Milan is one of the greatest destinations for designer shopping, but if the high prices on Via Montenapoleone have you cringing, head to one of the city's outlets. Although most of them don't look like much from the outside -- the vast majority are housed in factories or hidden away in basements -- with a little digging you can find Prada, Gucci and Armani at drastically reduced prices.
(Note: ?1 is currently about US$1.45.) | Milan |
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Photo: Courtesy Italian Tourism Board |
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The Place
The Place offers one of the calmest and most civilized outlet shopping experiences in Milan. Located about an hour west of Milan, with the Alps as a backdrop, The Place has a handful of stores clustered around a courtyard. There's also a stylish on-site caf? for a quick espresso or panini. All of the stores, which include Ermenegildo Zegna, La Perla, and Gucci, are beautifully designed and look more like boutiques than outlets, so there's no rifling through crammed racks. La Perla had black lace thongs for ?8, matching bras for ?15 and a black corset for ?215, reduced from ?360. At Sergio Rossi, a men's leather Chelsea boot was ?180, brogues were ?150 and women's high heeled shoes started at ?79. At Gucci, we spotted a white pump with a stacked wooden heel for ?180, reduced from ?360, and leather belts slashed from ?210 to ?95.
| The Place |
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Photo: Courtesy Christina Valhouli |
The Place
Strada Trossi
13876 Sandigliano
Phone: +39 015 2493402Dolce & Gabbana Outlet
If you were walking down Via Rossini, you'd never know this is home to a Dolce & Gabbana outlet -- for one thing, there's no sign. Keep an eye out for #72, which has a double set of striped white glass doors. This outlet, which has a doorman, sells men's, women's and children's clothing, as well as accessories like sunglasses and handbags. We spotted a simple, grey wool women's sweater for ?190, velvet trousers with a gold D&G logo on the back pocket for ?160 and a pink ruched cocktail dress with built-in corset for ?1,050. The men's shoe section had plenty of bargains, like black brogues for ?168.
| Dolce & Gabbana |
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Photo: Courtesy Dolce & Gabbana |
Dolce and Gabbana Outlet
Via Rossini, 72
Legnano
Phone: +39 0331 545 888Fidenza Village
For a good one-stop shopping experience, head to Fidenza Village, which has more than 60 stores. A member of Chic Outlet Shopping, which also includes Bicester Village outside of London, shops here include Versace, Furla and Dolce & Gabbana. Some recent deals include a Frette satin blanket set (?320, reduced from ?640); a silk Versace cocktail dress for ?984 (originally ?2460); a soft leather bag from Furla for ?185 (originally ?275) and a D&G woman's suit for ?354, originally ?708.
Fidenza Village
Via San Michele Campagna
Localit? Chiusa Ferranda
43036 Fidenza
Phone: +39 0524 33 55 1The Chedi Milan
A shopping trip to Milan deserves an equally fashionable place to stay. The new Chedi Milan blends Asian and Italian design. With rates starting at ?158 per room per night, there will still be money left over for that Gucci wallet. The bedrooms are done up in muted colors like cream and beige, with bright orange sofas and Asian artifacts. The Chedi Milan is located in the Bovisa neighborhood, which is where the fashion shows are held during Milan Fashion Week and also home to the annual Salone Mobile international furniture show.
| The Chedi Milan |
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Photo: Courtesy The Chedi Milan |
Chedi Milan
Via Villapizzone, 24
20156 Milan
Phone: +39 02 3631888Gold
Thrown on your new designer outfit (the bolder the better) and head to Dolce & Gabbana's new restaurant and lounge, called Gold. The signature color is (you guessed it) gold, which is used everywhere from the stairs to the walls and the bathroom. The staff is surprisingly un-snobby, and some of the best drinks include the lemongrass champagne cocktail and a Boogie smoothie made with fresh grated ginger and topped with sugared berries. While sipping cocktails (which start at ?12 each), enjoy the canap?s being passed around with guilt --they're complimentary.
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Photo: Courtesy Gold |
Gold
Via Carlo Poerio 2/A
Milan
Phone: + 39 02 75 777 71Fratelli Rossetti Outlet
Fratelli Rossetti, known for its exquisitely designed leather shoes, has boutiques all over Italy, as well as London and New York. Prices for women's shoes can easily hit $500 and above. The factory outlet is located less than 10 miles west of Milan, and has a massive selection of men's and women's shoes, along with a small selection of coats and handbags. Some of the best buys included women's knee-length riding boots for ?165, while a brown riding boot with gold detailing is ?225.
| Fratelli Rossetti men's shoes |
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Photo: Courtesy Fratelli Rossetti |
Fratelli Rossetti Outlet
Via Cesare Cantu, 24
20015 Parabiago
Phone: +39 0331 495217D'O
Restaurant D'O has a Michelin star under its belt, but the prices are far from what you'd expect. The restaurant is owned by chef Davide Oldani, who worked at Le Gavroche in London and Alain Ducasse's Louis XV in Monte Carlo, and trained with pastry chef Pierre Herme in Paris. His dining concept is that he offers gourmet, locally sourced food at reasonable prices, in a simple, rustic setting. Some of the standout dishes were a caramelized onion tart served with a salty parmesan ice cream; creamy risotto topped with bread crumbs and marsala sauce; and savory ricotta cheese topped with vegetarian caviar made from tapioca. Oldani also produces his own cheese. Reservations need to be booked months in advance, and expect to pay about ?30 to ?40 a head for a three-course meal.
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Photo: Courtesy D'O |
D'O
S. Pietro all'Olmo
20010 Cornaredo
Via Magenta, 18
Phone: +39 02 936 220910 Corso Como Outlet
10 Corso Como is a concept department store in the vein of Colette in Paris or Maxfield in L.A., and was founded by former Vogue Italia editor Carla Sozzani. If the prices are too high, head to 10 Corso Como Outlet which is tucked in a courtyard of non-descript side street. This small, unassuming shop has racks of Prada, Azzedine Alaia, and Junya Watanabe for 30-50% off retail prices. The racks are organized by price (say, ?300 and up). It's also a good place to pick up little gifts, like beautifully packaged sticks of incense.
| Milan's Duomo |
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Photo: Courtesy Italian Tourism Board |
10 Corso Como Outlet
Via Tazzoli 3
20154 Milan
Phone: +39 02 900 2674.Basement
To reach Basement, which is not visible from the street, walk into the underground parking lot of number 15 Via Senato, and head down the steep stairs immediately to your right, where you'll see a small lavender sign. This tiny space has a well-edited selection of designer clothing, with most prices slashed 50-70% off. You never know what Basement will have in stock, but we spotted La Perla pajamas for ?120 and Moschino wool coats for ?220. The staff is also extremely helpful.
Basement
Via Senato 15
2012 Milan
Phone: +39 02 763 17913Il Salvagente
Tucked away in a quiet residential neighborhood west of the city center, Il Salvagente has two floors crammed with men's and women's clothing from top Italian designers. The space is clean and well lit -- imagine a smaller version of TJ Maxx minus the dust bunnies. We found a Robert Cavalli blazer for ?425 euros, slashed from ?940, a black cashmere Miu Miu coat for ?235 (reduced from ?650) and a Prada trenchcoat for ?190, reduced from ?565. There's also a good selection of shoes, belts and handbags.
Il Salvagente
Via Fratelli Bronzetti, 16
20129 Milan
Tel. +39 02 761 103 28
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