Collins Avenue Shopping

South Beach’s Art Deco District holds treasures at every intersection from the historic pastel properties along Ocean Drive to the top nightclubs that keep Washington Avenue moving all night long. Just between these two hotspots, Collins Avenue is home to a unique variety of luxury resorts, boutique hotels and some of the best shopping in town. If you’ve got the credit cards, we’re here to direct you to South Beach Shopping in Style!

Collins Avenue (A1A) runs along the coast of Miami Beach and features landmark Art Deco properties in South Beach and glamorous oceanfront resorts all the way up through Sunny Isles. One of the prime shopping districts along Collins Avenue starts just north of 5th Street in South Beach and runs up through 12 Street where clever fashionistas will find great resort fashions at Roxy Quiksilver Surfwear, Banana Republic and the Gap. Just next door, the contemporary sportswear shop Urban Outfitters stocks men’s and women’s apparel, shoes and trendy sunglasses.

South Beach Shopping

Just north of Fifth Street, Collins Avenue offers something to satisfy every shopper’s appetite from vacation-ready sportswear to dramatic designer goods. Cruise the make-up lover’s paradise Sephora (721 Collins Avenue) or have a beauty makeover at MAC Cosmetics (650 Collins Avenue) or invest in a whole new look at the Vidal Sassoon Salon (660 Collins Avenue) where a styling student can transform your hair for a fraction of the regular rate. Once you’ve got your beauty regimen sorted out, finding a new beachy wardrobe is a breeze!

For trend-right sportswear with hipster appeal, check out both levels of Urban Outfitters (653 Collins Avenue) a contemporary outlet for men’s and women’s clothing and accessories. For more sophisticated looks with a European edge, visit Zara (590 Collins Avenue), Intermix (634 Collins Avenue), Benetton (666 Collins Avenue) and Armani Exchange (760 Collins Avenue). Accessorize your new looks with bags and shoes from Steve Madden (635 Collins Avenue), Nine West (673 Collins Avenue), Aldo Shoes (751 Collins Avenue) and – since we’re talking 365 days of South Beach sunshine – don’t miss Sunglass Hut (673 Collins Avenue).

While Victoria’s Secret (745 Collins Avenue) is known for eye-catching lingerie, the South Beach location as well as Banana Republic (800 Collins Avenue) and the GAP (673 Collins Avenue) have great swimwear in stock year round, so if the shops in your town only offer wool and winter coats, you can always find a great bikini the day you arrive! And a loud pair of surfer jams for your sporty guy awaits you nearby at Roxy Quicksilver Surfwear (740 Collins Avenue) or Tommy Hilfiger (616 Collins Avenue).

Fans of designer fashion flock to Barneys COOP (832 Collins Avenue) and the store made world famous by their recent partnership with retail juggernaut Target – The Webster (1220 Collins Avenue) – where the world’s top collections are carefully edited to reflect a Miami girl’s unique sartorial sensibility. If the kind of designer goods you like are sexy jeans, find them at Guess (736 Collins Avenue), Levi’s (826 Collins Avenue) and True Religion (644 Collins Avenue).

Ladies seeking beauty products, skin care essentials and sunscreen can check out the full range at Sephora and choose from a variety of fashion colors in make-up at MAC. If a vacation makeover is on the agenda, the Vidal Sasson Salon adjoins the MAC store which makes it easy to update your look in a single afternoon. For updated wardrobe essentials, find Zara and Benetton and a well-edited collection of contemporary sportswear at Intermix.

Accessories can easily update your vacation apparel so start your shopping around 7th and Collins at Steve Madden where the bags and shoes are always on trend. Just next door the Nine West Boutique stocks sexy sandals, hot handbags and a variety of sunglasses and jewelry. Since the sun shines on South Beach nearly every day, a trip through Sunglass Hut can help any guy or girl find the shades that add that essential finishing touch to any outfit.

Sometimes it takes a designer look to truly set you apart and for that we suggest a stroll through The Webster, one of the best resources for exploring a full range of upscale labels that have been carefully curated for the Florida climate. Recently partnering with Target shops put The Webster on the radar of every savvy shopper so don’t be surprised to discover that the South Beach boutique actually has very pricey options. New York shoppers will recognize the Barneys COOP shop which stocks hip clothing, bags and shoes with a Manhattan edge. If all the labels seem too much for the weather, there are always designer jeans to be found at Armani Exchange, True Religion and Guess.

