Almost all of us have been bitten by the shopping bug and, particularly, when we are on holidays we tend to indulge and pamper ourselves with precious, little, well-deserved gifts.
It's nothing new to hear Italy described as the homeland of fashion and design … It's impossible to have a holiday in Dante's Bel paese without taking home a little something, a guaranteed “made in Italy”. Therefore, I would like to indicate certain new shopping districts for a stopover when the desire to go shopping becomes overwhelming. Places where you can find quality items and stroll around undisturbed from shop to shop with a wide selection of reasonably priced products: large, modern, super trendy outlets which attract numerous customers in search of bargains.
One enormous shopping-mall, adored by teenagers, in the outskirts of Milan deserves special mention. It is the largest shopping arcade in Italy and was opened in the refurbished Alfa Romeo edifice in Arese, where the legendary cars were manufactured until a few years ago. It is called Il Centro and is located in a building designed by Michele De Lucchi and houses not only more than 200 shops but also several restaurants, a diagnostic centre, a sports centre and various play areas. Primark, Alcott, Zara, H&M are among the most popular and the cheapest brands but there are also shops selling handcrafts and specialized niche products.
Scalo is another novel, city-style shopping district at twenty minutes from the Lombard capital, which features numerous shops selling Italian products per excellence.. but that isn't all.
First and foremost, you will find designer clothing like Liu-Jo, Gattinoni and Karl Lagerfeld, Angelico woollens and sports brands such as Ferrari, Adidas and Diadora. Then onto the footwear shops which include Superga and Fratelli Rossetti; afterwards you may want to have a look at jewellery, for example, Pandora, Pomellato, Cruciani and Swarovski.
Scalo also offers homeware and design furniture bearing some of the most renowned Italian trademarks from Cassina to Kartell, through Natuzzi, Molteni, Varenna, Poliform and B&B. Many display areas were created as though they were art galleries with meticulously conceived displays, a wide range of state of the art materials, cutting-edge design: this is the case with the Cappellini display area and the Molteni showroom. It is a pleasure to take a walk around the interior of Scalo: it doesn't even feel like you are in a mall...
Third on the list, Torino Outlet Village, is also a must for lovers of shopping; it was inaugurated last year and is already attracting large numbers of people. It is an outdoor complex like a proper village with its own walkway, flanked by 90 shops boasting the best brands, including Armani, Gucci, Jil Sander, La Perla, Michael Kors, Roberto Cavalli, Coach, Trussardi and many more. The Venchi chocolate sales outlet and the Eataly hamburger establishment make the outing more appealing and appetizing.
The entire complex was planned by architect and designer Claudio Silvestrin, a master of contemporary minimalism. The Torino Outlet Village symbol is a large, 85-metre high, obelisk; it acts as a bridge between Earth and the sky and indicates the entrance to the Outlet village, meanwhile interlocking the new structure with the surrounding territory.
I have to say that the latest shopping centres, neat, clean, smart and practical, add tremendous value to the traditional shopping experience and make holidays even more enjoyable!
