man Repeller and Tala Samman from My Fash Diary find a way to incorporate Carven pieces in their contemporary looks.
Carven quite simply hits all the right notes – classic shapes, contemporary cuts and timeless prints. The S/S 12 collection is one of those lines you and your mother could buy literally in its entirety and both of you would wear each and everyone of the pieces, no doubt.

Below, I have done a selection of my favourite Carven printed summer pieces. Follow the numbers underneath for the links to the products' website.

1. Striped cropped cotton-blend jacquard jacket, 2. Striped high-waisted jacquard shorts, 3. Asymmetric cotton-blend jacquard dress, 4. Printed jacquard platform sandals, 5. Striped jacquard and leather sandals, 6. Striped cotton-blend jacquard mini skirt, 7. Printed silk-chiffon and lace dress 

Prada presents the new SS12 version of the 'Hunting bag'
Courtesy of Prada

I can already imagine Jessica Alba and Diane Kruger feeling nervous because they don't have this one yet. This month Prada presents the Spring/Summer 2012 version of their 'hunting bag' – featuring a practical flap closure with double fastening in brass-finished metal as well as the classic Prada triangle logo.
The bag has been designed in Saffiano Vernice, a type of leather dyed in one of Italy's most prestigious tanneries. Saffiano leather adds extra depth to colours, is water repellent and virtually scratch resistant! If you own a Prada bag or leather good already you'll know what I'm talking about.
The bags will be available in red, orange, blue, purple and black fom June 2012 in selected European countries, the United Arab Emirates, US and Hong Kong.

The ultimate Summer collaboration: Missoni loves Havaianas

The sun is finally shinning in London and it's so nice and warm outside! I don't know about you but I am a bit unprepared for the summer and we're almost in June!
So I guess this comes at a perfect time. Missoni has teamed up with Havaianas once again to create a capsule collection – Missoni (hearts) Havaianas – for this SS12 season. You will agree with me that it isn't easy to think of any other pattern more apt for the summer than Missoni, right? And these models are unique because Missoni has endeavoured to help the environment and so the collection has been produced from rubber scraps from the factory.
In addition to the 3 classic and fun models the brand introduces this year an exclusive model of Havaianas 'Slim' features the signature zigzag print and ladybug and clover pins to bring you good vibrations!

Courtesy of Missoni

Three Summer trends Zara's got right this season
Zara.com

For some reason I haven't posted about Zara in a while, which is weird because it's one of the few highstreet shops I regularly check online. As I've said many times before I love their monthly look books because they give you a chance to ease into the change of season.

The April look book recently came out and I am in love with half of the pieces. Everything is super chic, very cool and so easy to wear, which are the three ingredients for a perfect spring look. As per usual, Zara is right on the money when it comes to trends. My personal favourite is, of course, the red peplum skirt – a perfect buy for anything from a cocktail party to a night out to a fun work ensemble.

The Spanish brand is also quickly becoming super popular for their jackets. They keep producing these Chanel-esque light jackets that suit everyone but that look completely different depending on the girl.

What do you think?

Introducing: MSGM Spring/Summer 2012
MSGM.it

I always get very excited when I discover new designers or brands and I can tell they're going to be 'a thing'. I first came to know MSGM a few weeks back when Viviana Volpicella slipped into a total look for Milan Fashion Week.

Their spring collection, which you can check out fully here, is simply perfect. There is a clear Italian vibe to all the garments but there are also quirky touches of Americana that really suit this season. There are a lot of vibrant colours and bold prints that often come together but the shapes and cuts are quite simple. some of my favourites are the floral skirt and the fringed denim shirt.

If you think you can handle even more amazing fashion click here to see their Cruise 2012 collection, it's like Erdem, Christopher Kane and Kenzo have all been mixed together.

The MSGM FW12 collection is also available for pre-order at Moda Operandi this week. But if you just can't wait – I can't, have you seen their menswear?! – you can head over to Matches online to buy some of their amazing pieces.

Miu Miu SS12 Press Day: Cooked lace & sparkly tiaras
KnowWear

On the same day that Giulia and I attended the Prada press day we also made at stop at Miu Miu to preview the SS12 collection. I have to say that normally I tend to like Miu Miu's collections a bit more than Prada's because they always have an interesting and playful point of view that I relate to. For SS12, though, it seems to be the other way around. And yet, it was hard not to find brilliant pieces in the collection.

Some of our favourites were the gingham stilettos to the right (which are actually Resort 2012), the Medieval velvet heels –for quirky people who can pull them off– and the incredible bejewelled tiaras and bracelets (you should have seen Giulia gasping for air).

