London Fashion Week

London Fashion Week is a clothing trade show held in London twice each year, in February and September. It is one of the "Big Four" fashion weeks, along with New York Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week. Organization

London Fashion Week at Somerset House Organised by the British Fashion Council (BFC) for the London Development Agency with help from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, London Fashion Week first took place in 1984. It currently ranks alongside New York, Paris and Milan as one of the 'Big Four' fashion weeks.[1] It presents itself to funders[2] as a trade event that also attracts significant press attention and benefit to taxpayers. It is also able to get an official sponsorship from MercedesBenz,[3] a worldwide known automobile brand and global hairdressing company Toni & Guy. It states that it is attended by over 5,000 press and buyers, and has estimated orders of 40 million[4] or 100 million.[5] A retail-focused event, London Fashion Weekend, takes place immediately afterwards at the same venue and is open to the general public.[6] The current venue for most of the "on-schedule" events is Somerset House in central London, where a large marquee in the central courtyard hosts a series of

catwalk shows by top designers and fashion houses,[7] while an exhibition, housed within Somerset House itself, shows over 150 designers.[8] However, many "off-schedule" events, such as Vauxhall Fashion Scout and On|Off, are organised by other private-funded groups and take place at other venues in central London.[9] Model health enquiry The Model Health Enquiry,[10] backed by London Assembly members and the Mayor's threat to withdraw funding, recommended vetting of models. Live video stream In Spring 2010, London Fashion Week became the first major fashion week to fully embrace digital media when it offered all designers who were showing their collections on the catwalk at Somerset House the opportunity to broadcast their shows live on the internet.[11] The video stream can be seen on London Fashion Week's website. Men's Collections In Summer 2012, London for the first time introduced Men's Collections, in addition to the collections shows in spring / summer and autumn / winter. Better Lives

Green Week, 10 - 14 February 2014 Using fashion to drive change, build a sustainable future and improve the way we live. Through a broad agenda we encourage dialogue between staff, students and the wider community to develop an understanding and definition of what sustainability means to us. Browse our projects. Latest updates:

The Centre for Sustainable Fashion to discuss Future Cities in New Delhi Future Proof Fashion Jewellery with the Salvation Army Trading Co Ltd Book now: Better Lives Lecture Series 2014

What's on

MA14 Season The Graduate School will be showcasing the work of more than 200 students throughout a festival of events during February 2014, including work from all of our postgraduate courses. 11 - 16 Feb 2014 Follow this link to go to more information about

Green Week at LCF UAL is taking part in national Green Week. LCF will be celebrating with a range of events and projects across the college, giving you a chance to get involved in improving our local and global environment. 10 - 14 Feb 2014 Follow this link to go to more information about

Better Lives Lecture Series As part of LCFs initiative to use the discipline of fashion to drive change, build a sustainable future and improve the way we live, the 2014 Better Lives Lecture series will focus on Looking Ahead ...isms in Fashion. 10 Feb - 24 Mar 2014 Follow this link to go to more information about

News

Inside the Industry: Armani Maurizio Cazzin, menswear pattern cutter at Giorgio Armani spoke exclusively to LCF students about working at the global brand and the development and manufacturing of a prototype jacket.

LCF Visual Merchandising students to design London Fashion Week window BA (Hons) Fashion Visual Merchandising and Branding students are being challenged by Phaidon Press to create a Fashion Week window in the iconic Foyles bookshop on Charing Cross Road.

LCF alumna Sophia Webster announced as Fashion Forward winner Sophia Webster, who studied BA (Hons) Cordwainers Footwear at LCF, has been announced as one of three winners to be awarded the Mayor of London and British Fashion Councils Fashion Forward prize.

