meet the most important and powerful GLOBAL FASHION CITIES

Fashion is synonymous with geography. Not only does it play a leading role in a city’s identity, but is firmly ingrained in its cultural trends. For most of the 20th century, the Big Four – Paris, Milan, London and New York have predominantly been influential fashion centres. Unarguably, their domination of global fashion is due to the fact that they are the principal trendsetters: hosting the most important fashion weeks and home to the biggest fashion houses and brands.  

 Identifying a starting point of how these cities became ‚Fashion Capitals‘ is not difficult to ascertain. Historically, Paris has undisputedly been the style capital which began with the rule of Louis XIV, and was influenced by Queen Marie Antoinette who devoted much of her time to fashion. Paris’ influence continued well into the 20th century with Coco Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent who revived Parisian haute couture. London is also not without its fair share of fashion dominance, which began during the Elizabethan era and was later re-consolidated thanks to the expanding British empire and Charles Frederick Worth. Although the ‚House of Worth‘ was established in Paris, Charles Frederick Worth was an Englishman in exile and is considered the father of haute couture. Together, London and Paris were the Fashion Mecca‘s: Paris for its womenswear avant-garde inventory and London for its menswear.  

 During the Renaissance era, Italian fashion hit its peak when city-states like Florence, Milan and Rome became Europe’s principal trendsetters. In the 1950s and 1960s Florence re-emerged as a fashion capital, while the 1980‘s saw Milan regain its position as the most important fashion capital of the world. The beginning of the twentieth century, presented the opportunity for new cities to shine and at the end of World War II, New York emerged as a new fashion capital in 1943, when it launched the world’s first organized fashion week. Originally called ‚Press Week‘, it gave American designers the opportunity to showcase their work for fashion industry insiders who were unable to travel to Paris due to the war. New York’s success as a fashion capital was a confluence of factors associated with World War II and America‘s demand for a style independent of Paris that was fueled by nationalism.  

Though the ‚Big Four‘ have remained the center for fashion even till today, in recent times, a slew of new smaller cities emerged challenging their position. While they tried to join the ranks, these new cities ended up becoming what one would call ‚Alt Fashion Capitals‘ or ‚Style Centres‘, that were beyond the so-called ‚fashion capitals‘ and sought to develop their own influence through fashion culture. Tokyo became an influential center in the world of fashion during the 1970‘s and 1980‘s with avant-garde designers such as Issey Miyake or Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons, (albeit Kawakubo presented her collections in Paris). In the 1990‘s Antwerp became a must-stop for fashionistas due to its prestigious Royal Academy of Fine Arts, organised tourism and mega-cultural events. The late 2000‘s saw Berlin gain importance and become Germany’s fashion capital after KarlHeinz Müller staged his streetwear exhibition for Bread & Butter and the first Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week was held in the summer of 2007.  

 While ‚Style Centres‘ may be everywhere today, not all cities are equal when it comes to importance. Even though globalization has led to the spread of fashion markets more widely – some cities still rule the market when it comes to influence in our beloved industry. And so, with the Big Four fashion weeks coming to a close, we wanted take a look at the ranking of the most fashion-oriented cities for 2017 in cooperation with the IFDAQ - International Fashion Digital Automated Quantification system. The IFDAQ’s FACER Index is a daily updated, comprehensive, transparent and highly precise rating for over 1,000 monitored fashion cities. As part of the IFDAQ virtual ecosystem and built with Artificial Intelligence, the FACER‘s algorithm considers a high-dimensional data pool of significant factors and sub-factors, including the city‘s relative worldwide market volume, industry share, turnover potential, socio-demographic and overall influence.

It must be noted that, in the following ranking we are highlighting three primary factors: Brands, Magazines and Agencies. The reasons for these are multi-fold:  

(1) Brands - The more brands are located in a city, the higher is the reputation of a city in respect to their fashion influence. In addition, we also measured the prestige of every single brand. As more influential brands are based in a city the more important the city is.  

(2) Magazines - Media gives an insight into the geographic importance of a city from which they have the greatest influence on fashion consumers.  

(3) Agencies - The amount, quality and dimension of modeling and artist agencies located at a certain city gives a perception how big the booking request volume of work a city has. This means that the more agencies there are in a city, the more job assignments are carried out in the sense of production for advertising campaigns, catalogues, lookbooks, fashion shows, commercial and fashion media production for editorials. 

