Retail
Prada, Centro Storico
It’s hard to think of a fashion brand more Milanese than Prada and it’s hard to think of a location more Milanese than the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. You can, of course, buy Prada all over the world (and the brand has other Milanese shops, including on Via Monte Napoleone). But nothing beats the experience of coming to this store which opened in 2013 and features mahogany furniture, Belgian marble and panels from La Scala’s Nicola Benois.
Slowear, Brera
Fashion powerhouse Slowear owns a stable of speciality menswear and womenswear brands, each of which focuses on a single product and avoids following fickle fashion trends. At its slick Milan flagship, complete with plush carpets and exposed brick walls, shoppers will find smart chinos and trousers from its Incotex line, unstructured jackets by Montedoro, sophisticated knitwear from Zanone and a rich assortment of classy button-down shirts. Also check out the bar.
Micamera, La Fontana
This bookshop contains some 7,000 titles on photography, focusing on US shutterbugs from the 1970s onwards. One of Italy’s finest specialists in the genre, it attracted cool cats long before Isola itself became a trendsetter. Owners Flavio Franzoni and Giulia Zorzi regularly organise exhibitions and workshops with photographers and editors.
10 Corso Como, Porta Garibaldi
The world’s original concept store and fashion emporium, 10 Corso Como was conceived by Carla Sozzani at the start of the 1990s and is still going from strength to strength. Constantly in flux (the store last had a redesign in 2023-2024), the Brera location is a one-stop shop for fashion, perfume, art, design and food. When it comes to the latter, the shop – which Sozzani no longer owns – sells its own pasta and oil, as well as having a café and restaurant.
Massimo Alba, Navigli
Known for his knack with cashmere, Massimo Alba is right at home weaving knitwear for men and women. And considering his cashmere is dyed with chemical-free pigments, it’s no wonder that he’s winning plaudits for his collections of superbly soft garments. Fans flock to the Brera boutique, where an old-fashioned shop bell announces your arrival. Besides the jumpers and cardigans, you’ll find slim trousers, unstructured jackets and casual shirts in luxurious cotton and linens, plus an array of subtle pastel tones.
Antonioli, Navigli
Billing itself as a home for avant-garde designers and exclusive luxury brands, Antonioli is a multi-brand shop for men and women that we’ve always got our eye on. It features the likes of Jill Sander, Moncler, Rick Owens, Sacai and many more.
Bottega Veneta, Centro Storico
Brands inside Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II try to outdo each other for style – and Bottega Veneta is no different. The luxury fashion house’s former creative director Matthieu Blazy led the design of its two floors, which timelessly blends Italian walnut, glass and marble to grandiose effect. New creative director Louise Trotter’s upcoming collections are reason enough to pay the historic shopping gallery a visit.
Fratelli Bonvini 1909, Corvetto
A beautiful, historic shop among a shapeshifting Porta Romana neighbourhood, Fratelli Bonvini 1909 specialises in all things stationery. Rescued from closure in 2014 by six publishing buffs, you can find everything here from brass pencil sharpeners to 1950s notepaper. Since 2018, there has also been a separate upstairs gallery (in the Bonvini family’s former apartment) selling prints from talented designers and also hosting talks and workshops.
Fortela, Porta Venezia
This tasteful duo of clothes shops for menswear and womenswear were founded by Alessandro Squarzi and Alessia Giacobino in the Porta Venezia neighbourhood. Everything here is handmade in Italy (except for a “Made in Japan” line) and there are clear nods to military wear and vintage Americana from Texas to Hawaii. Think overshirts, jackets and a range of accessories including sunglasses, all made with exquisite attention to detail.
Terroir, Zona Risorgimento
With its red awning and neat typography, Terroir is a classy speciality food shop that also doubles as a pit stop for a coffee or a glass of wine. The beautifully arranged products – a lot of them from Italy but also from further afield, including France – are all organic, natural or part of the slow-food movement, ranging from cheeses and canned goods to bean-to-bar chocolate, olive oil and an excellent range of natural wines.
