Spain’s Shopping Delights

01 Nov 2011

Much attention has been lavished on Spain’s delicious food, stock photo-perfect beaches and just-as-beautiful people, but its shopping is also world-class. FAZ ABDUL GAFFA susses out the retail therapy highlights in the cities of Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Seville.

Sit back with a cuppa and watch the beautiful people go by in trendy Chueca, Madrid.

In between siesta hours and dancing barefoot in the sand long into the summer nights, the Spanish have always made time for fashion. After all, it is the birthplace of luxury brands like Loewe and Balenciaga, as well as fast-fashion favourites such as Zara and Mango, to name a few. With a keen eye for fashion-forward aesthetics, a love for colour and an infectious zest for life, Spanish labels have kept fashionistas enthralled.

And with its reputation for cutting-edge cuisine and as the birthplace of foodie trends like tapas, you can expect that gourmet buys are another shopping highlight.

Madrid

The capital Madrid is littered with breathtaking old world architecture such as the Teatro Alcazar, Museo Nacional Del Prado and Plaza Mayor as well as stunning modern compositions like the Museo Centro de Arte Reina Sofia. The city offers the perfect blend of tradition and innovation.

Madrid has grown to become a hotspot and breeding ground for up-and-coming young designers like Cati Serra who has had her creations showcased at Madrid Fashion Week. Be charmed by hole-in-the-wall boutiques in the trendy, bohemian areas of Chueca, Fuencarral and Salamanca, which offer original, one-of-a-kind creations.

When making your way around the very hip Chueca, make sure you stop at Pez (Calle Regueros 15, Tel: 34 913 10 6677). The multi-label boutique is housed in a former pharmacy with high ceilings and svelte iron columns. Once inside, you’ll find yourself surrounded by carefully selected fashion pieces, a lot of it one-off and from cult labels such as Les Prairies de Paris and Humanoid. If you can find space to stuff a small sofa in your luggage, meander to the boutique’s lower floor, which houses an intimate selection of vintage furniture and homeware.

The Salamanca neighbourhood in Madrid is well known for being one of the city's wealthiest areas, so it’s no surprise that you might be hobnobbing in the dressing rooms with some of the capital’s wealthiest women. Amid the stores of international labels, you’ll find home-grown brand Dolores Promesas. Formed barely five years ago, its collection has grown from one catering to just women to a label that is all-inclusive – the expanded line has clothes for men, along with women’s jewellery, shoes and accessories. Expect the unexpected at this store – for example, the clothes there have colour mash-ups that you would never think could go together but somehow, they work out well.

Barcelona

Barcelona is famous for its long summer nights of beach partying, fantastical Gaudi architecture and its well-regarded football team FC Barcelona. And the shopping, of course, is never-ending. You can start at Placa de Catalunya. Walk and shop your way through the well-known La Rambla and its mid-priced boutiques, including brands such as Zara, Mango and Custo.

When you’re done indulging in touristy photos, take a walk down Carrer dels Tallers, a street just off La Rambla. The street boasts a number of specialist record shops that music junkies would love to spend hours in. Look for Revolver Records (Carrer dels Tallers 11-13, Tel: 34 93 302 1685), one of the first record shops on this street. The ground floor consists of mainly CDs, so make your way to the back of the store and climb the spiral staircase past the huge Kiss mural to the vinyl floor. Lots of US, UK and Spanish releases of new and used vinyl can be bought here at reasonable prices. There are also a couple of decks, so you can try before you buy.

If you’ve taken to Barcelona like a duck to water and partied your Friday night away through to the morning like a true Spaniard, throw back a cup of strong coffee and make your way to the weekend flea market at Brocanters del Port Vell. The seafront bric-a-brac and antiques market (open 11am-9pm on weekends), held in front of the Columbus monument, is popular with locals, so even if you’re not in the mood to shop, you can people-watch.