New York the fashion capital of the world? Come off it - Telegraph Latest Beauty News New York the fashion capital of the world? Come off it New York has just been crowned Top Global Fashion Capital - but even the usually fiercely partisan locals at New York Fashion Week seemed jaded at the autumn/winter 2014 collections, report Lisa Armstrong and Luke Leitch BY Lisa Armstrong, Luke Leitch | 12 February 2014 Lydia Hearst puts on a brave face as Blogger Fodder in New York - fashion's version of cannon fodder Photo: GETTY New York City is officially The Fashion Capital Of The World. How do we know that's true? Because something called the Global Language Monitor says it is. This organisation is dedicated to trawling even the most distant outposts of the digisphere - a universe of more than 250,000 online sources - and analysing what everyone is interested in. Related articles Victoria Beckham bows out of second New York fashion show Right now, it's New York - which pipped Paris and London to the top.

According to Bekka Payack, fashion director for the Global Language Monitor: "New York City has earned its Top Global Fashion Capital ranking through its disciplined, methodical, yet creative approach to its fashion industry." The findings, when released this month, sparked some entirely understandable cries of triumph in the American media. "Take that, Paris!", as one outlet put it. Catch up on the shows with our NYFW live blog Yet the survey also triggered considerable head-scratching among non-natives. At the Telegraph 's temporary headquarters in Greenwich Village, we laid out the criteria we felt any city must fulfil in order to qualify as The World's Fashion Capital. Then we spent the past few days at the shows, marching up and down Manhattan - via a controversial detour across the Hudson River to Brooklyn - to evaluate the evidence for ourselves. Here it is. 1. The shows are so fabulous Who wouldn't enjoy a Marc Jacobs show, with its stunning clothes, eclectic celebrity front rows and high-ish concept spectacles? Or relish the 100-watt glamour and rubber-necking at Ralph Lauren? We know we do. Unfortunately, Ralph shows tomorrow, on the final day of New York's fashion week.

And Jacobs has now moved his show to Thursday night, after many of the international press have left town to catch the start of London on Friday. Thus, on the Amazing Show Front we are left with pretty slim pickings. There was Rag & Bone's endless succession of skinny-jeans-you-already-own, worn with jumpers-that-look-as-though-you've-already-worn-them (think Jack Wills, but with grumpier-looking models). Far more amazing was the Ukrainian streaker who insinuated his posing pouch on to Prabal Gurung's catwalk on Saturday - although it wasn't all that useful for the poor designer. Admittedly, the Beckham family's heart-warming front-row appearance on Sunday was a real (Made in Essex) New York moment. Strictly speaking, The Streaker and The Beckhams weren't, in themselves, shows. But they were certainly highlights. A highlight at New York Fashion Week, on the Prabal Gurung autumn/winter 2014 catwalk.

Photo: AFP/Getty OK, we may be over-egging New York's lack of pep a little; Michael Kors is always an enjoyable upbeat, sexy, smiley experience; Luella Bartley's and Katie Hillier's joint debut at Marc by Marc Jacobs last night will have been worth seeing; Proenza Schouler remain the slickest duo in this town - albeit without a great deal of competition. Away from the family-brand hoo-ha, Victoria Beckham's genuine evolution as a designer makes her show a compelling entry on the New York roster. And Tommy Hilfiger makes perfectly nice, wearable clothes. But there's so much unedited flotsam on the New York catwalks that anything interesting is constantly under threat of being submerged. This week, even the locals - normally so fiercely partisan that they'd whoop a gorilla in a miniskirt if you put it on a New York catwalk - seemed to have lowered their tolerance for blandness: as the models took their final group turns at Rag & Bone, DKNY and Diane von Furstenberg - the moment when protocol decrees the crowd can applaud - it was tumbleweed. 2.

