The fact that most Italians now use the expression ‘fare lo shopping’ may suggest a globalisation of the shopping scene. But the advent of shopping malls has barely dented the popularity of boutiques, gourmet food shops and markets.
Style and elegance are reflected in the chic stores of Milan, one of the world’s fashion powerhouses, and, to a lesser extent, in smaller cities such as Como (‘City of Silk’) and Bergamo. The lakeside towns and villages offer less choice and higher prices, but an altogether more relaxed shopping experience.
Small food shops throughout the lakes region display a wide variety of tempting delicacies, from home-cured hams and handmade pastas to herbs and honey to local wines and liqueurs. Milan’s temple of deli gastronomy is the legendary Peck (Via Spadari 9; www.peck.it), a stunning showcase of cheeses, hams, truffles and foie gras. The shores of Lake Garda offer locally grown and pressed aromatic olive oil, Bardolino wines and Limoncello liqueur made from local lemons, while the winegrowing Franciacorta region produces the best fizz in Italy.
Weekly markets are colourful open-air affairs, with stalls selling flowers, food, fashions, household goods and more. Every Wednesday, Luino on Lake Maggiore hosts what it claims to be the biggest weekly market in Europe, with bargain-hunters descending from Switzerland, Austria and Germany as well as Italy. Monthly antique markets are a source of local handicrafts, although real bargains are rare. Nevertheless, bargaining, even if only in broken Italian, is always worth a try.
Since the 1980s Milan has been a world centre for fashion design, drawing huge numbers of visitors – many celebrities among them – to its Fashion Weeks and the flagship stores of Armani, Prada and other top designers. At the opening of Fashion Weeks (AW Feb/Mar, SS Sept/Oct) the international paparazzi descend on the city, while the hip hotels and stylish restaurants are packed with celebrities and supermodels.
The flagship outlets of the big designer names are conveniently concentrated in a small, attractive area, known as the Quadrilatero d’Oro (Golden Quadrangle). Stores range from chic little boutiques to modern emporia such as Armani, complete with restaurant, bookstore, flower shop and furnishings, as well as fashions.
Shopping street in Bellagio
Neil Buchan-Grant/Apa Publications
Prices are not for the faint-hearted, but if your credit card can’t stretch to cutting-edge collections, there are plenty of more affordable fashions in the city centre, as well as the arty boutiques of the Brera and Ticinese quarters.
Como, centre of Italy’s silk industry, has produced silk and other textiles since the 15th century. Silkworms are no long longer bred here, but Chinese fibres are imported to be woven, dyed, designed and printed. Top designers still depend on Como for their silk but the industry has been in steady decline over the decades, with competition from China, and increasingly high prices of silk as Chinese farmers turn to more lucrative crops. Como shops no longer dazzle with Como silk but you can still find ties and scarves – and a museum (see page 12) that documents the story of this fascinating industry.
Factory outlets
The lakes region has a number of ‘outlets’ (discount factory stores), selling seductive clothes, cult-design icons, crafts, leatherware and gourmet gifts. One of the few surviving silk outlets around Como is Frey Emporio della Seta in Fino Mornasco (Via Risorgimento 49; www.frey.it), southwest of Como which sells hand-painted silk scarves, shirts and ties of top designers with good discounts. At the Foxtown Outlet (www.foxtown.com) in the Swiss village of Mendrisio 15km (6 miles) northeast of Como you can snap up brands such as Gucci, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana and Prada. Silk manufacturer Mantero – supplier to Yves Saint Laurent, Calvin Klein and other big names – has a small shop here. The functional but well-designed Franciacorta Outlet Village (Rodengo Saiano, 7km/4.5 miles west of Brescia; (www.franciacortavillage.it) has over 160 stores. Armani fans should head for its outlet at Vertemate, south of Como, which has some great bargains in its warehouse.
In the heart of the region, Bergamo is a delightful city for shopping as well as sightseeing. The upper town has some lovely food shops and clothes boutiques, while Il Sentierone and Via XX Settembre in the lower town have fashions, silk, leather goods and jewellery. A shuttle bus service links the upper and lower towns with the airport just 5km (3 miles) away, which is opposite the huge Orio shopping centre (www.oriocenter.it).
Shoe shop in Salò
Neil Buchan-Grant/Apa Publications
Silk ties from Como
Apa Publications