Stockholm Shopping

  1. 10 Swedish Designers

    Started in 1970 by a group of then-maverick textile artists, Tiogruppen's bold geometric patterns have become icons of modern Swedish design. Forget white-on-white Scandi minimalism; from the tote bags and cushions to the plates and napkins, the look is shamelessly bright and refreshingly bombastic.

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  2. 59 Vintage Store

    This rack-packed nirvana of retro threads will have you playing dress-up for hours. Both girls and boys can expect high-quality gear from the 1950s to the 1970s, including glam mid-century ball-gowns, platform boots, Brit-pop blazers, Dr Zhivago faux-fur hats and the odd sequined sombrero.

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  3. Acne

    This is the flagship store for Stockholm's hottest label. Acne's threads, shoes and accessories for guys and girls cram the pages of Vogue and sell out in days in New York. The cult item here is the jeans, though we say good luck stopping there.

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  4. Åhléns

    Looking better than ever after a revamp, this is the main branch of Sweden's best-known department store. It has all the standards, from books, electronics and homewares to cosmetics and fashion, including the store's own very wearable label. Basement supermarket Hemköp (; - Mon-Fri, - Sat & Sun) sells ready-made vegetarian foods, while the 4th floor is home to a dreamy day spa (676 64 50; www.stockholmdayspa.se in Swedish).

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  5. Anna Holtblad

    Stylish but never faddish, Anna Holtblad is famed for her earthy women's knits, classic-cut coats and contemporary twists on folkloric designs. The shop itself was designed by Thomas Sandell, one of Sweden's stellar architects and interior designers.

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  7. Birger Jarlspassagen

    Designed by architect Ludvig Peterson, this fetching fin-de-siecle arcade contains a number of stylish gems. Mrs H is a fashionista staple, famed for its savvy collection of cosmetics, vintage boots, and top-notch denim labels. Boudoir-like Le Shop stocks hard-to-find men's and women's labels like Gaspard Yurkievich, Unconditional and Raf Simons, while a branch of J Lindeberg Future Sports stocks street-smart chic á la Justin Timberlake.

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  8. Blås & Knåda

    Glass and ceramics are the main attraction at this venerable seasoned gallery. Run by around 45 Swedish potters and glassblowers who take turns manning the floor, it's a good place for 'Where-did-you-get-that?' sculptures, vases and dishes, as well as art books and cards to top off the perfect gift.

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  9. Blueberry

    Health gets haute at this über-hip wholefoods shop, complete with tiny tea bar and trendy buys like soya candles, biodegradable yoga mats and designer paternity bags (as worn by Brad Pitt). With healthy hunks on your mind, grab yourself a fresh Love smoothie (chocolate, cardamom and pear) and prêt-à-manger lunch pack from the health bar out the back.

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  10. Bookbinders

    Colour-code your life at this cult stationary shop, famed for its stylish stationary in a range of tasty tones. The hand-crafted, cloth-covered notebooks will have you itching to write, and there's a range of matching diaries, photo albums, cards and boxes to keep your life in picture-perfect order.

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  11. Brunogallerian

    Further proof of Söder's dreads-to-design gentrification, this hotshot minimall houses some of Stockholm's coolest fashion labels, including Whyred, Way, Stuk and Filippa K. Drop in at David Design, one of Sweden's hottest concept stores.

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  13. C/O Stockholm

    C/O Stockholm is the perfect place to execute that image overhaul. Bag top-notch women's and men's cosmetics on the ground floor, as well as lifestyle necessities like Linda Farrow sunglasses, vintage-style Ollie & Nic bags, scented French candles, and a in-house espresso bar packed with sexy baristi, flirty fashionistas and flaky Neapolitan pastries. Upstairs, it's clothes, shoes and names, darling - from Jimmy Choo shoes to Ella Moss frocks.

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  14. Cow Parfymeri

    Who said no one loves a Cow? This cool cosmetics temple has no trouble pulling with its trend-setting range of perfumes, sticks and shades. Pick up rock-chic cosmetics from Urban Decay and Vincent Longo, or spray yourself silly with hard-to-find fragrances from Paris and New York. There's another outlet inside department store NK.

