MINE EYES HAVE SEEN THE PRADA! Confessions of an Outlet Addict: Shopping in Florence, Part II
by Gemina Luis
The Mall is the closest in proximity to Florence, 30 minutes by car (without traffic) on the A1 highway. In the same town are the outlets for Dolce Gabbana, Fendi and Celine, but they are not as replete with recent merchandise as The Mall partner shops. On the other hand, Miuccia Prada is such a genius, who can choose?
I Pelletieri d’Italia AKA SPACE AKA The Prada Outlet is housed surreptitiously in what seems to the tourist’s eye as an agricultural packing plant. Do not be fooled by this industrial façade, you have arrived at the Mothership, the Phantom Prada Outlet. It is about 15 minutes from Certosa (The Mall) and 45 minutes from Florence. Prada and her little sister MiuMiu are warehoused in this supermarket-sized edifice, along with Patrizio Bertelli’s previous acquisitions -- Helmut Lang, Church shoes and Jil Sander.
Of course if you’re only passing through Florence and Tuscany briefly, an entire day of outlet shopping might seem extreme. Or perhaps, a day of bargain shopping is the perfect antidote to the overkill of museums. The best plan would be (assuming the starting point is Florence):
1. Grab a brioche and a café latte, heading out of town by 8:30, which would position you in Montevarchi’s Prada outlet by 9:15, and beating out the tour buses filled with hundreds of other eager shoppers. There is a chic café on the premises, with more than decent panini and pastries for lunch.
2. The drive from the Prada outlet to The Mall is very pleasant -- only one stop on the A1 highway, exit Incisa. You will need the rest of the day to shop the numerous outlets at The Mall. I only suggest covering Prada first, because there have been too many trips where we didn’t make our way down to Prada, after shopping the Mall.
Some more tips… if you have time, try to get yourself familiarized with European sizing. This will save many trips to the crowded dressing rooms. Check hours and public holidays before planning the trip or committing to a car rental. The associates at all of the shops speak English fairly well and will be able to answer questions you may have before heading over. Have a buddy system in terms of meeting points, etc.
Here’s another couple of links, something that could come in handy and save you research time. Happy Hunting!
Gemina Luis is a designer, a writer and a natural born fashionista. She is based in L.A.
The Mall is the closest in proximity to Florence, 30 minutes by car (without traffic) on the A1 highway. In the same town are the outlets for Dolce Gabbana, Fendi and Celine, but they are not as replete with recent merchandise as The Mall partner shops. On the other hand, Miuccia Prada is such a genius, who can choose?
I Pelletieri d’Italia AKA SPACE AKA The Prada Outlet is housed surreptitiously in what seems to the tourist’s eye as an agricultural packing plant. Do not be fooled by this industrial façade, you have arrived at the Mothership, the Phantom Prada Outlet. It is about 15 minutes from Certosa (The Mall) and 45 minutes from Florence. Prada and her little sister MiuMiu are warehoused in this supermarket-sized edifice, along with Patrizio Bertelli’s previous acquisitions -- Helmut Lang, Church shoes and Jil Sander.
Of course if you’re only passing through Florence and Tuscany briefly, an entire day of outlet shopping might seem extreme. Or perhaps, a day of bargain shopping is the perfect antidote to the overkill of museums. The best plan would be (assuming the starting point is Florence):
1. Grab a brioche and a café latte, heading out of town by 8:30, which would position you in Montevarchi’s Prada outlet by 9:15, and beating out the tour buses filled with hundreds of other eager shoppers. There is a chic café on the premises, with more than decent panini and pastries for lunch.
2. The drive from the Prada outlet to The Mall is very pleasant -- only one stop on the A1 highway, exit Incisa. You will need the rest of the day to shop the numerous outlets at The Mall. I only suggest covering Prada first, because there have been too many trips where we didn’t make our way down to Prada, after shopping the Mall.
Some more tips… if you have time, try to get yourself familiarized with European sizing. This will save many trips to the crowded dressing rooms. Check hours and public holidays before planning the trip or committing to a car rental. The associates at all of the shops speak English fairly well and will be able to answer questions you may have before heading over. Have a buddy system in terms of meeting points, etc.
Here’s another couple of links, something that could come in handy and save you research time. Happy Hunting!
Gemina Luis is a designer, a writer and a natural born fashionista. She is based in L.A.
posted by BAWGAWK! @ 6:39 PM
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