-Where did you buy such a blouse?
-In Paris.
- Is it far from Moscow?
-Two thousand kilometers.
-Wow, such a wilderness, and what kind of blouses they make!
In less than ten years, the concept of a shop tour will completely disappear from our vocabulary. And it will retain its significance and relevance only for professional buyers and stylists, who, by their nature, will continue their regular tours abroad in order to hunt for new trends in the Western fashion industry. But their trips never fit into the framework of a "traditional" shopping tour - stylists, designers, and buyers were looking for and are looking for inspiration not in popular, world-famous boutiques and shopping centers. They wander unbeaten paths, discovering new names and new ideas in the depths of the capitals of world fashion. And their trips are called nothing more than a business trip.
For everyone else, the “traditional” shopping tour, which usually falls on either seasonal sales or regular vacations, had other goals: to shop at a bargain price, and most importantly, to acquire such a thing that half of their hometown would certainly not have. Exclusiveness, a thirst to stand out, emphasize our individuality or uniqueness (who has what) - that's what attracted us to distant countries. Not to mention such an incentive as quality and optimal cut (short ladies, in particular, like to emphasize that it is easiest for them to choose perfectly fitting models for their figure in France).
Either way, the days of shopping tours are clearly numbered. It is no longer possible to find ten differences between the domestic and Western retail markets for fashionable goods. Recently, literally all the leaders of the bohemian luxury industry and more democratic and youth brands have been represented here. Moscow flaunts stylish stores in all possible formats (from hypermarkets and shopping malls to casquets). Moscow is proud of big names like Givenchy, Dior, NinRicci, Giorgio Armani, and does not hide that the salons Valentino, Montblanc and Pal Zileri that have opened in the capital are the largest boutiques of these brands in Europe. A trifle? And domestic consumers are pleased.
It would be strange, however, to argue that traveling abroad and shopping in overseas fashion stores will disappear as a phenomenon. As long as the conviction lives in our heads that everything “theirs” is much better than “ours”, there will be no shortage of “Russo-tourist” in foreign boutiques. And then, how not to please yourself with a fashionable new thing, since you got out over the hillock? Why bother getting out then?
Anyone who is going to join the army of "overseas shopaholics", as well as those who prefer to kill during their free time on a trip abroad, walking through local shops - our fashion guide to help! After all, you also need to know where to go for a walk and what to buy in a foreign land. And let the old wise saying get a new sound: He who owns the information owns the Style!
France
Fashion places: (Paris) Avenue Montaigne, Avenue George V, Rue St-Honore, Rue de Rivoli, Avenue des Champs-Elysees
Big names: Christian Dior, Chanel, Hermes, Gucci, Prada, GAP, H&M, Zara, Naf Naf
Must visit: Galeries Lafayettes, Le Bon Marche, Le Samaritaine, Printemps
NB: The difference in the size of women's clothing in France and in the CIS countries is two numbers. So, the 44th Russian size corresponds to the French 42nd. Men's clothing numbers are roughly the same. Most of the trendy shops are open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm.
Dressing like a Parisian means choosing small, secluded boutiques with a pleasant atmosphere and unobtrusive service. A striking example of such a salon is Stoklux at place Vendome, 8. Here you will find high quality clothes at reasonable prices (models of the latest collections of famous designers are sold without labels and therefore are 70% cheaper). However, in order to enjoy the charm of the French fashion capital, it is better to head to the very center.
Famous designer shops are located on both sides of the Seine. Chanel, Ungaro, Nina Ricci, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior and other fashion houses are waiting for buyers on the right bank between Faubourg Saint Honore and Avenue Montaigne, in the “golden triangle”. Native Parisians do not like these places (because of the pricing policy), so only endless celebrities can prevent you from choosing a new thing. On the left bank of the Seine, there are exclusive boutiques of Paco Rabanne, Junco Shimada, Sony Rykiel and countless prêt-a-porter salons.
There are a great number of ready-to-wear shops in Paris: Armani is located on Boulevard Saint-Germain, and Miu-Miu (Prada) is located on Rue Cherche-Midi. On the rue Faubourg Saint-Antoine, the brightest Jean-Paul Gaultier keeps his boutique. From the rue Forbourg Saint-Honoré, connoisseurs of beauty smoothly move to the Victoire Square, where the fashionable center "Victoire" adjoins the boutiques of Japanese designers ("Kenzo", "Yamamoto"). Folies D'Elodie shopping center near Trocadero Square remains one of the most favorite places for local dudes. This store features a unique selection of sophisticated and exclusive evening and casual wear collections.
