Assignment on

Fashion Capitals of the World

Submitted by

SUKANYA BAJPAI

Under the Supervision / Guidance of

Prof. Anupam

Submitted to

Department of Fashion Management Studies, National Institute of Fashion Technology,

Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, CIT Campus, No 136/ 137, Ramchandrapur, Jatni, Khurda, Bhubaneswar 752050 Ph: 0674-2492997, Fax: 0674-2 Website: www.nift.ac.in

Fashion Capital
Its meaning:A Fashion City or Fashion Capital is a city where the fashion industry has a relevant and important position for the local economy. Production and exporting of fashion goods, as well as fashion events like fashion weeks, trade fairs and awards, boosts its economy and raises its annual revenue, positively influencing other sectors of the local economy, like the service sector. Besides its economic power, a "Fashion City" has an active entertainment and cultural scene, attracting tourists and consumers not only because of fashion per se, but also because of its leisure variety. A Fashion City should be an object of inspiration for the professionals that are based there, with an active, vivid, strong, unique sub-culture that can inspire not only fashion professionals, but also the people in the city, turning the street style and the street culture into an essential characteristic. This mix of fashion, business, entertainment, culture, and leisure makes a city attractive and internationally recognised as fashion centers for their unique and strong identity, differentiating themselves due to specific characteristics. Fashion and political power have often interwined in history, and this can be seen in classical history, where the major political powers of the world, such as Rome, Athens, Alexandria, were global leaders, in their respective eras and parts of the world, when it came to clothing. The top 4 cities that are termed as the main Fashion Capitals of the world are: London New York Paris Milan

LONDON
As one progressed into the late-16th century, with the influence of the Elizabethan era, or more specifically the English court, London, became a major city in European fashion.

FASHION TRENDS
London British fashion with different styles that travel the world .Most fashion houses and designers are located in London England .London fashion is considered the pinnacle of mens fashion. The style very elegant, not over exaggerated, but subtle. London a great place to travel with history revolving in it the English renaissance, industrial revolution, and gothic revival. London is the largest aviation hub in the world. Trademark places like the tower of London, place of west minister, and royal botanic garden .Also known for its fashion museums. A lot of famous designers are from London like Alexander McQueen , Christopher Bailey , Vivienne Westwood .Two designers that are famous from London are John Galliano and Stella McCartney.

Latest News:
We should take the news that London has been declared the world's top fashion capital of 2011 as a giant fillip to national pride. The tally came from Global Language Monitor, a body in Texas which ranks cities on the basis of how often they've been mentioned on websites, blogs, Twitter and other social media. London came first, beating New York, Paris and Milan, in that order. The organisation attributes our triumph mainly to people talking about the Duchess of Cambridge and Alexander McQueen, whose posthumous retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum in New York drew 660,000 visitors, many of whom queued for hours to make it through the door in the show's final few days earlier this month.

NEW YORK
For over a century New York has reigned as Americas fashion capital. Today its creative legacy, successful fashion empires, and important press and retail sector ensures that the citys influence has become global. Majority of American fashion houses are based in NewYork, although there are a significant number in Los Angeles and Miami. Chicago was once the center of American fashion. American fashion design is dominated by a clean cut, casual style, reflecting the sporty, health conscious life-style of many American city-dwellers. AT THE FOREFRONT OF FASHION, GLAMOUR AND INNOVATION, New York City embodies American style. Its here that fashion ideas take root and trends are defined. New York City is where everything in fashion is happeningand happening first

What makes New York City the fashion capital?

1) Exceptional Talent base - New York City has the greatest concentration of design talent in the world. Its wealth of fashion design schools ensures a steady flow of fresh faces and new ideas that continually reinforce New Yorks place at the forefront of fashion innovation. 2) The Garment Center: Anchoring the Industry - Though fashion activity takes place all over New Yorks five boroughs, the heart of the industry is Manhattans Garment Center. The area, home to the majority of New Yorks showrooms and to numerous major fashion labels, caters to all aspects of the fashion processfrom design and production to wholesale selling. No other city has a comparable concentration of fashion businesses and talent in a single district. 3) Incomparable Wholesale Market - The wealth of wholesalers, suppliers, designers and support services in New York City make it an unsurpassed location for wholesale activity.