The locals have incredible style It's not only New York: every fashion week is now blighted by Blogger Fodder - this digital era's version of cannon fodder. These are the TFVs - the Tragic Fashion Victims - who congregate round the show venues like tufts of angora sweater on your freshly applied lip-gloss, waiting to be photographed by someone, anyone, with a smartphone. Ditzily incapable of distinguishing an original style statement from the freakishly outlandish, they take everything they see on the catwalk literally. Everything. If a creatively bereft designer decides to show a neoprene dress slashed up to the armpits with bare legs, a sheer front and a mink pompom chastity belt with a hand-embroidered picture of Kim Jong-il on it, the TFVs will give it all a whirl. This is a sorry enough sight in Milan in September. On a windswept corner of 10th Avenue on a freezing night in February, it's one for the emergency services. Tragic Fashion Victims - TFVs - face the New York snow with almost-bare breasts and midriff.

Photo: Getty, Bridget Fleming You see the problem, though: everyone wants to show off their new season outfits - and so they should. This is fashion week. But chiffon just doesn't work in Siberian conditions. You might reasonably point out that its inclement polar blasts are not this Fashion Week's fault. Ah, but they are. It was New York's designers who first began jiggering around with the fashion week schedules. They wanted to go first, before Milan, Paris and London, because they were tired of everyone saying they copied the Europeans. (New York's winter fashion shows used to take place a week after Paris ended, which back then was March/April. The shows were as derivative as a Take That Tribute band. The weather however, was lovely.) 3. It's incredibly well organised Elevators that take ages to deliver their human cargo to a show (and it's only on the 7th floor) and even longer to release them back on to the street afterwards (fire hazard, anyone?) are all part of the seamless experience. But this fashion week, attendees' orienteering credentials were stretched further than ever before when the designer Alexander Wang showed his collection at a warehouse across the river in Brooklyn.

This sparked consternation among those who had only ever seen Brooklyn on Girls . READ: Alexander Wang autumn/winter 2014 show report In the end, it proved a breeze to get there on Saturday evening. And the show was pretty good - but could have just as well been held in Central Park. The hitch came afterwards; hundreds of under-dressed women and their sidekicks were left wandering through an industrial zone in driving sleet in search of their (identical) $50‑an-hour Sports Utility Vehicles. They became strangely restless. It was like a bad remake of Doctor Zhivago . "This will probably be in Red Hook next year," observed one shivering streetwalker in Alaïa, "or why not Toronto?" 4. They have all the great names New York Fashion Week has now been officially rechristened Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. The mystique. This is what happens when a fashion week is run primarily as a money- making venture and not for the benefit of the city hosting it, nor for the designers who put it on the map in the first place.

It seems anyone who can stump up the fees is allowed to show on the MBFW schedules - hence the glut of drossy shows, which make this one of the longest fashion "weeks" in the business. Technically speaking, it should be called Mercedes-Benz Fashion Eight Days, since it is almost twice as long as London and three days longer than Milan. While we're on the subject of those great names, it's rumoured that Jacobs may show in Paris in future. (Although it's the default setting of us European fashion editors to sneer at MBFW, American brands, including the ones you've never heard of, have a knack of doing millions and millions of dollars worth of business a year.) As for Mercedes, where the hell where you when Team Telegraph was failing miserably to hail a cab in the snow after the Diane von Furstenberg show? Top 10 Fashion Capitals - Ft. New York, Paris, London & Sydney Top 10 Fashion Capitals By: Gugulethu Hlekwayo For some, the most important part of travelling is not the runway that you jet off on, but rather the catwalk that awaits you on the other end.

The question of which destination to pick becomes quite vexing when there are so many fashion shows and weeks to compete for your attention. To help you pick out the best, most fashionable places to be seen at, we've collected the top established and rising fashion capitals of the world. Even Right Said Fred would find themselves insufficiently sexy to be seen at these places. Established Cities Image source: mandiberg / CC BY-SA New York, USA After World War II, the vacuum left by a devastated Paris was quickly filled by New York, with what was then known as Press Week. Soon glossies like Vogue and Harper's Bazaar were dedicating pages to the fledging fashion industry in New York instead of Paris. Today, New York opens the calendar as the first fashion week of the season and sets the stage for all that follow. If your New York trip does not align with fashion week there is plenty else to do and see. A holiday of retail bliss must include a tour with Shop Gotham - the insider's shopping tour that gets you access to the best for less (without spending a fortune on Fifth Avenue). Students of fashion may prefer the purer pleasures of an informative walking tour through the fashion district - what's more, it's free.

