In Rome Now

Rome is full of wonderful, unique shops, each reflecting the personal taste of its proprietor. The trick is learning where they are and we are here to help you. Several distinct shopping areas can be defined in the center of town. The streets around the Spanish Steps are largely occupied by a firmament of designer boutiques, from Giorgio Armani to Ermenegildo Zegna. The Via Giubbinari, which runs from Via Arenula to the Campo de’Fiori, is lined with shops catering mostly to the young or young at heart. Trastevere is dotted with boutiques carrying an electic mix of cutting-edge design, ethnic looks and fine made-to-measure garments. The Via dei Governo Vecchio, behind Piazza Navona, is home to chic ateliers. Shops surrounding the Pantheon and along the fashionable Via Campo Marzio are of the moment, but with a sense of history. The Via del Corso, which runs from Piazza Venezia to Piazza del Popolo, is almost always too crowded for comfort, the attraction: a procession of sportswear vendors, many of them branches of Italy’s popular chains — Blue Sand, List, Le Group, Etam, Ethic, Sisley, Benetton. The same shops can be found on several other shopping streets, such as Via Nazionale, which runs from the Piazza Venezia to the Piazza della Repubblica, and the Via Cola di Rienzo, in residential Prati. Nether is as crowded as the Via del Corso, and you’ll find much the same merchandise.

The shopping mall has begun to infect Rome, confined though it is to the outskirts of the city. They have erupted along the GRA, the road that rings Rome. The newest one, and allegedly the largest in Italy, Roma Est, just opened with 220 stores, including the first Apple Superstore in Rome and the first H&M. And last year, another enormous mail opened at Fiumiciono, near Rome's airport. Ikea has spawned malls on its flanks. A shopping center opened next to the Ikea at Anagnina on Rome’s southern border, and another on the city’s northern border at Settebagni, where Ikea’s second Rome store opened last year. The jewel of Rome’s malls is right in the center, on the Via del Corso, the small but elegant Galleria Alberto Sordi, which re-opened in 2004 after an extensive restoration. The vintage deco stained glass ceiling covers a soaring atrium, and the shops tend to be a bit more interesting: Calvin Klein, the Spanish chain Zara, and Jam, a three-story wonderland of the youngest and hippest clothes and accessories. More interesting for bargain hunters are the outlet malls, out of town at the Castelli Romani and at Valmonte.

SOLEDAD TWOMBLEY

In her atelier, a fourth-floor walk-up near the Spanish Steps with a spectacular view of the city, Soledad Twombly showcases one-of-a-kind garments made with rare fabrics in surprising combinations. Where does her inspiration come from? The influence could be oriental, Far Eastern or South American. Afterall, Argentina is Soledad’s place of birth and she often says, “so much of my inspiration comes from the greens hills of Argentina,where my family has raised horses for over two hundred years.” A perfectly fitted jacket made of antique Indian fabric might have a contrasting collar, cuffs and appliqué trim. Her linings are often as beautiful as her outer fabrics, and many of her garments are reversible. Each is expertly tailored, finished by hand and elegantly timeless. We looked together at a jacket as she told me its story.The lining was a replica of one of her husband’s paintings made into fabric. She had matched his abstract design with a patterned fabric and it worked perfectly. She has recently opened an atelier in New York City, and launched a new line, “Sol."
Via Gregoriana, 34 tel. 06.699 24512 By appointment only. www.soledadtwombly.com