Passion for fashion

ROB Dunlop treads fashionable Milan's amazing shopping trail and receives a jolt to his shopaholic instincts.

Fashion captial ... Milan is the seat of Italian fashion. A model wears Gianni Versace from his 2006-2007 Fall-Winter ready-to-wear collection / Reuters

IT'S a jolt to our shopaholic instincts, but we have no choice; fashion buyers have descended on Milan and they're hogging all the good rooms. We end up in a little hotel much further from the action than said instincts can celebrate. And it doesn't help when we hear that our location, Corso Buenos Aires, is described as one of the longest streets in Europe.

Just how far away from the shopping are we? we ask the concierge. The cheeky Italian believes we are young enough to walk the 15 minutes or so.

The "or so" part worries us, but we decide to leg it anyway. Outside, the busy commercial area initially plays with our minds, but when we allow our shoulders to relax, we discover a very cosmopolitan and affordable shopping district that we might have overlooked. But that is Milan. It will always throw up an unexpected delight.

Around us, offshoots of regular everyday life exist: mixed cultures, butchers' shops, delis, laundromats, bookshops, phone shops, internet cafes and a flea market selling all manner of objects, including a brand of slippers that David Jones stocks. Except here the goods spill from vans and the prices are emblazoned on fluorescent cardboard placards, E5 ($8.30), E10.

My wife discovers the affordable French fashion chain, Promod, where she stocks up on "ordinary" clothes. We haven't yet reached our destination but already we return to the hotel to unload bags of goodies. Here's the best of what the rest of this city of shopping has to offer.

HIGH END
Milan is a fashion town with honours. Designers to kickstart their careers here include Giorgio Armani, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, Gianfranco Ferre, Miuccia Prada and Gianni Versace. And if there is a part of town to showcase these local style gurus, it is the Golden Quadrangle, taking in via Montenapoleone, via Alessandro Manzoni, via Della Spiga and Corso Venezia. But high-end fashion spills in all directions, catering to well-heeled visitors as well as residents of Italy's wealthiest city.

Australian queen of style and savvy, Marion von Adlerstein, former resident of Italy and author of The Passionate Shopper, says the Golden Quadrangle has "a heady concentration of all that is covetable and costly ... I defy any woman, except perhaps a Parisienne, not to be intimidated by the style of what is on show in shop windows and what is being worn with incomparable flair and individuality by Milanese women."

She adds, "Italians not only know how to make clothes, they know how to wear them, no matter at what stage of life they happen to be, and they know how to accessorise. Every big city in Italy has wonderful bags and shoes, but none surpasses Milan."

The larger emporiums include:

Spazio Armani: Taking up a whole block is Armani's multistorey store, with its signature apparel and homewares, as well as a bookshop, florist, cafe and swanky restaurant and bar, Nobu, partly owned by actor Robert de Niro. 31 via Allessandro Manzoni.

Gianni Versace Boutique: This four-floor showcase includes custom and pret-a-porter menswear. 2 via Montenapoleone.

Dolce & Gabbana: The flagship store is on an attractive cobblestoned street, free of cars and perfect for uncongested window-shopping. 2 via Della Spiga.

Via Sant'Andrea is home to many of the city's top boutiques, including Armani, Chanel, Fendi, Kenzo and Moschino.

MIDDLE OF THE ROAD
Corso Vittorio Emanuele II is a large pedestrian shopping strip edged by stunning buildings and facades and leads from piazza Duomo to piazza San Babila. The shopping includes:

La Rinascente: The only department store of note is where Giorgio Armani started his career as a window dresser. Head to the bar and restaurant on the seventh floor for stunning views of the Duomo and city.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II: This beautiful and historic arcade offers one of Europe's quintessential shopping experiences, mostly because it is so gorgeous to wander through. It's also tricky to define because it houses everything from the world's first Prada store – opened in 1913 – to a McDonald's.

CHAINS
Those large youth-oriented chains that are sweeping through Europe – H&M and Zara – also appear in Milan, perhaps only to dispel their budget-fashion aura. Zara is for quick modern hits if attention to detail doesn't concern you. Popular with discerning buyers are common Italian labels such as Max Mara, Max & Co and Furla. All are located in several spots around the city.

FOR BARGAIN HUNTERS
Year-round savings of up to 70 per cent off retail prices can be found in outlet and stock houses. In central Milan:

Il Salvagente is the best-known stock house for casual to high-end items, including designs by Armani, Dolce & Gabbana and Versace. 16 via Fratelli Bronzetti.

Dmagazine Outlet is located within the confines of the Golden Quadrangle. 26 via Montenapoleone.

United Colors of Benetton-Sisley is a multi-level store catering to men and women. 21 corso Buenos Aires.

OUTSIDE MILAN
McArthur Glen, Serravalle, has more than 170 stores stocking clothing, footwear and accessories.

MARKETS
Experience the vibrancy of Milanese life and simultaneously score a bargain at the city's many markets. Visit for cheap additional luggage to cart your goodies home, or for wheelie shopping support. Only if you can live without the Louis Vuitton label, of course.

Mondays and Thursdays: piazza Mirabello for clothes, food and shoes. Tuesdays: via Benedetto Marcello for luggage and those E5 and E10 shoes. More upmarket clothes can be found at viale Fauche. Wednesdays: via Aicardo for food, bric-a-brac and clothes. Fridays: via Crema for clothes, including some designer labels. Saturdays and Tuesdays: viale Papiniano for clothes and shoes; viale G. D'Annunzio (Fiera di Sinigallia) for second-hand clothes, costume jewellery and exotic objects.

Finally, Milan goes on sale in January and July with savings up to 70 per cent off retail prices.

www.enit.it

The Passionate Shopper, by Marion von Adlerstein, published by Penguin/Lantern, $39.95.