Fact: NYC boasts more than 5,000 active showroomsmore than any other city in the worldand more than6,600 wholesale and design businesses operating within the City, accounting for 58,000 employees and annual sales of $38.7 billion

4) World-Class Media Exposure - New York City is home to a unique combination of major global marketing firms, trade and consumer publications, and media outlets. Among others, Vogue, GQ and Womens Wear Daily all call NYC home

FASHION TRENDS
New York has regained the crown of world fashion capital of 2010 wresting the title from Milan.As the global fashion industry adjusted to the new economic reality, New York rebounded to the No. 1 spot it has now held for six of the last seven years, says GLMs Rebecca Payack in a statement.This years list of the top fashion capitals shows the global fashion industry to remain in flux, with the relative decline of some of the previously leading players and formerly regional players emerging as significant new influences, Payack says.The world fashion business is estimated to be over USD three trillion. New York New York the most populated city in the united states, with 5 boroughs ,great landmarks like the statue of liberty, empire state building, known for its trade and commerce .The unique city which has millions of different cultures is one of the five fashion capitals of the world. Most famous fashion shows are held in New York like New York fashion week which is held in Bryant Park. Some interesting things in New York is the Broadway shows, top restaurants, famous clothing shops, different boroughs. New York Has had many different designers and trends. Some top designers from New York are Calvin Klein , Marc Jacobs, Kenneth Cole, Anna Sui etc . Two designers from New York and who have been made famous for their incredible clothing is Ralph Lauren and Donna Karan.

PARIS
Why is Paris the capital of fashion?
There are a number of reasons, mostly dating back to the 18th century, although it can be argued that Paris' fashion hegemony started well before that. While it lost ground during World War II, it came back with a vengeance and has remained the mainstay of fashionistas since. Haute Couture began in the 18th century, but the French had been looked to with admiration or disdain in their dress sense well before that. In the 16th century, Anne Boleyn was famous for wearing a French-style hood, which showed her hair and had a generally provocative style. Even then, the French were famous for their liberal attitude towards sexuality. In the 18th century, couturier Rose Bertin was named the Minister for Fashion and the position was still retained in the Napoleonic era. Initially, it was the rich and powerful telling the designers what they wanted to wear in clothes, but in the 19th century, this changed. It was, surprisingly, an Englishman working in Paris who became the father of modern Haute Couture when Charles Worth put his name on his clothing labels. He went a step further, creating designs based on his own ideas and displaying them on live models so that clients could approve or disapprove. The novelty was a success and designers then began to dictate what was fashionable.

FASHION TRENDS
Paris the first fashion capital of the world became a fashion capital because of its beautiful boutiques, the couture houses, and top designers. Paris the wonderful city of love and wonders with the Eiffel tower, the Arche de Triophme, Place De La Concorde. Paris is unique in its own way with historical architecture and places but also new places for tourist to enjoy. Some Fashion houses are located in the Avenue of Montaigne and le Marais.

MILAN
Milan's fashion history has evolved greatly throughout the years. Milan began as a centre of fashion in the Middle-Ages andRenaissance, as in Venice and Florence, the making of luxury goods was an industry of such importance that in the 16th century the city gave its name to the English word milaner or millaner, meaning fine wares like jewellery, cloth, hats and luxury apparel. By the 19th century, a later variant, millinery, had come to mean one who made or sold hats. In the mid-19th century cheaper silk began to be imported from Asia and the pest phylloxera damaged silk and wine production. More land was subsequently given over to industrialisation. Textile production was followed by metal and mechanical and furniture manufacture. Later, in the early-20th century, Milan became a major center of silk and textile productions. However, the city lost its fashion capital status to Florence, which in the 1950s and 60s was the fashion capital of Italy and home of the Italian "Alta Moda", equivalent to the French "haute couture". However, in the 1970s, Milan's fashion image became more glamorous, and as Florentine designs were usually very formal and expensive, the city became a more popular shopping destination, with numerous boutiques which sold both elegant and everyday clothes. Milanese designs were known for their practicality and simple elegance, and became more popular and affordable than Florentine and Parisian designs. Milan started to become an internationally successful and famous fashion capital towards the late-1980s and early 1990s. After a brief fall of popularity in the 2000s (when, according to the Global Language Monitor Milan ranked slightly lower than its relatives, such as New York

City, Paris, London and Rome), the city has throned 2009's fashion capital of the world.