I Shop Therefore I Am

When arriving in any new place I often look for the heart of a cities culture through its clothing, design and food and where the psyche of the people can be reflected in their purchases.  Naples has several businesses that sell and produce unique, quality and extremely attractive items and it’s worth informing you of these little gems.

 Portobello not only gave me my first pair of cork wedges but also introduced me to two talented women, Serena and Lordana, a mother and daughter team who own and operate the clothing and shoe business.  The shop front is misleading as are so many in Naples because it appears to be a small showroom. Once inside the shop there is a set of stairs that leads to a cavern of rooms below housing some avant-guarde and well-styled fashion.  Many of the products are imported from London such as the well-known Fly London brand. The shoes I purchased are Fly London and as I previously hadn’t heard of them before I am certainly in love with their products now.  There are many products to love at Portobello that can be located in via Pignasecca, number 12.

Kiphy is a special store that came to my attention via my nose.  A small, wooden interior, Kiphy is an ancient Egyptian name, owned and operated by a woman who makes the most beautiful organic and aromatic soaps from olive oil insitu.  One of my favourites, and pretty much all of them were, is soap called Stromboli. The colour of the soap is a light jade green with licorice black fine, smooth grains of sand on the top of the soap and sparingly smattered throughout the cake, from the island of Stromboli itself.  The smell is fresh and slightly pepperminty and when using the soap you have an inbuilt exfoliant.  Other products made at Kiphy are for hair, face and bath products.  www.kiphy.it

A shop with no name, owned by the brother of the woman who operates Kiphy, designs and sells tailored couture by Salvatore, a charismatic talented being.  I chanced upon this shop whilst walking and seeing his creations made me go in and photograph the interior because everything looked beautiful, from dusty magazines in a corner to his mannequins showcasing the clothes that are well crafted with a retro edge to flattering lines and curves in these textural garments.  This business is not far down the lane from Kiphy in vico San Domenico Maggiore, number 3. Unfortunately there is no website or name for this business making it a rare gem when found.

Che Follia is a little further on in via Tribunali (number 308) and the clever works in this shop are made from recycled material by people with mental disabilities.  Works range from paintings, decorative items, lamps, mirrors, chairs and vases.   Attracting my attention was a chair with the seat made from belts next to bags knitted from plastic bags.  Mirrors and lamps made from rolled magazine paper arranged at different heights with an attractive effect of colour and texture and not as ‘home craft looking’ as it may sound.  If I had a home to furnish I would have bought much from this store as the works had a professional finish and a contemporary, sustainable design.

Frendo is a retro clothing store, also in vico San Domenico Maggiore that runs between Sapaccanapoli and via Tribunali.  This is where I purchased soon after I arrived, two pairs of sunglasses; one pair from Christian Dior and another nameless classic where the quality can be seen and felt when wearing them.

Whilst there are many large store brands, Zara, Camilla and Promod offering a great outfit to take home as a souvenir and made in China, consider the locally owned businesses that can often guarantee that your purchase is made either locally or nationally and will be a better item to remind you of Naples and Italy.  So get out there and explore as they can be found.