Decentralizing the power of fashion? Exploring the geographies and inter-place connections of fashion cities through fashion weeks

Abstract

ABSTRACT While the relationship between fashion and cities has been repeatedly discussed, there has been little structural analysis of the geographies of fashion cities across the world. This article presents an exploratory study of the geographical patterns, cultural presentation, and inter-place connections of fashion cities by examining a pivotal event in the fashion industry, fashion weeks. Our study uncovers the unbalanced and shifting power structure of contemporary fashion cities, which indicates the restructuring of the global fashion industry. It also reveals the complex interaction between local, national, and transnational culture in the making of fashion cities. Compared to their economic dimensions, the cultural functions of cities are more deeply embedded in the consumption and production bases of national economies. Therefore, fashion cities are not merely bases for the circulation of transnational fashion capital but also important places for local fashion producers to create and distribute their unique cultural genres.