The next fashion week will be from the 6th to the 13th of September, 2012. For more information visit London, UK In their most recent survey, Global Monitor ranked London as the top fashion capital in the world. And one can see why traditional powerhouses like Milan and Paris have been swept aside by taking a stroll down Bond or Sloane Street - both festooned with high-end fashion stores. The cities current status is perhaps the creative wave of design of the 60s and 70s coming into fruition. Swinging London put the UK on the map when most thought of fashion as something imported from the continent. This history and more can be relived at the Fashion and Textile Museum in Bermondsey Village, but equally as well kept is the Dress and Fashion collection at the Museum of London - both are worth a visit if you have the time. Milan, Italy The Milanese have fashion in their genome, from the well cut pants of the waiter serving you to the front rows of Milan Fashion Week, Italians have a natural talent for the flair that fashion requires.

Such is the city's fashion pedigree that the English word 'milliner' (definition: a hatmaker) is derived from its name. Names like Ermenegildo Zegna, Giorgio Armani, Dolce & Gabbana and Gucci are familiar to us exactly because of this pedigree. Although Milan is no slouch in women's fashion, it's rather in the menâs game where Milan excels. Milano Moda Uomo - or Milan Men's Fashion Week - is the taste setter for the men's market. A week spent in Milan may convince your lesser half that style is worth the strained bank balance. Milano Moda Uomo will be from the 23rd to the 27th of June, 2012. For more information visit Tokyo, Japan No city quite epitomises the turbulent and playful nature of fashion fads like Tokyo. Strange and interesting names like Gyaru, Ganguro, Kogal, Harajuku and Bosozoku have come to represent a number of weird and wonderful aspects of the cities fashion landscape. But equally in the hallowed halls of haute couture Tokyo has established itself as one of the top five.

The fashion houses of Kenzo, Issey Miyake and the streetwear houses of A Bathing Ape and Billionare Boys Club, all based or started in Tokyo, are respected names in the international fashion business. A seat at Tokyo fashion week gives interested buyers and connoisseurs a glimpse into what's trending in the East, with many of those same ideas popping up in markets like China and South Korea. As with the rest of the big five Tokyo Fashion Week is a date to remember and keep. The summer/spring week will from the 13th to 19th October, 2012. Paris, France Paris and fashion are so closely linked you would think the words are synonyms. The original grand dame of the fashion world has lost none of her lustre even if she has to share the stage with an arriviste or two. It would be folly to sum up all that this great city has to offer fashionistas, but here are three places that are de rigueur for any Paris visit: Hors d'oeuvre would be a visit to MusÃ©e Galliera - a museum of fashion and fashion history.

Exhibits include samples from wardrobes as far back as that of the original It girl, Marie Antoinette. The museum is currently closed, but we could not leave it off the list for future visits. In the meantime though, a visit to Granville House - where Christian Dior lived - is a pilgrimage that every fashionista should make. Champs-ÃlysÃ©es is where the gods fit their toga's and smirk at us mortals. Most of us can only afford to look (and play with the coins in our pockets), but window shopping here is a sport. Brush up on some French so that you're not too intimidated by the posh shop assistants. The Paris fashion scene rotates around Fashion Week . Beg, steal, blackmail and whatever else you need to do to get a ticket to the best shows. The next edition is from the 1st to the 7th of July, 2012. Up and Comers Madrid, Spain Trends in Iberian fashion are showcased in Madrid, which usually fills the gap between New York fashion week and Milan. In recent years supermodels strutting on Madrid's catwalk have lent credence to the idea that Paris is not the only continental powerhouse.

The fashion industry in Spain has been boosted, especially, by the massive success of the home-grown brand Zara, a feat made more impressive by the fact that the company uses no advertising and in-house production - with brands like Mango snapping on its heels as well. If you're tired of visiting the same names every year, Madrid is a fresh and funky addition to consider. Madrid Fashion Week will be from the 31st of August to the 4th of September, 2012. For more information visit Image source: filmitadka.in / CC BY-SA Mumbai, India The textile capital of decades past has made a natural progression to being a design capital. After the Great Bombay Textile Strike of 1982, the textile mills of the Girangaon district shut down and the city found new promise in its status as the domestic centre of fashion design. Traditional garments, like the sari and the sherwani suit, were mixed with international trends to make uniquely Indian designs. But only in recent iterations of LakmÃ© Fashion Week have international buyers and fashion watchers taken notice.