With diversity and unique cultures making fashion such an exciting industry to be in, we took into consideration the 100 most important fashion cities according to the IFDAQ universe, to ascertain which are the top 20. The main reason for limiting our ranking to the 100 most important cities is that they account for about 94% of the international market. Our mapping of the world’s leading fashion cities illustrates that while North America may have the biggest fashion metropolitan in the world, which is New York, Europe has by far the most densely populated fashion market with an average of over 60% of the global market, owing to cities such as Paris, Milan, London, Madrid, Stockholm and Barcelona to name a few. Below, we break each city down in detail by taking a look at what makes them unique and the reasons why they made the Top 20 list from the rest of the pack.  

 N°20 Copenhagen 

Copenhagen may not have a strong print media but it has a very strong fashion model market. It has the leading agencies such as Scoop Models, Elite Model Management, Unique Models, who are responsible for the international successes of models such as Freja Beha Erichsen, Frederikke Sofie Falbe-Hansen, Nadja Bender, Josephine Skriver and Helena Christensen. The Danish fashion industry is flourishing like never before and there are countless successful designers and brands like Ole Lyngaard, Anne Sofie Madsen and Fonnesbech. 

 N°19 Rome 

Rome made it into the top 20 of our list since it is home to leading Italian fashion brands such as Fendi, Valentino and Bulgari. Besides that, Rome has one of the most high-end shopping districts in the world and hosts the biannual Rome Fashion Week aka Alta Roma Alta Moda - one of the most luxurious and prestige events alongside the Haute Couture in Paris.  

 N°18 Berlin 

Since 2007, Berlin has been part of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week circuit and has developed itself as the creative epicenter of Germany. Although it is home to one of Germany’s biggest modeling agency, Iconic Management, who relocated from Hamburg to Berlin, its fashion scene still remains young and limited.  

 N°17 Amsterdam 

Amsterdam is not only popular for being chosen by international fashion labels as their European headquarters, it is also home to design, production, wholesale and retail companies. Furthermore, the Dutch capital has also manifested its status as the ‘denim capital of the world.’ Hence it is no surprise that a famous denim brand like G-Star has its roots in Amsterdam.  

 N°16 Florence 

The main reason why Florence made it in the top 20 is because it is the birthplace of several prestige powerhouses including Emilio Pucci, Gucci, Roberto Cavalli, Salvatore Ferragamo and Ermanno Scervino. Besides that, it also hosts the world’s most important platform for men’s clothing and accessory collections during the Pitti Immagine Uomo.  

 N°15 Hamburg 

Hamburg has a strong commercial market, with high-paying direct bookings and is home to leading German retailers such as Otto, Bonprix, Unger and Heine. Moreover, it is also where several important fashion agencies such as Modelwerk, Model Management, Place Model Management and Mega Model Agency reside.  

 N°14 Seoul 

South Korea might lie in the cultural shadow of China and Japan, but that hasn’t stopped its capital from developing a thriving fashion scene. Thanks to prosperous fashion brands such as Pakchoonmoo, Kye, Son Jung Wan, Nain and Aritaum as well as a very robust fashion media environment, it is not surprising that Seoul is the second biggest fashion city in Asia.  

 N°13 Munich 

Munich is the 3rd German city to grace this list. While Berlin is a vital business hub for fashion shows and Hamburg is ground zero for a strong fashion model scene, Munich is characterized by a very strong fashion media landscape. Media publishers such as Burda Media, and Condé Nast have their headquarters there, while brands like Bogner, Maerz, Aigner, Allude and Rena Lange have their origins in Munich.  

 N°12 Sydney 

As part of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week circuit and a booming brand range including Zimmermann, Seafolly, Dion Lee and Ellery, Sydney has earned the right to be the fashion capital of Australia. Moreover, with Chic Management and Priscilla’s Model Management located there, it has two of the world’s most respected agencies to its name.  

 N°11 Moscow 

Moscow does well in our international ranking thanks to the Russian fashion scene being as vibrant as ever. Fashion models such as Sasha Pivovarova, Natasha Poly, Natalia Vodianova and Irina Shayk, constantly occupy the international fashion scene, contributing to Russian fashion media and its agencies having a high place value.  

 N°10 Barcelona 

Barcelona ranks at N°10 for many good reasons. For centuries the city has been a major textile hub, making it one of the fastest growing fashion industries in the world. Further, several of the world’s top fashion brands are headquartered there, such as Custo Barcelona, Mango, Oysho, Massimo Dutti, Sita Murt and Desigual are headquartered there. Barcelona is also the 6th strongest location of the fashion modeling industry and sustains one of the world’s strongest fashion modeling markets with agencies such as Uno Models, View Management and Traffic Models.  

