Which City is the Heart of Fashion?
Some fashion capitals consistently rank at the top of the top 10 list nearly every year, and we’re talking about a few of them like New York, Paris, London, and the like. However, some of the top 10 global fashion capitals for 2015 may surprise you, as these trendsetting cities failed to even crack the top 10 in the most talked-about industry poll a year prior. Even more surprising is that these were the very same cities that made up the Watch List for 2016. Before we reveal the Watch List, let’s take a look at the Global Language Monitor’s top honorees and the reasons why these cities are always at the forefront of the list.
1. Paris
Paris, New York to the number one spot for the world’s top fashion capital for 2015. This is not surprising. La Ville Lumiere hosts some of the world’s top 50 fashion schools: Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale, Istituto Marangoni (also campuses in Milan and London), ESMOD-Paris (23 schools in 15 countries around the world), Paris College of Art and Studio Bercot are just a few. Then, some of the world’s most famous fashion designers are French – Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Karl Lagerfeld, Hubert de Givenchy, Pierre Cardin, Coco Chanel, Rene Lacoste, and Christian Louboutin are at the top of the list. Furthermore, the world’s largest fashion magazine (Elle) was published in Paris in 1945 and still has its headquarters there, printed in 44 different versions worldwide. Lastly, the world’s largest fashion show is celebrated twice a year in Paris – the famous Paris Fashion Week. Alongside New York Fashion Week, no other fashion event in the world draws more fashion clout. Of course, to be at the top of the fashion chain means being Parisian – no matter which arrondissement they live in, they are always ready for the cameras. The world loves to watch what they wear.
2. New York
New York is among the top four fashion capitals, and always will be, but this city couldn’t edge out its toughest competitor, Paris. Still, second place is never a bad thing, and New York is as luminous as ever. We all know that New York is the cultural center of the world in every aspect, but when it comes to fashion, every city in every corner of the world follows New York – even Paris can admit that. Like Paris, New York also hosts some of the world’s top 50 fashion schools. Parsons School of Design, the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), and Pratt Institute School of Design are the heaviest hitters. Then, some of the world’s most famous fashion designers were born, reside, or have other ties to New York. Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan, Marc Jacobs, Tory Burch, Jason Wu, Carolina Herrera, Betsey Johnson, Vera Wang, Tom Ford, Anna Sui, Bill Blass, Isaac Mizrahi, Geoffrey Beene, and Narcisco Rodriguez are just a few. Lastly, another major fashion show and among the world’s top four is New York Fashion Week. Held in February and September of each year, the show draws the biggest names in fashion from yesterday and today. The event has been going strong since 1943, making it the first fashion show of its kind.
