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Fashion's World Cities

The 'idea of a fashion capital' or 'world city of fashion' has a history that stretches back at least two centuries, with the promotion of Paris as a global centre of style. In the twenty-first century, the status of fashion capital has now become a goal for city boosters and planners, part of a wider promotion of the 'cultural economy' of major cities. 'Fashion's World Cities' was a major international conference on the relationships between fashion culture and global cities held at the London College of Fashion and the Museum of London in April 2005.  This conference was organised by the 'Shopping Routes research team, based in part in the Department of Geography. In sessions that ranged from Milan to Shanghai, and Los Angeles to Mumbai, this international interdisciplinary conference explored different dimensions of the relationship between major metropolises and the production, consumption and mythologizing of fashion. David Gilbert of the Social and Cultural Group, and Professor Elizabeth Wilson gave the opening talks.  Over 150 academics and industry experts attended, from 20 countries. The conference forms the basis for a book 'Fashion's World Cities' to be published by Berg in 2006.

Further details are available here.