Esha, who I often run into at fashion week (where’s she’s obviously styling the shows), is a talented fashion designer. I recently bumped into her at the airport on my way back from Rio and we exchanged travel stories, and she agreed to share her most exciting sojourn to Spain – and to let us in on her fashion finds! Enjoy! xoxo

Madrid – a city known for its monumental, bohemian, modern charm and nightlife! While I couldn’t get enough of the museums of Prado and Reina Sofia, the picturesque Cibeles Fountain, the Royal Palace, Alcalá Gate, Retiro Park, the irresistibly sensuous flamenco dance and all the artistic and musical jazz around, here’s another exciting part: this Spanish capital also happens to be a prime international destination for the fashion conscious! Balenciaga, Manolo Blahnik, Mango, Zara, del Pozo, Paco Rabanne, Felipe Varela are all Spanish clothing brands!

While Madrid has quite a few busy shopping streets in the districts of Salamanca and Fuencarral, I picked the Salamanca stretch – also known as fashion’s “golden mile” – and spent most of my time at edgy streets like Claudio Coello, Calle Lagasca, Calle Hermosilla and Calle Serrano.

These streets house leading retail chains (like Zara, Mango, Pull & Bear, Bershka, Caramelo, Hoss Intropia, Custo Barcelona, desigual, Women’s Secret, Maxmara, Longchamp) as well as elegant buildings featuring luxury fashion from Manolo Blahnik, Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada, Roberto Verino, as well as Carrera y Carrera’s Fabulous Jewellry, glamorous footwear brands like Farrutx to international icons like Chanel, Armani, Valentino and Gucci.

Walking down the boulevards with rebajas (sale in Spanish) boards on all stores, I beamed like a lighthouse. Here’s a quick run of 10 impressive Spanish brands I saw:

Hoss Intropia

An exclusive brand from Madrid offering contemporary cult women’s wear with a unique philosophy – “dress to dazzle”. Prints are the special trademark at Hoss Intropia, all of which are designed and produced in-house. Hoss Intropia is all about unconventional detailing, embroidery, beadwork and a melange of textures – a bohemian girl’s dream label!
www.hossintropia.com

Sfera

A clothing brand of the El Corte Inglés Group (Spain’s largest department store company), this brand is known for its comfortable and fashionable clothes, with a great selection of trendy accessories for casual young ladies and sophisticated women. Practical fashion at a very good price! It’s available at all main Spanish cities and in countries like Portugal, Greece and Mexico.
www.sfera.eu

Blanco

An uninhibited spirited Spanish brand that sells from casual chic to urban grunge accessories and clothing for the modern man and woman looking for constant change. They offer top trends but are affordable. A great brand to stock up on for versatile but interesting basics for your wardrobe.
www.blanco.com

Massimo Dutti’s

This world famous Spanish brand from the Inditex group is found in most prime locations across the globe. It offers a wide collection of sophisticated high-end fashion and easygoing casual wear for independent men and women. A unique selling point of this brand is contemporary, flawless styling in gen-next fabrics like natural fabrics, subtle textures and innovative blends. Though slightly more expensive than the rest of the stores of Inditex, it is totally worth it for the high quality and a look that is cosmopolitan and elegant, while providing the utmost comfort.
www.massimodutti.com

Stradivarius

This is a fun fashion brand that responds to the demands of young women aged between 15 and 30, who are looking for the very hottest trends in fashion and are excited about combining garments as a form of personal expression. Independent and feminine, the collection reflects a youthful outlook on fashion, providing the latest trends, designs, fabrics and accessories to its fans. Spotted: interesting vegetation inspired prints!
www.stradivarius.com

Bershka

An eclectic and quirky clothing brand from the Spanish group Inditex (the same group that created Zara). Iconoclastic fashion and designs for young adventurous people who are highly aware of new trends. The women’s line has two labels:

• Bershka, which caters to the high street fashion needs of women. It offers a wide range of jeanswear, evening wear, casual wear and fashion wear.
• BSK offers leading trends for younger girls, taking inspiration from music idols, rock stars, and the like.

The men’s section offers much more than fashionable jeanswear for boys – this product line offers casual, sports and fashion wear as well.
www.bershka.com

Pull & Bear

Urban clothing brand at an accessible price for young people who shun stereotypes with casual fashion. Pull & Bear focuses on taking the latest international trends, and mixes them with influences from new technologies, social movements, New York lofts and the latest artistic or musical trends.  Comfortable and easy to wear garments.
www.pullandbear.com

Armand Basi

A globally known fashion brand for men and women aged between 25 and 35 years old. A prestigious brand with a clear vision and a strong forte for comfortable, modern clothes of exceptional quality that comes at a slightly higher price. It offers a complete lifestyle experience with fragrances, watches, glasses, belts, jewelry, homeware, shoes, accessories, kitchen textiles, and tableware.
www.armandbasi.com

Springfield

A cosmopolitan fashion brand for young men and women from 20 to 30 years old. Offers a wide variety of jeans, jackets, shirts, tees, and flat knits, all of an upbeat style and European spirit. Urban, casual, with an exceptionally good quality-price ratio for both clothing and accessories! The men’s collection is a must try for good deals in trendy casuals. They also include cosmetics and fragrances.
spf.com

Adolfo Dominguez

Minimalistic Spanish women’s fashion brand that has an interesting heritage, having started as a shop for tailored suits in the 50’s. Today, the brand promotes elegant and classical ready-to-wear fashions for the middle-upper segment with key designs like deconstructed women’s suits that are curved, anatomical, and with a flavor of seductiveness using luxurious fabrics like silks, crêpes and shantung silk. It could make your pocket a little lighter, but at least the visit is worth the experience.
www.adolfodominguezshop.com

To round up, Madrid has definitely found its way up on my list of the hippest places to shop, especially if you are looking for that shop-till-you-drop experience – at least that’s what happened to me! xoxo

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