In Madrid you can almost find anything you’re looking for. People have come to this city to find the most specific, sophisticated or weird things. Variety is a main feature of its shops: from the most luxurious ones at Salamanca Quarter to the most alternative fashion at Calle Fuencarral. Madrid goes beyond fashion; its style cannot be defined. It’s the sum of all trends, surprising and alive.
Spanish design
Spain exports its design to the world and Madrid is most important creative centre in the country. Our designers break barriers in all fields, from interior decoration to fashion. You cannot leave without living it. Visit the shops of the main national firms, those that showcase in New York, London, Paris and, of course, Madrid. Because Cibeles Madrid Fashion Week takes place every year, in February and September, and it set trends. There’s a suggestion for every style, just find yours!
The most traditional: like the old times
Get to know the things that are part of us. Those that have been sold for at least one century and without which we wouldn’t be the way we are. Because tradition doesn’t belong to the past, but to the present. Do you consider a handmade fan old-fashioned? Can’t an embroidered Manila shawl be modern?
Have you tried the traditional violet sweets? Yes, violet: a flavour that some contemporary chefs add to their salads and that we have been producing in Madrid for decades. Do you really think that tradition is boring?
The most modern: make a difference
Madrid still remembers La Movida, that social movement that made Madrid the most modern and trendiest city in the world in the late 70′s and early 80′s, which meant a cultural boost for the city and the whole country. Chueca, Malasaña and Calle Fuencarral are some of the places where you can still feel that spirit. Everyday, a multicoloured fauna parades up and down their streets, gets lost inside their shops and pubs and keeps the idea of difference alive. Get in Fuencarral Market, try a new look in any of its hairdressers’ or dare get that tattoo that you have always wanted.
International labels: fashion victims
Don’t deny you also love luxury. Have a walk around Serrano, Ortega y Gasset and nearby streets. Here you will find the main international labels, those worn by film stars on red carpets. It’s a pleasure to look through their windows and, although they are still very expensive, here in Madrid they might be a little bit cheaper than in other European capitals. And it’s even cheaper during sales!
El Rastro: celebrating the flea market
A mix between tradition and modernity is sold, bought and enjoyed in the surroundings of Plaza de Cascorro. Born in the Middle Ages, el Rastro is one of the oldest flea markets in Europe, but also one of the most modern ones. The mix between sellers and buyers, locals and tourists, have made it one of the most popular places in the city, recommended in every tourist guide.
To fully enjoy it, you just have to walk its streets, get lost among the crowds, try to bargain and let yourself be captivated by its charm. And afterwards, don’t forget to have a snack in any of the bars in the area. It will be a perfect Sunday morning!
Century-old shops: like a museum
Many of them have been visited by some of our most charismatic celebrities in the last century. Going through their doors is like entering another world. Period furniture, stained glass, tiles… history all over. They are those shops that have survived the time going by without changing their decoration but adapting to nowadays.
Chemists’, restaurants, patisseries, bookshops… Shops that have been inherited from one generation to another and that are still present in our daily lives. You will find a plaque at their entrances that indentify them as century-old shops.
The weirdest: bizarre Madrid
Visit the shops near Calle de la Luna and Malasaña. You will find the weirdest items and souvenirs from your childhood. Entering these places may be a journey back to the past. If you are a freak who collects impossible items, full of irony and vindication, you will find a whole world in these shops, from the most transgressor comics to funny but previously horrifying albums or retro second-hand clothes.