New York Fashion

New York Fashion Week, held in February and September of each year, is a biannual series of events (generally lasting 79 days) when international fashion collections are shown to buyers, the press and the general public. It consists of numerous branded events, including Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York[1] and MADE Fashion Week,[2] as well as numerous independent fashion productions around town.[3] It is one of four major fashion weeks in the world, along with those in Paris, London, and Milan.[4] New York Fashion Week vs. Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York Fashion Week is a citywide series of twice-annually occurring fashion events, which has multiple producers.[3][5] During New York Fashion Week, IMG produces "Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York," one of several international Mercedes-Benz Fashion Weeks, which also take place in Miami,[6] Berlin,[7] Russia,[8] Australia,[9] and Istanbul,[10] among other locations.[11][12][13] Leading designers will often showcase separately from Mercedes-Benzsponsored events.[14] For Fall 2014, Oscar de la Renta and Vera Wang will show independently from IMG / Mercedes-Benz.[15][16] Although Michael Kors, Diane von Furstenberg and Carolina Herrera were originally rumored to be departing, they will show with Mercedes-Benz in February 2014.[17] Origin The first New York Fashion Week (which was then called "Press Week") was the world's first ever organized fashion week. First held in 1943, the event was designed to attract attention away from the French fashion during World War II, when fashion industry insiders were unable to travel to Paris to see French fashion shows.[18] Fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert organized an event she called "Press Week" to showcase American designers for fashion journalists, who had previously neglected their innovations.[18] (Buyers were not admitted to the shows, and instead had to visit designers' showrooms.)[18] Press Week was a

success, and fashion magazines like Vogue, which were normally filled with French designs, increasingly featured American fashion.[18] Location In 1994, the event was moved to its former site in Bryant Park by Fern Mallis, where it was held inside a series of large white tents in the almost-block-long park.[19] Admission is by invitation only, to the fashion industry, fashion press, assorted celebrities, and internet based fashion press (e.g., District L, Fashionista, FWD, and The Fashion Bomb). Beginning in February 2009 (showing Fall 2009), many designers opted out of their usual Bryant Park tent fashion shows because of the poor economy and held smaller presentations. History 2000 - present 2009

Milagros Schmoll walks the runway at the Custo Barcelona Spring 2009 show in New York.

Outside entrance, Spring 2009 New York Fashion Week At the Fall 2009 Fashion Week, the public got a taste of technology as it is shaping the future of fashion. It is not only making it cheaper and easier for designers to create their collections, it is also saving them travel time as many broadcast their lines over the Internet. Many designers opted to not only market online but also sell exclusively online. Designer Norma Kamali and the Polo Ralph Lauren Rugby brand both have an application for the Apple iPhone. In the Vivienne Tam show, models walked the runway carrying Hewlett Packard mini notebook computers instead of the expected handbag. Mercedes-Benz officially became the sponsor of the event, and New York Fashion Week was called "Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week" from then. Because of the recession affecting most of the world, designers were stepping outside of the box for fall 2009. In previous years, fashion houses would be expecting costs up to $750,000 to produce a quality runway show. The idea of using mannequins to display clothing was used by established designers Betsey Johnson and Vera Wang as a way to cut model and runway costs - even the mannequins themselves can be rented instead of bought.[20] Mara Hoffman, Sergio Davila and Nicholas K saved 40 percent of their costs by combining their separate lines into one show. Another trend seen during fall 2009 Fashion Week was recession friendly fashion. A number of pieces displayed were items that could be worn in the fall and carry over to the spring. A popular staple was bold color dressed that could be worn over a turtleneck in colder weather and stand alone in the spring; convertible blazers were introduced by Vera Wang and Karen Walker as a way to get double the wear out of one piece.

