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I think people are associating high end shopping options with fashion capital. Boston has most high end retailers and back bay Boston is one of America’s best shopping neighborhoods..that hardly makes it a fashion capital...
.Boston, Chicago, Seattle, San Fran etc are not remotely fashion capitals and shouldn’t be included on a list
Exactly. Too many people focus on where the flashy/tacky people have money to spend on generic designer brands to show off to their friends.
A fashion capital should be a city that truly sets trends, or at least has people in the city with their own unique styles and trends. That is very few cities in North America. However, I'll take a shot at it.
1. NYC. Very obvious reasons why. Yes the aforementioned flashy/tacky people exist, but the on-the-ground styles are prominent and unique and people replicate the style.
2. LA. Same as NYC.
3. Miami. The top for warm-weather fashion.
Those are the undisputed top three. The rest of the list gets murkier, but here goes.
4. Mexico City. It's the largest Spanish-speaking city in the world. A lot of Spanish media and business is based out of DF. Its influence is similar to that of NYC, but obviously on a smaller scale.
5. Atlanta. Its influence on the hip-hop and AA communities is undeniable, and rappers dropping the latest fashion trends into their music can make or break a company sometimes.
6. I have no basis for this, but I'd assume either Toronto or Montreal set the fashion trends for their respective county entirely. Maybe so, maybe not. But I'm putting it here because my guess is one of the two influences fashion for an entire country, however sparsely populated it may be.
7. Chicago. Say what you want about "Midwest fashion," but there is no denying that Chicago is the capital of the Midwest. People from all over the Midwest, and beyond, move to Chicago with their own styles. Many adopt a style in Chicago that they may bring back with them when they move home to their other Midwestern state. Whether or not what Chicago wears is "trendy," its influence over the entire Midwest cannot be denied in terms of importance in setting a trend. Also, along with NYC and Atlanta, it is a hub of AA and hip-hop culture, though far less so today in the media, but still on the ground.
8. Seattle. I'm really digging low now. The PNW has a specific style. It might not be "stylish" to most people (including myself), but it is, in fact, "a style." As the largest city of the PNW and the home of grunge (whose style is coming back/has been back), it has at least some influence.
9. Honolulu. Hold up. Let me explain. I promise I have a reason. Surf culture is so massive in Hawaii. The brands, the slang, the lifestyle. It might not be widespread in most of the country, but if a surf culture and style came from somewhere, it would have to be Hawaii. CA may have adopted it on a bigger scale, but a lot of it is from Hawaii and Honolulu. And, total wild guess here, but could its relations with East Asia have led to Asian influences as well? I really don't know. Just a guess.
10. Really grasping at straws here. Southern college towns. They truly have perfected the "young white dad" look lol
NY, LA and then I think some cities may rank high in certain subsectors of fashion. For example, Seattle is the hub of the outdoor wear industry - REI, Eddie Bauer, Brooks are all from the area among others
NY, LA and then I think some cities may rank high in certain subsectors of fashion. For example, Seattle is the hub of the outdoor wear industry - REI, Eddie Bauer, Brooks are all from the area among others
yeah a few places have some things but on fashion in totality its NYC, LA then really everyone else significantly lags
I mean Philly has a fashion week, Urban Outfitters, Free People, Anthrpologie etc but that doesn't make it a fashion hub by any means
yeah a few places have some things but on fashion in totality its NYC, LA then really everyone else significantly lags
I mean Philly has a fashion week, Urban Outfitters, Free People, Anthrpologie etc but that doesn't make it a fashion hub by any means
Not disagreeing at all, but one aspect that's interesting to consider (that I don't believe has been mentioned) is a local talent pipeline. In that regard, Philly actually has two highly-regarded institutions (TJU and Drexel) for fashion studies (the states of Missouri and Ohio, interestingly, have two each also).
Of course, most of that talent is likely heading to places like NYC and LA, but "infrastucture" to become more of a hub is definitely there.
I mean Philly has a fashion week, Urban Outfitters, Free People, Anthrpologie etc but that doesn't make it a fashion hub by any means
Those stores are everywhere. I mean there's Urban Outfitters in Raleigh and a suburb of Boise, ID, as well as Lawrence, KS.
Fashion is really about a lot more than brands. I have a bunch of stuff from higher end designers, but it's not fashion forward or anything and I'd never call 75% of it fashionable even if it has an Armani or whatever label on it. They're just form fitting and comfortable - good cuts.
You could go to a thrift store in any city and if you had a good enough eye put something together full of clothing that nobody's ever heard of. Fashion and style isn't about money or brands - it's about how to put things together, having an eye for whatever you are trying to evoke, and just owning it.
I mean if I'm being complete honest, I think NYC is #1 for this in the country, but I don't even find that most people here in NYC are that amazing with fashion, on average. People dress fashionably on average, but on average not in a "wow this is just some crazy futuristic stuff I've never seen but it looks absolutely amazing. They are completely pulling it off" Some are for sure, but things these days are pretty laid back. When I go to certain parts of Europe, it's just kind of like "yeah the US seems far behind to this..." and kind of eye opening.
In the end, fashion is more accessible than ever. People can hop on the internet, look at pictures and get ideas and order things from online extremely easily. People act like this is 1975 or something and you're bound to whatever is in your city or within some sort of drive - or you can only get certain clothes if you hop on a plane or long car drive to some other place. We have a thing called the internet and there's a million places to buy all sorts of clothing from all reaches of the globe. It's more about social acceptance now than anything if you're trying to figure out who is more fashion forward than other places. Some people may be held back in certain areas because of how they think people will react to how they will dress. I think that in a lot of the more urban cities, you will find people really not caring and just going for it. Some places have more of these people than others, like a NYC.
Those stores are everywhere. I mean there's Urban Outfitters in Raleigh and a suburb of Boise, ID, as well as Lawrence, KS.
kidphilly was referring to the headquarters of those brands. UO (and subsidiaries) are based in the Navy Yard of Philadelphia, which of course brings an interesting concentration of designers.
But your point still stands. The presence of certain brands, even super high-ends, don't necessarily speak to an "ecosystem" for the broader industry.
(I don't know if these cities all have "fashion weeks" though)
NYC
Los Angeles
Las Vegas
DC
Dallas
Austin
Boston
San Francisco
Toronto
Vancouver
couple others...
Miami
Portland, Oregon
Chicago
Austin has a fashion week according to the website it's the largest in Texas and 4th largest in the US.
(I don't know if these cities all have "fashion weeks" though)
Portland, Oregon
Chicago
Huh? Portland is one of the worst dressed cities in America. Granola, grungy, unkempt.
NYC, LA, Miami are the most fashionable, or at least, "trend-setting" (for the country). Dallas for Southern style.. Atlanta for African-American. Chicago is way too conservative in fashion, there should be some "edge", which you just don't see anywhere in the Midwest.
Overall, "Fashion in America" is just an oxymoron.
Huh? Portland is one of the worst dressed cities in America. Granola, grungy, unkempt.
NYC, LA, Miami are the most fashionable, or at least, "trend-setting" (for the country). Dallas for Southern style.. Atlanta for African-American. Chicago is way too conservative in fashion, there should be some "edge", which you just don't see anywhere in the Midwest.
Overall, "Fashion in America" is just an oxymoron.
NYC is trend setting for the world as is la. NYC is 1 or 2 on any top fashion city in world rating right there with Paris, Milan, London. La is usually top 10.
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