Brand Crush: Luisa Beccaria

Italian designers have never held huge sway over me or large places in my heart. There's a flamboyance and an extravagance about the approach to dressing that just doesn't suit my personal tastes. However, that is not to say that I don't appreciate the work of some Italian houses or that I don't sometimes find myself thinking, "Ah, yeah, I'd wear that."

This is very much the case with my current brand crush, Luisa Beccaria. Brought by a mother-daughter team and well-established, the Milanese brand is prim and proper in all the right ways. It's clothes for socialites. It presents sheers never meant to be worn sheer off the runway and necklines so conservative that there's almost a touch of fetish to it in the same show. There's something Old World about it, something of a time and lifestyle long gone. Older, long-time customers are sure to be kept happy while young girls still manage to find a dress to fall in love with. Movie stars locate that perfect red carpet look. Romance abounds.

But, look, don't take my word for it. Look at the graphics (I spent far too long making) which summarise some of my favourite collections from them over the last few years.

So, you guys crushing along with me?