First of all, let me introduce myself. I was born in Havana and after working as a model in Milan for over 10 years, I decided to move to Tuscany with my family. I became a personal shopper because of my love of Italian fashion and style. It started out as a hobby while imparting advice to female friends and now it has become a career all of its own.
Here I’ve selected the best fashion stores in Tuscany for men and women. Not only do these places offer the latest collections but they also embody a precise philosophy in creating a particular style. Fabulous to visit and discover, whether you want to shop or not, they display brands that will be on trend in the fast-approaching season, whether that’s a complete Gucci look, a Balenciaga coat or a PVC jacket.
FIACCHINI, Viareggio & Forte dei Marmi
With two stores in Viareggio and four boutiques in the more fashionable Forte dei Marmi, Fiacchini is the signature style of the Versilia. The chain has become a recognisable brand, with a language all of its own, where you can find limited edition pieces and special items from top international fashion houses. Fiacchini could easily be in London, Paris or New York… With the difference being you can shop while taking in the sea breeze, walking barefoot, with a schiacciatina from Valè or indulging in a Negroni at Capannina once your shopping is over. These small seaside rites make the boutiques managed by Massimo Fiacchini and his siblings that little bit cooler.
Four locations in Forte dei Marmi with four different souls. Celine, Dior, Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Givenchy, Tom Ford, Balmain, Valentino, Burberry, Thom Browne, Vetements: the finest items featured on the Paris and Milan runwalks, to try on, to touch, and match according to your style. My tip? Be guided by Massimo and his staff, who are very capable and open minded, to be fashionable without looking as though you’ve just walked off the runway…
CAOS, Viareggio
The fantastic CAOS is a stone’s throw from the seafront: Silvia Bini’s new boutique in Viareggio is a 1,500 square metre “wunderkammer”, minimal, elegant and international with 15 spaces devoted to just as many fashion houses: Acne, Del Pozo, Antik Batik, Proenza Schouler, Roger Vivier, Dolce&Gabbana, Gucci, Valentino, Bulgari, Fendi and Bottega Veneta.
15 boutiques within a boutique, a new multi-brand concept where the connection between the displayed labels and the space that contain them offer additional value to the 360° shopping experience, tied to style and not brands. A breath-taking sea view awaits you at the top-floor terrace of the palazzina to remind us that fashion is also poetry and fantasy.
MARTY, Prato
Marty: two floors, one spaceship entrance. Inside, the bright spaces of a large loft for chit-chat, trying on items, experimenting and listening to music. On the first floor you find men’s and women’s fashion, with daily and versatile clothing. Above, the spaces become more intimate offering more scope for research, with the creations of big Japanese names, the most elegant French stylists such as Nina Ricci and Lanvin, the great Italian designers of Dolce & Gabbana and Moschino, and also Dries Van Noten, Margiela and Marni.
The mind and soul of this operation is Stefania, who since the 1970s and 1980s has brought cutting-edge fashion to Prato, searching across the world and venturing as a talent scout ahead of her time. Today son Folco and daughter Eugenia work alongside their mother, developing a very personal style but always on trend. If you fancy a total makeover, stop by over: they’ll be able to see that spark inside you that you’ve overlooked.
MORINI, Montecatini Terme
An incredible invasion of clothing, shoes, bags, coats, fur wraps, rhinestone sandals, feather hats and bon ton jackets, trainers and bejewelled clutches… If fashion is illusion, Morini is Harry Houdini, capable of making every fashion addict’s most secret desires emerge from his top hat. Like in fairy tales, from the stalls packed with colours and fabrics, your perfect outfit will appear, with the help of the female staff members who study your style in few minutes with delight and understanding and offer the most suitable pieces. The utmost attention is given to the latest trends and research, as demonstrated by the array of names displayed in the store: Carven, Stella Jean, Alexander Wang, Stella McCartney, Acquazzurra, Sophia Webster… and many others. The Montecatini boutique dresses Versilia nights with sparkling and glittering gowns like a champagne flute.
SUGAR, Arezzo
At times fashion can be an experience… it definitely is at Sugar, upon entering Beppe Angiolini’s store in Arezzo. Flanked by a global online site – sugar.it – the boutique unites the best of fashion for men and women as well as accessories: Prada, Miu Miu, Gucci, Balenciaga, Comme des Garcons, Anderson, Vetements, Ackermann, Calvin Klein… cool resides here.
Online or instore, the recipe of the ex-stylist and current honorary president of the Italian National Chamber Buyer Moda is simple: tradition and contemporaneity based on fashion, art, entertainment, literature and music. Basically, all that you need to create individuality and personality. Since last June, it has opened a luxury hostel and a new shop within the 15th-century residence of Palazzo Lambardi – Sugar Last Floor.
FLOW, Firenze
Walking into Flow in Florence even for a quick glance, you will fall in love with at least one item of clothing and could possibly leave with a complete outfit. Maybe it’s the soft atmosphere, the welcoming space, like a dear friend’s apartment, with its big sofa in the middle of the shop floor that invites you to relax, or the lush ferns that give a taste of the exotic. Or maybe it’s the intense colours of the garments that remind you of travelling and vacation, for deluxe and elegant hippies, with large bags, head scarves and precious mules.
It could be due to the owners Gabriella and Nicola or the members of staff such as Seah that have been here forever and welcome you like old friends. Flow is a philosophy, where the labels – from Stella Jean, Pero, Già Couture, Santoro, Tela Genova – are secondary. Unmistakably, here, style counts first.
CORTECCI, Siena
Two bright boutiques in the historic heart of Siena, since 1935 Cortucci has offered the best clothing, shoe and accessory collections for men and women. Banchi Sopra’s refined store presents a selection of forefront fashion lines, the best of accessories and footwear: formal and informal gowns, to be elegant and trendy at every time of the day.
Cucinelli, Moncler, Zegna, Lardinni, Armani, Hogan, Ferragamo, Etro and Scervino are some of the brands available in store. The boutique in Siena’s piazza del Campo is dedicated to the best sportwear lines and younger offerings. A shop that has become a brand in itself, uniting the world of fashion with daily life without ever being over the top but always on trend.
