The ANNOTICO Report

This an encyclopedic article on The Art of Shopping in Milan.

First the author gives one an overview of Milan, and its Retail, and
Fashion History.

Then they explore "A three-ring circus".  From the Duomo, not far from La
Scala, Milan's streets radiate out in three concentric rings. This is not
the most quiet or peaceful place, but it is the heart, the Times Square.

Then, "It's shopping squared".  The city's luxury shopping district
developed around the Golden Quadrangle, bordered by Via Manzoni and Corso
Venezia, Via Montenapoleone and Via della Spiga.

And on to "Where the hipsters hang".Even if you couldn't possibly imagine
yourself in any of the creations on display, it's an education.:)

At the End of the article are Where to Stay, Where to Eat, Where to Snack,
skip over those. Too Expensive!!

Go to "Where to Shop", that includes the Outlets, Discount, and Factory
Stores, where you can get the same items for "Half Off" !!

Shopping is high art in this Italian city that knows how to strut.

Los Angeles Times
By Booth Moore
Times Staff Writer
April 24, 2005

On a drizzly February morning, a bride and groom posed for photos in the
barrel-vaulted Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, one of the world's oldest and
grandest retail arcades. They held hands and kissed in front of the Louis
Vuitton and Prada stores, the latest "it" bags spotlighted in the windows
behind them.

In a city that's serious about shopping, it was a fairy-tale setting.

Traveling two months of the year to runway shows in New York, London, Milan
and Paris, I find a plethora of retail possibilities. But nowhere is
shopping a more welcome diversion than in Milan, the gritty postwar
metropolis that's said to be home to as many banks as Rome has churches.

Milan is not known for quaint villas, olive trees or charming fountains.
People here don't lounge around living la dolce vita. They work. This is
the economic engine of Italy, a melting pot of people who come from all
over to make their fortunes.

Although it's a rich city, it's not an especially rich cultural center.
Certainly, the Duomo is a Gothic marvel, but it's been under scaffolding
for years. La Scala finally reopened in December after renovation.... It's
difficult to quibble with Da Vinci's "Last Supper" at the Convent of Santa
Maria delle Grazie — who doesn't want to see what Dan Brown was talking
about? — ...

Really, the beauty of Milan is its everyday hustle and drive. It's in the
office buildings, fashion studios, design showrooms and pizzerias. And it
is in the stores, the jewels that dress up this ugly stepsister to Rome and
Florence.

Before World War II, Italy was internationally known for textile and
leather goods production, but it didn't become a fashion center until the
1950s and '60s, when designers such as Valentino and Roberto Capucci showed
their made-to-order couture collections in Florence and Rome. With the
increasing importance of ready-to-wear in the world market, editors and
buyers began flocking to Milan in the 1970s to see the offerings of Missoni
and Krizia. But it was the contributions of Giorgio Armani and Gianni
Versace in the 1980s that at last made Italian sportswear a rival to the
decadent fashions of Paris.

Over the years, the definition of Italian style has blurred. No longer
bound to the status-suit-and-handbag uniform, even the upwardly mobile
Milanese are embracing the vintage-inspired eclecticism of Miuccia Prada
and Marni's Consuelo Castiglioni. Residents are opening their wallets to
ethnic and outlet shopping like never before. And vintage clothing is
gaining a following beyond designers seeking inspiration.

Besides being a godsend for those of us trying to stretch a weak dollar,
this new fashion diversity creates a retail experience that goes beyond
big-name boutiques to the medieval-turned-trendy Porta Ticinese
neighborhood and the factory outlets just 45 minutes away in Mendrisio,
Switzerland.

*

A three-ring circus

I usually consider staying in a different area, but I always return to the
city center, to a street behind the Galleria that leads to the Duomo, not
far from La Scala. From here, Milan's streets radiate out in three
concentric rings. This is not the most quiet or peaceful place, but it is
the heart, the Times Square.

Much of the area has been given over to pedestrians, so it bustles
constantly with tour groups looking skyward at the nearly 700-year-old
Duomo spires and at the occasional manifestazione, or strike, accompanied
by a bullhorn. On Saturdays, sauced soccer fans gather here, their chants
reverberating off hotel windows.

The Galleria, named after the first king of a unified Italy, was designed
by architect Giuseppe Mengoni in 1861 to connect the squares of the Duomo
and La Scala, symbolically unifying church and state. But more important,
the iron and glass arcade represented the evolution of shopping from
necessity to a leisure activity.

Even on dreary days — which is all I seem to encounter when I'm here — the
glass-domed Galleria is magnificent. The mosaics in the floor represent
Europe, Asia, Africa and America and the symbols of Italy's great cities,
including Turin's bull, where it's a tradition to stand, spin on your heel
and make a wish.

