There's something about the crinkle of designer shopping bags and the
smell of new leather that gets me every time. The shoppers of Milan --
smart-looking men and women dressed like they've stepped off the runways
and right into the city's trendiest shopping districts -- stride
purposefully past American tourists, and lead them into some of the most
amazing, out-of-the-way boutiques.
Over the past two decades, Milan has transformed itself into an
international fashion center. The best shopping I've found -- and shopping
hedonists will agree with me -- is in the Duomo area, off the Piazza del
Duomo and Piazza della Scala. The streets that offer the finest shopping
in this area are Via Monte Napoleone and Via della Spiga Galleria Vittorio
Emanuele.
Here, you'll feel as though you're trapped in the proverbial time-travel
mirror, caught somewhere in between the future and the past. The Victorian
architecture lends itself to Italy's romantic past, but the stores housed
within are 100 percent modern. If you're not out to spend, the stroll
itself is worth the trip; designer-clad men and women embroiled in
animated discussion, oblivious to the droves of shops bustling around
them, sit for hours in the posh cafes that line the district. The window
displays are especially exquisite, particularly during the Holiday season
and during seasonal couture shows.
It was in Italy that I discovered -- and fell in love with -- Georgio
Armani. Following a woman clad in Prada from head to
eelskin-tipped toe, led me to some of the best shops in Milan. I am
certain she thought I was stalking her (which wasn't exactly the case) but
before she could confront me she realized that she had left her shopping
stalker behind in Armani. I drank in Armani's sleek lines, crisp fabrics
and statuesque salespeople, all of which look as if they'd just finished a
strut down Armani's runway. I spent a small fortune on the elegant
menswear: a sharp-looking suit for my brother and a few ties for my
father, took one last look around the shop and hit the streets once again.
You're never finished shopping in Milan.
Other shops worth note in this district include La Rinascente, Milan's
favorite department store, located at Piazzale Cinque Giuornate. Think
Bloomingdales with an Italian edge. Another local favorite is 9 Peck, a
real treat for those seeking the finest in Italian gourmet foods, located
at Via Monte Napoleone and Via Spadari, 9. If it's a old, rare Italian
wine you seek, a stop at Provera (Via Corso Magenta 7) will satisfy your
needs.
Before your own jaunt into Milan's material heaven, note that shopping
here is obscenely expensive. On the streets listed above, you can visit Il
Salvagente, which features designer names at discount prices (although the
discount prices are equal to what designer clothes would cost in the
United States.) You can visit Il Salvagente at 16 Via Fratelli Bronzetti,
or you can search a Bentley-compiled
directory of shops for discount-seeking bargain lovers.
This article was written by staff writer Sabrina Friedman. | | |
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