Fashion

Andalucian Products

If you see a flamenco show while you’re here, you may well be seized with the urge to buy a dress, along with all the necessary colour-coordinated accoutrements: jewellery, shoes, comb, shawl, flower and fan. There are countless shops in every town and city around Andalucia where you can buy all the gear.

Shopping Centres

Most cities now have indoor centro comerciales (shopping centres) with supermarkets, fashion stores, and cafes. The undisputed queen of these is La Cañada in Marbella, which is home to Andalucia’s only Marks & Spencers.

English Stores

For a homesick expat, or a visitor in need of a familiar environment, there are a number of English clothing companies present in Andalucia. Most outlets are located either in city centres, or in shopping centres on the outskirts of cities.

Department Stores

In larger towns and cities, El Corte Ingles stores have large fashion departments, which stocks labels such as Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Armani, Pepe, Miss Sixty and Coast. They also have huge accessories areas, from tights and scarves to leather goods.

High Street Stores

The most popular clothes outlets in Spain are Mango and Zara; every Spanish woman has several pieces from these stores in their wardrobe. They’re reasonably priced, reasonable quality, and fast to catch onto the latest trends. Larger towns and cities will have several branches; Zara also does interiors and children’s clothing.

Designer Fashion Stores

The home of high-end brands in Andalucia is Marbella, and more specifically Puerto Banus. Gucci, Prada, Loewe, Versace – they’re all there.

Andalucian Designers

Top local designers, Victorio and Luccino produce romantic confections, with frills galore and floaty, sexy fabrics. They are favoured by eccentric aristocratic the Duquesa de Alba, know for her flamboyant, hippie style. The duo, who are also a civil couple, designed the Duquesa’s wedding dress for her nuptials in Seville in October 2011.

Fashion

Andalucians are well known for their style – think of Andalucian fashion, and you think of a woman in a swirling, spotty flamenco dress, with matching earrings and necklace, co-ordinating shoes and flower, and the finishing touch: a fan.