Eighth Annual Ranking

Presence of media favorites, Princess Kate and Alexander McQueen, Tip the Scales away from New York

Berlin and Singapore Break into the Top Ten;

New Delhi slips farther behind Mumbai as does Melbourne behind Sydney

August 21, 2011 NEW YORK and AUSTIN, Texas. London has overtaken New York City as the Top Global Fashion Capital for 2011, the Global Language Monitor, announced today. London and New York were followed by Paris, Milano, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong. Barcelona, Singapore, Tokyo and Berlin rounded out the top ten. New York had reclaimed the crown from Milan last year. Previous to this, New York had been the top fashion capital for five years running. Berlin and Singapore broke into the Top Ten for the first time.

“We are seeing what the impact of two genuine media stars, Princess Kate and Alexander McQueen can have upon a global ranking. Our numbers show that it was their presence that tipped the victory to London over New York,” said Bekka Payack, the Manhattan-based fashion correspondent of the Global Language Monitor. “In the various categories, London took top honors in three, while New York, Paris, and Sao Paulo each topped the field in one.

he list was expanded to fifty cities to recognize the growth of regional capitals with their distinctive styles and contributions to the fashion industry. Top Movers on the plus side included Bali (+11), Rome (+9), Berlin (+8), Mexico City (+8), and Singapore (+7). Top movers on the down side include Cape Town (-23), Prague (-22), and Miami (-19) and Jo-burg (-16), attesting to the heightened competition.

The words, phrases, and concepts are tracked in relation to their frequency, contextual usage, and appearance in global media outlets.

This exclusive ranking is based upon GLM’s Narrative Tracking technology. NarrativeTracker analyzes the Internet, blogosphere, the 75,000 print, and electronic media, as well as new social media sources (such as Twitter). The words, phrases, and concepts are tracked in relation to their frequency, contextual usage and appearance in global media outlets.

The Top Global Fashion Capitals for 2011, change from the previous ranking, and commentary follow.

2011 Ranking, City, Previous ranking, and Comment

London (3) – Kate Middleton and Alexander McQueen help raise the City to No.1 status.
New York (1) – New York is strong but London has Kate. ‘Nuff said.
Paris (4) – No. 1 in our hearts but No. 3 in the media.
Milano (6) – The Earth has returned to its proper orbit: The Big Four once again occupy the top four spots.
Los Angeles (5) – LA solidifying her hold on No. 5.
Hong Kong (2) — Down from No. 2 but tops again in Asia.
Barcelona (10) – The Queen of the Iberian Peninsula. Once again.
Singapore (15) – Up seven spots and into the Top Ten.
Tokyo (14) – Third Asian city in the Top Ten.
Berlin (18) – Completes a long climb into elite status.
Sydney (7) – Drops a bit but leaves Melbourne in the dust.
Madrid (11) – Iberia now has two cities firmly ensconced in the top echelon.
Rome (22) – The Eternal City set the tone for fashion throughout the Empire for a millennium. Today the tradition continues, though on a smaller scale.
Shanghai (12) – Shanghai shines along with Hong Kong in the Middle Kingdom.
Monaco (Debut) – The principality debuts at No. 15 more than doubling the ranking of the next newbie.
Las Vegas (16) – Las Vegas and Monaco virtually tied on the Top Fashion Capitals ranking.
Melbourne (9) – Though a top twenty fashion capital, slips a bit in its on-going battle with Sydney (No. 11).
Moscow (20) – More billionaires (79) call it home than New York City and its continual move up the fashion rankings reflects it.
Amsterdam (17) – Moves up two spots; now No. 10 in Europe.
Buenos Aires (24) – Dramatic rise as she moves into the Top 20.
Bali (32) – The world is discovering the allure that has been a quiet secret for centuries.
Mexico City (29) — The vast metropolis now claims the No. 2 spot in Latin America.
Rio de Janeiro (19) – Ever readying for the Summer Olympics, also strengthening its fashion knowhow beyond swimwear.
Mumbai (28) – Mumbai is beginning to display the swagger of old Bombay.
Sao Paulo (13) – A burgeoning fashion scene and a bustling fashion industry.
Miami ( 8) – More than just swim- and leisure-wear town.
Dubai (21) – Tops in its region but feeling the pressure from intense global competition.
Stockholm (33) – Stockholm and Copenhagen both moving up in tandem.
Copenhagen (34) – Up five on the rankings, as was Stockholm.
Santiago (31) – A strong No. 5 in the Latin America region.
Florence (Debut) – Firenza undergoing a Renaissance in 21^st c. fashion.
Bangkok (35) – Quietly moving up the rankings.
Warsaw (36) – No. 2 in the Middle and Eastern European region.
Toronto (38) – Now known for more than its fine Film Festival.
Vienna (27) – This once Imperial City is staking 21^st c. claim in its own right,
Chicago (38) – City of the Big Shoulders stretching out toward word-class fashion.
Dallas (40) – For Western Wear, please see Fort Worth.
San Francisco (Debut) – Makes the list, like Austin, for it quirky, eclectic style.
New Delhi (30) – A strong, emerging presence on the Global Fashion scene.
Austin (Debut) – Eclectic? Outlandish? Even Green Fashion? Austin has it all.
Johannesburg (25) – Maturing fashion industry a boon to a city in transition.
Abu Dhabi (Debut) – Attempting to break into the world of fashion at the highest ranks.
Frankfurt (38) – Holding its own amidst a thriving European fashion scene.
Antwerp (Debut) – The legend of old becomes the reality of today. A fine debut.
Atlanta (40) – Learning the ropes of competing globally, with a definitely Southern flair.
Cape Town (23) – In the process of gaining ever more attention for a worthy effort.
Krakow (38) – One of the world’s cultural treasures with a penchant for the eclectic.
Prague (26) –Bohemian fashion influence is moving into its 2^nd millennium.
Montreal (Debut) – A strong debut into the Top Fifty.
Caracas (40) – Despite internal turmoil, fashion savvy can be hard to ignore.