Moving on. On ur street, take a look at "Transparency" - stylish underwear is sold here. Don't miss the boutiques Agnese B and Claudie Pierlot, whose models are impeccably elegant. Visit Ragtime if you consider yourself a retro 1920-50s lover. At 124 rue de la Pompe, stop by the French brand Bazuka, the market leader in fashionable knitwear. Stylish collections here are designed for a variety of body sizes, including very large ladies.
The legendary hypermarkets Au Printemps, Au Printemps and Galeries Lafayette will overwhelm you with a wide selection of clothing, accessories, cosmetics (especially Galeries Lafayette). Originally created as a workers' store, this store today offers the best collections to affluent customers. Since the 60s. young designers (Yves Saint Laurent, Casharel, Sonia Ryquel) began to invest in the creation of prêt-a-porter stores under the roof of the largest department store. In the future, they were to become neighbors with Calvin Kline, Tryussardi, Lacroix, Comme de Garson, Montana. Each of the boutiques strives to be at their best, both in terms of innovation and quality, as they have to meet the demand of the five hundred customers who enter the doors of Galeries Lafayette every hour.
It is difficult to imagine, but if you still fail to reach the limit of your dreams, walking through the Parisian shops and boutiques, then visit the salons of the cozy 16th arrondissement. For example, Edre (on rue Jean-Bologne, 16) or Sevill (on rue de l`Annonciation, 38). If you're lucky, here you can buy luxurious fabrics from famous high fashion houses at affordable prices. And at home, let your imagination run wild.
Italy
Trendy places: (Milan) Corso Vittorio Emmanuele, Sorso Buenos-Aires, ViMontenapoleone
(Rome) Videl Corso, Videl Babuino, ViFrattina, ViBorgognona
big names: of Gucci, of Fendi, of Versace, Paul Smith is, Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino
Visit necessarily: LRinascente, Serravalle Scrivia, Upini, Coin
NB: Fashion stores are generally open from 9.30 am to 1 pm and from 3.30 pm to 7.30 pm and closed on Sunday and Monday morning. Sales (saldi) last from January 15th to the first week of March in winter, and from July 16th to mid-September in summer.
MILANIt will easily confuse a visiting buyer if you do not have a key to his fashion stores. Here are boutiques of every designer and house known in the bohemian world. Stylish boutiques and salons await you on the five-kilometer Corso Buenos-Aires Avenue, on the noisy and party-going Corso Vittorio Emanuele II Avenue, on the youthful Corso di PortTicinese, on the ViDante tourist street and the snobbish Corso Como - stylish boutiques and salons await you anywhere in the city. It's no wonder to get lost. The most prestigious boutiques are located in the city center on ViMontenapoleone, built in the early 18th century in a neoclassical style. On the neighboring streets of Bigli and Sant Andre, shops of the most fashionable couturiers and boutiques of prestigious shoes, jewelry and accessories have settled. A trip to the world of Milan fashion is unthinkable without a visit to one of the world's largest department stores - LRinascente (PiazzDuomo). But in order to get into famous fashion houses such as Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci and Diesel, you will have to go outside the city. Designers' residences are located in the "fashion triangle" between Milan, Florence and Turin. Frequent promotions and discounts up to 70% will make your trip more than profitable.
ROME has always been considered the center of world trade. The fashion sector has never been offended by the lack of attention of numerous buyers and fashion designers who are happy to open their salons here. Prices in local shops have never been low, life has never been cheap, but the quality of local goods has always justified these disadvantages.
The set of signs on all the shopping streets of Rome is similar: there will certainly be Furla bags, Expensive lace dresses! (under Cavalli), Benetton and Sisley. Blu Sand, Haban (tops and T-shirts of all colors of the rainbow up to? 15), Le Group (linen dresses in summer, trousers and coats in winter), Etam (knitwear and linen) are popular among inexpensive chain establishments. Designer McArthurGlen Outlet in Castel Romano (40 minutes from the center of Rome) is a 200,000 square meter Italian shopping mecca. Here you can find all the products of the best Italian brands - from shoes and lingerie to household goods. At the moment, more than 80 stores of clothing, footwear, accessories and related products have already been opened, such as Versace, Nike, Arena, Pupa, Motivi, Levi`s, Guess, LPerla, Diesel, CK, Etro, Sergio Tacchini.
Whoever wants something "hotter" is advised to go to the Plaza de España, to the kingdom of expensive boutiques. If you prefer to shop for the latest, exclusive models of shoes, clothing, accessories and jewelry from Armani, Giantranco Ferre, Cucci, D&G, Valentine, Rocco Barocco, Trussardi, you will fall in love and live at piazzdi Spagna. Videl Corso is much more democratic in terms of prices. Here, next to expensive boutiques, there are affordable shops that sell equally high-quality goods, but where you can bargain. Which is actually very much in the spirit of Italy.
