Shopping in Rio De Janeiro
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Draco Store
Like Galeria River a few doors down, this menswear store specializes in stylish beachwear, including well-made swim-shorts. You'll also find jeans, button-downs and T-shirts (in the R$50 to R$70 range) – the best of which bear the names of Rio neighborhoods (Copacabana, Ipanema, Arpoador).
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Babilônia Feira Hype
A festival atmosphere pervades this popular weekend fair. Young crowds mill through the clothing, sunglasses and jewelry stalls as live bands play nearby. There are also places to get your fortune read by misticos (psychics) or receive a henna tattoo. Food stalls (of the fried-sausages-and-beer variety) litter the fairgrounds. The event is held either in the Joquei Clube (Rua Jardim Botânico 971, Jardim Botânico) or in Barra (Av das Américas 1510). Call or check website for details.
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Granado
A classic-looking apothecary with a name that’s been around since 1870, Granado incorporates Brazilian ingredients in its all-natural products. Favorites include the Castanha do Brasil (made from chestnuts from the Amazon) line of moisturizers, shampoos and conditioners. You’ll also find bright, sweet-smelling soaps and bath gels (even for pets and babies), scented candles, perfumes, shaving products and retro-looking bags. Other locations are in Lapa and Leblon.
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Casa & Video
If you've lost your digital camera (or forgot to bring one), this electronics chain is a handy store to get a replacement. All the name brands are here – Kodak, Samsung, Sony – as well as some you probably haven't heard of. Prices are higher than what you'd pay back home (owing to high import taxes). Casa & Video has numerous other branches around town, including inside Rio Sul shopping center.
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Parceria Carioca
This sweet little store sells clever T-shirts, colorful handbags and accessories, and an assortment of shoes, jewelry and decorative pieces, all of which combine elements of craftwork with contemporary fashion. As a bonus, Parceria Carioca works with NGOs and co-ops that provide jobs for artisans from poor communities. It also has stores in Forum Ipanema and Shopping da Gávea.
reviewed
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Lomography Gallery Store
The very first Lomography outpost in South America, this colorful shop and gallery specializes in the Lomo Kompakt Automat, a compact Russian film camera known for saturated colors and surreal effects (halos, shadowing). You can purchase different models here at the store, check out the LomoWall (of photographic art) and learn more about the growing fan base worldwide who are devoted to these analog cameras.
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Escada
One step inside this rambling antique shop, and you’ll just know there’s some treasure hidden within. The only problem is that it may not fit in your suitcase. Chandeliers, papier-mâché sculptures, along with antique rings, rugs, little statues and countless other objects litter the interior of this store. Peer beneath the dust and you might find a gem.
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Unimagem
The choice of professional photographers in the city, Unimagem has a good selection of new and used cameras (SLRs, TLRs, point-and-shoot) as well as all the accessories (tripods, film, paper). It also runs a superb developing lab: black-and-white, color, slides and, of course, digital images. It can also provide a one-hour developing service for both slide and color film.
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Arquitetura & Decoracão (33)
One of Rua do Lavradio’s most magical antique shops, with a small assortment of antiques ranging from heavy 1930s pieces to sleek, trim designs from the 1960s. Unfortunately, most of what’s for sale is furniture, and you may have difficulty squeezing the Oscar Niemeyer poltrona (armchair) into your suitcase. Sharing the space is a small art gallery.
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Casa Oliveira
One of several excellent music shops on Rua da Carioca, Casa Oliveira sells all the pieces that make up the rhythm section of Carnaval baterias (percussion sections). Unique souvenirs for the musically minded include cavaquinos (ukulele-sized guitars), which start at around R$150, and pandeiros (tambourines), starting at R$35.
reviewed
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Favela Hype
Inside the Galeria River, this stylish boutique sells daring youthful fashions for men and women. Founded by the sisters Kananda and Krishna Soaras in Santa Teresa in 2001, Favela Hype incorporates a mix of retro and vintage design in the clothing, accessories and shoes, and the label deserves credit for its socially responsible employment practices.