The arcade has branches of Gucci, Tod's and Vuitton, nestled among T-shirt
stands, a Rizzoli bookshop, a McDonald's and Bar Zucca, the coffee shop
Verdi and Toscanini favored.

But for shoppers, the real attraction is the first Prada store, a mecca for
all fashion pilgrims. Founded as Fratelli Prada ("Prada Brothers") in 1913
by Miuccia Prada's grandfather Mario, it has an old-world feel with
built-in wood shelves, a black-and-white checkerboard floor and even the
original cashier's desk and sign.

The upstairs is packed with handbags, but down the marble spiral staircase
in the basement is a treasure-trove of shoes and clothing for men and
women, as well as the brand's signature nylon totes and cosmetic bags
displayed in antique steamer trunks — a nod to Prada's origins in the
luggage business.

The shopkeepers rarely smile, even when magazine editors take over the shop
during spring and fall previews known as fashion weeks, deliberating with
complete strangers the merits of $700 crocodile pumps or a $1,500 feather
hat. Champagne is served daily when the buying gets really hot, as in a
$3,000 shearling coat with a crystal-studded collar. But even if all you
leave with is a $100 keychain, it will be packed and ribbon-tied in one of
the stiff, white Fratelli Prada shopping bags that are omnipresent on the
streets in this part of the city.

Nearby is La Rinascente, the department store where Armani got his start as
a photographer and a buyer. Unlike many shops in Milan, it's open late and
on Sunday and doesn't close for lunch. This is the place to rub elbows with
Italians and to shop for sneakers, stockings (always better in Europe) and
lingerie. (Who doesn't need a leopard-print Dolce & Gabbana undershirt?)

The home section is full of colorful ceramics, tablecloths and napkins, and
the stationery department stocks marbled Il Papiro paper and books from
Florence. From the rooftop cafe — a favorite with local families for Sunday
brunch — you can see the spires and gargoyles of the Duomo. Across the
walkway in a separate building, Jam is the section of the store devoted to
teens.

Outside La Rinascente, Corso Vittorio Emanuele II is home to Italy's fast
fashion stores such as Max Mara, Sisley and Benetton. A dull roar rises
from the pedestrian walkway from morning until night as teens shop after
school and families stroll together on the weekends. Vendors sell roasted
nuts, soccer shirts and gelati. And it's not uncommon to stumble upon a
street musician, though he's more likely to be singing an English-language
Bob Dylan ballad than anything in Italian.

Fiorucci, one of the first lifestyle boutiques, used to be along this
stretch — a colorful wonderland with an eclectic assortment of vinyl pants,
zines, fluorescent fishnets and flower-decorated dustpans. Elio Fiorucci
rose to prominence as a retailer in the 1960s, when he brought the
miniskirt and other London street fads to Milan.

He opened stores around the world throughout the 1970s and '80s — one
formerly on Melrose Avenue in L.A. — selling his own line of T-shirts
emblazoned with his famous twin cherubs and colored jeans.

But in 2003, claiming disillusionment with the fashion industry, Fiorucci
closed the original Milan store (it's now an H&M) and opened a smaller
outpost around the corner on Corso Europa called Love Therapy. It's not the
same, but it's still worth the trip for the intriguing assortment of
cartoon-print T-shirts, furry handcuffs and gnome-shaped nightlights.

*

It's shopping squared

The city's luxury shopping district developed around the Golden Quadrangle,
bordered by Via Manzoni and Corso Venezia, Via Montenapoleone and Via della
Spiga. The desire for the latest thing is palpable here, as tourists and
locals dart in and out of the shiny boutiques lining the cobblestoned
streets.

The city's biggest names are all represented — Versace, Valentino, Dolce &
Gabbana, Etro, Fendi, Tod's, Marni, Gianfranco Ferré, Missoni, Pucci and
Gucci — along with most international brands. (Ralph Lauren and Narciso
Rodriguez recently opened here.)

Armani's three-story lifestyle emporium occupies an entire block on Via
Manzoni. This minimalist palace features his main line of impeccably
tailored suits and red-carpet gowns, as well as Emporio Armani, Armani
Jeans, Armani Casa, an Armani chocolatier, florist, home store and
bookshop, as well as Milan's very own Nobu restaurant. It's more like a
museum than a shopping center. On Via della Spiga, the new Prada
accessories boutique is as enticing as a candy store, with the latest
keychain charms and square-toe slingbacks in juicy shades. You can even
order a custom-made bag in the leather of your choice.