Wherever you wander on Collins Avenue, you’ll find great looks – and more than a few bargains – in clothing and accessories that work for any Miami Vacation.

Bal Harbour Shopping

Just north of Miami Beach, the town of Bal Harbour is home to more millionaires than any other part of Collins Avenue and those who like to wear the finest designer clothing don’t have to travel very far to visit Chanel, Prada, Gucci and Neiman Marcus.

The Bal Harbour Shops shuttle service picks up guests from the Ritz Carlton, W South Beach, Fontainebleau Resort, Eden Roc Renaissance and Canyon Ranch Hotels three times a day at no charge.

Bal Harbour Shops are the pinnacle of the South Florida luxury retail experience where designer shops like Alexander MacQueen, Balenciaga, Celine, Chanel and Chloe stand door-to-door with Emilio Pucci, Lanvin, Oscar de la Renta and Prada. At either end of the swank alfresco shopping promenade, Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus vie for the affections of the most affluent customers in town. In the middle of it all, gently burbling turtle ponds soothe weary husbands who dutifully tote pricey shopping bags and patiently wait for lunch.

Bal Harbour Shops

Bal Harbour Shops (9700 Collins Avenue) are by far the richest enclave of top name designer brands with Neimans and Saks Fifth Avenue as the anchor stores and three levels of specialty retailers like Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Celine, Lanvin, Stella McCartney and Valentino tucked nicely in between.

For die-hard fashionistas, a trip to Bal Harbour provides a live runway show every day and night of the week as the mall is open Monday through Saturday from 10am-9pm and Sunday until 6pm. Shoe gals will thrill to Cesare Paciotti, Giuseppe Zanotti, Jimmy Choo and Roger Vivier shops and if you get chills watching “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” you can actually HAVE breakfast at Tiffany’s at Bal Harbour!

As it turns out, diamonds are a girl’s best friend and the proof of that can be found at Chopard, De Beers, Harry Winston, and Van Cleef & Arpels, the makers of the multi-million dollar jewels worn by the celebrities on every major red carpet event. Start your morning at one of the mall’s charming sidewalk cafes and then wander through the perfumed air of Carolina Herrera, Dolce & Gabbana, YSL, Giorgio Armani and Fendi.

Well-dressed gents can find Brooks Brothers suits, Hermes ties, Loro Piano cashmere, and Ralph Lauren purple label tailored collections to wear with custom shirts at Thomas Pink. Finish off the look with a watch from Audemars Piguet, Bulgari or Hublot and you’re sure to be dressed for success! If shopping is not your thing, you can find a cool place to wait for your favorite fashionista at Books & Books Cafe, Makoto Restaurant or grab a coffee and today’s paper at Santa Fe News.

Haven to the the biggest names in designer fashion, accessories and shoes, Bal Harbour Shops offer a who’s-who in modern clothing design from Yves Saint Laurent to Gucci. And to pair with the latest looks, expect nothing less than Cesare Paciotti, Jimmy Choo and Roger Vivier footwear and jewels by Bulgari, Chopard, De Beers, Harry Winston, Van Cleef & Arpels and of course – Tiffany! Perhaps the most reasonable thing money can buy is a quick trip through the guarded exit gate where validated parking costs just a dollar an hour!

One of the added benefits of a day or evening spent at the mall is access to a number of top-rated restaurants including Carpaccio, La Gouloue and Makoto, a sleek new sushi bar that showcases the talents of Iron Chef Morimoto’s sushi chef Makoto Okuwa. Reservations are not often necessary to dine at the mall, but if you hoped to open a business next to one of the most fashionable tenants, you would have to queue up for at least two years on a waiting list.

Final Word

It really doesn’t matter if your taste and budget runs toward flip flops and cut off shorts or stilettos and couture collections, Collins Avenue is a shopper’s destination running right through the heart of Miami Beach. While the idea of a sunny getaway with nothing in your bag but a great pair of sunglasses and a credit card seems truly decadent, it is indeed possible – in fact it is downright easy – to put together a vacation ready wardrobe in just a short walk along this storied street of dreams!