For the last six years, visions of Prada’s outlets in Italy have loomed large in my mind. Whenever I traveled to Milan for Fashion Week, they always came up in conversation. Have you been? Are they good?? Reviews varied. Some people hit the jackpot; others said they weren’t worth the trip. Finally, I decided to make the pilgrimage myself.

To clarify, there are multiple Prada outlets, including one in Sicily, but the most talked-about locations are near the brand’s warehouses and production sites outside of Florence, and there are two of them. The first one is inside The Mall, which is basically the Woodbury Commons of Tuscany, and the second one is a “secret” outpost a little further away that everyone knows about called Space (lol). I went to both in the span of a single day in the name of journalism and because I’m insane.

Below is my full dispatch, including what to do, what NOT to do, and what I found along the way. The journey was winding, with high highs and low lows, not unlike my search for that devilish little Prada bag. But ultimately triumphant. Enjoy!

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