Milan is home to many luxurious fashion brands that you can ever think of. Still, there are also other top brands that some people often overlook because of their unfussy locations. This article is for you if you’re looking for the best Italian brands to buy in Milan for you to take home.
There is so much to say about Milan and its many attractions. The list is long, ranging from fashion and luxury to football and Berlusconi. Nonetheless, if a knowledgeable local does not point a stranger in the right direction, some of the distinctively Milanese items may go unnoticed.
That’s why we selected some of the most popular and underrated item brands you can buy in Milan for souvenirs or gifts for your loved ones when you get home. Keep scrolling to check them out.
The Best Italian Brands To Buy in Milan
Here’s a list of the best Italian brands to buy in Milan that you can take home from your unforgettable trip – or for your own enjoyment during your vacation in the “the Moral Capital of Italy.”
• Milanese Artisan Made Jewelry Brands
Milan is home to a good number of craft jewelers. To help you decide quickly, we present to you a couple of the best handmade jewelry brands you can buy in the Lombard capital.
Looking for avant-garde artpieces you can actually wear? Jewelry pieces made from a wide range of natural materials from precious gems to fossils, coconut, cowbone, and even seeds are carefully handcrafted by artisans at Monies. These materials are ethically sourced from all across the globe. Monies jeweler is located on Via Cerva 16 in Milan, close to San Babila.
If you’re into minimal sophistication, go for Amuri Milano. Situated on Via Luigi Pirandello, this artisan-made Milanese jewelry brand offers jewelry pieces in gold and silver, adorned with creative combinations of precious stones.
• Franciacorta Sparkling Wine Brands
Franciacorta is a famous sparkling wine brand in Milan.
Franciacorta is a small wine-producing region in the Northern Italian region of Lombardy. It is best known for the exceptional quality of its sparkling wines, which are produced in a style that is highly reminiscent of champagne.
The Franciacorta wine region can be found in the province of Brescia, specifically in the hills situated immediately to the southeast of the foot of Lake Iseo.
Our handpicked Franciacorta brands include Mosnel Franciacorta Pas Dosé Riserva QdE U.V., Contadi Castaldi Franciacorta Soul Satèn U.V., and Ferghettina Franciacorta Milledì Brut U.V., which will all make good gifts for your family and friends back home.
ALSO READ: 10 Best Restaurants in Milan
• Luxury Brands
Dolce & Gabbana is one of the most famous Italian brands to buy in Milan.
The designer partners Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana debuted at Milan Fashion Week in 1985 with an impressive “Sicilian Widow” collection. Dolce & Gabbana, or simply D&G, like its major competitors at the time, grew to become an empire with multiple initiatives.
The Italian brand stays true to its roots, drawing inspiration from the founders’ Italian heritage.
Over the years, we’ve seen collections that channel various narratives and characters from the Mediterranean: slick pinstripe mobster suits, bombastic Baroque evening wear, gauche Neapolitan streetwear, or romantic fairy-tale gowns.
Prada, of course, is another must if you’re looking to buy Italian luxury brands. The brand offers expensive high-quality handbags if you’re the type who will gladly be purchasing leather goods for $5,000 to over $10,000. For the best Prada bags to invest in, check out this post.
• Cycling Brands
Italian bicycle brand Castelli began in Milan, where company founder Vittore Gianni made clothing for the city’s football teams and ballet.
Armando Castelli eventually purchased the company in 1939. By that time, it was a well-established cycling supplier operating under the Gianni brand.
Armando’s son Maurizio grew up around pro bike racers and wanted to experiment and innovate outside Gianni’s conservative brief. In 1974, he formed the Castelli we know today, complete with the scorpion logo.
Soon after the company’s inception, Maurizio Castelli achieved his first of many goals: consumer Lycra cycling shorts, followed by synthetic chamois pads.
Today, the company is still highly relevant, supplying Team Ineos with equipment. However, it is perhaps best known for the widely imitated Gabba rainproof jersey, which was introduced ten years ago and is now a staple in the wardrobes of many riders.
A Castelli bike is a great, functional souvenir you can bring with you or ship home to remember your Milan trip by as you get back on track after all the risotto and panettone you have consumed.
• Panettone
Grand Café & Tre Marie offers limited-edition gifts every year that can be personalized with a handwritten message.
Le Tre Marie makes the most traditional panettone in Milan, which dates to the 15th century. Panettone weight averages 1 kg but varies by brand and creativity.
If you’re in Milan on Christmas, try the best local cake. Panettone is a Milanese pastry you must have, one of the best Italian bread types. It is a cupola-shaped sweet and fluffy bread that has candied orange, citron, lemon zest, and dry, unsoaked raisins. It’s served in vertical slices with sweet hot beverages or Asti or Moscato d’Asti. Plain or chocolate versions are available.
In some regions of Italy, panettone is served with “crema di mascarpone,” made with mascarpone, eggs, and a sweet liqueur like Amaretto, or “zabaglione,” made with egg yolks, sugar, and Marsala wine.
