Clothing & Fabrics

If you're after international fashion, Avinguda Diagonal is the place to look. Shops along here include Calvin Klein (At No 484), Giorgio Armani (No 490; No 620), Gianni Versace (No 606) and Gucci (No 415). Jean Pierre Bua (No 469) hosts designers ranging from Jean Paul Gaultier through to Helmut Lang.

Max Mara (tel 93 488 17 77; Passeig de Cracia 23) has several branches around town.

Loewe (tel 93 216 04 00; Avinguda Diagonal 570) is one of Spain's leading and oldest fashion stores, founded in 1846. There's another branch, which opened in 1943, in the Modernista Casa Lleo Morera (Passeig de Gracia).

Try Ortiga (Carrer de Bon i Fontesta 10) if you're looking for pret-a-porter evening dresses.

Adolfo Dominguez (Passeig de Cracia 32) is a star name in Spanish fashion and Gonzaio Cornelia (Cnr Passeig de Cracia & Carrer de Casp) is known for men's clothing.

Zara (I'llla del Diagonal shopping complex; Avinguda Diagonal 584; Passeig de Cracia 16; Hostal Lausanne, Avinguda del Portal de I'Angel 24) is one of the country's most successful outlets for women's fashion.

Antonio Miro (Carrer del Consell de Cent 349) concentrates on light, natural fibres to produce smart, unpretentious men's and women's fashion - jackets are a strong point.

Jeanne Weiss (tel 93 301 04 12; Carrer d'En Rauric 8) has some nice lines in African printed fabrics, cushions and shirts.

Obach (tel 93 318 40 94; Carrer del Call 2) has, since 1924, been purveying hats in the heart of the Call.

Loft Avignon (tel 93 301 24 20; Carrer d'Avinyo 22) is one of several hip young fashion stores that have sprouted along this once sombre Barri Gotic street.

In El Raval along Carrer de la Riera Baixa, a string of clothing stores has appeared in the past couple of years. The kind of clothes, from pseudo military through to grunge, reflects the still gritty nature of this part of the old town.