Fashion and craftsmanship combine with exceptional results on this perfect tour for fashion-lovers

As well as being a top shopping destination, Florence has a long-standing tradition of skilled and experienced local artisans. The ideal Florentine fashion tour starts with a leisurely stroll along its high-end fashion streets, starting with Via Tornabuoni and its side streets, along Via degli Strozzi and Via della Vigna Nuova, before taking in some “sacred” locations of Florentine fashion, to the delight of the most exacting fashion-lovers. 

Gucci Garden, The Gucci Museum – Piazza della Signoria, 10

We start our Fashion Tour at the Gucci Museum, the ultimate place to find out everything there is to know about the history of this world-famous fashion brand. Located in the heart of Florence at the fourteenth-century Palazzo di Mercanzia in Piazza della Signoria, the museum’s 1,715 square metres on three floors brings the Florentine fashion house’s history to life. The Gucci Museum features a café-restaurant and a bookstore offering an extensive list of publications to thrill any art, fashion or photography enthusiast. The Gucci Garden is also home to three-Michelin-starred chef Massimo Bottura’s “Gucci Osteria” restaurant.

Scuola del cuoio – Via San Giuseppe, 5/R

Our fashion tour continues towards Santa Croce where, inside a former Franciscan convent, the Gori and Casini families – artisans since 1930 – have created a unique leatherworking hub. Their School of Leather offers visitors the chance to watch artist-craftsmen from the Florentine fashion tradition as they expertly make bags, wallets, travel items, belts and more. One of the most renowned workshops in the city, the Scuola Del Cuoio is a unique place that combines high-quality products with a dedication to tradition.

Goldsmiths’ ateliers and workshops – The Alessandro Dari Museum – Via di S. Niccolò, 115R

It would be impossible to conceive of a Florence fashion tour without talking about jewellery in a city with such long-standing jewellery-making traditions. Visit a number of workshops to admire goldsmiths’ collections and appreciate the uniqueness of the jewels they create with sculptural workmanship and experimentation of the highest order: don’t miss the atelier/museum of Alessandro Dari, a Florentine master of the goldsmith’s art, sculptor and pharmacist, and Ponte Vecchio, the mecca of the goldsmith’s art, home to the town’s most prestigious jewellery shops. 

Museo Ferragamo – Palazzo Spini Feroni – Piazza Santa Trinita, 5/R

You simply must see the Ferragamo Museum, especially if your passion is... shoes! The Ferragamo family first opened its museum in May 1995 to raise awareness about Salvatore Ferragamo’s artistic prowess and the role he played in the history not only of footwear but international fashion. The footwear in the museum reveals Salvatore Ferragamo’s relationship with artists of the day and showcases his ongoing quest for the perfect fit, as well as the special construction techniques and materials he invented. The museum also displays famous shoes created for Hollywood icons like Marilyn Monroe, Greta Garbo, and Audrey Hepburn.

Museo della Moda e del Costume – Palazzo Pitti – Piazza de' Pitti, 1

No fashion tour of Florence worth its salt could fail to culminate at Palazzo Pitti. Established in 1983, Palazzo Pitti was Italy’s first public museum dedicated to the history of fashion, with a collection of fashion garments and accessories ranging from the eighteenth century to the present day. It also features exhibits of historical garments from the early 1700s to the first twenty years of the twentieth century, highlighting the changes in style and fabrics that have taken place over the years. A veritable climax!

Where to stay in Florence

If you’d like “fashion” and “style” to define your stay in Florence, Gruppo UNA has something right up your street. First off, we suggest Leone Blu Suites | UNA Esperienze, an exclusive collection of nine refined, elegant suites in Palazzo Ricasoli, a unique, exclusive place to stay decorated with wooden ceilings and furnishings from Brolio Castle. UNAHOTELS Vittoria Firenze, on the other hand, brings together design, luxury and comfort in a hotel designed by famous architect Fabio Novembre, in an ideal location for enjoying the city and its surroundings.