Fashion Trends & Tours in Italy

Top designer boutiques and top class jewelers in Florence have their home in Via dei Tornabuoni and in the nearby Via della Vigna Nuova.

This area is not for bargain shopping. It is for a luxury experience.  It’s the place to head for the best quality shoes and leather goods in Florence, for stylish but costly clothing and accesories.

Via dei Tornabuoni has become a sort of Florence’s Fifth Avenue. So, some of the traditional Florentine shops that used to be located in these streets have closed in recent years.
Here you’ll find the most known label boutiques, from Armani, Gucci, Versace, Coveri, to Ferragamo.

Among the designer shops located in this area:
Dolce & Gabbana - Via Della Vigna Nouva 23/25;
Genny - Via de Tornabuoni 37;
Georgio Armani - Via della Vigna Nuova 51r;
Gianni Versace - Via de Tornabuoni 1/1A;
Gucci - Via de’ Tornabuoni 73r;
H. Meuber - Via de Tornabuoni, Galleria de Tornabuoni;
Hermes - Via de Tornabuoni 6;
Loro Piana - Via Della Vigna Nouva 35;
Salvatore Ferragamo - Via de Tornabuoni 16r50123 · 55-33-601 ;
Trussardi - Via de Tournabuni 36.

 View map of shopping streets in Florence.

Among the most elegant streets in the world, Via dei Condotti in Rome, is at the center of an area crowded with ateliers by the most famous designers.

(photo by milky.way - CC license)

Here is where top ateliers have been tailoring clothes for movie stars and celebrities from all around the world since Dolce Vita time and before.

A number of top designer boutiques are located also in the two streets parallel to Via Condotti: Via Borgognona and Via Frattina. (View map of shopping streets in Rome) .

Below a detailed list of major shops and ateliers (with street number preceding the shop name) located in these streets starting from Piazza di Spagna.

- Via dei Condotti -

1: Dior
8: Gucci
13: Valentino
19 and 20: Max Mara
20a: Celine
22: Brioni
34a: Alberta Ferretti
36: Fornarina
46: Max & Co
47: Francesco Rogani
50: Trussardi
52: Dolce e Gabbana
55: Furla
58: Campanile
59: Burberry
61a: Battistoni
65: Salvatore Ferragamo
67a: Hermes
76: Giorgio Armani
79a: La Perla
94: Prada

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Heading outside the Fashion District, which is entirely dedicated to designer boutiques and showrooms, you can locate shops and stores for a more affordable shopping in the city.
They feature designer items at lower prices and are located in central streets such as Corso Vittorio Emanuele, Corso Buenos Aires, and Via Torino.

In Corso Vittorio Emanuele, first you have La Rinascente, the largest shopping mall in the city with its long tradition of shopping history. In the same street you can also locate a number of label shops.

Here a list of major ones located in Corso Vittorio Emanuele, with the street number preceding the shop names.

1: Terranova , Furla, Marella;

2: Morellato, David Mayer, Intimissimi (lingerie);

9: Max&co, Max Mara, Benetton; Calzedonia;

11: Zara, Conbipel;

13: Sergio Tacchini;

15: Geox;

24: Onyx;

26: Replay, Stefanel;

28: Sisley;

30: H&M, Nadine, Foot Locker, Luisa Spagnoli, Marina Rinaldi.

Below a list of major shops located

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You can locate top designer boutiques in Milan in the so called Fashion Quadrilatero — “Quadrilatero della Moda“.

It is a square (quadrilatero) area including the the main luxury shopping streets of Milan: Via Montenapoleone, Via della Spiga, Via Sant’Andrea, and Via Manzoni.

- Via Montenapoleone
Among designer shops and atelier-showrooms you can find in this street: Valentino, Prada, Gucci, Versace, Luis Vuitton, Cartier Etro, Salvatore Ferragamo, Fratelli Rossetti.
- Via della Spiga  
You have there: Dolce & Gabbana, Gianfranco Ferré, Krizia, Bulgari, Tod’s, Sergio Rossi, Bottega Veneta, and Genny.
- Via Sant’Andrea
This street crossing Via Montenapoleone features: Trussardi, Fendi, Armani, Prada, Moschino, Cesare Paciotti, Chanel, Kenzo.
- In Via Manzoni you can find the Giorgio Armani multi-concept store — Spazio Armani.

View map of Luxury District in Milan .

Among the information travelers are used to ask us about shopping designer clothing in Italy, the majority is about locating fashion outlets in the surroundings of Rome and Florence.
As a quick guide, we suggest the major designer malls, where you’ll be able to save from 30 percent to 70 percent of the regular price.

- Rome -
- McArthurglen Outlet in Castel Romano (15 km away from Rome Eur).
Directions: from Rome EUR, take Via Cristoforo Colombo, then Via Pontina (SS 148), then Castel Romano exit;
or EUR take Via Laurentina, then Via di Trigoria, then Castel Romano.
See directions and map details here
- Valmontone Outlet, along the motorway A1 Rome - Napoli. See details

- Florence -
- Another outlet by McArthurglen in Barberino d.Mugello, about 20 miles north of Florence
- Prada outlet, in Levane-Montevarchi; directions: take train in Florence, stop in Montevarchi, then take the bus to Levane.

By commenting the Washington Post article, “Designs on Italy“, where PrimeItaly.com was suggested as a valued source for those traveling to Italy for shopping branded fashion items, we’d like to add some details.

As it was said, in our Italy Travel Tips section, travelers asking us for advice when planning travel to Italy for shopping, fall into 2 basic categories.
And of course, based on that, we customize our assistance.

1 - Mass shopping.
Shoppers asking us for designer outlets or factory outlets where they can shop designer items saving up to 30% average (maybe you can save up more, but the items often are from the last year inventory)
2 - Custom shopping.
More sophisticated shoppers visiting off-the-beaten path outlets, manufacturers, artisans and designers’ studios and looking for shopping high quality unique items at bargain prices.
Sometimes the items are unbranded, hand made by high couture artisans; one would find such stuff in top luxury shops only.
As an example of deep customization, sometimes you might have the option to order unique items — mainly cotton/wool sweaters, that seasoned high couture fashion artisans would build and customize according to your needs.

These travelers enjoy of an unique experience, by pairing the shopping of unique items at bargain price with learning secrets of the culture of fashion and design in Italy

And you? In which shopping traveler category do you fall into? Let’s know. We’ll provide you any advice you need.