At the age of 16 Chloë Moretz has already become something of a style icon. I guess it has a lot to do with her edgy personal style – she's definitely a lot edgier not only than girls her age but that celebrities much older than her. Chloë is currently in Paris enjoying some fashion week fun. During all her trip she's been inseparable from her Miu Miu Craquelè bag – the latest model from the house. What I love the most about it is how even though it's a classic bag the cracked leather effect gives it an ages aesthetic that kind of reminds you of those amazing pieces girls inherit from their grandmas and wear to death despite looking a little used. And who else but Miu Miu could turn this into a fashionable effect for a brand new bag?

Some of the new models are already available at MiuMiu.com

Courtesy of Miu Miu, JustJared

Rosie HW & Kate Beckinsale wear the new Burberry bag three days after the show
JustJared

Only two days after Burberry Prorsum's FW13 show on Monday Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Kate Beckinsale, who looked amazing on the front row, have been spotted bags from the new collection. Rosie was seen arriving at LAX wearing one of the key bag models from the collection – leather structured panels contrast with a soft inner pouch in shaved pony skin printed with hearts. Beckinsale wore the same bag but with the outside in zebra print shaved pony skin and a leather pouch.
I have a feeling this bag has already become one of the key accessories to have and it has only been three days! Another of my favourites from the collection is the 'crush clutch', which just like the bags to the right come in a variety of colours and materials and is super chic!

Caroline Issa introduces... Myriam Schaefer
StockholmStreetStyle, Courtesy of Myriam Schaefer

From the moment I first saw Myriam Schaefer's bags at the last PR Consulting press day in London I knew they were going to be a hit. So I was thrilled when I saw Caroline Issa carrying one of my favourite models, the 'flag bag', a few days ago during London Fashion Week.

Caroline doesn't only do a wonderful job as executive fashion director of Tank magazine but her flawless personal style has honed her a name as one of fashion's trend-setters.

But it should come as no surprise that Myriam Schaefer's sleek bags are a hit. The designer has years of experience at her back working with influential names like Jean-Paul Gaultier and Nina Ricci. But it could be said that her most successful work was produced with Nicolas Ghesquière at Balenciaga, where she created the brand's iconic 'City bag', which has been a hit for over 10 years.

Now under her namesake luxury brand Schaefer launches a line of ultra sophisticated bags for FW12, all of which carry a stamp with their series number – a sign of exclusivity borrowed from haute couture.  All the models, inspired in 19th century bags, come with a light saffron lining to make it easier finding everything from your iPhone to your lip gloss inside.

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.

Chanel FW12: Karl does boho chic, backpacks & the 'Boy' bag gets an upgrade
Style.com

Ever since this Chanel Couture collection I have kept thinking how much cooler Chanel shows would be if Karl Largerfeld took it upon himself to Chanel-ify every-day casual clothes. I simply can't think of anything more luxurious to wear than a Chanel jean or a v-neck jumper.
The beginning of the FW12 collection was a little on the boring side, which made what was to come even more exciting. For the first time there were lots of vibrant colours on the catwalk. Lagerfeld presented his take on a super luxurious boho chic look that people like Mary-Kate Olsen would die for. I found the full-length tweed coats paired with capri snake pants extremely chic but also very relaxed. The same goes for the looks where trousers were worn with camisoles or unfitted dresses.
I loved the mix of colour the most –the scarves were beautiful– but also the lack of pretension. My other favourites were, of course, some of the accessories. The 'Boy' bag, which has become quite a hit over the last few months, got an upgrade for FW12 with bright yellow, green and aubergine velvet. The mini quilted backpacks were also a highlight and I know they'll, too, be a hit.

Do you love?

Style.com

Fendi bags: the ones we wear & the ones we'll love
JustJared, Homeofthenutty

As I was preparing this week's Gossip Girl Fashion post it occurred to me that since the only two exciting bits of fashion in the whole episode were the Fendi bags that Serena and Blair wear it made sense to dedicate the post to Fendi instead.

It's funny because sometimes I feel like people sometimes don't give the house as much credit as they should. It's up there with Gucci and the rest of big heritage Italian designers and it's designed by Karl Largerfeld(!). Over the last few months we have been seeing a lot of Fendi on street style pictures, probably because the most stylish people in the industry realise that their bags are super classic but there is something about their lines that is also very modern. Such is the case of Elizabeth von Guttman, who was snapped in Paris with her green 'Silvana' bag or Bianca Bradolini's 'Chameleon' bag from a few months ago and even Giovanna Battaglia only yesterday.

