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Or should we say that Fifth Avenue is New York's Via de' Tornabuoni? Whichever way you put it, Tornabuoni is Florence's fashion street, with some of the big names also on adjacent streets, such as Via delle Vigna Nouva. Here we list some of the best-known fashion designers.

Armani
Via delle Vigna Nouva 51r, tel. 055 21 90 41. Open 10:00 - 19:30, Mon 15:30 - 19:30. Closed Sun.
Gentlemen, if you can afford to spend £5000000 (approximately €2,200) on a classic, understated suit, then this is the place for you.

Emporio Armani
Piazza Strozzi 16r, tel. 055 28 43 15. Open 10:00 - 14:00, 15:30 - 19:30, Mon 15:30 - 19;30. Closed Sun.
Gentlemen, if you can afford to spend £1 000 000 (approximately €480) on a more contemporary looking suit from Armani's diffusion line then this is the place for you.

Salvatore Ferragamo
Via de' Tornabuoni 14r, tel. 055 29 21 23. Open 09:30 - 19:30, Mon 15:30 - 19:30. Closed Sun.
Ferragamo was first famed for his shoes, worn by everyone from Greta Garbo to Roman 'extras' in Cecille B. DeMille epics. These days as well as shoes, Ferragamo produces men's and women's clothing and accessories.

Gucci
Via de' Tornabuoni 73r, tel. 055 26 40 11. Open 09:30 - 19:00, Mon 15:00 - 19:00. Closed Sun.
After the label's recent makeover by super-stylish dude Tom Ford, Gucci's headquarters in Florence are now busy from opening to closing time. Ask them about their factory/seconds outlet, at Via Aretina 63, tel. 055 865 77 75.

Prada
Via de'  Tornabuoni 67r, tel. 055 28 34 39. Open 10:00 - 19:00, Mon 15:00 - 19:00. Closed Sun.
For a brief shining moment Prada was the centre of the fashion universe, perhaps due to their reinvention of the shoe. They still make some wonderful shoes, clothes and accessories and their peppermint green shop is definitely worth investigating.

Versace
Via de'  Tornabuoni 13r, tel. (055) 239 61 67/28 26 38, fax (055) 239 61 67. Open 10:00 - 19:00, Mon15:00 - 19:00. 
Love it or hate it, you can't ignore the Versace style, designer of choice for rock-stars, celebrity hairdressers and Russian mafia.

The Blue Shop - Giovanni Baccani
Via della Vigna Nuova 75r, tel./fax 055 21 44 67. Open 09:00 - 13:00, 15:30 - 19:30, Mon 15:30 - 19:30. Closed Sun.
AInitium omnis peccati est superbia, (the greatest sin of all is pride) reads the inscription over the door to this charming store, established in 1903, and dealing in prints, hand-made frames, boxes and triptychs.

Boutique Borsalino
Via Porta Rossa 40r, tel. 055 21 82 75, fax 055 21 02 99. Open 09:30 - 19:30, Mon. 15:30 - 19:30. Closed Sun.
This cute specialist hat shop has authentic, foldable, Montecristo Panama hats, a snip at around £1 000 000; as well as a range of cheaper alternatives.

Farmacia di Santa Maria Novella
Via della Scala 16, tel. 055 21 62 76
Quite possibly the most beautiful pharmacy in the world, and one of the oldest established by the Dominican Fathers in 1221. If you want to impress the standoffish clerks, spend up big - and speak in perfect, accentless French.

Procacci
Via de' Tornabuoni 64r, tel. 055 21 16 56. Open 10:30 - 20:00. Closed Mon, Sun.
This heavenly truffle house has a small number of tables and a standup bar at which to enjoy these aristocrats of the soil. Even if you have yet to acquire the truffle habit, stop by just to admire Procacci's wood panelled interior and 19th-century ambience.