 N°9 Los Angeles 

Los Angeles is not only the second largest fashion city in North America, but also the 5th strongest destination when it comes to international successful brands, a few of which are J Brand, American Apparel, Forever 21, and Frame Denim. The city is also best known for establishing popular models like Tyra Banks, Gigi and Bella Hadid, Chanel Iman, Kendall Jenner as well as one of the top Victoria’s Secret angels Lily Aldridge. Even the L.A. Fashion Week is an important one due to the fact that Tommy Hilfiger shifted his fashion show from New York to L.A. and Tom Ford relocated his women’s design studio.  

N°8 Stockholm 

Thanks to a very strong brand portfolio including H&M, Acne Studios, Cos Sweden and Filippa K, Stockholm is one of the strongest cities. With its own Fashion Week, it is also an incubator for Swedish designers to innovate.  

 N°7 Tokyo 

Tokyo is the biggest fashion city in Asia and undoubtedly one of the most uncommon fashion locations in the world. Not only does it have international brands like Uniqlo, sacai, Shiseido, Undercover and Adeam, but also has a very well-built and strong print media landscape which includes urban magazines like Commons&Sense, Fudge, JJ, Ginza, Glitter to name a few.  

 N°6 São Paulo 

São Paulo is the leading fashion city in South America and hosts the fifth biggest fashion week in the world after the big-four. Every season, São Paulo shows the world, the Brazilian appeal in fashion with international renowned Brazilian brands such as Ellus, Osklen, Alexandre Herchcovitch, Animale and Carlos Miele. The fact that the most beautiful women such as Gisele Bundchen, Isabeli Fontana, Carolina Trentini, Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio come from Brazil, also contributes to the success of the agencies in São Paulo. 

 N°5 Madrid 

Madrid holds the 5th position due to the fact that it is also the 5th strongest destination when it comes to fashion media. The Madrid Fashion Week is the most prestigious fashion event in Spain and is part of the world-wide Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week circuit. It also has an impressive brand portfolio with brands such as Loewe, Delpozo, Carrera y Carrera and Ansorena. As the heart of Spanish fashion consumption, production and exhibition, Madrid undoubtedly dominates the Spanish fashion market.  

N°4 LONDON DASHBOARD

Why London ranks at N°4 

It has strong online retailers like Net-A-Porter, Asos, Marks & Spencer, Primark, Next. 

The top 12 modeling agencies control around 68% of the whole modeling market in London. The biggest agency is Storm Models who even without Cara Delevingne and Kate Moss, can dominate the market with its plethora of models such as Jourdan Dunn, Eva Herzigova, Lily Cole and Karolina Kurkova.  

The bar chart on the illustrates the 15 top fashion models with the best performance in London in an 18 month trend view, listed by highest publication performance, influence share and demand value as of September 2017. Cara Delevingne is still dominating the market in London even though she is more focused on her acting career.  

The next graph shows London’s most influential fashion and lifestyle magazines quoted by their highest prestige, advertising value, business reputation and industry influence, as of September 2017. In an international comparison built on the basis of magazines, London leads the magazine top list. This can be attributed to the fact that it has several popular urban magazines such as i-D, Love, AnOther, Dazed, etc.  

The line graph shows the five strongest fashion brands from London in a relative IFDAQ-value comparison from January 2014 till September 2017. Furthermore, it highlights that Alexander McQueen is the strongest brand of them all.  

N°3 MILAN DASHBOARD

Why Milan ranks at N°3 

 Milan is home to several leading fashion designers including Giorgio Armani, Miuccia Prada and Dolce & Gabbana.  

The top 11 modeling agencies control around 73% of Milan‘s entire modeling market, starting with the biggest being Why Not Model Agency followed by Women Management and IMG Models.  

The bar chart on the next page illustrates the 15 top fashion models with the best performance in Milan in an 18 month trend view, listed by highest publication performance, influence share and demand value as of September 2017. Milan is a competitive modeling market, but is also a great place to launch your modeling career on an international level.  

The next graph shows Milan’s most influential fashion and lifestyle magazines quoted by their highest prestige, advertising value, business reputation and industry influence, as of September 2017. In an international comparison built on the basis of magazines, Milan occupies the fourth place. Perhaps it weren’t for Condé Nast Italia‘s decision to shutter L‘Uomo Vogue, Vogue Sposa, Vogue Bambini and Vogue Gioiello, Milan would have ranked higher on this list.  

