Fashion secret - Shutting shop during the tourist season would be considered business suicide for most shops in the western world.



Not in the land of leather and pasta, where it’s tradition for cities such as Milan to close down for a week and head for the beach.

The holiday season in Milan kicks off in August and during this week, nearly every single fashion house and shop closes.

Fashion people are the first to exit - immediately after the men’s collections ends in early July Via Monte Napolone and Via Della Spiga, the two main high-end shopping streets of Milan, are completely closed turning the city into a ghost town.

But if you are unlucky to have booked a shopping holiday during Italian “vacanza”, don’t despair. In a city where the vast majority of people work in the fashion industry, there are still shopping opportunities to be had.

On the edges of Corso Buenos Aires you can still find shops that are keen to reap the benefit of the tourist dollar.

There you will find high street brands H & M and Zara and department stores such as Rinscacenta and Coin. But Milan’s best kept secret is its markets. Dubbed “swap meets” (SM’s) these markets can be found on the fringes of the city or in secluded residential areas. And while not extravagant clothing markets like London’s Portobello or Carnaby Street, they do carry fabulous fashions that cannot be found on any high street.

Swap Meet’s are generally not mentioned in tourist guides but they are the best place to seek out a vintage Dior belt or a Cacherel argyle sweater.

Even top designers and their teams, can be spotted scourging through the euro bargain bends for inspirations.