And the top fashion capital is.....DC? Sadly, no.

Top Fashion in the World

And the top fashion capital is.....DC? Sadly, no.

As I was riding the metro early this morning, I came upon this article about the top fashion capitals around the world. Of course I wasn't entirely surprised that Washington, DC did not make it into the top 20 but Vegas?? I don't really view that as a 'fashion destination" so I was a little surprised to see that the city made it on this particular list.

Although I haven't been to Milan...yet....I absolutely adore anything by Armani and of course Prada shoes. The simplicity and understated elegance of both of these designers make me swoon in awe. I am lucky enough to own a few pairs of Prada shoes and would display them on my nightstand if it weren't for the fear of my toddler running off with them to play with. No, no, no. Is it bad that he already knows that mommy's shoes are 'expensive' as are her Chanel sunglasses? Ha!

Milan the Top Fashion City Poll

Milan has ended New York’s five-year reign as the world’s top fashion city, while Hong Kong and Sao Paulo have moved into the top 10, according to an annual survey of top fashion cities. The list was compiled by the Global Language Monitor, a U.S. based non-profit group that tracks the frequency of words and phrases in the media, on the Internet and throughout the blogosphere. The top 5 cities dominating the world fashion scene are New York, Rome, Paris, Milan and London — but New York had led the list for five consecutive years.

This year, however, Milan took the top slot followed by New York, Paris, Rome and London. Other big movers included Hong Kong and Sao Paulo, which broke into the top 10, while Barcelona and Miami surged.

In a tightening battle for fashion kudos in Asia, Mumbai outdistanced Delhi. In Australia, Sydney outpaced Melbourne.

“The global economic restructuring has affected the fashion industry just as it has touched everything else,” said Millie Lorenzo Payack, a director at the Global Language Monitor.

“The catwalks were still crowded though with the lights dimmer, the hype a bit more restrained, and recessionists, of course, thriving.”

World first at Fashion Week

To the strains of Carly Simon's You're So Vain, top fashion label World has kicked off New Zealand's largest Fashion Week in Auckland, after a four-year absence.

• Slideshow: The World collection

Fashion Week, now in its eighth year, was officially opened by Prime Minister Helen Clark last night. She spoke about the importance of the multi-million dollar industry to the country and the success New Zealand fashion labels have had here and overseas.

Buyers and media from around the world have gathered in Auckland for the showcase, designed to generate sales for designers and find new global markets.

It was standing room only at the highly anticipated World show as fashion industry insiders sat alongside New Zealand personalities and journalists.

With bold colours, stark black blunt bobbed wigs on the models and plenty of sparkles, the World collection entitled 'There is No Depression in New Zealand' received a standing ovation from the audience, with label principals Denise L'Estrange-Corbet and Francis Hooper taking to the stage after the show.

Other designers set to hold shows this week include Trelise Cooper, whose children's show is always a crowd favourite, Zambesi, Nom*D, Karen Walker and Huffer.

Some of the new talent include Stitch Ministry, Emma, Doosh and Moneyshot.

Australian designer Kirrily Johnston became the first Australian fashion designer to have a show at New Zealand's Fashion Week this afternoon.

Research into the economic impact of Air New Zealand Fashion Week found it to be worth an estimated $23.2 million to the New Zealand economy in terms of total output generated, and an estimated $19.2 million to the Auckland economy.

Australia is New Zealand's key market for apparel exports, taking 71 percent of our total apparel exports to the world.

The World’s Best Fashion Magazines

There’s a lot to cover in the fashion world and these world class publications are responsible for keeping their readers up to date on everything from Paris runways to local shopping.

Fashion

Canada’s premiere fashion publication, Fashion magazine’s slogan is “Bringing the World of Fashion Home.”  Based in Toronto, with offices in Vancouver and Montreal, Fashion keeps its readers up to speed on the latest designs coming down the runways in the fashion capitals of the world as well as letting them know what’s hot here at home.  Fashion’s editor-in-chief is Ceri Marsh, who has co-authored two books on style called The Fabulous Girl’s Guide to Decorum and The Fabulous Girl’s Guide to Grace Under Pressure.  The magazine publishes 10 issues per year, keeping its readers up to date on the latest beauty and fashion trends.

