If you are lucky enough to be in the vicinity of a Prada outlet, they offer an enjoyable shopping experience and a nice break from the dismal customer service normally found at a retail store. The first place I go to when I want to accomplish some serious shopping at bargain basement prices is the Woodbury Common Premium Outlet in NYC. What you will find are items from the world's leading fashion labels at thirty to fifty percent less than at any retail outlet in a major city.

Prada 2009 Spring Handbag Preview

Prada was founded in 1913 in Milan, Italy as a leathergoods shop, and has since been transformed into the luxury goods, fashion house as we know it today by the founder's grand-daughter Miuccia Prada. Fresh out of university, she entered the family business and immediatlely began to revolutionize the appearance of its products. Anyone who has tried on a Prada gown knows the feeling, is somewhat akin to being Alice in Wonderland - a visual feast of the most pleasant fabrics and colors that leaves one happily surprised at the results. Prada continues to blaze a trail in the fashion industry with it's far reaching and innovative use of fabrics, from silky spandex to slinky wools.

See Prada Handbags on Sale!

A journey to the Prada outlet in Italy is a two hour car drive through the scenic Tuscany countyside. Once the playgound of fashion's bourgeoisie, it has now become a tourist destination, just like the Santa Maria del Fiore and the Ponte Vecchio. For many travellers, the Prada outlet is the reason they have made the trek to Florence. Like other outlets in Italy, it is tucked away in a fairly remote place. I wonder why that is? Perhaps it's because the Italian designers would rather you buy their products from the more expensive boutiques in Florence or Milan. If you're determined to come back from your next trip to Italy with a suitcase full of loot then the Prada Factory Outlet is well worth the trip to Florence.

For those looking for a Prada outlet store without having to get on a plane to Europe, there are a couple listed below. Happy shopping!

Desert Hills Premium Outlets - Cabazon, CA

Woodbury Commons Premium Outlets - Central Valley, NY

The Prada Fairy Bag, was one of Prada's most popular designs of 2008, and quickly became a hot item among Hollywoods trendy crowd. According to Miuccia, the iconic fairy print was the result of her "trying to find a new creativity". I think it worked because the print is absolutely stunning and a work of art in every sense. After seeing countless horibble prints/patterns on handbags for Spring, it is refreshing to see a bag that is so gorgeous, it just takes your breath away! It's no wonder that celebrities including Jennifer Love Hewitt, Hilary Duff, and Sienna Miller have been spotted with this bag on their arms. At $2290, do you still believe in fairies?

If you do, Nymag has a How to Get the Elusive Prada Fairy Bag

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