The FW12 collection that was shown in Milan today is one of the best Fendi collections I remember. I am obsessed with the astrakhan trend already and I am loving the shopping bag style that they've introduced. As I am about the new felt peek-a-boo bags, which is a bit of a surprise from the brand since they're mostly known for their stunning use of furs and animal skins.

Style.com, StockholmStreetStyle

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.

Courtesy of Tod's

It's all about Tod's this week, it seems!

Yesterday they announced Anne Hathaway is the new face of their Signature Collection. Even though I don't quite get why Anne is lying on a Ferrari or why the car is even there I do love how she looks on the ad shot by Mert & Marcus and styled by Karl Templer under the creative direction of Fabien Baron.

The collection is called Signature because the leather has been given the texture of Tod's famous pebble motif, which has made their 'gommini' shoes so famous. They come in red, black, electric blue, fuchsia and shades of lavender, beige and cream. It seems like the brand is positioning themselves up there with the likes of Louis Vuitton and Gucci to become iconic.

The collection will be available at Tod's stores form October.

Courtesy of Tod's

Courtesy of Karla Otto

I will never tire of saying of much I love Marni. And while we wait for their SS12 collection, which will walk the runway in over a month in Milan, we have this.

The 'Pin Hole' collection is super cool. The hole detailing on the classic and architectural accessories gives them a very modern and contemporary feel, which I love. But my favourite thing about Marni is how well they choose colours. They always use these shades you can't find anywhere else. The green and the orange are stunning and they go great together –like on their signature May-Jane wedges.

The collection is not available at Marni stores and online at the Marni site.

ProenzaSchouler.com

A year ago around these dates I posted about the best bags to take to fashion week. The first one on my list was Proenza Schouler's PS1. I believe it hadn't been around for too long then and only a year later it's become a staple, something like Mulberry's Bayswater. The PS1's different sizes were excellent for so many occasions. In fact, I am still longing for the big one as a travel bag!
But now, when we all shall be preparing for fashion week once again, Jack & Lazaro have launched a new model of bag –the PS11. You would think that it can't get much better than it's older sibling but, believe me, it can!
The PS11 comes in the classic shoulder bag shape but also as a clutch and a tote. What makes them special and what makes me like them so much is the metallic grid fastening at the front. It's like a chic hardware detail to what is otherwise a classic messenger bag whose size has been reduced and lines have been updated.
You can get yours at the Proenza Schouler website. Net-a-Porter also sells the clutch.

Courtesy of Roger Vivier

Roger Vivier is relaunching their namesake site and adding an e-store to it. The pictures to the right are a preview of what it will look like. I love the really homey interiors that serve as a background, almost like you're hanging out there sitting on the velvet sofa and looking at accessories.

If a beautiful aesthetic wasn't enough the new website also offers its own fashionable version of the famous Pacman game. Only in this particular case you are a little red Metro bag and you must find all the Miss X collection pieces by picking up all the RV signature buckles without letting the scissors get you! I actually played it a couple of times and it's quite fun!
Also to celebrate the relaunch and as an ongoing feature Roger Vivier will sell 'ultra-limited' edition pieces like the Lunge Psyche Mexico bag in the picture exclusively online. You can even get your hands on any of these things via their also new iPhone app.
What else could we possibly want?!


PS. Don't miss Ines' (de la Fressange) Little Diaries. She is simply très chic!

I've been really uninspired to blog for the past couple of days. I suppose there is always something to post about but I couldn't be bothered. Still now, as I'm writing this, I couldn't think of many other things I'd like to write about.

However, I did want to share these pictures with you. I was going through Terry Richardson's diary and found these pretty recent shots of Mary-Kate and Ashley. Needless to say, I am in love with the picture at the top, which is already my laptop wallpaper. I don't know what it is about Terry's shots of people against a white background that makes everyone look so cool, no that the Olsens need any help being cool.

Also randomly surfing the web I came across this super cool armadillo handbag from Rokit. I'm not usually much into quirky fashion accessories but I love this bag. It seems perfect for the summer with some denim shorts and a basic tee. Also, it looks like the kind of thing MK would love to wear, no?