LakmÃ© has been running since 1999 and attracts the who's who of Bollywood, business and lately international fashion watchers. A front row seat at a Rohit Bal or a Sabyasachi show is the golden ticket. The next Lakme fashion week is from the 3rd to the 7th of August, 2012. For more information visit Singapore Ok, we'll admit that you won't be blown away by the street fashion, which was described in rather unflattering terms by renowned designer Roland Mouret - but dig a little deeper and you'll find a fashion scene doing some amazing things with technology. The most innovative of which was the FashForward initiative to stream all the best local fashion shows, live and from front row, to the Internet. Consumers will also soon be able to buy the garments they see directly from their browser. The democratisation of haute couture will allow the masses to determine style trends as opposed to the select few. Additionally the Singaporean site Fashionspace.com allows the average user to dethrone Anne Wintour from her perch and create their very own glossy. But your basic needle and thread fashion is not neglected either.

The central event of the year being the Audi Fashion Festival ; the event is shorter than other weeks, but is a must for future forward fashionistas (try saying that five times in a row). Los Angeles, USA Proximity to Hollywood can't hurt matters, but Los Angeles earns its place on our list purely on merit. The action is centred on the fashion district of Los Angeles - 100 blocks of textile, dining and living. The district is estimated to bring in about $24 billion to the California economy. If you would like to contribute a few dollars to that sum, Rodeo Drive, in Beverly Hills, is the street to visit. You probably won't meet any celebrities as the drive is frequented more often by tourists than locals. For more on Los Angeles Fashion Week visit Sydney, Australia Things are a little different Down Under - even by the fashion worlds standards. In previous years the catwalk has seen Aghan hounds, rats and snakes sharing the stage with some nervous looking models. Half the fun is the bold irreverence of it all; where other fashion weeks dare not go - Australia will.

If you want to uncover diamonds in rough and young talent not yet laden with pretentiousness, an Australian show may be for you. Watch the video below to catch highlights from the most recent show For more information visit . Last Updated: July 2012 The History of Fashion in Paris in a Nutshell Paris Fashion The French were the first to make an industry out of fashion, not just dress-making, and they have been exporting their style since the 17th century which is frankly before most of the world had even realized what fashion was. Today, along with London, New York and Milan, Paris is considered one of the fashion capitals of the world. These days that doesn't just mean that the people in Paris wear pretty clothes - it is a serious business. Fashion has always existed at the crossroads of art and consumerism and never more so than in today's society. The way we perceive our desires, bodies, and eras shapes fashion every season, as it shapes us. Paris fashion is at the center of it all. Lead by Example It all kicked off in the 17th century when the association of France with fashion and style was initiated by, surprise surprise, Louis XIV's court .

The Sun King made it his business to be at the center of all that was beautiful in the world so the luxury goods industry in France became a royal commodity. The creation of the fashion press in the 1670s catapulted French fashion into the spotlight and the notions of different fashion "seasons" and the changing of styles became available to a bigger audience. Louis XIV himself was responsible for starting the trend for outrageous wigs of curled hair. The king was going bald so he over-compensated and the rest of the court followed suit. The Sun King's Wigs The French Royal court turned into a farcical game of one-upmanship where fashion was concerned - Whose wig is the tallest? Whose skirt is the widest and most covered in tiny bows? In Paris fashion big was the rage. The rebels were of course very quick to change all this and went very fast towards the opposite direction -- what before had been of a baroque, almost decadent, excess, now everything was simple -- as per the ideas of the era and also because hygiene had improved wonders by now and people had to buy more fabric to have at least one piece of clothing to wear while they cleaned the other one.

