Lorenzi Giovanni di Franco e Aldo Lorenzi S.n.c.

"This shop, which sells self-care goods, high-end bathroom accessories and speciality steel kitchen- and tableware, has become a Milanese institution since it opened in 1929. Federico Marchetti, chair of King Charles III’s fashion task force, said he gifted the British monarch a toothpaste squeezer from Lorenzi. I once bought someone close to me Lorenzi’s incredible kitchen-knife set with bamboo handles, though my mother (and, more recently, my editor) noted that in many cultures it is bad luck to do so as it represents the severance of ties. Still, there are a variety of other present options here and it’s nearly impossible to go wrong, with items ranging from shaving and manicure sets (which can cost more than €2,500 for a set with the holder covered in mother of pearl), to brass corkscrews with a variety of handle types, truffle-shaving accessories (one with a deer-antler handle costs €224), fireplace sets and shoe-shining kits. Since its early days the business has expanded but remains family-owned (it is now in the hands of Mauro Lorenzi, grandson of its original owners). Lorenzi now runs two shops in the city, while the historic site on Via Montenapoleone, the luxury fashion street, recently moved to a new location nearby on Piazza Filippo Meda."