The line graph shows the five strongest fashion brands from Milan in a relative IFDAQ-value comparison from January 2014 till September 2017. Furthermore, it highlights that Prada is the strongest brand. 

 N°2 PARIS DASHBOARD

Why Paris ranks at N°2 

The city is known for its iconic fashion houses, including Chanel, LV, Hermes, YSL, Dior and of course for its haute couture fashion week.  

Paris is often considered the ‚New York of Europe‘, which means that just like its North American counterpart, it offers not only high-fashion work and international cosmetic and beauty campaigns, but also plenty of commercial print work and television commercials.  

The top 13 modeling agencies from Paris control around 80% of Paris’ entire modeling market, starting with the biggest being IMG Models followed by Elite Model Management and Next Model Management. 

The bar chart on the next page illustrates the 15 top fashion models with the best performance in Paris in an 18 month trend view, listed by highest publication performance, influence share and demand value as of September 2017. Arizona Muse has the best performance in Paris followed by Andreea Diaconu and Luna Bilj. 

The next graph shows the most influential Parisian fashion and lifestyle magazines quoted by their highest prestige, advertising value, business reputation and industry influence, as of September 2017. In an international comparison built on the basis of magazines, Paris occupies the 3rd place. This can be attributed to the fact that Paris is the native city of several international publishers such as Vogue, Elle, Madame Figaro and L’Officiel. 

The line graph shows the five strongest fashion brands from Paris in a relative IFDAQ-value comparison from January 2014 till September 2017. It highlights that Chanel is the strongest brand, which confirms the fact that Paris follows New York in a ranking based on brands, because some of the most powerful brands are located there alongside Chanel, such as Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and many more. 

N°1 NEW YORK DASHBOARD

Why New York ranks at N°1

 It comes as no surprise to us that New York ranks as our number one. From remarkable fashion companies to new icons from the world‘s leading fashion agencies, New York‘s prime new developments have grabbed headlines around the world in recent years. Manhattan’s Garment District is surrounded by major fashion labels such as Carolina Herrera, Oscar de la Renta, Calvin Klein and Donna Karan who have their showrooms, production facilities, or support offices located there. Moreover, the NYC modeling market is by far one of the biggest and most diverse ones. The city is headquarters to many leading fashion magazines and powerful fashion agencies. The top 16 modeling agencies control around 56% of its entire modeling market. Finally, one of the biggest agencies, IMG Model Management oversees the successful careers of the most international recognizable faces such as Carolyn Murphy, Amber Valletta, Joan Smalls, Karlie Kloss and Chanel Iman.  

  The bar chart on illustrates the 15 top fashion models with the best performance in New York in an 18 month trend view, listed by highest publication performance, influence share and demand value as of September 2017. Gigi Hadid is certainly dominating the booking requests – be it gracing the cover and editorials of the top fashion magazines or the advertising campaigns of leading fashion brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, for whom she also co-designed a capsule collection called Gigi by Tommy Hilfiger. 

The next graph shows New York’s most influential fashion and lifestyle magazines quoted by their highest prestige, advertising value, business reputation and industry influence, as of September 2017. In an international comparison built on the basis of magazines, New York occupies the second place although Vogue USA is one of the world‘s strongest fashion magazines.  

The line graph shows five strongest fashion brands from New York in a relative IFDAQ-value comparison from January 2014 till September 2017. It highlights that Michael Kors is the strongest brand, which has achieved unstoppable momentum even in the age of discount retailers. In an international comparison, Michael Kors is ranked number nine, which illustrates the fact that New York tops this list because it is home to several world class brands. One can also see that Tommy Hilfiger is on the rise from the end of 2016 till September 2017, which probably is due to his co-operation with model Gigi Hadid. 

Thus concludes our analysis of the cities that are at the forefront of fashion and style today. We have seen how the power structure of fashion has evolved and a new lineup of rival cities have emerged in recent times. Fashion capitals change periodically and none of the ‘Big Four’ are sacrosanct as such, with each of them having to re-assert their authority from time to time. So, while New York may be having a moment right now, the rest of the cities on this list are definitely more than a passing trend. However, in the 21st century there is a consensus among fashion scholars and professionals, that the fashion industry will move towards a ‚poly-centric‘ system of fashion cities where power rotates across cities, with each taking turns to hold the coveted number one position. For the time being, the future of fashion cities belongs not to the biggest or fastest growing but the most influential and elite, and those with a strong historical pedigree which raises the bar for the rest that wish to break into this elite club. 

TOP 20 BRAND CITIES

TOP 20 MAGAZINE CITIES

TOP 15 AGENCIES CITIES