Top Five Fashion Cities for Shoppers and Industry Careers

Fashion is a lifestyle that should be lived 24/7. In order to achieve this lifestyle for those who are very dedicated to it, it is important that they live around where everyone is dedicated to it as well. I am a freshman fashion design major and I have always wondered where I am going to live to begin my fashion career. While trying to decide on where I will begin this career, I did my research on the fashion capitals of the world. I not only learned where the top places were I also researched why they are the best fashion places. Here I will describe the top five places of the world.

5.) Tokyo, Japan

The city famous for its Harajuku girls and colorful designs make its mark as the number five fashion city. Its fashion reputation began in the 1960's after World War II when western traditions were more influenced in this region. They also focused more on asymmetrical designs and shapes and fibers for their clothing. Singer Gwen Stefani has currently put Japan and their style on the map as well with her clothing line Harajuku lovers.

4.) London, England

London originally became popular for men's business suits but became very popular in the 1960's as well. There fashion now focuses more on high-quality garments that are ready-to-wear. Mod designs became popular which first began in London in this era. Twiggy and Princess Diana are also very popular spokes models for London. There are about ten designer centers throughout the United Kingdom.

3.) New York, New York

New York City was put on the fashion map during World War II when American designers could not have any influence from European styles and therefore had to rely on themselves for new ideas. New York is number one for fashion in the United States since it has eight schools dedicated to fashion and two thirds of the United States fashion is manufactured here.

2.) Milan

Milan is the city of Alta Moda, which is Italian for high fashion. It is more concentrated on ready-to-wear garments here since there is so much concentration of supplies and labor here. Milan was first introduced as a fashion city in the 1940's with their leather attire such as shoes and handbags. Fashion is the second largest industry in Italy.

1.) Paris

Paris isthe haute couture capital and since the 1700's has proved to be the number one fashion city in the world. Haute couture is a popular French term, which means expensive, high fashion, trend-setting, and custom-made fashion. It all began with King Louis XIV who used his dolls to display the latest fashions. France has always been a city dedicated to its fashion, from bone breaking corsets to colorful designs and patterns. Paris is the big city for fashion. There are huge fashion shows here that display the latest designs. Fashion is important here since it is one of the top three exports of France and is one of the leading employers. When designers have to choose a place to show their collections, Paris is usually on the top of the list.

Ekstrom, Gigi, Margaret Justiss. Fashion Marketing. New York: McGraw Hill Glencoe, 2006.