Milan Shopping

  1. 10 Corso Como

    All the gifts you really wanted for your birthday are here: white porcelain TV dinner trays, a roomful of art books upstairs, and a one-off Paco Rabane dress made of blue plastic tiles (a mere €2400 ). Don't miss the, erm, objects of desire out the back - no, that's not an orange rubber caterpillar, and yes, batteries are included for €45 .

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  2. Acqua di Parma

    Better living through chemistry, with fresh scents that have worked their charms since the 1930s. The classic signature scent for men and women exudes confidence in interviews and first dates, while the unisex Amalfi Fig and Arancia di Capri are much-needed getaways for the senses.

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  3. Alessi

    Once upon a time, household gadgets were no fun - and then there was Alessi. One of the biggest names in contemporary Italian design, Alessi started hiring daring designers like Aldo Rossi and Robert Venturi in the 1980s, and now we have kettles that chirp, red peppers that chop, giant noses that hold pencils, and schoolgirls that open bottles of wine.

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  4. Anna Fabiano

    Hardworking Milanese fashionistas treat themselves to these curvaceous red jackets, swingy black-and-white knit silk skirts and kicky minidresses, each under €100 . 'They're lovely because they're made with love', says Anna from behind the counter, and she means it.

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  5. Anthias

    You know that tropical wood and silver choker you loved at MoMa's gift shop, and those bronze sea anemone earrings you adored in Shibuya? Made right here at the Milan atelier of Monica Castiglioni (daughter of design maestro Achille Castiglione) and Natsuko Toyofuku. Snap up the latest styles before Tokyo and New York fashionistas - and at better prices too.

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  7. Aquae Calidae

    You can't argue with the divine massages, but these ritualised Roman baths are sometimes too authentic. Instead of the usual bachelor party, this spa suggests a Roman-style cosy steambath with 10 of your closest buddies, and a 'farewell to spinsterhood' bachelorette party involving saffron tunics and nut-strewn floors. Um, is Greco-Roman wrestling allowed? Because that could get interesting.

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  8. Art Book Milano

    Look no further for creative inspiration, including Federico Motta's mini books of minimalist spaces, compilations of German sound art, books on hospital design and a staggering selection of arty magazines. If you don't quite have time to follow your bookish bliss to Lambrate, check out Art Book in the Triennale.

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  9. B&B Italia Store

    Mood lighting hardly seems necessary when you've got an effortlessly handsome, reclining, whisper-soft grey sofa inviting you to relax and stay awhile. A giant foot end table with upturned toes and bean-bag coffee tables that take after 1950s ashtrays hint that this dashing minimalist brand has a sense of humour, too…could this be love?

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  10. Berluti

    A custom-made shoe for every man's passing whim: go Zen in profound seaweed-green leather, rock out in deep purple, or warm up in sun-bronzed ochre that's the essence of Italy. There's the occasional misstep, like wing-tips covered with Da Vinci code scribblings - but the streamlined, single-eyelet numbers don't miss a beat. Prices have more than adjusted for inflation since Berluti was founded in 1895.

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  11. Biffi

    Where fashion-conscious Milanese get their unfair advantage over the rest of us: Dries Van Noten suits in industrial fabrics reinforced with metal, aerodynamically engineered Comme des Garcons wraps and the latest get-ups from up-and-coming designers from Italy to Brazil.

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  13. Brusaferri

    Shapes so harmoniously organic, you'll almost believe deep sea-green tourmalines naturally burst from silver pods. Matteo makes each piece by hand, including black diamond earring cascades that spill onto shoulders, and holey silver rings that stack into moon-rock formations. Custom-made baubles you won't find at Bulgari, at a teensy fraction of the price.

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  14. Bulgari E'Spa

    The world's a stage, and you're the star - at least while you're perched on a wicker chaise longue by the emerald hammam, bathing in the glow of candles or the gold-mosaic pool, waiting to be waited on hand and foot with a four-handed massage. As long as you're a star, you won't mind the astronomical prices for brief, intense massages and soothing facials. Call to book your appointment.

