When we think of fashion, we have a tendency to think of certain places. There are, it is agreed, four main cities that are homes of fashion. “Anyone who is anyone”, as the saying goes, will be in New York, Paris, Milan and London for their Fashion Weeks. And for some people, if fashion isn’t acknowledged in these places, it isn’t really fashion.
This is obviously unfair. If fashion is to stand for anything, then as well as being on trend it should also be innovative and exciting. It’s wrong to think of innovation as being something that can only come from four places. Some of the most exciting designers are working out of ateliers miles away from any of those cities. If fashion is exciting, it will find its way to the big fashion weeks. But it doesn’t have to originate there.
If you’re looking for style and beauty, then it is worth acquainting yourself with a wider range of designers and houses. The truth of the matter is that people wear clothes everywhere. People follow music, TV, films and other culture everywhere. These are the things that inspire much of the fashion we see, buy and wear. And in every country in the world, people get inspired by fashion. As an upside, these are places where you can pick up a few bargains.
Europe: More Than Just The Big Three
It’s obvious that Europe is a hub of fashion for the wider world. It is after all where you find London, Paris and Milan. And with fashion ringing so many bells in these places, of course it’s going to spread. So you may well find great items for sale in the boutiques of these cities. But you’ll be missing out of you only look there for something that’s on point. With so many different cultures and climates on the continent, there are different influences.
So in Sweden, particularly Gothenberg and Stockholm, you’ll find clothing that is highly stylish. You’ll find looks that could have come out of New York, sure. But because of Sweden’s location – in the North of Europe – and its culture, things are different too.
Remember that IKEA, a major player in home design – is Swedish. Much like that store, a lot of contemporary Swedish fashion blends function with effortless cool. If you’re looking for stylish winter clothing, then Sweden – a country with a cold to temperate climate – is a good place to start.
Another European city that has been growing in influence in recent years is Antwerp. Although admittedly people don’t think of Belgium as being a home of style, there is something different about Antwerp. For a start, it is an artistic center of Belgium. Here is where you will find the galleries of modern and contemporary art. And it is that artistic bent that informs a lot of the fashion that comes out of Antwerp.
Where Stockholm fashion is understated and warm for the most part, in Antwerp the word is “angular“. The highly contemporary styles coming out of the city will be a hit among the more indie-minded. Beyond that, though, they will bring something more offbeat to any wardrobe.
Of course, getting to these cities is not within everyone’s budget and time, so it is worth checking the collections of designers online. Some of them do not ship outside of Europe. However you may well find reshipping sites such as https://www.skypax.com/global-parcel-forwarding/calculator useful for this reason. Once you’ve got a few items for your wardrobe, you can consolidate them into one delivery.
Beyond The Shores Of Europe
It’s not just in Europe where you will find the more off-beat fashions that sometimes get crowded out elsewhere. A popular spot for people who have tired of New York can be found over the border in Vancouver.
Although Toronto may be the biggest city and Ottawa the capital, Vancouver is emerging as Canada’s style city. It’s already a shooting location for TV and movies for a US audience. It’s a worthwhile spot to visit if you’re of an artistic mind, as the arts flourish here. Theater and music are important, and naturally, fashion thrives in an environment like this.
If Vancouver were to be defined by a specific style, then “simple but sophisticated” would be the best way to describe it. Clean lines, no fuss and few frills, but a lot of class. Befitting its role as a city where culture is important, Vancouver is a place where cool comes naturally. For anyone living in the US, it is a place worth visiting for a shopping trip. Finding undiscovered fashion to bring home is just part of the attraction.
There are many other places worth looking in to find something a bit different. By shopping around from different locations you can pick out some outfits that will become the next trend. If European style is your bag, then as well as the above options you’ll find some avant-garde style in Reykjavik. If you want to get some ideas with an Asian flavor, Singapore is a continually thriving fashion center.
Different tastes will trend in different places. And we can all watch those big four cities for new ideas, but those are hard to avoid sometimes. Finding something different means looking off the beaten track sometimes. What you’ll gain as a result is an eye for some of the designers who will be influencing fashion in the next few decades. And if you combine a fashion finding trip with sight-seeing, you’ll get to visit some incredible places too.
What we have come to recognize as the major fashion cities of the world will remain the most talked-about. That’s permanent. But sometimes fashion is about being ahead of the curve, and finding out more about different cities is worthwhile.
It would be easy to name another five or six cities where exciting fashion trends are happening right now. The key point is, stepping off the beaten track for a while can give you new ideas. Why follow a trend when you can set one? You’ll gain so much from looking at things from another angle, so be brave!