Shopping in Milan

With its place on the world's fashion stage and as host of one of the most prestigious biannual fashion events on the globe, Milan is a shopper's paradise, particularly if that shopper is after haute couture and all things elegant and refined.

The good news is that Milan's shopping district is clustered in a fairly small area, along the streets that make up the famed Fashion Quadrilatero – Via Montenapoleone, Via della Spiga, Via Sant'Andrea, Via Manzoni, Via Borgospesso and Via Santo Spirito.

You'll find the most prestigious boutiques and showrooms in the world here, where minimalist design meets high tech in a triumph of consumer stimulus. Without a doubt, Via Montenapoleone is the most famous of these streets of high fashion, housing the atelier-showrooms of Gucci, Versace, Salvatore Ferragamo, Fratelli Rossetti, Etro, Loro Piana, Luis Vuitton, Prada, Valentino, Cartier and Tanino Crisci among others.

On Via Sant'Andrea, which crosses Via Montenapoleone and the Via della Spiga, you'll find Chanel, Fendi, Armani, Moschino, Kenzo, Cesare Paciotti, Hermés, Prada and Trussardi. Via della Spiga is home to D&G, Krizia, Sergio Rossi, Gianfranco Ferré, Bottega Veneta, Tod's, Genny, Prada, Bulgari and Chopard.

At Via Manzoni 31, you'll find Spazio Armani, the Giorgio Armani multi-concept store where you can admire the Emporio Armani showrooms, Armani casa, and Armani fiori. The store has a café serving delicious aperitifs and is also home to one of the world-famous Nobu restaurants.

For those desiring something slightly more bohemian, Milan has a few very interesting markets. The most charismatic is the Saturday-weekly Fiera di Senigallia, located in Milan's picturesque canal zone, the Naviglio, is a great place to browse for vintage clothing, antiquarian books and other delights, all to the pounding rhythms of the Senegalese musicians who busk there regularly. 

The other market that must be seen is Mercatone del Naviglio Grande, which takes place along the Alzaia Naviglio Grande on the last Sunday of each month. It's a large exhibition-market dedicated to antiques: furniture, objects for the home, old books, jewelry, and lots more too.