There's no Critical Shopper today in the Thursday Styles, but instead, the Times has sent Eric Wilson to moonlight as the "Global Shopper" while he covers the Fall 2012 collections in Milan. He finds himself at Excelsior, an ambitious, new multi-brand store in Milan that seems to have rubbed Italian traditionalists the wrong way.
It's not surprising that a flashy $40 million 40,000 square foot store would cause a stir in any city, but while New Yorkers, for example would typically be waiting for a new retail extravaganza with bated breath, the Milanese, even cab drivers, apparently don't take too kindly to such ostentation.
“We don’t need it,” the driver said. In fact, he sounded a little offended that a store like Excelsior, with its facade of flashy video displays and nightclub lighting, exists in a city where shopping is supposed to be sacrosanct.
No fun.
As Wilson lists the labels carried in the store, we wonder if the abundance of American-based sportswear labels may be part of the local resistance. Helmut Lang, Theory, Rag & Bone, Alice & Olivia, Gryphon, Altuzarra, Wrangler, Levi’s, Lee, RRL Ralph Lauren and Proenza Schouler are all mentioned as being featured prominently. Maybe its a local pride thing.
The most exciting feature, to us, sounds to be the extensive food department, but if the Milanese aren't able to appreciate Excelsior, the by all means pack the place up and sent it over here. New Yorkers would be all over that place.
Global Shopper: Fiddling With a Milanese Recipe By Eric Wilson (NYTimes)
Excelsior Milano Galleria del Corso, 4, Milan, Italy
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