Mango (Barcelona, Spain)

Mango (or MNG) seems like one of the most obvious stores to mention when it comes to Barcelona shopping, mainly because this Catalan brand is the city's biggest high street success story. And while I realize it might not be one of my most exciting shopping finds, as their stores are almost everywhere these days, it's still one of my favorite retail brands. I never actually realized this until I recently reorganized my closet and noticed that most of my high street buys were Mango. Unlike a lot of brands out there, they've always had a good mix of trendy, elegant, casual yet timeless pieces that don't look outdated after a season. Some of their dresses might be too colorful for my taste, but that's the beauty of their collections - there's usually something there to suit every taste. Plus I adore their skinny jeans, which seem to fit me better than any expensive version out there.

Looks from the current catalogue.

Mango has been around for 25 years, though for the first decade or so the label was only represented in Spain. This was followed by a flagship in Paris, then London and these days, Mango stores can be found in over 90 countries.

Penelope Cruz, Dakota Johnson

The brand has done pretty well for itself in the last few years, especially when it comes to designer collaborations and selecting appropriate spokespeople for their campaigns. Everyone from Milla Jovovich (for the Jovovich-Hawk line) to Faye Dunaway have been featured in their ads and catalogues. Most recently Penelope Cruz - the perfect candidate to represent a Spanish brand - has been the face of the company, along with Dakota Johnson (Don Johnson's/Melanie Griffith's daughter) for MNG Jeans and Julia Restoin-Roitfeld for the SS09 range. The next celebrity set to be promoting the FW09/10 line will be Scarlett Johansson. Designer collections currently include pieces by Zuhair Murad, Adam Lippes and emerging designer Sandrina Fasali.

Julia Restoin-Roitfeld models this season's hottest trends.

In trying to find the first ever flagship in Barcelona, I was told it was located on Passeig de Gràcia, but as there were actually two stores on this busy high street, I ended up going to the one I thought was prettier. Located in what resembled a big mansion, I found this store to be unique in the sense that it actually had a lot of windows. Ever noticed that many department stores and other shops lack natural sunlight? It annoys me at times, and this is what made this store such a pleasure to browse. It was pretty huge and reminded me more of an upscale boutique than a high street chain, mainly due to the bright atmosphere and the homey touches such as the photos and paintings on the walls or the comfortable couches which could be found in the men's department.

Ground floor featuring a nice jewelry selection.

The great thing about visiting a bigger flagship of a brand you already know, is that they'll usually stock items you've never seen or noticed before. In most cases I tend to ignore accessories, such as bags, shoes, scarves or jewelry. Here, it was hard to miss. The ground floor had summer dresses, tartan shirts and all kinds of other breezy items suitable for the hot weather. But what caught my attention was the chunky statement jewelry which was housed in glass cases near the entrance. I was especially enamored by some of the necklaces, which were pretty heavy and well-made.

Accessories on the upper level.

The upper level was where most of the women's range could be found. Everything from the limited edition designer collections to the current season styles and autumn/winter previews were available. It's worth noting again, that the prices here are lower than what you'd pay for Mango outside of Spain, so if you see something you like, I'd definitely go for it. As before, I somehow gravitated towards the accessories selection - this time the bags and shoes. A nearby scarf rack had a great variety of silk and cotton numbers I hadn't seen before - some even reminded me of last year's McQueen rainbow range.

Big French windows were on either side of the store, which meant that anyone browsing here could still enjoy the sunny weather. Towards the middle, an enclosed balcony displayed a few dummies who were wearing Zuhair Murad dresses. I won't go through what I saw, because I think that pretty much every MNG item on the website could be found in the store.

Left: Mannequins in the enclosed balcony. Right: Odd props added a nice touch.

I took a quick peek at the menswear (aptly named 'HE') as well and quite enjoyed the setting they chose for it. I think the interior designers were channeling a gentleman's club, with the old fashioned couch, lush carpets, gothic chandeliers, more paintings on the walls and antique Chinese props that were placed on various shelves. The menswear range isn't widely available at the moment, so once again, if any guys out there happen to be in Barcelona, I'd pay this store a visit.

Cozy decor in the menswear department.

Because of it's central location and proximity to many of the Gaudi structures, you're bound to pass this store anyway, so you might want to have a quick browse. Otherwise, you'll probably get the chance to visit one in your hometown anyway. If there's no outlet near you, check out the Mango online store which sells the majority of their collection and ships worldwide.

(individual images: Mango)

Address: Passeig de Gràcia, 08007 Barcelona

Opening Hrs: Mon-Sat: 10:15-21:00

Mango Homepage, Mango Online Shop