2010

Yigal Azrouel runway show at satellite venue, Spring 2008 New York Fashion Week Due to increasing pressure from Bryant Park management, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week was hosted in Damrosch Park at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts for the first time in September 2010. In addition to the new location, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week partnered with Fashion GPS, a new technology that offered quick seating and check-in for guests at the shows.[21] 2011 The 2011 Mercedes-Benz Fall Fashion week collection will be showcased starting the second week of February and will be held at the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts.[22] The Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts offers an additional 17,000 square feet of space, but the location change is still receiving mixed reviews.[citation needed] There initially appeared to be a trend toward darker and more somber designs.[23] 2012 Dates for the 2013 shows were September 512, 2012 (Spring/Summer 2013)[24] and February 714, 2013 (Fall/Winter 2013).[25] 2013 The Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2014 shows at Lincoln Center ran from September 512, 2013, although independent shows began a

day earlier.[26] On November 4, 2013, IMG announced that it is outsourcing production of its New York and Miami fashion weeks to LDJ Productions.[27][28] The History of The New York City Garment District Written by Lauren Benet Stephenson with Photography by Richard Beaven After a year of tireless brainstorming and exhaustive soul-searching the Garment District has been renamedthe Garment District. The neighborhoods advocate association, the Fashion Center Business Improvement District, headed the mission to rebrand the area in an effort to better represent its current business makeup of varied industries from tech to real estate. Thankfully, none of the new name ideas stuckand there were more than 100, including, Devils Arcade, a hangover from the areas gritty past. As Barbara Blair Randall, President of the Fashion Center BID, remarked to the Wall Street Journal, New Yorkers are savvy. Theyre smart. You cant pull one over on them. More to the point, the Garment District should be called the Garment District because it is, in fact, a garment-created district. Prior to the Garment Districts beginnings in the late-1800s, Americans were selfsufficient clothing-makers. Generally speaking, a household made its own outfits, and only the ostentatiously wealthy relied on skilled tailors for clothes. One catalyst for the Garment Districts inception was plantation owners need for a cheap, speedy way to outfit their entire slave labor force. Then, as the Civil War began, the same tailors and seamstresses were corralled to produce uniforms in bulk for the troops. With New York Citys influx of immigrants, the area simultaneously found itself with a wealth of skilled craftsmen, ready and eager to ply their trade. As Americans became more prosperous, their clothing consuming was more enthusiastic and they were less discerning about its source. In fact, its rumored that the specific geographic area of the Garment District was chosen because it was both close enough to the 5th Avenue retail corridor (that at the time was rapidly becoming more and more luxe) and far enough away from the eyes of

moneyed customers. Gone were the days where a shopper insisted on knowing precisely who had made her garment.

The section of Seventh Avenue running through the Garment District was first dubbed Fashion Avenue in 1972

Traffic congestion forces trucks to park on the fringes of the Garment District. Rails of clothes are walked to them from storage areas.

Paris Fashion
Paris is regarded as the world fashion capital, has spread throughout the city a lot of fashion boutiques. Many of the major French fashion brands, such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Lacroix, are currently headquartered in the city. Numerous international fashion labels also operate shops in Paris, including an Abercrombie & Fitch flagship store which has become a main consumer attraction. Paris also hosts a fashion week twice a year, just like other international centres such as Milan, London, Tokyo, New York, Los Angeles and Rome. The Avenue des Champs-lyses is traditionally the avenue of the luxury, fashion and beauty of France with many headquarters of luxury houses compared with the 5th Avenue of NYC, the Avenue Montaigne another adjacent avenue that since the 1980s get the prestige of prime avenue with many headquarters of luxury, the fashion houses have been traditionally situated since the 17th century in the quarter around the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honor. Other areas, such as Le Marais, a traditional Jewish quarter, have also included the clothing industry, also the city have a lot of fashion districts consolidating the city as a fashion capital. 10 reasons why Paris is still the fashion capital of the world Paris has been ruling the high seas of fashion for more than three centuries. During this time it has attracted the worlds foremost designers and seemingly imbued its citizens with an innate sense of style. For these, and plenty of other reasons, Paris can still rightly claim its title of world fashion capital. Heres why.

