Mod concept store + historical Duomo = amore
A mod shop chock full of goodies from fashion gods Balmain, Altuzarra, Maison Martin Margiela and Isabel Marant? How could anyone with a pulse say no; off to Milan we go – where else? Centrally located in the Duomo, the Excelsior Milano is a seven-storey concept store designed by starchitect Jean Nouvel and helmed by Italian retailer Gruppo Coin. With five floors of runway-worthy brands and two more for drool-tastic nosh, we think the Excelsior Milano has just redefined “retail therapy”.
Galleria del Corso, 4, Milan, Italy. T: +39 02 7630 7301. W: excelsior-milano.it
For the complete guide to what’s fab in Milan, check out the LUXE Milan guide!
Buongiorno, Milano
Some cities are so much nicer in cool weather, and Milan is one such destination. Stores are immaculately laid out with the chicest autumn/winter collections, while furs, pooches, prima donnas and nipped and tucked faces are out on parade. And in a city not known for its beautiful architecture, Milan’s cathedral, Il Duomo di Milano, looks even more stunning, especially with such a magnificent blue sky as backdrop.
For the inside running on where the style set shop, wine and dine in Italy’s fashion capital, check out the LUXE Milan guide.
Want more pics from the LUXE team’s travels around the world? Check out this album on our Facebook page.
White gold
Zip out of Milan and in about two hours (probably sooner if you’re in a Maserati), you’ll be swapping couture perfumes for the heady scent of white truffles in Alba, the birthplace of the coveted ‘shrooms, especially with the Fiera del Tartufo Bianco d’Alba (White Truffle Festival) starting this weekend. We can smell them already. Mmm…
For more photos from the LUXE team, check out the LUXE Team Vacay Snaps album on our Facebook Page.
Into the rustic
Football and shopping may be the only sports Milan is known for (unless you count posing and perving), but U Barba, a restaurant with bocce lanes, wants to change that. A few minutes’ cab southeast from the brand babe retail zone of Via Montenapoleone [ed. just enough time for you to change out of those strappy Zanottis], is this stripped back, modern-rustic farmhouse meets retro bowling club.
Say ciao to bella Londra
Calling all belloccios e belloccias!
Fasten your seat belts, LUXE has some molto exciting news for all the Italian-speaking leggy lovelies out there. We’ve teamed up with publishers Guido Tommasi Editore to bring you 20 Italian editions of our super-svelte concertina city guides. From Parigi to Pechino, we’ve got you covered with the best restaurants, shops, bars and spas and none of the faff, all in Italiano.
Ooh la la – even better on your own velo [Photo by Grufnik/Flickr]
It’s nearly summer in Europe – Londoners are cracking smiles, Parisians are putting extra ooh into their bonjours, Barcelonans are back on the boardwalk, Berliners are baring their baps und wursts and the fashionable Milanese, well, their sunglasses never came off, but they’ve shed their furs. Each of these fab five also has a simple bike-sharing public transport program that’s affordable, hassle free and as easy as, um, riding a bike. Simply buy a subscription, choose your bike and off you go. When you’re done, just return your pedals to any of the stands conveniently scattered around the city. It’s easy, eco-friendly, butt-firming, hair-ruining fun, with some sightseeing thrown in, so pop on your matador pants and go.
Fashion is a lie-down [image courtesy of Design Hotels]
Fashion in Milano isn’t just about the clothes you wear, cara, it’s a lifestyle. From Armani Nobu to Bulgari Hotel, fashionistas just cannot bear life without couture. Joining Bulgari in the haute-elier ranks is Maison Moschino, with a whimsical 65-roomer housed in an 1840s railway station. Have you packed your Choo-Choos? All aboard.
Ooh, is that cashmere at Massimo Alba?
Cashmere king, Massimo Alba shows that there’s more to a goat’s life than Loro Piana. As the former creative director of Malo, Piombo and Ballantyne, Alba’s own line of men’s, women’s and children’s wear is a study in understated luxury with eco-friendly, hypoallergenic garments and accessories all hand-made by local artisans. And with his hip new shop-cum-gallery in Milan’s boho boutique precinct Brera, it’s time to schedule that yearly shopping extravaganza to Italy’s fashion hub.
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