Basic fashion studies

(TCFS 106)
Class assignment project
On

Fashion capitals of the world

Submitted by
Shivangi Sipani
Roll no 01
1st yr. B.Sc. (Hons.) in TCFS

Submitted to
Ms. Sujita

October 2015

Introduction
A fashion capital is a city which has a 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 generate
significant economic output. The cities considered the Big
Four fashion capitals of the world are: Paris, Milan, London
and New York.
Fashion capitals usually have a broad mix of business,
financial, entertainment, cultural and leisure activities and are
internationally recognised for having a unique and strong
identity. It has also been noted that the status of a fashion
capital has become increasingly linked to a city's domestic
and international profile. Fashion capitals are also likely be
part of a wider design scene, with design schools, fashion
magazines and a local market of affluent consumers.
Often the term fashion capital is used to describe the cities
that hold fashion weeks, most
prominently Paris, Milan, London and New York, to showcase

their industry Also various other cities host notable fashion

events and are influential in global fashion. [1]

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, 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.
During the 19th century, with the powerful British Empire and
a young Queen Victoria on the throne (from 1837), London
once again became a major fashion leader. 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 to perfect and then
commercialise his craft, also holding the first fashion shows
and launching the concept of fashion labels there. [2]

The top fashion cities of the world

1. Paris
2. London
3. New York
4. Milan

Paris
The French were the first to make an industry out of fashion,
not just dress-making, and they have been exporting their
style since the 17th century which is frankly before most of
the world had even realized what fashion was.
These days that doesn't just mean that the people in Paris wear
pretty clothes - it is a serious business.
Fashion has always existed at the crossroads of art and
consumerism and never more so than in today's society. The
way we perceive our desires, bodies, and eras shapes fashion

every season, as it shapes us. Paris fashion is at the centre of it

all. [3]

Top brands in Paris

1. Chanel,
2. Dior,
3. Jean-Paul Gautier,
4. Hermes,
5. Vuitton,

6. Saint Laurent. [4]

25 February 05 March: Paris

fashion week [5]

London
In the twenty-first century London ranks highly amongst the
world's cities as a distinctive fashion centre. Its characteristic
products and sense of style compete with and complement the
fashion values of other global fashion capitals including Paris,
New York, Milan, and Tokyo. In the popular imagination,
which is fed by the stereotyping tendencies of fashion

journalism, London has become most associated with the

traditional handcrafts of tailoring, shirt making, hat making,
and shoemaking that underpin the image of the English
gentleman, a vibrant subcultural club and street scene, and the
nurturing of eccentric and innovative design talent in its
famous art schools. These are largely phenomena that
blossomed during the twentieth century, but London's fashion
history is as old as the city itself and closely related to its
economic, social, and cultural development over time. [6]

Top brands in London

1. Burberry
2. Paul Smith

3. Vivienne Westwood
4. Harrods [7]

14-18 February: London fashion

week [5]

New York
NEW YORK is the most fashionable city in the world, have
been crowned the 2014 Top Global Fashion Capital, taking
the title from London who came first in 2011 and 2012, but
third this year.

Paris ranked in second place, only 0.05 per cent below New
York. Los Angeles came in fourth position - the first time that
the city has made it into the top four. Barcelona was fifth,
followed by Rome and then Berlin.
"New York City has, indeed, earned its Top Global Fashion
Capital ranking through its disciplined, methodical yet
creative approach to its fashion industry." said Bekka Payack,
New York-based fashion director for The Global Language
Monitor. "Paris, with the Top Haute Couture ranking, of
course has a centuries-long heritage, having invented the very
concept, also scored highly in the prt--porter category." [8]

Top brands in New York

1. Calvin Klein

2. Ralph Lauren
3. Aropostale
4. Marc Jacobs
5. Sean John [9]

06-13 February: New York

fashion week [5]

Milan
Milan has established a long history within the fields of
fashion, textiles and design in general. Throughout the late
19th century, the Lombard capital was a major production

centre, benefitting from its status as one of the country's

salient economic and industrial powerhouses. Milanese
fashion, despite taking inspiration from the leading
Parisian couture of the time, developed its own approach,
which was by nature devoted to sobriety, simplicity and the
quality of the fabric. Throughout the 20th century, the city
expanded its role as a fashion centre, with a number of rising
designers contributing to Milan's image as a stylistic capital.
Following this development, Milan emerged in the 1970s and
1980s as one of the world's pre-eminent trendsetters,
maintaining this stint well into the 1990s and 2000s and
culminating with its entrenchment as one of the "big four"
global fashion capitals. As of today, Milan is especially
renowned for its role within the prt--porter category of
fashion. [10]

Top brands in Milan

1. Giorgio Armani,
2. Valentino Garavani,
3. Dolce & Gabbana,
4. Gianni Versace, [10]

19-24 February: Milan

fashion week [5]

Conclusion
The biggest fashion houses and brands are located in these
cities, the most influential designers work there, fashion fairs,
exhibitions and award shows take place, the biggest fashion
magazines are published here, so practically everything
concerning the world of fashion starts from these capitals.
Their reign on the world of fashion is underlined by the fact
that they host the most awaited and most important fashion
weeks which will define the newest trends. [5]

Annual fashion capital rankings

[1]

Rank (2015)

City

Score

Paris

New York

London

Los Angeles

Rome

Milan

Barcelona

Berlin

Madrid

10

Tokyo

11

Florence

12

Hong Kong

13

Sydney

14

Singapore

Rank (2015)

City

Score

15

Shanghai

16

So Paulo

17

Dubai

13

18

Rio de Janeiro

10

19

Miami

20

20

Dallas

21

Monaco

22

22

Moscow

23

Amsterdam

11

24

Boston

16
25

Antwerpen

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fashion_capital

2. http://www.languagemonitor.com/category/fashion/fashi
on-capitals/
3. http://www.whatparis.com/paris-fashion.html
4. http://www.parisdigest.com/fashion/french_fashion_paris
.htm
5. http://www.fashiondays.com/the-daily-issue/the-bigfour-fashion-capitals-of-the-world/
6. http://fashion-history.lovetoknow.com/clothing-aroundworld/london-fashion Breward, Christopher. Fashioning
London: Clothing and the Modern Metropolis. Oxford: Berg,
2004.

7. http://www.globalblue.com/destinations/uk/london/londo
n-top-10-heritage-brands/
8. http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/2014/02/05-/new-york-iscrowned-fashion-global-capital
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companies_based_i
n_New_York_City
10.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fashion_in_Milan