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  15. Defyra

    This quirky design quartet has exhibited everywhere, from Manhattan and Tokyo to hotel lobbies at home. Their wildly striped gallery-shop features a giant hanging sausage (from their New York show) and a playful collection of silk-screen-printed children's sweaters, hand-printed postcards and wallpapers, sublime ceramics tea cups and stools made from severed skis.

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  16. DesignTorget

    Catch the city's cutting-edge new designers before they're famous enough to be unaffordable. Contemporary Swedish design is on display here, from toys and textiles to furniture. Design Torget helps lesser and unknown designers by selling their work alongside more well-known names. This is a good place to pick up some creative pieces.

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  17. Efva Attling

    At first Efva Attling was a model, then a singer in a band called the X-Models. Now she's even more famous as one of Sweden's funkiest silversmiths. Her designs are clean-cut and stunning, with names like Homo Sapiens and Make Love Not War. Accessorise with a pair of Efva Attling sunglasses (as worn by Lisa Marie Presley).

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  19. Ekovaruhuset

    With a sister shop in Manhattan, this enlightened fashion boutique stocks only fair trade, organic products, from cosmetics and chocolates to trendy clothes and sneakers. Hard-to-find labels include Kuyichi denim from Holland, Veja volleyball shoes from France and no-fuss streetwear from Gothenburg label Dem Collective.

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  20. Filippa K

    Filippa K is the epitome of regulation Nordic style - think sleek looks, classic cuts and sensible sombre tones. The store, a minimalist masterpiece designed by AARO Arkitekter, also stocks shoes, accessories and perfect books for your coffee table.

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  21. Filippa K Ease

    When Filippa K opened Ease, Wallpaper magazine was quick to rave about the eco-chic fit-out by designer Gert Wingårdh. While we love the green wall of live plants behind the counter, the real stars are the frump-free casual outfits for ladies who lounge.

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  22. Frank Form

    Fetching interior design, fashion and jewellery you're unlikely to find elsewhere in town, including pieces from the UK, Spain and the Czech Republic. Pick up slinky guys' sweaters from Basque label Loreak Mendian, a classic handbag from Irish designer Orla Kiely or one-off jewellery from Swedish designer Jezebel, commissioned specially for the store.

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  23. Gertrud Båge

    No-nonsense Gertrud is one of Sweden's leading ceramicists, and her richly textured plates, bowls and vases make a refreshing change from white-on-white minimalism. Although you'll find her wares at design store Blås & Knåda, this is her studio and where you're most likely to see her in action.

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  25. Got To Hurry

    Hidden away down a skinny laneway, this tiny record store has a global reputation for stocking obscure and limited-edition CDs and '60s and '70s vinyl. Expect anything from California psychedelia to kitsch Italian pop and a Japanese edition of Led Zeppelin's II album.

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  26. Grandpa

    Bag everything from vintage boots and retro radios to gritty art books (and local art). Best of the lot are the yummy local threads from the likes of Hope, House of Dagmar, Stylein and rising star Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair, whose own boutique is a short strut away at Bondegatan 46.

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  27. Gunnarssons Träfigurer

    In his Gepetto-style workshop, sci-fi fan and woodcarver Urban Gunnarsson cleverly carves statuettes ( Sk950 ) of the famous and infamous. His sister Gisela paints the pieces, which include every US president since FD Roosevelt. Custom-made creations (fancy yourself in lime-wood?) take between two and four weeks and cost a significantly higher Sk4000 .

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  28. Gusto

    Gusto (Italian for 'taste') puts the Latin into 'lifestyle' with chi-chi Italian must-haves like Neapolitan perfumes, Sicilian tangerine marmalade, Turinese chocolates, Cesare Piaciotto sneakers and Tuscan furniture. Deck out the loft with a Moroccan ottoman or irreverent Taschen art books.

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  29. H&M

    Born and bred in Sweden, Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) is the fashion world's IKEA, selling well-made knock-offs of each season's must-have fashions at cut-rate prices. Guest designers have included Karl Lagerfeld. This branch is one of Stockholm's biggest and best.

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