Paris, Milan, Tokyo, New York City—if you’re in the fashion world, you are undoubtedly familiar with these cities. As the fashion industry evolves and more brands emerge, the core fashion capitals inspire the art of fashion and lifestyle while encouraging creativity and innovation.
According to Simplicable, a fashion capital can be defined as a city that has a significant influence on fashion trends around the globe. These cities are home to major fashion designers, renowned magazines and major fashion weeks—attended by some of the most well-known celebrities and influencers today. Local fashion designers can find their inspiration within the innovative and creative designs that surround them. While these cities are widely known for their influence on fashion, they each have distinct traits making them unique from each other.
Paris and Milan are the main fashion capitals of Europe, and they are predominantly known for luxurious fashion takes and styles. While these two cities may seem very similar in style, some key differences make their roles in the fashion industry different from one another. Since the beginning of the nineteenth century, Paris has been predominantly known for their high-quality fashion and haute couture—a French term for custom fitting and exclusive clothing. Milan is well known for its practicality and less expensive designs (compared to Parisian designs). Milan was also the first reference point for ready-to-wear clothing, or clothes that are mass-produced in standard sizes.
Known as Asia’s most important fashion capital, Tokyo has been rising as one of the most famous and influential fashion cities in our world today. Known for its avant-garde street style, Harajuku style incorporates traditional Japanese clothing with a modern Western approach. With bright colors, patterns, and accessories, the youth sends a message that they don’t care about conventional fashion and dress the way they want. The Harajuku style of fashion stems from the Harajuku neighborhood in the Shibuya district, in which teenagers are known for flooding the streets with their unique flair. Lighter styles such as Kawaii or Decora are also popular influences.
New York City is one of the most recognizable cities among fashion capitals. Many people move there to pursue new opportunities and kick-start their careers in the industry. New York provides a space for all different forms of fashion, such as modeling, photography, design, merchandising and more. The city also cultivates creativity through some of the biggest fashion schools in the country, such as the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and Pratt Institute.
While all these capitals are unique in their own ways, their diverse cultures and reliability stand out. People can always look to these cities for inspiration and find a place where their creativity and motivation can persevere and grow into something profitable and memorable. There is a place for everybody; you just have to find what works best for you.
Support Student Media
Hi! I’m Kayla Friedman, A Magazine’s editor-in-chief. My staff and I are committed to bringing you the most important and entertaining news from the realms of fashion, beauty and culture. We are full-time students and hard-working journalists. While we get support from the student media fee and earned revenue such as advertising, both of those continue to decline. Your generous gift of any amount will help enhance our student experience as we grow into working professionals. Please go here to donate to A Magazine.