UK
Fashion Places: (London) Oxford Street, Piccadilly Circus, Regent Street
Big Names: H&M (HENNES & MAURITZ), Cookai, Diesel, Morgan, Dorothy Perkins Must-see
: Harrods, Liberty, TopShop
NB: Stores open Monday through Saturday 9.30 am to 6 pm, although at the discretion of the management of the outlet, and especially during the sales period, many stores may be open until 20.00-21.00. The largest seasonal sales take place in July and January.
Pure English restraint is not about local shopping. Restraint does not extend to the richness of the choice of stylish goods, or to the prices. What will definitely strike the eye of someone who first came to London with the intention of dressing up is the number of outlets and the unique atmosphere of aristocratic, sophisticated, elite shopping.
Expensive branded boutiques, salons of well-known international brands, major shopping centers and local pride - the new format of casekit stores - London will make you think about it already at the stage of choosing for shopping. On the main street of the fashionable capital - Oxford Street - you can get acquainted with the best deals. H&M (there are three of them on Oxford Street) is overwhelmed by a gigantic selection of men's and women's clothing, divided by seasons, styles and grouped by color, which makes it very easy to choose. Collections are updated every week. By the way, young people prefer H&M, which is located at the corner of Oxford-circus (there are many trendy dynamic brands, including Rocky denim).
The NEW LOOK store, which is popular in London, was conceived as a youth store. Today, classic dresses, cowboy hats and leather coats a la the 70s coexist here next to original dresses, cowboy hats and leather coats. Due to the great popularity of business style (there are thousands of office workers in London), the assortment is updated quite often. The London store Monsoon is also considered bright and extraordinary, a real pantry of casual and evening wear made from natural fabrics. Every thing, every detail here is a real work of design art, so Monsoon has long been considered a haven for the brightest individuals.
The largest department store in Europe, TopShop, is located in London. In order to find a certain little thing, you have to go around four huge floors. The DJ of his own radio works on the underground level in a transparent cockpit. There are screens all around and queues around. A huge section of bags, wigs, belts, watches and jewelry, hats, scarves and tights of all kinds of colors - on one floor. Fashionable knitwear, jeans from Levi`s and Motor, shoes, fur coats, jackets, underwear and evening dresses - on the other. Unusual collections of novice designers and very expensive second-hand clothes from the 60s and 70s are also presented here.
A phenomenon no less significant than the opening of TopShop in its time was the appearance in the English capital of the first casekits. In the early 2000s, residents of foggy Albion were the first in Europe to appreciate the specifics of the new format, conceived by retailers as a fashion store for middle-income customers. At first it seemed strange, but, according to the conducted marketing research, the retail market actually did not cover a significant client segment - trend-oriented shoppers, whose income, however, did not allow them to regularly make purchases in high-end boutiques. The creators of the first cassettes caught this trend and offered consumers a new option: stylish salons, organized in the best traditions of boutiques (by the design of the sales area, by the level of service, by the quality of products). A wide range of fashionable goods (clothes, shoes,accessories) is offered in cassettes at a reasonable price, which usually does not have a markup.
Walking past casquets is as difficult as walking past Harrods, a fashion store that is immodestly declared: Harrods is the best from England. The world's oldest department store annually gathers hundreds of thousands of customers under its gigantic roof. Both outside and inside, Harrods is a real museum, with an old façade, exquisitely decorated display cases, a doorman at the door and sphinxes guarding the entrance to the Egyptian Hall.
If a shopping trip around the capital of Great Britain does not take up all your energy and time, we highly recommend visiting the Fashion Museum opened in 2003. The organizer of the unique museum was the legendary Zandra Rhodes, known for her works for Jackie Onassis, Diana Ross and Princess Diana. The museum is located on the territory of a former warehouse, which the Mexican architect Ricardo Legoretto painted in the brightest shades of pink and orange. On the opening day, a unique exhibition "My Favorite Dress" was presented at the Fashion Museum: 70 famous designers of the world, including Giorgio Armani, Dolce and Gabanna, Galliano, Christian Lacroix, chose their favorite models from their collections and presented them to the museum. Grandiose exhibitions are not the only thing that the Fashion Museum is famous for. Fashion shows, installations, presentations, parties, seminars and all kinds of promotions are regularly held here. So, as they say, there will be an opportunity - do not pass by.
Agree, it's not so easy to pass by Fashion at all
Svetlana Patsynko