In Milan, Tre Marie Bakery is highly recommended if you’re shopping for panettone – definitely one of the best Milan brands to buy!
• Coffee Brands
Italians have hundreds of coffee-ordering expressions. Most people order an espresso, a shorter, stronger, and quicker coffee.
Caffè Hardy is a famous coffee brand in Milan that you simply must try.
Giulio Ottolina founded the Caffè Ottolina brand in 1946, making it Milan’s oldest coffee shop.
Moka Hodeidah is an independent roasting company with some of the best coffee in town. Christmas gift boxes include cups, coffee, chocolates, biscuits, and other goods in various combinations in an exclusive branded tin priced at 70 euros.
Caffè Hardy was founded in Milan in 1954, despite its non-Italian name. Since then, their coffee brand has been distributed to several bars in Milan, satisfying even the most demanding coffee lovers. Each cup has a different aroma. Cups start at 8 euros, but availability is limited. Gran Caffetteria Cadorna sells its merchandise.
• Francesco Maglia Umbrellas
Via Giuseppe Ripamonti, 194, 20141 Milan MI, Italy
Milan is a design hub even when it comes to umbrellas, just like Francesco Maglia’s.
Original and innovative, Francesco Maglia’s hand-made umbrellas set trends. In his Milanese workshop, he makes silk umbrellas, rain umbrellas that convert to beach umbrellas, and bespoke umbrellas.
Maglia’s workshop on via Ripamonti is a source of ideas where umbrellas for women, men, and curious applications are made with wooden handles and countless coating patterns. Each is a masterpiece that you can create uniquely by changing small details.
Custom umbrellas can cost over 500 euros. If you prefer a ready-made umbrella, prices range from 70 to 250 euros.
Scarazzini carries Maglia’s umbrellas, razors, knives, and walking sticks. They’re the only ones in town with the fabrics, wood, and technique to make Maglia umbrellas.
• Bag Brands
Milan has elegant, casual, trendy, and original bags. Medium compact trolleys cost 480 euros, and leather and tassel-handled bags cost 250 euros.
Zani Del Frà leather bags are among Italy’s best. Del Frà’s search for tanning excellence led to a patent that makes leather scratch- and water-resistant without alteration. The brand’s work-and-play handbags are a Milan must-buy.
NAVA has innovative bag materials. Handled bags in polyvinyl polyester and polyacetal polyester cost 70 to 100 euros in their N-bag line, trolleys in nylon from the “Street 2.0” collection with a garment compartment, a computer pocket, and an iPad pocket cost around 200 euros. Office bags cost 100 to 400 euros and they come in different leather types.
Hell’s Kitchen bags are for those who prefer the “chic recycle” style, called such because recycled materials such as tires, inner tubes, car seatbelts, and t-shirts, are used to craft these bags and other unique accessories. Depending on the designs, a bag may cost you 59 to 225 euros.
• Clothing Brands
Milan is famous for numerous luxury fashion brands. Among Italy’s world-famous clothing brands, there are a few “must-try” Italian brands from Milan.
Massimo Alba is one of the most affordable fashion and clothing brands you can buy in Milan. Their boutique on via Brera 8 is known for men’s cashmere sweaters made of Italian fabrics and dyed with a small amount of water. All items are of different colors, proving their uniqueness.
Another must-buy clothing brand in Milan is Aspesi. This Milanese brand embodies Milanese urban style. It has become an icon of clean, elegant Milanese style, perfect for formal occasions and leisure. Men and women can buy the brand.
Coats and trench coats (prices vary depending on male/female models and materials) and casual jackets are their most popular items, with prices going from 300 to 600 euros. Blazers, dresses, shirts, sweaters, and pants are also available. Their atelier is open Monday – Sunday, 10 am – 7 pm.
• Bianco Latte’s White Houses
Milan has delicious ice cream. Bianco Latte (Italian for “milk-like white”) is an all-white shop and restaurant. On each table are tiny white iron houses to hold tapers, an original gadget that has become a symbol of the place and is sold next door.
These white houses range in size from small (35 euros) to large (89 euros) and are perfect for shabby chic interiors. They’re available in two shapes: classical, resembling French architecture, and modern, resembling Northern huts – all white.
• Martini Bianco (White Martini)
Milanese aperitivo is a chance to meet friends and socialize over a drink and lavish buffet. If you host an “aperitivo” at home, Martini Bianco is the best martini brand. Although martini is arguably the most famous Italian drink in the world, its white variety is not really – which makes it quite a unique gift from Milan.
Martini Bianco is a delicate blend of Italian white wine, herbs, and sweet floral botanicals with vanilla and citrus notes. You can have it over ice with soda and a lemon slice for an Italian “spritz,” but try it with an orange slice for a sweeter taste.
Martini Bianco costs 8 to 10 euros per bottle in common supermarkets’ Aperitif section. Corso Genova’s La Coloniale sells it. Airport duty-free shops also sell it.
Terrazza Martini is an upscale lounge bar on a tower terrace at Piazza Armando Diaz. Their martini cocktails are perfect and the rooftop view is stunning. This is a perfect place for having a white martini in Milan.