The aim of this short paper is to provide an initial theoretical framework which is apt to assess the changing nature of the fashion industry and its impact on a specific form of clustering, that is place-making. Cultural and creative clusters ranging from historic districts to new digital hubs have featured heavily in economic development and cluster studies, but their role in place-making is only recently being discovered. Essentially production based, they also tend to locate in industrial areas of cities which are also the subject of regeneration and transformation (Evans, 2014). The rationale for investigating fashion clusters at this time is very compelling. Breward and Gilbert (2006) claim that the complex relationship between the fashion industry and urban regeneration that underpins contemporary understandings of global fashion as a system is orchestrated around a shifting network of world fashion capitals, particularly Paris, New York, London, Milan, and Tokyo but also incorporating at various times other fashion cities such as Moscow, Vienna, Berlin, São Paulo, Kuwait City, Cape Town, Barcelona, Antwerp, Delhi, Melbourne, Sydney, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Mumbai, and others. Conversely, in line with this change, according to Breward (2010) the nature of this dichotomy is set to change again and become very fluid as the system of fast fashion with its reliance on overseas producers disrupts the traditional relationship between time, place, and fashion creativity (Ottati, 2014). Similarly, the rise of social media has made the display of seasonal collections in a few key fashion locations less relevant; journalists and retailers can identify emerging trends instantaneously online (Nawaz et al., 2015). However, the identification and promotion of fashion quarters and clusters as part of place-making and growth strategies is still evident in major cities such as London, and this will form the basis of a research investigation into London’s new Fashion District centred in East London - for which this paper and presentation lays the foundation.
The Changing Nature of the Fashion Industry and its Impact on Place-Making
Vecchi Alessandra
2018
Abstract
The aim of this short paper is to provide an initial theoretical framework which is apt to assess the changing nature of the fashion industry and its impact on a specific form of clustering, that is place-making. Cultural and creative clusters ranging from historic districts to new digital hubs have featured heavily in economic development and cluster studies, but their role in place-making is only recently being discovered. Essentially production based, they also tend to locate in industrial areas of cities which are also the subject of regeneration and transformation (Evans, 2014). The rationale for investigating fashion clusters at this time is very compelling. Breward and Gilbert (2006) claim that the complex relationship between the fashion industry and urban regeneration that underpins contemporary understandings of global fashion as a system is orchestrated around a shifting network of world fashion capitals, particularly Paris, New York, London, Milan, and Tokyo but also incorporating at various times other fashion cities such as Moscow, Vienna, Berlin, São Paulo, Kuwait City, Cape Town, Barcelona, Antwerp, Delhi, Melbourne, Sydney, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Mumbai, and others. Conversely, in line with this change, according to Breward (2010) the nature of this dichotomy is set to change again and become very fluid as the system of fast fashion with its reliance on overseas producers disrupts the traditional relationship between time, place, and fashion creativity (Ottati, 2014). Similarly, the rise of social media has made the display of seasonal collections in a few key fashion locations less relevant; journalists and retailers can identify emerging trends instantaneously online (Nawaz et al., 2015). However, the identification and promotion of fashion quarters and clusters as part of place-making and growth strategies is still evident in major cities such as London, and this will form the basis of a research investigation into London’s new Fashion District centred in East London - for which this paper and presentation lays the foundation.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
