Our Muse of the Month is a name you may not be too familiar with just yet, but trust us when we say that you are going to hear a lot more about this girl.

Rooney Mara, the star of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, has been on a promotional whirlwind premiering the movie worldwide for the past month, and has been knocking up some serious fashion credentials.

All the big names have been queuing up to dress the actress and she is nicely forming her own personal style. She’s also shown a love of cut-outs – and who could blame her showing off her honed waist after a year of kickboxing in prep for her acting role).

Here are our favourite looks so far…

Pictured from left to right:

Look 1

Opting for an understated look at an Awards gala last week, Rooney teamed a black Miu Miu Resort 2012 dress with beige shoes for an effortless sophisticated style. Rooney hasn’t put a fashion foot wrong since hitting the big screen.

Look 2

Her Lanvin black and beige satin top with black skirt and leather belt at the AFI Awards only confirmed her as a fashion ‘one to watch’. She even finished her outfit off with a pair of black Brian Atwood shoes!

Look 3

Channelling some Parisian chic at the French premiere, Rooney injected some playful glamour in to her outfit with a black sequin Louis Vuitton Pre-Fall 2012 dress, Balmain strappy sandals and a strong red lip. Once again, her look was immaculate, beautiful and softly feminine.

Look 4

At the London premiere, Rooney stepped out in a white full-length Givenchy A/W 2011 Couture gown. The delicate lace and angelic embroidery contrasted greatly with her gothic make-up and harsh fringe, and placed her on many Best Dressed Lists for that week.

In terms of hair and beauty, Rooney has kept her look minimal and flawless opting for subtly-contoured cheekbones, naturally mascared eyelashes (a welcome change from the false-lashed TOWIE’s and Tallaghtfornians) a matte lipstick (red goes really well with her pale skin and dark hair), and always with a swept-back, fringed hairdo.

2012 is going to be a good, and very stylish, year for our Muse of the Month, Rooney Mara.

-    Jennifer Ennis

As you soak up the last few days of summer, now’s the time to start contemplating what exciting new trends you’ll be investing in this autumn. One look that’s repeatedly caught our eye on the catwalk is the Wild West trend, often referred to as Navajo (taking its name from a native South Western American tribe).

Tasselled ponchos, Navajo prints, beaded moccasins and fringed boots are top of the checklist, but to save you wandering into Halloween costume territory, follow our style tips on how to get this look right.

The Cowboys

For autumn/winter 2011, Proenza Schouler took us on a road trip to Santa Fe to be as inspired as they were by Native American culture. The duo picked up some authentic blankets along the way and hit the computer to alter, pixilate and explode their patterns into their own digital designs.

While the designers took these psychedelic prints and clashed them against one another, in real life one geometric pattern too many and people will need 3D glasses just to look at you!

How to get the look

Your best bet is to do like Blake Lively in a poncho and jeans and take a single Native American style article of clothing and pair it with your own wardrobe staples (remember denim is also a key material here).  Add a few indigenous accessories and you’re good to go.

Remember also that with heavier fabrics like chunky knits and ponchos, proportion is essential; balance them with a shorter hemline or tailoring to keep the look clean.

The Indians

2011 is the year of the fringe. No designer knew this more than Isabel Marant, whose Navajo-inspired autumn collection is punctuated by miles and miles of fringing. Her fringe-trimmed over the knee leather boots, for example, are a ‘shoe-in’ as autumn’s It footwear.

Bulky Navajo knits skimmed the thigh above these boots and legs were then covered by tight jeans, dyed with pinto pony markings.  Marant’s models also wore huge ponchos, bulky blazers and oversized puffa jackets in grey wool and felt with big hoods.

How to get the look

Accessorize with authenticity –bolo ties and Navajo hand-crafted jewellery are great ways to add subtle accents of the look to your outfit (think Vanessa Hudgens at Coachella festival).

If you’d only like to dip into the trend, make like Minka Kelly (pictured below) with a western print scarf.  Electronic Sheep is our go-to resource for funky wool scarves that will make a statement without being too try hard trendy.

Get the look for less

While the catwalk is great for giving us inspiration – it’s out of reach for most. Luckily H&M, the hero of the highstreet, has some great staples and accessories to perfect your Wild West look. They’ve got lots of ponchos (€19.99) – our favourite being this white fringed one (pictured, 2) which seriously channels the Isabel Marant catwalk look.

This gorgeous brown, fringe-trimmed top (pictured, 1) can be worn with skinny jeans, over tea dresses or a long maxi – it’s real find at £24.99/€30.00

Also, this very versatile feather accessory (pictured, 3) can be worn in your hair, around waists, as necklaces or fashion with a scarf to create a customised halter top. £3.99/€5.00.

The result? The Navajo trend sorted for autumn winter 2011.

- Gillian Brett

Some other Navajo looks to inspire you

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Danni Minogue’s shiny bob with a fringe is a flattering style for heart-shaped or long faces. In fact, my local hairdresser, a Toni & Guy professional, tells me that “The Danni” is all the more popular now that she’s been seen sporting the style on X Factor.

Many people fear taking the leap into fringe-ville. If you’re ready though, here’s a guide to which fringes suit each face shape.

For those of you with curly hair, unfortunately dear reader, this look doesn’t suit you. However, some side swept fringes look well with wavy hair, like Keira Knightley’s do.

Short Fringe

Think Audrey Tautou is the Coco Chanel film. The short fringe is the most difficult to wear as it draws attention to your entire face. The good thing is that it adds length to the face but is best avoided if you have a long face already! Go for this style if you’ve very straight hair and/or an oval face.

Side swept fringe

This works best on round and angular face shapes and is very easy to wear. This style is low fuss and often doesn’t require straightening like the short or long fringe. A side swept fringe can also be clipped even more to the side if you’re having a “getting in your eyes” day.

Long Fringe

Think Nelly Furtado circa 2007 (pictured) for this one and see how much the fringe draws attention to her eyes. This is ideal for those of you with a large forehead as it proportions out the rest of your face perfectly as a result.

Afraid to commit to a fringe?

Matthew Williamson’s latest muse, New York DJ Leigh Lezark (pictured top left), graced London Fashion week with her omnipresent signature blunt black bob. So renowned is her hair that she’s recently also become the face of Charles Worthington’s hair care range. The secret to her glossy bob? Charles Worthington Front Row Shine Spray, €7.

The reason we’ve brought this in-demand fashionista to your attention however, is because of her clip-in fringe. Pictured here backstage at the Erdem fashion show at LFW, this fringe is actually fake and she wears it with a Chanel headband. Lezark proclaimed “I love how full and thick it makes my hair feel. It’s so much more fun to try something different without having to commit to it!”

We found fantastic (faux) fringes for sale in Hairspray (€15), Wicklow Street, Dublin 2. They clip into your own hair and are made of real hair! You can buy your bangs in a range of hair colours to suit your shade, and they come in “straight across” styles like Leigh’s one here, or as straight across with added longer bits at each side of the main fringe.

Hairspray also carry boho plaits (thick and thin) and a range of hairpieces which are great for occasions if you need to add length to your hair, add a bun or up do, and don’t want the added cost of extensions. Genius!

There is no denial however, that fringes are high maintenance and need to be straightened daily if you’re after the sharp style seen here on Minogue. And a final word of warning, whichever fringe you choose, please groom your eyebrows as all the attention will be on them as a result of this cut.

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