The highlight of the collection in terms of clothes are definitely the lace pieces. It seems like Miuccia has used cooked lace this time, which gives the pieces a rigidity that makes dresses and tops acquire more interesting shapes than what we're used to. 

Click below on read more to see the rest of our highlights from the collection.

Mulberry SS12: A perfect wardrobe for the British summer
Style.com, Mulberry.com

I have saved my post of Mulberry's Spring/Summer'12 collection until now because watching the show last September during London Fashion Week it seemed to me like it would make a perfect introduction to the new season. It's always hard to know how to start introducing new season pieces in your look but Mulberry's got it just right.

It is funny because the reason why the collection is so spot-on is because it's meant for a British summer. There's a lot of amazing maxi skirts paired up with (my favourite) really cute kagools in waterproof yellow or chic nude with a three-quarter sleeve.

The whole style of the collection was was a really interesting take on eclectic British style –being sexy and cool but having to somehow cover up– mixed with one of the main SS12 trends: sportswear. Creative director Emma Hill introduced the trend by adding drawstring to tie the shorts or the tops at the waist, which contrasted with the silks and leathers they came in.
The bags were, of course, another of the highlights. My favourites were the patent leather yellow Bayswater the genius camera cases and the nude versions of the Taylor. I also loved the platform sandals in yellow with the espadrille and braided leather details.

Introducing... The Prada Pyramid Bag
Courtesy of Prada

Just in case today's first post of Arizona Muse wrapped in SS12 Prada left you wanting for more here goes another dose.

I present you the Prada Pyramid Bag. A classic bag of modern lines and an air of late 50's design.

I think it would be fair to say already that this will be one of the main accessories for editors, buyers and industry personalities during the next fashion week season in February. Everyone from Giovanna Battaglia to Linda Fargo and Shala Monroque will be sporting them. I am especially looking forward to a Viviana Volpicella and Prada SS12 moment.

The bags, which will be available at Prada stores from mid-January, come in two styles. One kind are monocolour with, perhaps, a rim in a different colour and a golden clasp that opens it in a very old-school style. The second type combine a contrast rim that outlines the bag and contrast sides that give them a funkier feel.

What do you think of this new model? Wouldn't you wear it with everything?

Roksanda Ilincic SS12 collection: A tulip garden
Vogue.com

I wouldn't be lying if I said that the SS12 Roksanda Ilincic show was one of the runways I was most excited to attend last September during London Fashion Week. And I wasn't alone –everyone I spoke to the day of the show was so looking forward to the show, which took place at a beautiful venue on Pall Mall.

The highlight of the collection was, of course, the volume. I can't tell you how many times I heard people talk about the "fabulous bell sleeves" over the next few days. And rightly so. There was something so interesting about the way these sleeves flowed in motion and how Roksanda translated this volume onto drop-waist dresses and full length skirts. Everything had a sort of organic architectural feel that was also super feminine. This made me think of tulips, which seem so rigid but are actually rather fragile flowers.

Having this said and bearing in mind my Rooney Mara post from yesterday it should come as no surprise that I was over the moon when I saw Mara at The Today Show wearing one of the white SS12 dresses. She already rocked a black jumpsuit from the Cruise 2012 line a few days ago. Some of my other favourite celebrity Roksanda moments include Keira Knightley and Isabel Lucas.

Giulia's favourites from the KCD SS'12 Press Day
Know Wear

A few weeks ago Giulia and I attended the KCD SS12 Press Day. It was, by far, the biggest press day we've ever attended and also one of the best ones! Their selection of designers is as impressive and high profile as it is diverse. You could actually find a look for any given occasion –from a ball to a sleep over– among the racks.

There was so much to go through, in fact, that we decided that the best thing to post about it would be this one. I can always trust Giulia's exquisite eye to pick out the best pieces from every rail. I was especially excited to see the Prabal Gurung collection up close, you know how much I loved it. We were also very impressed with the newly launches Pierre Balmain, which offers such great rock'n'roll pieces at a lower price than the Balmain main line. And we were happy to come across the stunning Pedro Lourenço collection, full of incredible cocktail numbers.

Click below on read more to see the rest of Giulia's picks!

Shoe Porn Friday: Fendi's Persuasion Sandal
ModaOperandi.com

If you have not joined Moda Operandi yet I don't know what you are waiting for! Áslaug Magnúsdóttir and Lauren Santo Domingo are following the steps of Burberry's digital revolution by selling next season's hottest fashion way before it hits the store. You only have a limited time to buy your favourite pieces but it's anyone's best chance of dressing like an editor.