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  15. Buscemi Dischi

    You can find Madonna anywhere, but how many other places stock her entire catalogue right alongside Musical Conversations from Iran and Felicia Weathers singing Verdi and Puccini arias? Tickets for local concerts by Italian and international acts are on sale here too.

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  16. Citta del Sole

    Kids tearing through this toy store don't seem to realise their crafty parents are sneaking schooling into holidays. Inspire your little Leonardo with that puzzle and kids' book on bridges designed by da Vinci (around €23 ); give those Bauhaus blocks (around €82 ) to your niece and she might just become the next Zaha Hadid.

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  17. DB Living

    Two floors of inexpensive, whimsical design objects, including rubber radios that look bounceable and lamps made entirely of Italian comics. Introduce fun to the office with a turquoise leather case for papers, or a pop-up plastic puzzle that doubles as a CD/DVD rack.

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  19. Dolce & Gabbana Beauty Farm

    Spas are for rookies: these days, beauty cognoscenti prefer serious grooming usually reserved for champion racehorses. Treatments such as the somewhat daunting 60-minute 'remodelling face flash' and 80-minute 'Senritsu body firming' are accomplished with the latest Kanebo products, in a clinical setting that inspires trust in technology. Spend a day on the Beauty Farm, and emerge scrubbed, massaged, mani-pedicured and fresh-faced.

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  20. Dragoncella

    Flattering, flirty looks with a cutting edge make Dragoncella look like Betsey Johnson's Italian love child. Unexpected details make each piece unique, like a circle of plain white on the side of a psychedelic print dress, or red ribbon on a brown denim skirt hem. Unexpected prices too: almost everything is under €100 .

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  21. Enoteca Cotti

    This store is the Biblioteca Ambrosiana of Italian wines and spirits, with thousands of bottles displayed in floor-to-ceiling bookcases. You'll pay for the privilege of checking out the rarer vintages, but many of them you won't find elsewhere, and you can try excellent wines by the glass with a light bite in a side tasting room.

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  22. Ethic

    Streetsmarts meet ethnic flair halfway here, with breezy bias-cut dresses in great graphic prints and funky tiered necklaces. Wear yours someplace sultry - at these prices, you can start saving for an airfare.

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  23. Fabriano

    This elegant store has been making handmade paper since 1872, along with cool high quality leather-bound diaries, notepads, address books, calendars, business card holders and mouse pads.

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  25. Fratelli Freni

    Did you leave your dentures in the front window of Fratelli Freni? Because that's where we found them - redone entirely in marzipan. Pick up surreal sweets shaped like figs or cacti and salami sandwiches for gifts, and grab an espresso and cannoli for yourself.

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  26. Frip

    Ever wonder what Kate Moss and Johnny Depp wore when they were trashing hotel suites? This avant-edge '80s-style store gives some idea: green satin dresses with unfinished hems worn alone or over Acme Action Jeans; PVC tuxedo collars atop torn T-shirts with 'This isn't a f***ing Gucci T-shirt' slogans.

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  27. Furla

    Sleek, durable leather and sleek, durable designs make Furla handbag fetishes easy to rationalise - especially with prices starting under €100 . Recent objects of desire include large ultracontemporary chocolate or vanilla totes with round buckle closures for around €190 , and a timeless silver clutch with embossed Islamic star pattern for €85 .

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  28. Gallo

    Even in seen-it-all Milan, a glimpse of ankle can still cause a sensation. Gallo's hot pink and orange striped knee-socks add an electric shock of colour to otherwise drab business attire, and the interlocking brown, green, and orange cube ones make your ankles look like they escaped from an Escher drawing. You'll never risk losing these limited-edition beauties in the dryer - especially at €12 - €35 a pop.

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  29. Garbagnati

    Every day's a gourmet holiday with Garbagnati's panettone, the Milanese Christmas specialty with the ideal ratio of savoury to sweet, fluffy bread to caramelised raisins. Make the most of a sunny day with picnic-perfect breads and pastries, or toast the good life with wine by the glass and house-made pasta.

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