Paris fashion week The Paris Fashion Week is the finale of the big four fashion weeks the others being Milan Fashion Week, London Fashion Week, and New York Fashion Week. Held predominantly in the Carrousel du Louvre, Paris fashion week helps dictate what the world will be wearing next season. Best designers The worlds best designers have always operated from Paris. It is currently home to the headquarters of Rochas, Vuitton, Balenciaga, Cline, Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel, Dior, Givenchy, Chloe, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Herms and Lanvin. Haute couture The concept of haute couture (high sewing or high dressmaking or high fashion) was invented in Paris. Though it originally refereed to Englishman-inParis Charles Frederick Worths work, the term has become a protected name in France, meaning that it can only be used by companies that meet certain wellregulated standards. People Some of the most stylish people on the planet were born in Paris. These include Brigitte Bardot, Catherine Deneuve, Anne Parillaud, Juliette Binoche and Jeanne Moreau. Golden triangle Paris provides the ultimate dose in high-end fashion. In an area bordered by the Champs-Elyses, Avenue Montaigne and Avenue Marceau, visitors can find the worlds top design houses from Dior to Chanel to Yves Saint Laurent.

Bikini

The bikini was invented in Paris by the French automobile engineer Louis Rard and fashion designer Jacques Heim in 1946. The item embodies French style in its timeless simplicity. Fashion trade unions Paris retains a powerful fashion trade union known as the Fdration franaise de la couture. Created in 1973, the Federation is dedicated to protecting French fashion and consists of three entities the trade union of high fashion, the trade union of mens fashion, and the trade union of womens fashion. Fashion school Paris is home to the worlds foremost fashion school the Ecole de la chambre syndicale de la couture parisienne. Immersing yourself within the fashion capital requires at least basic understanding of the language, schools such as ESL (http://www.esl.co.uk) give you the opportunity to learn French in Paris and make the most of an amazing city.

Paris Fashion Week

Magdalena Frackowiak at Paris Fashion Week Fall 2011 Paris Fashion Week is a clothing trade show held semi-annually in Paris, France with Spring / Summer and Autumn / Winter events held each year. Dates are determined by the French Fashion Federation. Currently, Fashion Week is held in the Carrousel du Louvre, as well as at various other venues throughout the city. Paris Fashion Week is part of the Big 4 fashion weeks internationally, the others being London Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week and New York Fashion Week.[1] The schedule begins with New York, followed by London, and then Milan, and ending the events in Paris. In 2013, Paris Fashion Week (Spring/Summer season) starts September 26 with Lucien Pellat Finet, and will be followed by shows from major fashion houses such as Guy Laroche, Dries Van Noten, Comme des Garons, Christian Dior, Lanvin, Isabel Marant, Sonia Rykiel, Jean Paul Gaultier, Balenciaga, and more. These runway shows are held to show the fashion industry what the various labels will be releasing and to increase sales for the brands. [2]

In addition to Ready to Wear shows, there are Men's and Haute Couture shows, which are held semiannually for the Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter seasons.

Paris fashion week coverage 2014

Ondria Hardin sparkles

Written by Tania Braukmper on 5 Feb 2014 Ondria Hardin looked so perfect in a pairing of Chanels iridescent eyemakeup and a simple, fresh topknot that this photo seemed more than worth sharing. The shot was taken outside the Grand Palais in Paris just after the Chanel couture spring 2014 show ended. If you missed it, you can find our tutorial on how to recreate Chanels sparkling eyeshadow at that link.

10 of the best street style looks from Paris couture week

Written by Tania Braukmper on 4 Feb 2014 The street style situation at Paris Haute Couture week for spring 2014 was a little on the subdued side. The days were a bit grey, the weather was chilly but without the magic of snow. But warm coats, wool man-style suits, and outfits of head-totoe black arent necessarily a bad thing. While we all love seeing fashion as fantasy, these 10 street style looks are more the wearable meaning you can easily take inspiration from their styling when the weather is cold outside your own door. At the gallery: 10 top street style looks that caught our eye in Paris.