This week I've picked my Shoe Porn Friday from Moda Operandi's selection because it's all about Fendi SS12! I don't know what it is about Fendi shoes. Maybe it's the sort of timeless heritage feel that everything they do has. Or maybe it's the fact that all the most stylish women in fashion (Giovanna Battaglia, Viviana Volpicella, hello?) wear it season after season. The fact is I love Fendi too.

My favourite is the Persuasion Sandal. I love its 20's feel (very on trend for next season) and the fact that it makes a statement without being loud. That's the beauty of Fendi.

Available at Moda Operandi until December 14th.

Our minds in the summer: Sara Battaglia SS12
Courtesy of Sara Battaglia

Ever since Giulia and I discovered Sara Battaglia's bags we have been in love. I'ts been great to see her style and vision evolve from the Romanesque wide-fringed bags her sister famously wore to fashion week, to the slightly more boho chic take for her SS11 collection.
Now we want to share Sara's SS12 collection. This time around she's played more with geometric motifs and different fabrics combined. Out favourites are the satchel shoulder bags with the studded cut out leather detailing over bright snakeskin or bold-coloured smooth leathers. A similar, more relaxed model is the smaller satchel in the white and orange knit cotton material. I love the Ibiza feel of the bag, it's very Kate Moss, and the detail of the brown and black fringe hanging from below the bag.
There are also some new introductions in terms of shapes. I am loving the triangular shopping bags in bold colours contrasted with a softer trimming and black handles and Sara's signature tassel detail. It's great that even though it's a shopping bag it still can be fastened, you can never be too safe!

Take a look at Sara's website here to see the FW11 collection and the rest of SS12 as well as to find stockists.

Get your shine on, it's the Prada SS12 Press Day
Know Wear

A couple of weeks ago Giulia and I attended the Prada SS12 Press Day. It would be fair to say that out of the dozens of press days lined up this was the one we were most excited about. I'm a huge fan of Miuccia's work. Giulia is too but her keenness goes beyond because she is also a wearer.
Walking into the showroom our faces lit up. And how could they not? There were sparkles everywhere kept in the very good company of Miuccia's celebrated graphic prints of flames and late 1950's cars.
The Prada team was so welcoming and seemed to be as excited about the new collection as us. While we chatted Giulia I and chose our favourite pieces, which she happily modelled for our camera. She was in awe of the bejewelled bags –especially the clutches– and loved the graphic flame flat bags. I personally wasn't sure of how women would feel about looking literally on fire but the way Prada has played with the prints makes them so easy to wear.
My favourite were the shoes. After watching the SS12 show I wondered whether they would have to edit out some of the design as a sacrifice for their sales. But it seems this is exactly the kind of thing Prada can get away with. So I admired the super cool heels worthy of a superhero.
Even though I had already seen them, I couldn't get over how good the jewellery looked. Ever since my last post about it I have been obsessed. I loved finally seeing them in an editorial on one of the last S Moda magazines modelled by Paz de la Huerta.

Do you love?

Know Wear

Know Wear

I already mentioned how much I enjoyed the PR Consulting press day a few weeks ago when I posted about Damir Doma and it's stunning chokers. One of the main reasons why enjoyed it so much is because they brought to London the SS12 collection of The Row. You know how big a fan of the Olsens and their work I am so I was ecstatic to be touching (amazing!) garments that might have been in close proximity to MK and Ashley.
Even though you could tell from the runway pictures that it was a very minimalistic mainly white-based collection you also guessed how exquisitely made everything was. Which is why it was so incredible to have a closer look at the collection. The cuts of the lighter pieces were both precise and delicately made and the embroidered pieces seemed like a herculean task for a human to achieve. The top, skirt and kaftan you can see on the top right picture were as heavy as they were amazing to look at. That's what wearing jewels all over your body must feel like.
I was also impressed by the accessories –the famous sold out crocodile bag and the more classic hand bags– particularly by the understated jewellery (very Ashley) and the sunglasses, after all that's what they know the most about!

Courtesy of Liam Fahy

I find it hard to post on Fridays... I usually get my posts ready on the evening before but by Thursday my brain is too tired. So I have decided we could all do with a bit of shoe porn at the end of each week.

This week I wanted to introduce Liam Fahy. I received his SS12 look book a couple of weeks ago and have been flicking through it lately. It took me a while to decide which specific model would end up on the blog but eventually I went for this laser cut calf burgundy model. I love the fact that they've used a new technique, which has an effect similar to suede. And I absolutely love the metallic piece at the front because it adds a tough touch to a very sexy and feminine shoe.

Click here to visit Liam Fahy's web and check out his FW11 collection and his range of bags, which he will also be producing for SS12.

Style.com, Know Wear

The Comunications Store press day was exactly the kind of place where you'd like to get lost. Not only because of its size (they took over half of Somerset House) but because the rooms where filled with some of the best SS12 collections.