And then the 1800s came and department stores were opened, giving a boost to Paris fashion. From courtiers to couturiers Instead of courtiers, France now had the bourgeoisie and, as the driving force that made the economy move from hand to hand (as in, they could actually move money around), French fashion found its way into society. It wasn't long until the couturier (designer) was born. It is, of course, as usually with designers, a controversial statement, but a man from England called Charles Frederick Worth is more or less accepted into the popular vernacular as the man who totally dominated the industry. He was the first to be considered a designer and not just a dressmaker - he invented the fashion show and the fashion label as a status symbol. He went on to become so successful and respected, in fact, that he earned the final say on whatever their customers were going to wear, regardless of their opinion. He also came up with the idea of actually sketching the design before producing an expensive sample garment. He was hailed as a genius for that. Ah, the world of fashion.

All the Rage In the late 19th and early 20th century, the French fashion industry exploded (Vogue was founded in 1892) and Jacques Doucet and Madeline Vionnet founded fashion houses. They were influenced by Art Nouveau and Orientalist trends and so finally women were “liberated” from corsets and heavy petticoats and instead wore their whimsical designs with flowing bias-cut dresses. In 1925 a little known designer called Coco Chanel first came into prominence and revolutionized Paris fashion and then the world's. Post-war New Look In 1947 the world's attention was on Paris once more as Christian Dior unveiled his "New Look" - the clinched in waists contrasted with majestic busts and full skirts delighted the post-war clientele in its femininity. Hubert de Givenchy and Pierre Balmain both opened fashion houses soon after and Paris was the center of the world again. The 1960s saw the Parisian youth becoming disillusioned with French fashion, (apparently too elegant and elaborate) favoring instead the casual style seen in London.

YSL's Reign In 1966, Yves Saint Laurent put Paris on the spot again with his a prêt-à-porter ("ready to wear") line which made fashion accessible to the masses. In fact, even though Paco Rabanne and Pierre Cardin pushed fashion towards the future, creating bold shapes they always had to stay under YSL's shadow. He was undoubtedly king of the latter part of the century. He pioneered the tuxedo suit for women, seducing everyone with his androgynous style and Left Bank beatnik chic. Since the 1960s Paris fashion's claim to the crown has come under increasing competition from London, New York, Milan and Tokyo. Nevertheless foreign designers like Karl Lagerfield at Chanel and Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton still settle in France. Parisian fashion is celebrated bi-anually during Paris Fashion week when the crème de la crème of the fashion world flock to the city to see what they will be wearing next season. There's something about Paris... The most famous sights such as impressionist mecca Mont Martre and Montparnasse as well as the equally enchanting but underground Les Marais and Invalides.

The Weather The best time to travel The weather in Paris can be unpredictable though. For a few reasons most people will say that the spring (April through June) or fall (September through November) are the best times to visit. In general the weather in paris isn’t too extreme in either direction (too cold or too hot), and prices on things like airfare and hotels aren’t at their peak. How to move in Paris Why Is Paris the Capital of Fashion? Why Is Paris the Capital of Fashion? By SJ Stratford The Champs-Elysees forms one of the sides of Paris' golden triangle - fashion's mecca. 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. Exactly Why Is Paris the Fashion Capital? 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. From then on, it was understood that any designer who wanted to be a success had to be in Paris and become part of a couture house or form their own. Paris was the home of fashion shows and all the fashion magazines were either based in or looked to Paris for their information.

For women throughout the Western world, Paris was the be all and end all of clothes. The Power of Paris London, New York and Milan can all lay claim to some fashion influence. Especially during World War II, New York and London made inroads while Paris was occupied by Germany. But when the war was over, designers returned to Paris and couture reigned again. Chanel was still popular, but Dior became one of the most influential designers of the mid-century. Joined by Yves Saint Laurent and other prominent designers, Paris cemented its hold on style. But why is Paris the capital of fashion today? Simply because little has changed, despite the drop in the number of couture houses. The most important fashion shows still take place in Paris and more aspiring designers go to the city to learn and showcase their work than they do London, New York or Milan. The Golden Triangle To better understand why Paris is the capital of fashion, you need to consider the golden triangle - a shopping district in Paris dedicated exclusively to high fashion clothes and accessories. The triangle lives between the Avenue Marceau, the Champs-Elysees and the Avenue Montaigne.