Asymmetrical zip action: after Tony Ward

Its as if models are born with an inherent skill in making an all-black outfit look good. Maybe its their tall, lean physiques that turn any off duty outfit into one to be coveted; or, in this case, little details like an asymmetrical zip that follows the line of an open jacket.

Tokyo's fashion
Tokyo's vibrant fashions are as much a feature of the city as its Michelin-starred restaurants. It's almost impossible to keep up with the fast-changing trends but here's an introduction to some of the main tribes

Tokyo fashion tribes have become a famous feature of the city. Photograph: Steven Vidler/Eurasia Press/Corbis The outlandish and vibrant fashionistas of Tokyo move forward at such a pace that it's almost impossible to document them without instantly falling out of date. However, there are a number of groups tribes, or "kei" in Japanese that have managed to evolve while staying relatively true to their origins. Members of these tribes can number into the hundreds of thousands, though more commonly they reach a few thousand youngsters before disappearing entirely. Many kei can be traced back to the Harajuku district, at the centre of which is Takeshita Dori, a street that is to Tokyo what Carnaby Street was once to London (only with added dayglo cuteness), and this should be the first destination for any determined follower of fashion. Here are a selection of the tribes that you would have a hard time missing on any trip to the Japanese capital.

The Rollers of Yoyogi Park

Photograph: Alamy Before we begin, let's get one thing straight. These guys aren't rockabillies, even though they might look old enough to have witnessed Gene Vincent in his heyday. They prefer to be known as "Roller-Zoku" (the Roller Family), and they take the business of dancing to old rock'n'roll numbers very seriously indeed (on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, near the gates of Yoyogi Park, without fail). It is thought that the Roller-Zoku have been a part of the Yoyogi furniture since the early 1990s, when a rockabilly revival swept parts of Japan. With their receding hairlines bullied into thinning quiffs, they may not look particularly threatening, but woe betide anyone who tries to join their antiquated dance. Simply do as the massed crowds surrounding them do: watch agog, but from a safe distance. Dolly Kei On the border of the Harajuku and Shibuya district, you'll find Grimoire, a fanciful clothing and accessories shop that sits at the centre of the Dolly Kei movement. Followers dress in what might be described as a Tokyo take on Ye Olde Europe, favouring velvets, silks and rich embroidery. Think Little Bo Peep meets Hans Christian Anderson on a set imagined by Hayao Miyazaki, and you might be somewhere close to the mindspace inhabited by the brothers and sisters Grimoire. Having surfaced in 2010, seemingly as the subject of a series of blogs that surrounded the shop itself, the Dollies have survived long enough to be seen as genuine contenders quite a feat in the transient world of Tokyo fashion.

Lolita Kei

Japanese tribes may be a disparate bunch, but at some point in each development cycle, one word is guaranteed to surface: kawaii. If it's kawaii (cute) it sells, and no fashion typifies it more readily than the dubiously titled Loli Kei (Lolita tribe). The Lolis decorate themselves in a riot of pinks, frills, bonnets, aprons and shepherds' crooks there's enough fairyland fantasy here to make Barbie turn away in disgust. The fashion has been flirting with the mainstream for more than a decade, but the unexpected twists in its journey have kept it interesting (see below). Gosurori