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Sociedade Anônimo
The ‘Anonymous Society’ is a playful store full of young women’s fashions (good for both the beach and a night out) as well as colorful jewelry, kids clothes, silly postcards, bags of plastic dinosaurs, Buddhas in little cases and other assorted toys and accessories that may be just the thing for an inventive night on the town.
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Esapaço Fashion
This long, narrow boutique has a decor and aesthetic aimed to attract a young, hip, somewhat fashion-forward group of shoppers in its form-fitting skirts, dresses and tops, flashy sneakers and one-of-a-kind jewelry. Electronic music plays overhead, and there's a tiny lounge area at the back with some art books – for the gents while the gals shop.
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Livraria da Travessa
The newest branch of Livraria da Travessa is a great place to browse. There are some books in English, and an array of colorful (but pricey) coffee-table books. There's another branch around the corner and a third Centro branch on Ave Rio Branco 44, all with in-store café-restaurants.
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Teargas
Daring men’s and women’s fashions are for sale at this innovative store and design studio in Ipanema. Stylized T-shirts (including one bearing the company logo, a gas mask), intricately embroidered button-downs, sleek jackets, pants and jeans are suitable not just for the mass demonstration, but for the posh after-party as well.
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Tabacaria Africana
The sweet fragrance of pipe tobacco is embedded in the walls and furniture of this shop facing the Praça Quinze. Regulars sit at the table in front slowly drawing on the pick of the day while the afternoon drifts by, smoke-like. In the back, the glass jars contain a variety of flavors and aromas. Let the shopkeeper put a mix together for you.
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Contemporâneo
A glowing boutique reminiscent of something you’d find in the center of Soho – better yet Nolita (the fashionistas’ neighborhood of choice in New York). See the work of Brazil’s best up-and-coming designers here. There’s an excellent restaurant (serving contemporary fare of course) inside the store.
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Catherine Labouré
Tucked away inside an otherwise humdrum shopping center, this intriguing shop sells vintage dresses, skirts, silk scarves, handbags, shoes and sunglasses, with labels by top international designers. There's a smaller selection for men – mostly T-shirts and button-downs – as well as a few small antiques and collectibles for the home.
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Shopping da Gávea
Shopping da Gávea touts itself as the preferred mall of artists and intellectuals, which may or may not matter to you when you're laying down serious cash for those sneakers. There are 200 stores, four performance theaters and numerous restaurants, including La Pastaciutta, which serves tasty pastas and appetizers.
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Maria Oiticica
Using native materials found in the Amazon, Maria Oiticica has created some lovely handcrafted jewelry inspired by indigenous art. Seeds, plant fibers and tree bark are just some of the ingredients of her bracelets, necklaces and earrings, and her work helps support struggling local communities with craft-making traditions.
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Wöllner Outdoor
The great outdoors, and the shirt and shorts you'll need to enjoy it, seem to be the inspiration for Wöllner. Clothes and accessories are ruggedly styled, not unlike Abercrombie and American Eagle. Once you've browsed the selections, grab a cafézinho (small black coffee) and a chocolate torte at the café in the front.
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Clube Chocolate
This innovative store is not to be missed on any serious shopping itinerary. Amid a spacious, handsomely designed boutique you can browse Marc Jacobs, Prada and Paul Smith clothing and all the fashionable top Brazilian stylists. You can also have a bite at the French bistro or sample some of the latest CDs, books and gadgets.
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Shopping Siqueira Campos
One of Rio's first malls, this quirky shopping mall packs an intriguing mix of stores along an upward-winding ramp. You'll find numerous antique shops, jewelry, no-nonsense art galleries, a pet shop and dozens of other surprising finds that you won't come across in Leblon. There's also a grocery store on the 1st floor.
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Loja Novo Desenho
Inside Museu de Arte Moderna, this 'Store of New Design' sells fanciful objects that are pure eye candy. Some of Rio's best modern designs are here (created by some of the country's best industrial designers). And you'll find whimsical two-dimensional vases, surreal clock faces and other clever works.
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Luko
This charming boutique has an eclectic collection of youthful women's couture. Slim, beaded necklaces and bracelets, silk scarves, form-fitting tops and skirts, and slinky lingerie are among the items you'll find here. Rumor has it that Luko is a favorite among TV production companies looking for pieces.
reviewed