But in today's global economy, luxury shopping can seem the same whether
you're at South Coast Plaza or in Shanghai. So, for an only-in-Milan
experience, I go to Car Shoe for rubber-soled driving moccasins in the $200
range and Sermoneta for deerskin, kidskin and suede gloves in a rainbow of
colors.

For a break, Caffè Cova is a turn-of-the-last-century tearoom that's
frequented by models and fashion editors and has delicious tiramisu.
Milan's aperitivo scene heats up after work at the in-store bars at Just
Cavalli and Dolce & Gabbana, where thirtysomethings stop in for Campari
cocktails and free hors d'oeuvres.

For a more avant-garde shopping experience, 10 Corso Como is probably
Milan's best-known store — what Colette is to Paris and Maxfield is to L.A.
It was established in 1991 by former Vogue Italia editor Carla Sozzani and
is a destination for label mongers, who stomp around in Dior
crystal-studded biker boots and Prada crystal-fisherman sweaters, and for
label snobs, who prefer which-way-is-up pieces by Martin Margiela and Comme
des Garçons. This is curated retail, where clothing is arranged by designer
in alcoves, along with corresponding books and accessories of interest.

The white-walled space with mitochondrial tiles and light fixtures also is
a reminder that Milan is an interior-design capital. A design-oriented
housewares department features Brionvega TVs, Dyson vacuums, Walter Gropius
plates and caviar from Maxim's of Paris. If all else fails, you can pick up
a limited-edition 10 Corso Como Swatch watch or canvas tote.

Upstairs is a photography gallery and bookstore with a great selection of
fashion and design titles, as well as DVDs of Fellini and Truffaut greats.
The Zen-like courtyard cafe serves fusion cuisine and a water of the month
(Gleneagles on my last visit). When the hipness becomes too oppressive,
Pizzeria di Porta Garibaldi next door is a real-world refuge.

If your wallet is on the light side, as mine always is, the 10 Corso Como
outlet offers the odd pair of Prada and Manolo Blahnik shoes, along with
clothing from past seasons. But if you thought it was difficult to make
sense of the pieces in the main store, it's 10 times worse here. Is that a
shirt, a skirt? Both?

Not far from the Corso Como outlet, African Oriental Craft (if you can find
it) can be fun, like a trip to a souk without leaving Milan. Dusty shelves
are packed with bins of bangles, barrettes and earrings. Multi-strand
beaded necklaces hang from above, next to tiled ashtrays, lanterns and
Moroccan tea glasses (six for about $20).

With global trends this spring, this place, with imports from India, Kenya,
Tunisia and beyond, was at the top of my must list on a recent trip. The
musty aisles, crammed with handicrafts, always leave me feeling a bit
guilty about the people who made these things selling for mere euros.

Across the street is the soft-goods branch of the store, with paisley wall
hangings, fringed shawls, Ikat-print scarves and more.

For serious chic on the cheap, I recently discovered Italy's outlet
shopping. Most of it requires a day trip by car or train, but there are a
few quick fixes in the city. Like most everything in Milan, the Etro outlet
on Via Spartaco — next to the company offices — looks like a simple, spare
storefront from the outside. But inside, there's a wide selection of the
label's vivid paisley scarves, bags and shoes, along with the
Mexican-stripe jackets and skirts from past women's collections, colorful
pinstripe suits and paisley shirts for men, all discounted at least 50%.

The Marni outlet, somewhat harder to find, is in a residential area,
recognizable only by the smallest of plaques on the gate outside. Ring the
bell and the gate will open; then walk down the walkway in the back to the
right. Inside the unmarked building are Consuelo Castiglioni's quirky
men's, women's and children's clothes, as well as her chunky platform
shoes, at least half off retail.

Farther afield, about a 45-minute car or train ride from Milan and just
over the border in Switzerland, are the FoxTown Factory Stores. This indoor
outlet mall reminds me of a similar one outside of Las Vegas — same
casino-adjacent, cigarette-smoke-filled setup. All the top labels are
represented, with prices at least half off retail. You'll be dealing in
Swiss francs, not euros, so be prepared to change some currency or pay with
plastic. Gucci scarves were about $110, last season's Prada brocade coat
$420 and a Venice postcard print bag $230.

At Missoni, I picked up a terrycloth robe in a multicolored weave for about
$100 and a sweater that reminds me of a desert sunset for about $125. A
$1,100 Dolce & Gabbana jacket was tempting, as were the Valentino evening
gowns for less than $1,000. At Yves Saint Laurent, women's tuxedos were
less than $600.

