Top 10 Global Fashion Capitals
Some fashion meccas rise to the very top of just about every ‘Top 10’ list year after year. New York, Paris, and London are a few and they often take turns holding that coveted number one position.
1. Paris
For 2015, Paris bumped New York from the number one spot to become the world’s top fashion capital. This is not surprising. La Ville Lumiere is home to many of the top 50 fashion schools in the world—Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale, Istituto Marangoni (also Milan and London campuses), ESMOD-Paris (23 schools located in 15 countries around the world), Paris College of Art and Studio Bercot are just a few. Next, some of the most famous fashion designers in the world are French—Yves Saint Laurent, Hubert de Givenchy, Karl Lagerfeld, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Christian Dior, Pierre Cardin, Coco Chanel, Rene Lacoste, and Christian Louboutin top the list. Besides this, the world’s largest fashion magazine (Elle) launched in Paris in 1945 and still has headquarters there, along with 44 editions around the world.
Finally, the world’s grandest fashion show is held biannually in Paris—the celebrated Paris Fashion Week. Besides New York Fashion Week, no other fashion event in the world attracts more fashion royalty. Of course, being at the top of the fashion food chain means Parisians—no matter which arrondissement they may inhabit, are always snapshot-ready. The world loves to watch what they’re wearing!
2. New York
New York is and always will be a top four fashion capital, but the Big Apple couldn’t quite hold on to the lead over its toughest competition—Paris. Still, number two is never a bad thing and New York is still shining brighter than ever. We all know New York is the world’s culture center in every way, 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 is home to a number of the top 50 fashion schools in the world. Parsons School of Design, Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), and Pratt Institute School of Design are the heaviest hitters.
3. London
London remained steady in 2015, neither advancing nor falling in GLM’s survey. There are many reasons this funky city just won’t budge from the upper echelon of global fashion capitals. First, London has always been ridiculously innovative when it comes to fashion. After all, the Mod movement was born here. Next, the UK has produced some of the most extraordinary fashion designers in the world.
4 . Los Angeles
Like London, Los Angeles held on to its position for 2015. Not too shabby for a city that is more famous for filmmaking than fashion! So why did the City of Angels score higher than so many other cities on the list—again? Well, fashion in Los Angeles can be glamorous, edgy, hip, laid-back, and eccentric all at the same time. You just can’t describe fashion in one word here and that’s the beauty of getting decked out in LA. Decked is whatever you want it to be.
5. Rome
Rome moved up a notch in 2015 from number six in 2014 to number five, rounding out GLM’s coveted top five global fashion capitals. One of many Italian cities that made GLM’s Top 56 list, Rome is known for top fashion houses that produce extravagant haute couture fashions for the rich and famous. Valentino, Fendi and Gucci were founded in Rome and the city features one of the highest-end shopping districts in the world—the area surrounding the prestigious Spanish Steps. The shops of Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Gimmo Etro, Gianfranco Ferre, and Alberta Ferretti reside here, as well as Gianni Versace, Giorgio Armani, and Prada.
6. Milan
Milan has been both high and low in GLM’s survey, but in 2015, this fashion capital climbed from number 12 to number six. Not surprising. The city hosts one of the largest fashion weeks in the world—Milan Fashion Week, and only the most elite members of the fashion industry attend. Gucci, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, and Roberto Cavalli are just the tip of the iceberg. Known for out of this world craftsmanship and the superior quality of their creations, the designers of Milan and beyond come together for Milan Fashion Week during the months of February and March for the Spring-Summer Collection, and September and October for the Fall-Winter Collection.
7. Barcelona
Barcelona dropped from the number five position in 2014 to number seven in 2015. Still, the City of Counts remains in the top 10 and for good reason. Barcelona has one of the fastest growing fashion industries in the world. The value of its global textile and apparel market was more than $1.7 billion in 2012, it is one of the largest producers of textiles (after Germany and Italy), and many of the world’s top fashion houses and companies started here. Cristobal Balenciaga, Massimo Dutti (more than 720 stores in 70 countries worldwide), Mango (107 countries, 2,500 stores worldwide) and Tous (400 stores in 45 countries) are just a few.
8. Berlin
In 2014, Berlin held the number seven spot on GLM’s list. In 2015, it dropped to number eight. This top 10 fashion capital made the list again for several reasons. It (Germany) gave us Karl Lagerfeld (born in Hamburg), Hugo Boss (born in Metzingen), and Margaretha and Wolfgang Ley (Munich)—the founders of Escada. Germany is also home to 40-plus fashion schools. Many are located in Berlin. Just a few include Universitat der Kunste Berlin, Lette Verein School of Design, KHB – School of Art and Design, ESMOD Berlin, Best Sabel, FHTW Berlin, and OSZ Bekleidung und Mode.
Berlin Fashion Week is also an event worth mentioning. Although young compared to Paris and New York Fashion Weeks, Berlin Fashion Week has made a name for itself by introducing the hottest young fashion designers to the world. The biannual show was established in 2007 and it is presented by organizations such as Berlin Partner and the Berlin Senate, among others.
9. Madrid
Like Milan, Madrid made an impressive climb from the number 14 position in 2014 to number nine in 2015. Madrid is a top 10 capital for a number of reasons. First, Madrid Fashion Week is the most prestigious fashion event in Spain. Formerly known as Cibeles Madrid Fashion Week, the gala attracts supermodels, famous fashion designers, and the rich and famous from around the world. Madrid is also home to a number of noteworthy fashion schools. Just a few include Madrid-IED Istituto Europeo di Design, the Technical University of Madrid (UPM), and Accademia del Lusso.
10. Tokyo
Last but not least—Tokyo. This city of nearly 38 million has one of the quirkiest fashion scenes in the world and no other city on our list has been able to duplicate it. Moving up a notch from number 11 in 2014 to number 10 in 2015, Tokyo and its top academic institutions had a hand in shaping famous fashion designers such as Hanae Mori (Tokyo Women’s Christian University) and Issey Miyake (Tama Art University). Bunka Fashion College—one of the most prestigious fashion schools in the world, has produced famous designers such as Kenzo Takada, Junya Watanabe, Yohji Yamamoto, Hiroko Koshino, and Tsumori Chisato. Tokyo Mode Gakuen College of Fashion & Design is also one of the city’s top fashion schools.
Tokyo Fashion Week is one of the most anticipated fashion events in the region—if not the world. Known for launching some of the world’s most unusual fashion lines and starting many of the oddest trends still alive today, Tokyo Fashion Week attracts famous fashion designers and other major industry professionals from all 56 fashion capitals, and beyond.
Lush Life 