Fashion capital

A fashion capital is a city which has major influence on international fashion trends, and in which the design, production and retailing of fashion products, plus events such as fashion weeks, awards and trade fairs all generate significant economic output.

Escada Sport at Berlin Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2013

The cities considered the global "Big Four" fashion capitals of the 21st century are Milan, Paris, London, and New York.[1][2]

Definition of a fashion capital

A fashion capital assumes leadership role in clothing and design. In addition, fashion capitals usually have a broad mix of business, artistic, entertainment, cultural and leisure activities and are internationally recognized for having a unique and strong identity.[3] It has also been noted that the status of a fashion capital has become increasingly linked to a city's domestic and international profile.[4] Fashion capitals are also likely be part of a wider design scene, with design schools, fashion magazines and a local market of affluent consumers.[4]

Since the 16th century, Paris has been regarded as the Fashion Capital of the World. Nowadays, often the term fashion capital is used to describe the cities that hold fashion weeks, most prominently Paris, Milan, London, Rome and New York,[5][6][7][8][9] to showcase their industry.[10][11] Also various other cities host notable fashion events and are influential in global fashion.[12]

History

Historically, several cities have been, in turn, fashion capitals. During the Renaissance era, different city-states in what would become modern-day Italy were Europe's main trendsetters,[13] due to the cultural power they exerted in that period of time. This includes cities such as Florence, Milan, Rome, Naples, Genoa, and Venice.

Progressing into the late-16th century, with influence of the English Royal Court, London became a major city in European fashion. Similarly, due to the power of Spain at the period, the Spanish court started to influence fashion, making it a major centre. In the 17th century, as the Renaissance started to fade away, with the power of the French court under Louis XIV, Paris established itself as Europe's main fashion centre.[14]

During the 19th century, with the powerful British Empire and young Queen Victoria on the throne (from 1837), London once again became a major fashion leader.[15] However, it continued to look to Paris for stylistic inspiration, and the British 'father of haute couture' Charles Frederick Worth relocated to Paris in 1846. He did this to perfect and then commercialize his craft, also holding the first fashion shows and launching the concept of fashion labels there.[16]

20th century and beyond
New York's Garment District, 1955

During the Golden Twenties, Berlin was considered the vanguard fashion capital.[17]

Throughout the 20th century – but particularly after World War II – New York City rose in stature as a fashion capital, challenging the dominance of Paris with a different approach, especially in its development and popularization of sportswear as fashion during the 1940s and '50s.[18]

During the 1950s Italy rose in prominence again.[19] Florence re-emerged as a leading city in fashion,[20] although focus shifted to Milan from the 1970s on as leading design houses moved to the city.[21]

"Swinging London," Carnaby Street, c1966

In the 1980s, Tokyo claimed its place as a fashion capital with a new generation of avant-garde designers, including Issey Miyake or Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons gaining worldwide attention, even if the fashion show were all in Paris. The fashion was radically different in both its use of textiles and in the way designers cut and draped.[22][23]

Since then, new fashion hubs have emerged worldwide, and the old order has faced challenges from all corners of the globe, including Africa, Australasia and South America.[24] Since 2007, Berlin has again been highlighted as an increasingly important centre for global fashion trends.[25][26] Paris is considered the only luxury capital with the « haute-couture ».

A 2011 issue of Fashion Theory: Journal of Dress, Body and Culture explored the move away from the traditional dominance of five key cities (London, Milan, New York, Paris, Tokyo), with co-editor Lise Skov, suggesting what she described as a "poly-centric" fashion industry developing in the 21st century.[18]

In 2019, fashion intelligence firm IFDAQ under the leadership of fashion sociologist Prof. Frédéric Godart measured in a scientific approach the importance, influence and impact of cities in the fashion industry with neural networks from a large data lake. The resulting IFDAQ Global Fashion and Luxury Cities Index[27] revealed New York as the leading fashion capital, followed by Paris, Milan and London. A further elaboration of the data in cooperation with the Institution of Engineering and Technology visualized the impact of geopolitical events on the fashion capitals, including Brexit and the US-China trade war.[28]

A 2010 Milan Fashion Week event
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gollark: We can track how many chunks are loaded, ish, with indirection!

See also

References
  1. https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2020/02/paris-now-leads-milan-in-eu-fashion-market/ Paris now leads Milan in EU fashion market
  2. The big four fashion capitals of the world
  3. Gemperli, Natalia. "Fashion World Mapper: Your City on the Trend Radar". Master Thesis, University of the Arts Zürich. June 2010.
  4. Florida, Richard (7 September 2012). "The World's Leading Cities for Fashion". The Atlantic Cities. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  5. Armstrong, Lisa (22 September 2013). "Is there a future for Fashion Week?". Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  6. Bradford, Julie (2014). Fashion Journalism. Routledge. p. 129.
  7. Dillon, Susan (2011). The Fundamentals of Fashion Management. A&C Black. p. 115.
  8. Godart, Frédéric (2012). Unveiling Fashion: Business, Culture, and Identity in the Most Glamorous Industry. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 57.
  9. "The Big Four : Fashion Capitals of the World". Fashion Days. 5 February 2014. Archived from the original on 30 October 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  10. "The Big Four: Fashion capitals of the World". Fashion Days. 5 February 2014. Archived from the original on 30 October 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  11. Heyman, Stephen (1 October 2014). "The Figures Behind the Catwalk". New York Times.
  12. "Top fashion weeks around the world". The Independent. 2 January 2011. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  13. "Renaissance Fashion". Renaissance-spell.com. 9 May 2007. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
  14. Godart, Frédéric (2014), "The power structure of the fashion industry: Fashion capitals, globalization and creativity", International Journal of Fashion Studies, 1 (1): 39–57, archived from the original on 21 March 2016, retrieved 8 October 2015
  15. Johnstone, Lucy. "Corsets & Crinoline in Victorian Fashion". V&A. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  16. staff. "Worth". Vogue. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  17. Schreiber, Mathias. "The Age of Excess: Berlin in the Golden Twenties". SPIEGEL. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  18. "Fashioning the City: Exploring Fashion Cultures, Structures and Systems". Royal College of Art. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  19. Fearon, Francesca (31 March 2014). "Exhibition at London's V&A Museum to chronicle rise of Italian Fashion". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  20. "the birth of italian fashion". Gbgiorgini.it. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
  21. Bruzzi, Stella; et al. (2013). Fashion Cultures Revisited 2013. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. p. 23.
  22. "Japan Fashion Now". 2010–11. Fashion Institute of Technology. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  23. "Miyake, Kawakubo, and Yamamoto: Japanese Fashion in the Twentieth Century". Metrolopolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  24. staff (2 January 2011). "2011 top fashion weeks around the world: Paris, New York, Milan, Tokyo..." The Independent. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  25. Staff. "Germany's fashion capital: the improbable rise of Berlin". 17 January 2012. Fashion United. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  26. Scholz, Kay-Alexander (18 January 2012). "The Phoenix of Fashion Rises in Berlin". Die Welt. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  27. http://research.ifdaq.com/cities/ IFDAQ Global Fashion and Luxury Cities - Top 30
  28. https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2020/02/paris-now-leads-milan-in-eu-fashion-market/ Paris now leads Milan in EU fashion market
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