Also worth a look: Salvatore Ferragamo (ties for $50), La Perla (bras for
$80) and Superga (classic canvas sneakers for about $28). FoxGrill, the
cafeteria upstairs, has a great antipasti bar. If you drive, don't miss the
view of Lake Como on the way and the Alps on the return.

Just south of Milan in the Piedmont region, McArthurGlen is built around
two large piazzas and has the feel of L.A.'s Grove. Many of the outlets are
the same as at FoxTown: Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Roberto Cavalli and
Versace. But you'll also find a Bulgari (a $10,000 necklace at 20% off!)
and an outpost of French label Cacharel. Another highlight is a store
operated by Aeffe, the Italian manufacturer of Moschino, Jean Paul Gaultier
and Alberta Ferretti, all of which are represented. I spotted a fuchsia
silk floral Ferretti skirt for half the price I paid for it at
Neiman-Marcus.

*

Where the hipsters hang

To see fashion percolating up from the streets, head back to Milan to Corso
di Porta Ticinese, which is marked by a neoclassical arch that was the city
gate during medieval times, an important port during the Roman era and the
current site of the University of Milan. The street, just north of the
Navigli district of canals, is akin to Melrose Avenue; you'll find head
shops, sex shops, boutiques from which hip-hop music spills into the
streets, and kids in such creative outfits as a jersey skirt ripped into a
rattail fringe, worn with leggings, cowboy boots and a mohawk.

Diesel, Levi's and other denim labels have "concept stores" here, where new
products are tested. But the more interesting stuff can be found at the
independent boutiques, where Southern California's surf 'n' skate aesthetic
is alive and well. At Purple, I spotted a great line of purses made from
recycled skateboards and checkerboard print slip-on sneakers that looked
like Vans except with pointy toes.

Vanilla's color-blocked mini-dresses suited fashion's current mod mood; a
pair of pink wool houndstooth clogs for about $51 looked retro and cozy.
Killah — a brand extension of the Italian denim line Miss Sixty and
targeted at younger customers — features jeans and T-shirts surrounded by
amazing store décor: a Rubik's Cube-shaped counter, a chair padded with
stuffed animals and a cityscape made of TV remotes above the cash desk.

For girlie girls, shoe designer Tania Ercoli's shop Les Tropeziennes has a
boudoir feel, with pink satin cushions and carpets to accent rose print
stilettos and satin ballet flats with rosebuds on the toes.

I've found that another good neighborhood to stroll is the Brera,
especially at night, when galleristas dine outside on the cobblestone
streets and counterfeit-bag dealers come out of the walls.

For inspiration, Dolce & Gabbana, Angela Missoni and other designers head
to the Brera's cheery vintage boutique Cavalli e Nastri, where there's a
masterful mix of high and low: On my recent trip, a bouclé Chanel jacket
hung near a Banana Republic shirt.

The recently opened Vintage Spirit Multistore gives a new legitimacy to the
vintage scene, with a sleek building that houses several well-edited
boutiques under one roof. Elizabeth the First specializes in vintage ethnic
and tribal pieces made from embroideries from Bulgaria, camel-hair weavings
from Sudan and more. A.N.G.E.L.O. stocks vintage Levi's 501 jeans, some of
which have been crafted into throw pillows, and vintage kid's clothes. DGP
Pescetto does the English manor look with vintage saddlebags, hunting
jackets and Aquascutum raincoats.

There's a branch of Miss Ghinting here, but I prefer the original shop on
Via Borsieri, in an area some might describe as dodgy and others as up and
coming. It's not easy to find (I called from my cellphone to get
step-by-step directions to the door), but it's worth the trouble. The
selection of romantic dirndl skirts, Balmain cocktail suits, Roberta di
Camerino purses with trompe l'oeil details and pillbox hats transported me
to my own Italian fairy tale. I imagined I was Audrey Hepburn and that
Gregory Peck — no let's make that an Italian stallion named Giovanni — was
waiting for me on a Vespa outside….

The spell was broken almost as soon as my purchase — a lowly flower brooch
— had been rung up. The shows in Paris were just a few days away and with
them a whole new retail frontier. True shoppers know that the urge can
never be satiated because the next best thing could be just around the
corner.

*
GETTING THERE:

>From LAX, connecting service (change of plane) to Milan is offered on
Lufthansa, British, Air France, KLM, Delta and Continental. Restricted
round-trip fares begin at $720 until May 25, increasing to $1,040 until
Sept. 10.

TELEPHONES:

To call the numbers from the U.S., dial 011 (the international dialing
code), 39 (country code for Italy), 02 (the city code for Milan) and the
local number.