Gosurori is an amalgamation of two non-Japanese words, gosu being the Japanese pronunciation of the English word goth, and rori, an abbreviated version of the name Lolita. To become a respectable Gosurori, take the previously discussed Lolita outfit, dye it black, edge it with pristine, snow-white lace and apply makeup to match. The Gosuroris have been a part of the Harajuku scene since the late 1990s, and it is thought their existence may owe something to the cross-pollination of the Lolita tribe and the now defunct Visual Kei movement that took its inspiration from Japanese hair metal bands like Glay and L'Arc En Ciel, both phenomenally successsful in the mid-90s. A more disturbing set of love children it is hard to imagine. Harajuku Kei The Harajuku district is where it all begins for the majority of Tokyo's tribes so many, in fact, that the Japanese press occasionally refer to the local fashionistas under the umbrella term, Harajuku Kei. In its current form, it appears as though the members have simply woken up, stepped out of bed and been attacked by a variety of brightly coloured and frequently clashing clothes. Homemade and swapped accessories play a huge part, and nobody does this hodgepodge style as well as 19-year-old Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, a young woman who appeared on Takeshita Street in 2010 as a fashion-obsessed high school blogger, and is now the face of her own brand. She sings too, after a fashion, and she'll be performing at the O2 Academy Islington, in London, on 13 February, though tickets are scarce. Gyaru Kei Longtime observers of Japanese fashion will recall the Ganguro tribe, a frightening army of teenagers who teased their hair into tight afros and wore blackface at weekends. While they have long since expired, the gyaru ("gal") gangs that sprang up in their place are still a fixture on the Shibuya scene. Essentially fashion-conscious, late-teenage women, their look is defined by a kind of glam sassiness sculpted hair, lavish but precise makeup and mini skirts. Ironically, given the fashion's ancestral roots, the latest incarnation (as dictated by tribal style bible, Egg Magazine) demands that the faithful gyaru whitens her skin. It doesn't come much more high maintenance than this. Gyaru-Oh

Whatever the Gyarus can do, the Gyaru-Ohs can do better. Occasionally known as the Host Kei, these fellas spend as much time in front of the mirror as their female counterparts do, and the resulting ultra-effeminate look makes their Gyaru-Oh moniker fairly apt (the phrase can be translated as "Girl Men"). Such is the strength and number of their tribe that they, too, have been awarded their own tribal bible, the proudly named Mens' Egg, which has a circulation of approximately 300,000 nationwide readers, and has even spawned a secondary publication for older Gyaru-Ohs called Men's Knuckle (circulation 200,000). The Gyaru-Oh's are a very striking force to be reckoned with. Kitakore Kei Like the Dolly Kei crowd, the relatively new Kitakore Kei have their own spiritual home, this time in the Koenji district. And what a lowly shed it is, too. The Kitakore Building is a tumbledown shop that looks as though it pays bully-money to the elements just to stay in existence, but this is entirely in keeping with the stock that the crowd flocks in to purchase. As a fashion, it is as random as the Harajuku Kei style, but without the bubblegum aesthetic. Punk seems too harsh a word, though it does share the DIY ethic. Most recently, the tribal manifesto has been described by a local editor as "everyday something new", and this seems as accurate as you might ever hope to get. Otaku

As any self-respecting web denizen will tell you, the otaku are no longer bound within Japan's borders. Sometimes defined as a form of geek chic, the fashionable wing of this subculture is occasionally referred to as Akiba Kei (named after the district it originated from, Akihabara), but in its nascent form Otaku seemed more like the unlucky hand of fate than a fashion statement. Common to tribe members old and young was a kind of dysfunctional existence spent living vicariously through the windows of a comic book, and a fanatical devotion to manufactured pop groups such as the phenomenally successful, 48member-strong girl group, AKB48. As if the international reach of this seemingly bedroom-bound subculture needed demonstrating any further, there are now AKB48 franchises as far south as Singapore (SKG48). Cosplay

The lot of a Cosplayer is invariably lived out in a blue wig and chintzy fabric. Theirs is a life spent in the dressing up box, determined to approximate the look of their favourite anime character, although like the world of the otaku it is no longer confined to Japan. Perhaps not as prominent as it once was in its home country, and certainly without the original novelty factor, there are still fanatics to be found, and you're guaranteed a photo opportunity in the Odaiba district during the weekend of the annual Tokyo Game Show, when the costumes on display are constructed with minute attention to detail and maximum pride.