In it, you will find the homes of Vuitton, Givenchy, Rochas, Dior, Celine, Chanel, Donna Karan and Hermes, just to start you off. Paris' Ongoing Allure Although there are certainly those who try to claim otherwise, Paris is still the fashion capital of the world. While it is true that the fashion magazines and designers don't have the absolute power they once did, the ability to be flexible and understand changing tastes and trends is what keeps Paris a magnet for the fashion world. The idea of a "Paris Original" may not thrill women the way it once did, but people certainly still respond to interesting, inventive and wearable clothes - and item for item, the bulk of those still come from Paris. . Global Fashion Capitals | Fashion Institute of Technology Online Exhibition Share using #Fashioncapitals on Twitter and Instagram . The globalization of fashion has given rise to new fashion cities that now annually host hundreds of fashion weeks around the world. Each city's cultural identity and particular economic, political, and social circumstances combine to elevate its designers to international attention. Global Fashion Capitals explored the history of the established fashion capitals—Paris, New York, Milan, and London—and the emergence of 16 new fashion cities.

Big Park, dress, spring 2015, Seoul, gift of Big Park, 2015.2.1 Lisa Folawiyo, dress, spring 2015, Lagos, gift of Lisa Folawiyo, 2015.6.1 The exhibition opened with a digital style map that geographically located the fashion capitals and showcased their latest runway and street style photographs. Global Fashion Capitals continued city-by-city, starting with Paris, the birthplace of haute couture, represented by designs from Charles Frederick Worth, Gabrielle Chanel, Christian Dior, and the emerging couturier, Bouchra Jarrar. The New York section began with a circa 1938 iridescent evening gown by Nettie Rosenstein and ended with Alexander Wang's sporty spring/summer 2015 neon orange dress. New York also included styles by Claire McCardell, Halston, and Ralph Lauren. Milan claimed its place as Italy's fashion capital during the 1970s. Brands such as Versace and Prada helped establish the city's respected prêt-à-porter. Now, newer designers, such as Stella Jean, bring fresh perspectives to Milan.

Christian Dior, evening dress, 1950, Paris, gift of Mrs. Tilly Friedman, 85.172.3 Nettie Rosenstein, evening dress, 1938, New York, gift of Gloria Carr de Veynac, 76.32.1 Prada, ensemble, fall 2007, Milan, gift of Prada, 2007.20.1 London captured international attention with youthquake fashions during the 1960s. Provocative designers such as Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano, and Alexander McQueen established London as a creative fashion hub during the decades since. When selecting which emerging fashion capitals to include in the exhibition, the curators considered a number of indicators to show that a city's fashion scene is growing. All the featured cities are home to forward-thinking designers who have achieved domestic success and attracted international interest. They also hold fashion weeks attended by international press and fashion buyers.

Christopher Kane, dress, fall 2014, London, museum purchase, 2015.15.1 Yohji Yamamoto, corset, fall 1991, Tokyo, gift of an anonymous donor, 2010.1.2 Alexandre Herchcovitch, jumpsuit, spring 2007, São Paulo, Brazil, gift of Alexandre Herchcovitch, 2007.49.1 Several factors drive the development of a city's fashion scene—politics, economics, and government support among them. For example, Johannesburg fashion blossomed during the post-apartheid era, led by designers such as Nkhensani Nkosi of Stoned Cherrie. Current events in Ukraine have ignited the creativity of designers such as Anton Belinskiy, who staged a photo shoot amid Kievs street protests. China's economic growth over the last decade created consumer demand for international fashion, developing into support for successful domestic designers, such as Shanghai's Masha Ma. Nigeria's economy, the largest in Africa, supports Lagos' developing fashion industry and the growing international reach of brands like Maki Oh and Lisa Folwaiyo.

The governments of Copenhagen and Seoul actively fund and promote their fashion industries. Lie Sangbong, ensemble, fall 2006, Seoul, gift of Lie Sangbong, 2015.9.1 Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, dress, spring/summer 2014, Madrid, gift of Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, 2014.44.1 Carla Fernndez, ensemble, 2009, Mexico City, gift of Carla Fernndez/Taller Flora, 2009.48.1 The exhibition also examined fashions from: Tokyo Top Fashion Schools Around the World | Top Universities Top Fashion Schools Around the World 12:00AM Mar 4, 2014 This content can be saved to the "My Activity" tab in your user profile. 314 shares This content can be saved to the "My Activity" tab in your user profile.

