Van Ravenstein (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

(image: Eve McQueen/shopgirl.nl)

While this boutique is also situated along the 'Nine Streets', it couldn't be any different from Exota. Instead of quirkiness and vintage charm, you'll find lots of sleek white minimalism. The shop windows rarely feature more than one dummy - usually they will showcase one of the current season's handbags draped in front of the white walls.

This is also probably one of the most expensive shops in the area, so don't expect to find too much under the 200 EUR price-range. Although I wouldn't necessarily recommend shopping designer brands in Amsterdam (unless you really can't help yourself) Van Ravenstein not only offers current season Balenciaga and Givenchy, but also a very good selection of Belgian and Dutch labels (Dries van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester, Spijkers en Spijkers, Klavers van Engelen, Veronique Branquinho and of course Viktor & Rolf). If you do happen to find yourself in this shop, make sure to check with the staff if they still have some old season stock. I managed to find some limited edition accessories from previous collections (dating back to 2005!) when I was browsing a few months back.

(image: Michael Thieberg)

As the clothing range offers both international and more local designs, you will find anything from classic evening wear to avant-garde futuristic jackets and coats. There are usually 2-3 sales assistants who won't bother you too much, but are helpful enough. On certain Saturdays, the boutique will offer some discounted items in the basement area, so it's worth popping in, just to see if you can snag a good deal.

Address: Keizersgracht 359, 1016 EJ Amsterdam
Opening Hrs: Mon: 13:00-18:00, Tue-Sat: 11:00-18:00,
Thu: until 19:00, Sat: 10:30-17:30
Van Ravenstein Homepage