Vogue                                                                                        

Vogue has been called “the world’s most influential fashion magazine” by book critic Caroline Weber and there are few that would disagree.  Vogue began as a weekly publication in 1892 and gradually morphed into a highly successful magazine read by women around the world (versions of Vogue are published in 16 countries).  Vogue presents stories and images of high fashion along with pieces on art, culture and politics.  The magazine is largely responsible for the current view of models as celebrities, launching the careers of many young models throughout the years.  Famous editors of Vogue include Diana Vreeland, who oversaw the magazine during the tumultuous 1960s, and Anna Wintour, Vogue’s current editor-in-chief known for her trademark bob and sunglasses, as well as for inspiring Meryl Streep’s character in The Devil Wears Prada. Vogue continues to dominate the fashion magazine world.

Lucky

Lucky is a relative newcomer to the fashion magazine world, having launched in December 2000.  It is described as a shopping magazine and makes no bones about its blatant consumerism.  The magazine offers fashion and beauty tips and news along with plenty of information on where and how to shop for the latest trends.  Publisher Condé Nast counts Lucky as one of its biggest successes with a circulation of over 1 million.  Editor-in-chief, Kim France, has guided the magazine to acclaim and authored the companion books The Lucky Guide To Mastering Any Style: How to Wear Iconic Looks and Make Them Your Own and The Lucky Shopping Manual: Building and Improving Your Wardrobe Piece by Piece.

Loulou

Canada’s version of Lucky is Loulou, a shopping magazine featuring news and advice on fashion, beauty and lifestyle.  Loulou not only shows readers the latest in the world of fashion, but tells them where to get their hands on it as well.  Loulou regularly teams with Canadian merchants to offer promotions to readers and customers.

Harper’s Bazaar

America’s first fashion magazine, Harper’s Bazaar has been offering a sophisticated view of fashion, beauty and popular culture since 1867.  The magazine was originally conceived as a weekly publication aimed at upper-middle class and upper class women featuring images and stories about high society and fashion.  From 1936 to 1965, two strong personalities had a great influence on the magazine:  fervent photographer, Richard Avedon, and eventual editor, Diana Vreeland.  The pair was the inspiration for the characters played by Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn in the film Funny Face.  The collaboration between Avedon, Vreeland, art director Alexey Brodovitch and editor-in-chief Carmel Snow introduced a new look and focus for the fashion magazine. Harper’s Bazaar is published in more than 20 countries and outsells Vogue in Australia and Thailand.

InStyle

InStyle is a monthly fashion magazine featuring articles about fashion, beauty, lifestyle and celebrities.  Less editorial than Vogue or Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle focuses on popular culture as opposed to high fashion.  Through the combination of print format and web presence, InStyle has launched offshoots including shopping.instyle.com and instyleweddings.com.

W

Chairman and editorial director of W magazine, Patrick McCarthy, shifted from working at W’s sister magazine, Women’s Wear Daily, to join vice president and publisher, Nina Lawrence in running the publication.  W is primarily a fashion magazine, but also comments on American and European society as well as showcasing celebrities and their homes (in W House Tours).  Known for ambitious and sometimes controversial photo features, W has a loyal readership of around half a million.

Elle

Elle magazine began in France in 1945 and was introduced to an American audience in the 1980s.  These days, Elle is called the world’s biggest fashion magazine with dozens of foreign editions and developments such as Elle Décor, Elle Girl, Elle Cuisine and the online presence at elle.com.  Photo spreads in Elle have been part of the top prize for winners of America’s Next Top Model (cycles three to six) and Project Runway (seasons one to five).  One of the most popular women’s magazines in the world, Elle features articles on fashion, beauty, health and entertainment.