314 shares With New York, London and Milan Fashion Weeks all finished, and Paris Fashion Week wrapping up this week, the buzz of the fashion industry is pretty much at its annual peak, making this the perfect time to take a look at the top fashion schools in each of the renowned fashion capitals of the world. Those who study fashion at university will learn about all aspects of the fashion industry, including technical skills in drawing, tailoring processes, pattern cutting and technical specification as well as being able to work with a variety of materials. Alongside these practical skills, your degree should equip you with an understanding of the industry itself, including its historical development, current trends and processes, and contemporary issues surrounding fashion today, such as ethical sourcing, manufacturing and distribution. As well as general fashion studies, students are often able to specialize in fields such as jewelry or textiles design, fashion photography or journalism, as well as choosing fashion-focused courses in public relations, management and marketing. Due to the specialized nature of the most fashion schools, many of the institutions listed below do not feature in the QS World University Rankings® (which only ranks universities that cover multiple subject areas). Nonetheless, they are all well-reputed in their field.

Top fashion schools in New York City The most populated city in the US and also the most talked-about, NYC is the city all other cities aspire to. The muse of artists ranging from Frank Sinatra to Alicia Keys, New York City is a melting pot of cultures responsible for inspiring generations of city-dwellers. Fashion is a big part of the city’s life and many of the world’s biggest names in fashion journalism are based here, including Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar and Marie Claire. Two of the top fashion schools in New York are listed below. Parsons, The New School for Design Offering programs in fashion design, fashion studies and fashion marketing, Parsons, The New School for Design boasts graduates such as Tom Ford, Donna Karan, Marc Jacobs, Alexander Wang and Jason Wu. Tuition costs US$39,280 per year and there are currently 4,260 undergraduates enrolled, of which 1,553 are studying fashion design. As well as having a very impressive alumni list, Parsons also has a strong focus on maintaining relationships with its past students. This has led to the school holding critiques and workshops with Donna Karan and the Proenza Schouler duo.

Factor in the school’s corporate partnerships and the fact that the majority of faculty members work within the fashion industry, and it’s clear that students of Parsons, The New School for Design have strong career prospects. The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) Known by some as the MIT of the fashion world, the Fashion Institute of Technology offers programs in fashion design, business, marketing, illustrating and styling. Established in 1944, the school has 10,000 students overall and boasts Carolina Herrera, Calvin Klein and Michael Kors among its alumni. New York residents pay US$3,034 a semester and students from outside the state pay US$8,185. The school has a lecture series and a museum curated by fashion historian Valerie Steele. Top fashion schools in London Ranked the world’s second best city for students , the UK capital is has also garnered a reputation as one of most fashionable cities in the world. Historically, fashion-conscious Britons have often looked across the Channel to the French for inspiration. But, in the last century, as the dominance of Parisian fashion has lessened, London’s fashion industry has undoubtedly emerged as a leader rather than a follower.

Three of the top fashion schools in London are featured below. Central Saint Martins Part of the University of the Arts London (UAL), Central Saint Martins offers programs in fashion, textile and jewelry design and currently has 1,200 students studying to gain their fashion degrees. Partially government-funded, Central Saint Martins is accessible to talented students from all social spheres and offers a world-class teaching staff, including international fashion figures such as Professor Louise Wilson. Undergraduate tuition fees for 2014-15 are UK£9,000 (US$15,000) per year for UK and EU students and UK£15,180 per year for international students (US$25,000). Notable graduates include Alexander McQueen, Paul Smith, Stella McCartney and Christopher Kane. London College of Fashion Another college within the University of the Arts London, the London College of Fashion stands out for its wide range of fashion courses. The school offers not only fashion design courses, but also fashion marketing, journalism, buying and merchandising as well as programs in beauty, cosmetic science, fashion curation and criticism, and even courses specializing in footwear and accessories.

