Archive for 'Shopping'

  

Tuesday, January 23, 2018
Gucci Garden
During the summer, I was incredibly sad to find the Gucci Museum in Florence closed on my one day in the city. The whole building – museum, store and cafe – was under construction and closed for a relatively long period of time; if I had done my research properly, I would have known. Yet, it was all for a good reason! Said construction has resulted in an impossibly beautiful building that is a must-see for any fashion lovers who have found a luxury villa in Florence!

On the 10th of January 2018, under the vision of Alessandro Michele, Gucci’s creative director, the museum reopened. Located inside the Palazzo della Mercanzia in Florence's Piazza Signoria that dates to 1337, the Gucci Museum has been open since 2011 and is spread across several floors. Now called the Gucci Garden, it encompasses a boutique that stocks exclusive pieces, an exhibition curated by Maria Luisa Frisa, a rather special gift shop and the Gucci Osteria, which is manned by the three-Michelin-starred chef, Massimo Bottura.     Read More
Posted in: Activities, Florence, Food and Wine, Localities, Museums & Galleries, Restaurants & Cafés, Shopping, Tourist Attractions

  

Monday, January 15, 2018
Knitwear
Chianti Cashmere Goat Farm, as mentioned in the last article, is a small farm in the Chianti region of Tuscany that was established in 1972 by Nora Kravis. From there it has gone on to become a model for sustainable farming and small business and has Europe-wide renown. It is also a wonderful place to spend a day learning about sustainable farming, petting the goats, shopping incredible quality garments and enjoying rural Tuscan living. Once you have a luxury villa in Florence or a villa with pool in Siena, why not take a break from urban pursuits and pay a visit to this fascinating farm for yourself?

In the last post, we mentioned the history of the farm and how it got to where it is today but we didn't have the space to extrapolate on the experience of visiting the farm itself! Visits can be readily organised and one of the major attractions is the farm shop and its beautiful garments.     Read More
Posted in: Activities, Chianti, Curiosities, Localities, Shopping, Tourist Attractions

  

Monday, November 20, 2017
Shopping
We've recently written a lot of posts about shopping and fashion in Tuscany and Florence, in particular, is a great place for those interested in Italian fashion to go shopping. While Milan is more famous for her fashion and one of the main fashion capitals of the world, Florence is also a very important city in Italian fashion and has been ranked in the top 15 fashion capitals of the world. Famous designers like Gucci and Pucci come from and are still headquartered in the city and there are endless great places to go shopping all over.     Read More
Posted in: Activities, Florence, Localities, Shopping, Tourist Attractions

  

Wednesday, October 18, 2017
Barberino Designer Outlet
We have been discussing Italian fashion on the blog all this week, introducing new brands to all of those fashion lovers who are planning vacations in Tuscany. However, there is one thing that all fashion fans can agree makes everything better – a good bargain! Fortunately, Tuscany is actually one of the better regions to holiday in if you are after a bargain. There are several outlet centres located around Tuscany and they are lovely places to shop. The word “outlet” can evoke depressing images of unorganised bargain basements but these outlets are nothing like that. They are pretty, well-designed, well-stocked and well-organised.

One of the finest examples is the Barberino Designer Outlet in Barberino di Mugello, which is the original outlet village in the McArthurGlen Designer Outlets group. The centre itself is incredibly charming. Located just off the motorway, 30 minutes from Florence and a couple minutes from the small town of Barberino di Mugello, it consists of over 100 stores and brands and is built to look like a picturesque Tuscan village.     Read More
Posted in: Activities, Localities, Mugello, Must See Attractions, Shopping

  

Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Luisa Spagnoli
When I was recently in Tuscany on holidays, I had every intention of not shopping. I mean, I really don't need new clothes, do I? Yet, despite my promise to myself that I wouldn't buy anything, I caved pretty quickly and had to strike a new bargain. I was allowed to buy two items of clothing and that was it; no more and no less. This sated my mad desire to buy everything in sight but just barely. As I couldn't completely indulge my passion (or afford to!), I merely took mental note of all of the stunning Italian brands that I had never heard of before so that I could report them back here.

Here are more of the brands that I spotted, which are musts for fashion lovers to check out on their next holiday in Tuscany!     Read More
Posted in: Activities, Localities, Mugello, Shopping, Top 10 Lists