Itasha

As a tribe, the gangs of itasha drivers are increasingly less visible in the capital ironic, given what they're known for. The word itasha refers to the cars they drive rather than the people themselves, and is a mashup of the words itai (painful) and sha (vehicle). The pain described is derived either from looking at the cars themselves, or from the embarrassment of having to drive one it really depends on who you ask. Increasingly found out in the sticks, these "pain cars" can be spotted several miles off, commonly driven in small groups, usually decked out in lurid colours, sculpted attachments, and the kind of soft-focus imagery not seen in the west since the Athena poster company went out of business. A colleague recently discovered an Itasha graveyard on the southern island of Kyushu, suggesting that the tribe's days are numbered. Spot them while you still can.

Fashion in Milan

Via Monte Napoleone, the leading thoroughfare in Milan's "golden quadrilateral". In 2010, it was ranked as the sixth most expensive shopping street in the world.[1] The Italian city of Milan is recognised internationally as one of the world's most important fashion capitals, along with Paris, New York and London. It is additionally recognised as the main sartorial hub in the country, with Rome and Florence being other major centres. Milan has established a long history within the fields of fashion, textiles and design in general. Throughout the late 19th century, the Lombard capital was a major production centre, benefitting from its status as one of the country's salient economic and industrial powerhouses. Milanese fashion, despite taking inspiration from the leading Parisian couture of the time, developed its own approach, which was by nature devoted to sobriety, simplicity and the quality of the fabric. Throughout the 20th century, the city expanded its role as a fashion centre, with a number of rising designers contributing to Milan's image as a stylistic capital. Following this development, Milan emerged in the 1970s and 1980s as one of the world's pre-eminent trendsetters, maintaining this stint well into the 1990s and 2000s and culminating with its entrenchment as one of the "big four" global fashion capitals. As of today, Milan is especially renowned for its role within the prt--porter category of fashion. In 2009, the city was declared as the "fashion capital of the world" by the Global Language Monitor, even surpassing its relative cities.[2] The next year, Milan dropped out of the top four falling to sixth place,[3] yet in 2011 it returned to fourth place.[4] 2012 saw the city suffer its lowest ranking to date, as it slipped to eighth place.

History Milan's fashion history has evolved greatly throughout the years. Milan began as a centre of fashion in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, 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. In 1865, the first major department store in the country opened in Milan by the Bacconi brothers (which was called Alle Citt d'Italia and later in 1921 became La Rinascente).[5] This was regarded as a novelty at the time with regards to retailing in Italy. Though, traditionally, artisans would sell the items they made directly or to small stores,[6] the opening of these new department stores modernised the distributions of clothes in the city. In terms of the Milanese people, they are said to have probably been "fashion conscious" in the 1880s and late 19th century.[7] The Milanese style was partially inspired by French fashion, which at the time was still dominant in terms of influence, yet adapted according to local tastes;[8] this included a generally sombre and simple style, which was moderate in terms of decoration and ornamentation, and put an emphasis on the quality of tailoring and the different fabrics and textiles.[9] The general Milanese interest in styling was reflected in the number of fashion magazines which circulated in the city at the time, as well as

the fact that the people were ready to follow trends; nevertheless, the Milanese style was relatively traditional. The city had several tailors and seamstresses which in 1881 amounted to 249 and in 1886 to 383 (which were listed in guides).[10] In this period, the city was one of the biggest industrial powerhouses in Italy, and had a diversified fashion and clothing economy which was mainly based on small workshops rather than large companies (highlighted in an 1881 census).[11] The importance of this industry continued in the city into the early 20th century, where 42,711 out of 175,871 workers were in the clothing sector in 1911.[12] Later, in the early-20th century, Milan became a major centre of silk and textile productions. Nevertheless, in the 1950s and 1960s, Florence 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. The city became one of the main capitals for ready-to-wear female and male fashion in the 1970s.[13] 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.[14] The city left the top four in 2010 going to sixth place,[15] yet came back up to fourth in 2011.[16] Designers, houses, and modelling agencies

An event in the 2010 Milan Fashion Week.

