The Club’s guide to shopping the globe

Forget the obligatory fridge magnet as a souvenir and turn your trip into a shopping spree to remember. The Club’s Marisa Cannon reveals the exotic retailers worth keeping on your radar

Barcelona

Spanish fashion may not enjoy the same attention as its heavyweight neighbours, but Barcelona has a cache of charming children’s clothing stores that are well worth a browse. In Vila de Gracia, Melic Bebe offers designer-look pieces enlivened with funky details and colourful prints, while Limo Bebe brims with the latest baby accessories. Meanwhile, Petit Oh (pictured) has three outlets specialising in garments made with pima, a delicate Peruvian cotton. Take home super-soft babygrows in a host of trendy, muted tones.

Mauritius

Besides its white sands and cobalt sea, Mauritius has a booming textiles sector. For quality cashmere, take note of local brand In’am, whose minimalist staples and lounge pieces are pared back and classy. Floreal Boutique (pictured) is a more formal outfit that sells deliciously soft cashmere and fine-wool blends from brands such as Harris Wilson and Blu River, while Cashmere Polo Club is a high-end purveyor of all-cashmere pieces that use yarn supplied by Italian luxury brand Loro Piana.

Norway

Where better to shop for cold weather clothing than Scandinavia, where children are propped up on skis almost as soon as they can walk. Dale of Norway has been making stylish weather-resistant clothing since 1879, with top sellers such as the award-winning Knitshell jacket, made with a breathable three-layer fabric. Avid skiers should check out Norrona’s Lofoten collection (pictured) for lightweight Gore-Tex garments and accessories. The new Hemsedal line at Bergan's of Norway provides temperature regulation through its ‘bodymapping’ technology, which lets materials react to changes in the body to maintain optimum temperature.

New Zealand

Manuka honey is the ‘liquid gold’ that’s stormed the world, claiming to cure all manner of ailments. It’s made only in New Zealand, and artisanal producers are bottling the elixir alongside original varieties, such as the wild thyme made by Christchurch-based J. Friend and Co. An hour north of Auckland, the Honey Centre is home to New Zealand’s largest display of bees, where tours are offered daily. Manuka Masters in Auckland has gone a step further, crafting manuka honey soaps, barbecue marinades, infused chocolate and lozenges.

Paris

If anyone knows how to look dazzling in the rain, it's Paris. Parasolerie Heurtault brings pomp and ceremony to rainy days with hand-made umbrellas and parasols, using haute couture fabrics. On Boulevard Saint-Germain, Alexandra Sojfer is another atelier that uses fine materials such as snakewood, together with top-quality textiles. For those who prefer to repair rather than replace, Pep’s, (slang for pepin or umbrella), has been repairing umbrellas since the 1970s, and sells original designs. The charming boutique (pictured) is classed by the French government as a ‘heritage company’.

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This article has been tagged Fashion + Style, Destination