TO STAY:

Bulgari Hotel, 7b Via Privata Fratelli Gabba; 805-8051, fax 805-805-222,
http://www.bulgarihotels.com . The Roman jewelry maker's first hotel, which
is not quite a year old and was designed by architects Antonio Citterio and
Partners, is the height of luxury, with a tranquil spa and garden. Doubles
start at $719.

The Gray, 6 Via San Raffaele; 720-8951, fax 866-526,
http://www.hotelthegray.com . Boutique hotel near the Duomo has an interior
by architect Guido Ciompi that the Economist magazine described as
"achingly cool." Its 21 rooms sport modern furnishings. Doubles begin at
$577.

TO EAT:

Da Ilia, 1 Via Lecco; 295-21-895, http://www.ristorante-ilia.it . A fashion
week favorite for members of the media and buyers who gather in Milan in
the spring and the fall to preview designers' collections. Salt-crusted
branzino is fantastic; ditto for the sliced beef with mustard sauce and
tagliolini with truffles. Dinner for two without wine about $120.

Joia, 18 Via Castaldi; 295-22124, http://www.joia.it . Imaginative
vegetarian cuisine in a serene blond wood setting. Great selection of wine
and cheese. Dinner for two without wine runs about $170; cheese plates $19
and $26; fixed-price dinners $72 and $122.

Caffè Cova, 8 Via Montenapoleone; 760-00578. Turn-of-the-last-century
tearoom in the heart of the Golden Quadrangle shopping district. Great
salads and tiramisu.

Pizzeria di Porta Garibaldi, 6 Corso Como; 655-1926. A real-world respite
with inexpensive Sicilian slices.

Dar El Yacout, 23/25 Via Cadore; 546-2230, http://www.darelyacout.it .
Fabulous mosaics, Moroccan décor, lamb couscous and belly dancers.

10 Corso Como Caffè, 10 Corso Como; 290-13581. Fusion food in Milan's
avant-garde style mecca.

Tano Passami l'Olio, 32/a Via Vigevano; 839-4139. Translated, this means
"Tano, pass me the oil," which is fitting because this homey restaurant has
quite a selection.

TO SNACK:

Luini, 16 Via Santa Radegonda; 8646-1917. You don't even have to ask for
the panzerotti, or tiny folded pastries filled with mozzarella, spinach and
other fillings, then fried. Just point. Standing only.

Peck, 9 Via Spadari; 802-3161, http://www.peck.it . A three-story gourmet
emporium with a cafe on the second floor for lunch or gelato. Be sure to
pick up some vacuum-packed Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese to take home.

TO LEARN MORE:

Italian Government Tourist Office, (310) 820-1898, vwww.italiantourism.com.

— Booth Moore

**

On second thought, take the bigger wallet

WHERE TO SHOP:

1. Prada, 63-65 Galleria Vittorio  Emanuele II; 876-979.
2. La Rinascente, 3 Via Santa Radegonda; 885-21.
3. Love Therapy, Piazza San Babila at Corso Europa;  7609-1237.
4. Giorgio Armani,  31 Via Manzoni; 6231-2605.
5. Car Shoe, 50 Via della Spiga; 7602-4027.
6. Sermoneta Gloves, 46 Via della Spiga; 7631-8303.
7. Prada accessories store,18 Via della Spiga; 780-465.
8. 10 Corso Como, 10 Corso Como; 2900-2674.
9. 10 Corso Como outlet, in the courtyard behind 3 Via Tazzoli; 2900-2674.
10. African Oriental Craft, 23/34 Via Confalonieri; 608-1080.
11. Marni outlet, 1 Via Tajani; 7104-0332.
12. Etro outlet, 3 Via Spartaco; 5502-0218.
13. Les Tropeziennes, 107 Corso di Porta Ticinese; 8942-3109.
14. Vanilla, 103 Corso di Porta, Ticinese; 5810-5041.
15. Purple, 22 Corso di Porta, Ticinese; 8942-4476.
16. Killah, 58/60 Corso di Porta, Ticinese; 8942-0577.
17. Cavalli e Nastri, 2 Via Brera; 7200-0449.
18. Vintage Spirit, 3 Piazzale G. Cantore; 837-3814.
19. Miss Ghinting, Via Borsieri opposite No. 16; 668-7112.

OUT OF TOWN:

Fox Town Factory Stores,
18 Via A. Maspoli, Mendrisio,
Switzerland; http://www.foxtown.ch .
(Note different country and city codes; to call from the U.S., dial
011-41-848-828-888.)

McArthurGlen Serravalle
Scrivia, take the A7 highway from Milan toward Genoa, exit Serravalle
Scrivia; 01-4360-9000 (note 01 rather than 02 city code),
serravalle.mcarthurglen.it.

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