An Insider’s Guide to the Very Best Shopping in Milan
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There’s nowhere quite like Milan, especially during the city’s annual Design Week, which is timed to the world’s largest furniture fair, Salone del Mobile. (Think fashion week for the design set, and just as fabulous.)
According to Eric Egan, owner of L’Artigianato, a Milan-based interior design studio, “Milan is undergoing a wonderful renaissance at the moment, giving the city a fizz that it hasn’t had since the go-go days of the 1980s and ‘Milano da bere.’” He lists the recently unveiled transformation of Piazza Castello into an urban oasis reminiscent of the Tuileries Garden in Paris and the extension of the Metro to Linate Airport as transformational projects.
“Milan is becoming the European capital it always aspired to be,” the designer adds. “What makes Milan so special is that it is a small city that holds its own against the world’s great cities such as London, Paris, and New York. While the city has always been international with the fashion and design businesses based here, lately, it seems as if everyone is moving to Milan.”
With all this buzz, Milan—already a fashion capital—has become an even bigger global destination for shopping. Of course, there’s the usual spots like the opulent shops held within Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and tony avenues, like Via della Spiga where you’ll find some of the city’s poshest boutiques, but we decided to tap a handful of in-the-know locals—including Egan, plus travel experts, and award-winning designers—to share their chicest destinations for shopping in Milan. But always remember: Don’t spend it all in one place.
Taddei & Co.
“I love shopping for menswear in Milan,” designer Eric Egan tells us. “Apart from the major designers, I love shopping at the neighborhood boutiques such as Taddei & Co that capture that uniquely Italian idea of offhand elegance, or sprezzatura.” Established in 1976, Taddei & Co. stocks a wide array of international brands like Barbour from Scotland alongside American labels Sebago, Autry Action Shoes, and Filson. Italian staple brands such as Gran Sasso, Paltò, deperlu, and Tela Genova round out this shop’s stylish and functional selections.
Via Gaetano Previati 22, Milan
MC2 St. Barths
Egan enjoys shopping at MC2 St. Barth, too, for “their tongue-in-cheek takes on Italian preppy style,” the designer shares. This Milanese brand started as vibrant swimwear inspired by the posh eponymous French isle and has expanded to an entire collection. Women’s, men’s, and family items are available in cheerful colorways that look as perfect on an urban jaunt as they do on an idyllic beach trip. There are currently three MC2 St. Barth locations in Milan, so hopefully style is just a short jaunt away.
Via della Spiga 50, Milan
Il Ponte Casa d’Aste
This upscale auction house is another favorite of Eric Egan’s. “For design items, I love the city’s auction scene,” he says. “Il Ponte Casa d’Aste has wonderful auctions, both in their flagship in Palazzo Crivelli on Via Pontaccio where they show the ‘best of the best’ and also in their secondary warehouse outlet on the city’s outskirts where ‘treasures’ abound,” he adds.
Via Pontaccio, 12, Milan
Altai
This Milan-based art gallery is known for contemporary silk rugs as well as antique textile art. “One of my favorite shops in Milan is Altai art gallery,” shares Caterina Fabrizio, Dedar Milano CEO and co-owner. “I love rugs, and there not only do I find interesting things like tribal carpets, but the owner, Raffaele, is someone who enjoys storytelling. It’s a place where you can discover,” the designer adds.
Via Pinamonte da Vimercate, 6, Milan
10 Corso Como
Hotels Above Par founder and travel expert Brandon Berkson is a Milan superfan, calling out the city’s unmatched confluence of old and new as one of the many reasons it’s easy to love. Of course, he enjoys shopping in the fashion capital, too. “When it comes to a one-of-a-kind department store, 10 Corso Como fits the mold. It’s a city staple and a must-shop stop for luxe Italian home decor, womenswear, plus menswear,” Berkson explains. The iconic open-air courtyard is an incredibly gorgeous backdrop for the ultimate Milanese shopping experience.
Corso Como, 10, Milan
The Store
Via Solferino is a central street in Milan known for independent shops. Berkson, of Hotels Above Par, loves one particular spot there, The Store. He calls it “a boutique concept shop equipped with hip articles of clothing for all genders.” In the heart of the historic and architecturally significant Brera district, this spot carries a wide array of chic, fashion-forward clothing and footwear for both men and women.
Via Solferino, 7, Milan
La DoubleJ
Kathy McCabe, host of Dream of Italy on PBS and founder of Dream of Italy Magazine, loves people-watching in Milan. “The Milanese are so naturally elegant, always perfectly dressed. In Milan, an elegant older woman is called a sciura. There’s even a great Instagram to ‘sciura-watch’ from afar, @sciuragra,” she shares. To get your dose of fashionable Milanese elegance, à la sciura, try La DoubleJ. “There are few more captivating stores in all the world than La DoubleJ, which is filled with clothing (love the dresses!) and homeware in colorful eye-popping prints,” she adds. “Designer J.J. Martin is an American who has taken Milan by storm.”
Via Sant’Andrea, 10/A, Milan
Cavalli e Nastri
Another McCabe favorite is Cavalli e Nastri. “Who doesn’t love vintage stores? You can imagine the fashion treasures on one of Milan’s best secondhand fashion spots, Cavalli e Nastri,” she shares. “You can find choice pieces like a retro Valentino gold necklace, a Ferragamo python handbag, and a 1990s Yves Saint Laurent midi dress.” This shop is one of Milan’s most celebrated vintage establishments and certainly deserves a visit on any Design Week itinerary!
Via Brera, 2, Milan and Via Gian Giacomo Mora, 3, Milan
N°21
N°21 is a store on Via Santo Spirito, a lovely shopping street near Via Monte Napoleone. Designed by ELLE DECOR A-List designer Hannes Peer, this sleek, shiny, futuristic shop is a must-visit for the fashion set and boasts collections for kids, men, and women.
Via Santo Spirito, 14, Milan
Bottega Veneta
Luxury brand Bottega Veneta has opened a new outpost in Milan’s historic Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a landmark shopping gallery between the Duomo and the Teatro alla Scala. The bilevel store is the brand’s third in Milan but the first designed by its creative director, Matthieu Blazy. The interior takes the humble geometric grid as its focal point, extrapolating the motif into the walls and ceiling, where walnut-wood panels frame industrial glass blocks, as well as the flooring, in Verde Saint Denis marble. It’s a photogenic perch for some serious retail therapy.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan
Additional reporting by Sean Santiago.
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