20 Best Shopping in Barcelona, Spain

A sleek and breezy Balearic Islands look for women is what this designer from Mallorca brings to the fashion scene of urban Barcelona in a whitewashed shop reminiscent of an art gallery. Her dresses transmit a casual, minimalistic elegance and have graced many a red carpet all over Spain.

This ultra-chic clothing store stocks both men's and women's clothing and accessories, all made by young Catalan designers. A labor of love that is spearheaded by local designer Carola Alexandre, who sells her own designs as well as pieces by the likes of Name BCN, Lubochka, and Mus Roew.

This family-owned (and women-owned) store sells vintage clothing, fabrics, jewelry, and accessories, with a focus on wedding dresses, veils, and lace. Despite the found-object attitude and ambience of the place, they're not giving away these vintage baubles, so don't be surprised at the hefty price tags. You'll also find a collection of their own bridal gowns, newly made but in romantic, old-fashioned styles. Notably, the shop supplied many costumes and props for the filming of Titanic. 

One of Barcelona's longtime fashion giants, this is one of Spain's leading clothing designers, with many locations around town. Famed as the creator of the Iberia Airlines uniforms, Adolfo Domínguez has been in the not-too-radical mainstream of Spanish couture for the past quarter century.

One of Barcelona's longtime fashion giants, this is one of Spain's leading clothing designers, with many locations around town. Famed as the creator of the Iberia Airlines uniforms, Adolfo Domínguez has been in the not-too-radical mainstream of Spanish couture for the past quarter century.

Look for an elegant and innovative selection of relaxed knits, coats, and dresses at this stylish boutique. Anna Povo's designs tend to sleek and minimalist, in cool tones of gray and beige.

Originally from Venezuela but professionally based in New York, Carolina Herrera and her international CH logo have become Barcelona mainstays. (Daughter Carolina Herrera Jr. is a Spanish resident and married to former bullfighter Miguel Báez.) Fragrances for men and women and clothes with a simple, elegant line—a white blouse is the CH icon—are the staples here. Herrera's light ruffled dresses and edgy urban footwear add feminine flourishes.

Local designers Elisabet Vallecillo and Javier Blanco founded this sustainable women’s fashion brand, whose casual minimalist pieces are crafted entirely in Barcelona using only natural organic fabrics such as cotton and silk.

Coquette specializes in understated feminine beauty, with a small but careful selection of mainly French designers, like Souur, Des Petits Hauts, and Spain's own Hoss Intrópia. Whether it's a romantic or a seductive look you're after, Coquette makes sure you'll feel both comfortable and irresistible. 

Ever since Custo Dalmau and his brother David returned from a round-the-world motorcycle tour with visions of California surfing styles dancing in their heads, Custo Barcelona has been a runaway success with its clingy cotton tops in bright and cheery hues. Now with three branches in Barcelona (including an outlet shop at Plaça del Pi 2, in the Barri Gòtic) and many more across the globe, Custo is scoring even more acclaim by expanding into coats, dresses, and kids' wear.

Desigual’s wildly appliqued and printed T-shirts and dresses, coats, and bags scream a psychedelic Mediterranean flavor that’s half 1960s Ibiza and half a Daliesque dreamscape. The company’s growth over the past decade has been phenomenal, with shops everywhere from Montreal to Melbourne. In a savvy move, or perhaps anticipating T-shirt overload, the company has now launched a range of hippie-chic jeans. Other branches of Desigual can be found throughout the city.

Popular with the uptown crowd, Erre de Raso makes clothes in bright and breezy shades and patterns. With colors ranging from electric fuchsias to bright indigo blues and materials ranging from satin (raso) to cottons and silks, the objective is to outfit stylish women in chameleonic outfits that look equally appropriate picking up the kids from school, dropping by an art gallery opening, and hitting a cocktail party in the same sortie.

This well-established menswear star, with four stores in town and another at the airport, markets selections from Armani Jeans, Scotch & Soda, Hugo Boss, and Blackstone, as well as its own collection of dapper suits, shirts, and gentlemen's accessories.

This mini-agglomeration of boutiques spreads out over three streets, together defining El Born’s penchant for the achingly à la mode. Menswear can be found at Bonaire 7, Rec 73 and 75, with the latter entirely dedicated to the natty threads of U.K. designer Paul Smith. Women can choose from predominantly French designers such as Isabel Marant and Sonia Rykiel at Rec 52.

Known as a gifted fabric expert whose creations are invariably based on the qualities and characteristics of her raw materials, Galicia-born Purificación García enjoys solid prestige in Barcelona. Understated hues and subtle combinations of colors and shapes place this contemporary designer squarely in the camp of the less-is-more school, and, although her women's range is larger and more diverse, she understands men's tailoring.

The local Catalan designer Sita Murt produces smart, grown-up women's wear under her own label in this minimalist space in the Eixample. Colorful chiffon dresses and light, gauzy tops and knits characterize this line of clothing popular with professional women and wedding goers.

A regular at Madrid Fashion Week, Teresa Helbig designs feminine and elegant pret-a-porter women's collections. Yet she is better known, and worth visiting, for her bespoke bridal wear and evening gowns, timeless haute couture she concocts for her well-heeled clients at her Barcelona studio-showroom. It may not come cheap, but you'll be able to hand it down through generations.

Under her own label, Silvia Garcia Presas—the creator of El Avant—offers quietly elegant and effortlessly chic clothing for women in her simple boutique at the top end of Enric Granados. Fabrics are 100% natural (organic cotton, alpaca wool, etc.), and the generous and easy cuts are transgenerational and flattering. 

A store as trendy as the street on which it lies, Trait is the place for Sant Antoni's fashionistas to pick up the latest looks. From global brands like Carhartt WIP to Danish style favorites Samsoe Samsoe and Basic Apparel, as well as a selection of ethical local Catalan designers, Trait is where you'll find many of the hottest men's and women's labels around.