More than 2,547 students are enrolled in the first year alone, and tuition fees are the same as at Central Saint Martins, since the two colleges are both part of UAL. Famous graduates include Jimmy Choo and Rupert Sanderson. Royal College of Art Offering a range of graduate-level art and design courses, the world-renowned Royal College of Art has relatively small enrolment numbers across its six schools. With higher international tuition fees compared to the other two London fashion schools listed here (UK£26,900; about US$42,000), the Royal College of Art’s School of Materials gives students the opportunity to gain placements and work experience at some of the world’s biggest fashion houses including the likes of Prada, Louis Vuitton, Givenchy and Burberry. Famous alumni include Philip Treacy, Ossie Clark and Zandra Rhodes. Top fashion schools in Milan Italy has long been known as one of Europe’s main trendsetters, due to its history of political power in classical times as well as its cultural power in the Renaissance era.

Cities such as Florence, Rome, Naples, Genoa and Venice have all been recognized as fashion centers but Milan, with its minimalist fashion houses of the 1980s, has developed into the country’s ‘fashion capital’ – and joins New York, Paris and London as an international fashion capital as well. Istituto Marangoni The Istituto Marangoni is split across three campuses; its main campus is based in Milan and the other two are in London and Paris. The school, home to 2,000 students across all three campuses, offers courses in fashion design, fashion business, fashion buying, brand management and fashion promotion. Depending on the program, tuition fees range from EU€13,900 (US$17,670) to EU€19,000 (US$24,550). The school, boasting the likes of Franco Moschino and Domenico Dolce as alumni, reports a 90% placement rate after graduation.

Politecnico di Milano The Politecnico di Milano was established in 1863 and is the largest school of architecture, design and engineering in Italy, with almost 40,000 students enrolled. The school offers an undergraduate program in fashion design and a master’s program in ‘Design for the Fashion System’. Top fashion schools in Paris Paris’ long history of being the European fashion center continues to play a fundamental role in the city’s character and perceptions about its stylish (and perhaps stand-offish) residents. High living costs are balanced out by the French public university systems’ low tuition fees, giving Paris the top spot in the QS Best Student Cities ranking . Though New York, London and Milan have all now established themselves as Paris’ equals when it comes to fashion design and journalism, for many prospective fashion students the French capital remains the center of the fashion world. Two of the top fashion schools in Paris are explored here. Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne With just a few hundred students enrolled, the Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne offers courses on fashion design and technique, world-renowned couture classes and baccalaureate programs.

It offers the cheapest tuition fees among any of the top fashion schools featured in this list, costing EU€10,450 (US$13,230) per year. But as well as being great value, it also offers the prestige of belonging to a school associated with the commissioning body in charge of determining what can be categorized as ‘couture’. Among the school’s alumni are Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino and André Courreges. Often students are not considered unless they have already completed a design course elsewhere. ESMOD An international fashion design and business school based in Paris, ESMOD (l'Ecole Supérieure des Arts et techniques de la Mode) has additional campuses in four other French cities and 21 schools in total worldwide. Offering programs in fashion design and fashion business to its 700 students, tuition at ESMOD is currently EU€9,900 (US$13,200).

ESMOD is famous not only for its alumni – among which are names such as Thierry Mugler and Nina Garcia – but also for being the first and oldest French fashion design school, founded in 1841, and for having invented both the tape measure and the mannequin. Other top fashion schools… Antwerp Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Belgium Antwerp, the capital city of Belgium, is also making strong steps toward becoming a world-leading fashion capital. Perhaps the most notable fashion school here is the Antwerp Royal Academy of Fine Arts, an elite design school offering fashion design courses to just over 100 students each year. Tuition is highly subsidized, even for foreign students, making the total cost approximately EU€7,000 (US$9,000) per year, the cheapest fees yet. Students must have proficiency in Dutch and an experimental and avant-garde approach is encouraged. Bunka Fashion College, Japan Tokyo’s Bunka Fashion College offers programs in fashion design, fashion creation and technology, marketing and accessories and textiles.

Bunka is known for its Japanese avant-garde designs as well as its more academic marketing and technology courses and is home to 8,000 students spread across its two colleges. Bunka Fashion College gained international prominence in the 1960s, when graduates of the school began showing their designs in Paris. A good understanding of Japanese is required and tuition ranges from JP¥1,184,500-JP¥1,403,500 (US$12,200-US$14,400).

Question: In addition to New York, London and Paris, what city is considered a “fashion capital”?
Answer: Milan