[Rokit, Terry Richardson]

It was such acoincidence that I should get an email from Burberry about their 'April showers' collection yesterday, when the sky in London turned grey for a few hours and the rain poured only to let the sun come out again in the early evening.
I'm posting about the capsule collection not only because I thought that the timing of it was brilliant but because I really liked the new campaign shot by Mario Testino. There is something slightly ironic about the way the setting is almost apocalyptic and the models look so perfect in bright colour. And the same goes to some of the really cool plastic pieces (see my favourites below) that include the red trench above, which is simply genius and quite useful if you think about it, as well as bags and flats that seem perfect not only for April showers but for an upgraded "Festival look".

[Pictures courtesy of Burberry]

When I arrived at the Roger Vivier press day yesterday I was instantly awakened not only by the espresso that I quickly drank but even more so by the stunning merge of 30's and 40's inspiration and rock and roll style of the fw11 collection. Slick stilettos in black velvet, colourful suede and sparkly embellishments were, for me, the protagonists of the collection. A role almost shared with the some of the very contemporary and dramatic clutches of crow-appliquéd feathers and neon yellow shaved marmot. It seemed almost paradoxical how every piece felt like it was created to make a statement without really meaning to. I loved the use of brogue detailing on heeled Chelsea boots and Vivier's signature bags, which worked just as smoothly as the gold flat studs did on the patent leather accessories and loafers. Out of the whole line the pieces that completely stole the show for me were the suede "harlequin" stilettos (very Viviana Volpicella, if you ask me) and "Chesterfield" inspired structured clutch because of their art and interior design references and the golden heart-embroidered evening clutch because of its refined and intricate hand-sewn detailing.

I'm off.

[Pictures: Iñaki C.]

I have to admit I have sometimes been slightly baffled with the names that brands give to some of their bags and that often spread to other designers eventually creating a kind of new category. We had the dufle and the satchel, which still made sense. Even the tote and the shopping bag did. I started getting a little lost with the hobo, which didn't sound very attractive. This summer's hit has to the the bucket bag; very appropriately named as it looks a lot like, well, a bucket only fastened at the top with a drawcord that might come in leather or chain. I love this shape not only because it's usually a good enough size to fit everything in but also because it works as both a boho chic beach and an urban cool bag. My absolute favourite's are Alaïa's, because the leather seems so delicately worked, and Bally's, because it's a slightly retro classic. Alexander Wang's is also very very cool but all the studs make it slightly heavier than it should be. Are you a fan of the bucket bag?

1. Azzedine Alaïa @ Matches, 2. Alexander Wang @ Net-a-Porter, 3. Bally @ Net-a-Porter,

4. Chloé @ Net-a-Porter, 5. Diane Von Furstemberg @ Net-a-Porter, 6. Stella McCartney @ Net-a-Porter.

I'm off.

[Pictures: As credited above]

Will you be my Prorsum?

V day is approaching and it's unavoidable. I have been getting emails about Valentine's day special offers, discounts and whatnot for the last two weeks. I have never been a big fan of this day because it's always meant to be disappointing for one of the parts involved. Unless your significant other pays a visit to Burberry, that is. I was surprised to find out they're launching a V-day line this year with not only red but their signature checks setting the tone. The whole accessories line is very much in line with the biker aesthetic of the brand's SS11 collection. After all,  THE Burberry biker jacket has already become one of the key items of the season and it hasn't even started yet. The campaign for this particular occasion mirrors that of the main line, with the beautiful Jourdan Dunn and Sacha M’Baye as faces for this season.

Out of the great assortment of accessories my ultimate favourite has to be the shoulder satchel bag. The shape is really classic, which is why it works so well with the bold colours. I have the perfect picture in my mind of a girl with a beige trench, light blue jeans and a simple grey crew neck jumper and the red bag being the protagonist.
Check out the promo video below. And remember that Burberry's runway show will stream live on the 21st of February on their website, right after which you'll be able to purchase plenty of the items, as it's not tradition. I can barely wait to see what Bailey has created for FW11!

I'm off.

[Pictures: Courtesy of Burberry]

Bags to Lang for

There's quite a buzz about Helmut Lang's new line of bags for Spring/Summer 2011. And very rightly so. Ever since Nicole and Michael Colovos helped revive the brand in 2006 by staying true to Lang's minimalist vision the brand continues to produce great simple pieces with an edgy style. The designers say they were trying to find a polished take on utilitarianism for this collection, for which they took inspiration in Michael's fisherman past. To me, the way those handbags have been constructed by sewing gores together reminds me more or balloon-making or rugby balls, which is even cooler and adds to the very American point of view the brand has acquired. The concept of the line is very fresh and timeless in the same way that Ghesquière's bag collection for Balenciaga was born. Maybe we're witnessing the birth of a new classic?