Fashion designers Milan has been home to numerous fashion designers, including Giorgio Armani, Valentino Garavani, Gianni Versace, Gianfranco Ferr, Miuccia Prada, Krizia, Moschino, Etro, Trussardi, Missoni, and Dolce & Gabbana. Houses and labels Most of the major Italian fashion houses and labels are based in Milan, even though many of them were founded in other cities. They include Prada, Valentino SpA, Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Missoni, Moschino, Trussardi, Etro, Miu Miu and the eyewear company, Luxottica. Fashion institutions and agencies The many fashion agencies and institutes in Milan include Beatrice International Models Agency, D'management Group, Why Not Model Agency, Istituto Marangoni and Style Design College. Fashion week Main article: Milan Fashion Week Milan, like most other major fashion capitals, has two fashion weeks, one in Spring and another in Autumn. The Menswear shows occur in between autumn(fall)/winter and spring/summer in the city. The penultimate fashion week is also held in Milan. The show was first established in 1979. Shopping quarters and areas The city's most important shopping streets and districts include Piazza del Duomo (with the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II) the Quadrilatero della Moda (including Via Montenapoleone, Via della Spiga, Corso Venezia and Via Manzoni). The latter is one of the leading shopping districts in the world; Via Monte Napoleone has been ranked as the sixth most expensive shopping street in the world, with a $770 rent per year per square foot.[17] Streets in this district contain exclusive fashion and couture boutiques.

Nevertheless, there are other important shopping streets and locations in the city, including the Via Dante, Corso Buenos Aires, Piazza San Babila and the Corso Vittorio Emanuele II. Corso Buenos Aires is one of the biggest shopping streets in Europe. The Brera district, the city's bohemian quarter, is also a fashionable area with several boutiques. Furthermore, the Porta Ticinese quarter and the various streets in this area contain fashion stores, some of which cater for more alternative/youth clients. Milan Fashion Week Milan Fashion Week (Italian: Settimana della moda) is a clothing trade show held semi-annually in Milan, Italy. The autumn/winter event is held in February/March of each year, and the spring/summer event is held in September/October of each year. History and Operations Milan Fashion Week, established in 1958, is part of the Big 4 fashion weeks internationally, the others being Paris Fashion Week, London Fashion Week and New York Fashion Week.[1] The schedule begins with New York, followed by London, and then Milan, and ending the events in Paris. Milan Fashion Week is owned by Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (The National Chamber for Italian Fashion), a non-profit association which disciplines, coordinates and promotes the development of Italian fashion[2] and is responsible for hosting the fashion events and shows of Milan. The Camera Sindacale della Moda Italiana, was set up on 11 June 1958. This was the forerunner of the body which subsequently became the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana. Proprietors of the most important haute couture establishments in Italy, including some private establishments, which, in those days, played a crucial role in the

promotion of this sector, were present at the Memorandum of Association: Maria Antonelli, Roberto Cappucci, Princess Caracciolo Ginnetti, Alberto Fagiani, Giovanni Cesare Guidi, Germana Marucelli, Emilio Federico Schuberth, Simonetta Colonna Di Cesar, Jole Veneziani, Francesco Borrello, Giovanni Battista Giorgini, and the lawyer Pietro Parisio. The events dedicated to women's fashion are the most important (Womenswear / Milan SS Women Ready to Wear, and Milano Moda Donna being the major fashion shows). The summer events dedicated to men include Menswear and Milano Moda Uomo. In 2013, the fall/winter Milan Fashion Week started on January 20 with Paola Frani, and was followed by shows from major fashion houses such as Roberto Cavalli, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Prada, etc. On 20 November 2013, Giorgio Armani announced he has decided to join the Italian Chamber of Fashion.[2]