One of the lines I was most excited to be closer to was Christopher Kane's –attending the show and interviewing Kane this season was one of my LFW highlights.

It was an incredible feeling to be able to touch all the pieces. The aluminium organza tops, which were extremely light, looked so expensive and chic. The embellished tops, in contrast, weighted quite a bit but I was simply amazed by the amount of work that must have been needed to hand-make these pieces to such detail.

The embellished bags are definitely going to be one of the hits from this collection for next season. They are perfect for a smart evening look but could look super cool with jeans and a Chanel-style jacket too. The same goes for Kane's embellished jeans, which reminded me to Lagerfeld's couture creations for Chanel's spring line.

I just can't wait for my favourite fashion editors to be sporting these looks for the FW12 fashion week season.

Style.com, Know Wear

A few weeks ago I had the fortune of being invited to the PR Consulting SS12 press day. They represent some of my favourite designers such as Proenza Schouler, Dries Van Noten, Jil Sander and The Row. And they have such a lovely hard-working team!

One of the collections that I found most fascinating up close was Damir Doma. I had been a fan of the designer's menswear for a few seasons but hadn't looked too closely at his womens line, which he only launched for SS11.

The textures of the clothes were one of the most interesting aspects about the collection, which consisted mostly of layer of blacks, greys and shades of mustard. I loved the sort of Greek feel to it that Doma approached from his knowledge of menswear –the tailoring is simply exquisite.

But I must say that my favourite part of the collection were the golden brass decorating jackets and the unbelievable chokers. They are the perfect accessory for a simple summer dress. They give this attitude to a look that I love on women. They've been made in different stones and, just fyi, they can be unscrewed in two parts to avoid scratching your neck putting them on.

Know Wear

A few weeks back I attended the Roger Vivier SS12 press day, which, as anything hosted by the Tod's Group, was very enjoyable. They're always so lovely and they treat me so well.
The collection was stunning and very fun. This time Bruno Frisoni is taking the Roger Vivier woman to Africa for spring. It was very interesting to see how he had taken the brand's signature shapes, which are very geometric, and mixed them with bold prints, bright colours and new materials.
I absolutely loved the Micro Metro bag in the colour block cheetah and leopard prints. The same goes for one of my favourite bags, which they previously did in a 'Chesterfield' style for FW11, and now is covered with animal print canvas with a colourful inside of the Roger Vivier logo.
My favourite pieces from the collection were the ones in the metallic brushed leather that had a slightly 20's feel but were at the same time very modern. It was such a strange sensation to feel these pieces in your hands. At first sight you think they will be heavy and rigid like metal but instead they were light and soft to the touch. Not to mention the fact that they would make excellent accessories to complement your evening looks.
Frisoni played a lot with different materials –African necklace beads, applique plastic pieces and even aged folded sequins. The result was a very striking collection of pieces that make a statement yet remain classic and rather timeless. After all, there is a reason why people so diverse such as Carla Bruni, Inès de la Fressange and Blair Waldorf all love wearing Roger Vivier.

Courtesy of Prada, Style.com

Prada's is always one of those collections you always remember vividly. It is also often the one with the most editorial and street style hits every season. I personally thought that their SS12 line was one of he best in years. Miuccia's sweet collection mixed a general 50's inspiration with clear references to Grease, Elvis and even a little of Marilyn Monroe.

Despite my love and interest for womenswear jewellery has always been one of those things that I always feel like I have never quite grasped. I guess it's so personal and exclusive to women that it's hard for someone who has never or will never wear any to actually understand what makes it special or how it makes someone feel.

But that is not the case with Prada's SS12 jewellery pieces. They were one of the things that caught my attention the most. I was blown away by the slightly baroque yet exquisitely refined earrings, chokers and necklaces. And I absolutely loved the belts!

Prada is now announcing that these pieces mixing materials such as leather and resin with coloured gemstones will be available at their stores from this November! What could a better Christmas present than my favourite –green leather earrings ending in dangling pink gemstones?

Courtesy of Karla Otto

Marni knows their customers so well they knew that after showing the SS12 collection three weeks ago in Milan all of theirs fans could hardly resist waiting until March to put some spring Marni in their lives. So they have picked the 10 most significant looks from the collection and made them available for sale online at Marni.com until October 16th!
I've talked about this fast lane of fashion we're on at the moment before but I feel like making only a number of looks available for a short period of time shortly after the show is quite a good initiative to keep people both satisfied and excited. I am also toying with the idea that we might see some of these looks at events before the Spring and, more importantly, before Viviana Volpicella wears them all better than everyone else at the next fashion week!

What's your favourite SS12 Marni look?