Arizona Muse goes around the world for Vogue Russia in an elegant story by Tom Craig. Part travelogue / part fashion journey, the editorial follows Arizona through the streets of Sicily as she wears a selection of luxe yet casual pieces selected by stylist, Olga Dunina. Clad in pieces from Bottega Veneta, Kenzo, Ralph Lauren and of course Dolce & Gabbana, Arizona makes an especially elegant tourist. The accompanying video by Craig, with cinematography by Gus & Stella take the trip one step further with a beautiful exploration of one of the world’s loveliest islands.

Images Courtesy Vogue Russia – See the full story in the database

Resort ads from fashion’s haute houses provide a dose of glamour and some fresh photography, take a look at two of our favorites.

CHANEL

Chanel goes for baroque with a romantic resort campaign starring Cara Delevingne and Saskia de Brauw. Shot by Karl Lagerfeld (naturally) and featuring a sumptuous take on the house’s trademark luxury, the ads merge past and present into one chic package – note the Chanel Boy bag dandling from Saskia’s heel.

LOUIS VUITTON

Vuitton looks to its travel heritage with an atmospheric new campaign shot by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin and starring Arizona Muse. Shot in famous Parisian locales like the Louvre (the Mona Lisa even makes a cameo) and Palais Royale, the ads focus on the “the art of travel” and will appear not just in print, but also in a special film version.

There is no smiling in high fashion. Seriously.

There was a point in the pre-recession days (if you can remember those) when spotting a smile on a cover or in a campaign was was something akin to seeing Anna Dello Russo in khakis and Keds – it simply wasn’t done. Don’t believe us? Take a look at Fashion Iconography for a year by year cover rundown of blank stares and suggestive pouting.

We’re not sure if it is the lighter than air feeling of spring’s floucy separates, the inescapable influence of smize-queen Tyra Banks, or a tie in deal with Crest, but this season is all about laughing, grinning and being incessantly cheerful.

Mirte Maas and Mathias Bergh‘s Tom Ford ads are beyond upbeat and bordering on manic – who would guess that Mr. Ford himself was behind the camera? Beneath all that carefully crafted sexiness, we knew he had a sense of humor.

Julia Stegner, Miranda Kerr and a couple of baby goats for Bally. Cavity. Inducing. sweetness.

Only a hint of a grin for Bottega Veneta, but seeing Liya Kebede always makes us smile. Plus, lets be real who wouldn’t be grinning if they found themselves in the possession of that tote.

Arizona Muse for Isabel Marant, stuck in the backseat of a convertible (cars are another of the season’s big fashion ad motifs, see Prada’s gas station-fest) shielding her face from the sun and STILL smiling.

Hearing the words Milla Jovovich by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, automatically makes you think of a really arty black and white shoot, possibly with some cool face painting or an M/M Paris design scrawled along the side. Luckily I&V are saving that kind of stuff for Justin Bieber this month and instead have graced us with this shot of an ecstatic Milla.

Spring/Summer 2012 has proved to be a great run for a string of first timers for their respective houses; many of them also choosing new faces to front their campaigns for the season. How do you think these guys have fared?

Greg Nawrat for Gucci by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott | Alex Cunha for Bottega Veneta by Jack Pierson

While usually having a bevy of models in their ads, Gucci went solo this season with new and fresh faced Greg Nawrat. It also seems that Bottega Veneta had the same idea and tapped spring show opener Alex Cunha to star in their campaign, shot by contemporary artist Jack Pierson.

Simon Nessman for Giorgio Armani by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott | Ryan Barrett for Versace by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott

Running champs of the campaign season again, Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott explored two different sides with Giorgio Armani and Versace. Simon Nessman solidifies his place on our list in a sleek and simple setting while relatively unknown British face Ryan Barrett snags an only guy campaign beside the illustrious Gisele.

Baptiste Radufe for Yves Saint Laurent by David Sims | Florian Van Bael for Emporio Armani by Alasdair McLellan

Coincidence that a pair of black and white ads feature new Belgians? One of our Top Newcomers this past season, Baptiste Radufe shows us there’s a new Baptiste in town starring in Yves Saint Laurent‘s sleek spring looks. Another one of our Top Newcomers, Florian Van Bael is set on the streets of Hong Kong shot by Alasdair McLellan for Emporio Armani‘s latest campaign.

Noah Mills for Salvatore Ferragamo by Mikael Jansson | Simone Nobili & Chris Moore for Givenchy by Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott

Classic good looks seem to be the key to success, and Noah Mills is proof that it’s true. Shot on location in Jamaica by Mikael Jansson, Noah continues the tradition of the luxurious lifestyle of the brand. On the opposite side of Salvatore Ferragamo, new faces Simone Nobili and Chris Moore hold their own in Givenchy‘s dark and moody spring ads by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott.

Claudia Knoepfel & Stefan Indlekofer shoot the Marilyn NY foursome of Alyona Subbotina, Josephine Skriver, Julia Zimmer, and Katlin Aas for Vogue Germany in a wild and androgynous street themed editorial. With carefully slicked hair and a boyish attitude, these girls show us how to wear the latest craze in exotic skins and furs ranging from Celine, Bottega Veneta, and Givenchy.

Sølve Sundsbø creates a stark reality for VMan viewers in the latest edition, with an inspired story featuring the talents of Beat Bolliger. Masks, studs, spikes and are paired with pieces from Bottega Veneta, Givenchy and Ann Demeulemeester, to create a look that is striking and at times surreal. Jacob Coupe pulls it all off with an effortless cool that makes even the most outlandish outfits look easy. For even more Solve goodness check out the Archetypes issue when it hits newsstands September 1st!

Great campaigns aren’t just made they’re the result of the dedication and ingenuity of an entire team. For their F/W campaign Bottega Veneta pulled out all the stops, enlisting Steven Meisel to shoot the all star cast of Sigrid Agren, Anna Jagodzinska and Eddie Klint. The list of contributors doesn’t end there though – heavy hitters like Guido Palau, Pat McGrath and designer Tomas Maier can all be seen lending their expertise to the project in the behind the scenes video. Check out The Art of Collaboration.com to see the video and experience even more of the Bottega world.

Anna J & Sigrid by Meisel for Bottega