I'm off.

[Pictures: tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com, fashionologie.com]

The (Victoria) Beckham Empire

It's quite funny how as I started preparing this post last Sunday as the news of Victoria's pregnancy flooded twitter. I personally don't know where she finds the time to be a mother but it looks like she's doing an excellent job so far.  I do wonder if she keeps trying for the girl she still doesn't have or if she wants to make a fashionable version of  'The Brady Bunch' in a few year's time.
In any case, it's admirable how she has managed (not without a lot of effort and plenty of time) to get away from the WAG status and be her own person. I have always liked her (she was my favourite Spice Girl) and I always found her fashion and hairstyle choices absolutely fascinating. But what I am most keen on is her fashion line. It's an undeniable fact that she has had an incredible success in the industry since the launch of her first line. And it must have felt excellent to prove wrong all the people who didn't believe she had the brains to do it.

This month, almost like a good omen for the year, she covers the front of the first British Vogue of 2011 (Feb issue) looking quite 90's but also very contemporary and fresh. This cover is one of my favourite ones from the British bible and it's also the best VB cover yet. Also, she didn't do her signature pose. The mag has also cut down on cover text a little, which makes me very happy. I can't wait to have this issue to see her editorial inside and, even more so, to read the interview.

All of this Victoria Beckham news got me looking at her past collections and at what she's doing at the moment. I did not know this until now but she also has a range of accessories, which includes totes, clutches and travelling bags. Looking at the collection I realised I had seen most of them before worn by her. I had previously been in awe of the big suitcase-y ones in black and ivory she travels with. There is a beautiful air of the 50's in the range, which I obviously love. But they also feel (like her Vogue cover) very clean and current. And it was extremely clever of her to be seen using the different models so that we know they're also useful classic items one can use in various situations. The price range and stockists have not been published yet, as the line is part of SS11 and still won't hit stores for a couple of weeks. But one thing is certain, they're going to be another hit.

I'm off.

[Pictures: TFS, JustJared.buzznet.com, Celebrity-Gossip.net, RDuJour.com]

I've got the biggest Chanel bag!

Big (or huge) bags started becoming a trend many seasons ago. They spread out so quickly and efficiently they are now not only a must-have but pretty much an essential that's present in most women's accessories array. During this time there was a brand which stood out the most not only because of the amazing design but because of the astonishing size he gave the bags. Who else but Karl Lagerfeld would have first brought out a traveling-bag-size croc shopping back? And who else would've continued producing an even bigger patent leather tote and quilted oversized version of the iconic 2.55? I was surfing the web today and came across a picture of Ashlee Simpson carrying a humongous Chanel vintage bag, which reminded me of my friend Tala's (from MyFashDiary) and its older sisters carried by Ashley Olsen and Diane Kruger (for the brand's advert).

What are your thoughts on massive bags? Do you like something halfway or are you a clutch kind of girl?
I'm off.

[Pictures: MyFashDiary.com, theVogueDiaries.com, mary-kateandashleyimages.com]

Sara Battaglia SS11

You will remember we first introduced Sara Battaglia back in May when I discovered her bag collection and Giulia slapped me in the back of my head for being so late, as she had been a fan for a while. Her SS11 line was full of colourful timeless bags fit for any age and style and appropriate for different occasions. Now she introduces her pre-SS11 collection, where Sara is mixing it up a little more. There are more satchels, clutches and messenger and tote bags for a modern hip woman aiming for effortlessness. Some new elements in a kind of art deco line have been introduce as decoration on the shoulder bags (in yellow at the top) more in line with the style of Sara's logo. Her signature bags are given a twist by playing with different colours in the layers of leather straps, which has an effect of earthiness and depth.

Check out the rest of the stunning look book on Sara's website. Just as she did before, she has modeled the pieces herself and I am loving the styling! You will also find a list of retailers where you can buy her bags, including Luisaviaroma's online shop. In addition, don't forget to check out her blog, where she shares personal pictures, press cut outs, inspiration and some of her new designs.
I'm off.

[Pictures: Sara Battaglia]