HOW HAS FASHION TOURISM REDEFINED LOS ANGELES TRENDS?
By Tate Schmergel
FASHION TOURISM: WHAT IS IT?
Fashion tourism is defined as traveling to and staying in places outside of your “usual” culture, environment or space for the purpose of experimenting with, enjoying and purchasing fashion. The market of fashion tourism emerged out of 15th century France under the rule of Charles VII, a notorious admirer of foreign fashions and trends. However, only in the most recent two decades has fashion tourism re-emerged as a combination of both cultural and shopping tourism — two economic drivers that attract hundreds of thousands of travelers each year.
WHY THE RE-EMERGENCE IN 2021?
Fashion has become one of the most vanguard forms of expression in 2021 — arguably with fashion influencing culture as much as culture influences fashion. We see fashion take a primary role in celebrity culture, the music and film industries, and on social media, with both high- and low-culture implications.
With globalization and highly accessible transit opportunities, individuals are increasingly traveling on the basis of fashion. With that being said, businesses and fashion houses have begun to respond to this phenomenon in their marketing strategies. Brands like Los Angeles Apparel explicitly promote themselves as the ‘fashion of LA,’ while others including Louis Vuitton, Fendi and Baja East have released LA-themed collections directed at the same market. This sort of market positioning is meant to give consumers the flavor of Los Angeles fashion, while simultaneously iconizing the city in merely a perfume bottle, or a pair of “sustainable” joggers.
Let’s dive into just a few specific examples, noting their neighborhoods, looks and appeals.
THE RISE OF STREET-FASHION
Streetwear is an area of particular interest that has become synonymous with trends in LA. While Chrome Hearts occupies a more high-end, exclusive appeal, the Dover Street Market and Los Angeles Apparel offer more affordable street-fashion for those seeking an urban, casual and even rugged look. This sector of fashion in Los Angeles has given rise to trends like Air Jordan 1s, skate-wear and high-end hoodies in the mainstream market.
Most notably, Beverly Hills and Downtown LA house a number of streetwear brands and storefronts, including marques like those aforementioned as well as Supreme, JOYRICH and Bodega. You can even find “streetwear” as a buzzword in travel articles that explain how to dress on your trip to Los Angeles. And if you don’t own any of these pieces yet, there are listicles outlining dozens of places to obtain it.
“LET’S GO VINTAGE SHOPPING”
In addition to streetwear, vintage shopping has in recent years become central to fashion trends in Los Angeles. Whether it’s second-hand luxury that exudes a classic look, or aged denim with a perfectly pre-worn fit, “vintage” encompasses a massive appeal. The Melrose Trading Post, located in the Fairfax District, is the first shopping center that comes to mind when “LA” and “vintage” are in mention. Each Sunday, the gates open to vendors selling second-hand clothing items, repurposed fashion, curated artwork and home goods, artisan jewelry, and the list goes on. These small businesses and merchants can charge premiums on their offerings because of the high demand for vintage items.
The Melrose Trading Post isn’t just a local spot for Los Angeles city-dwellers to come shop, it’s famous nationwide and brings in “fashion tourism” as it’s advertised on Los Angeles travel websites, where-to-shop LA guides, and featured on the feeds of recognized influencers and celebrities.
WHAT ARE ITS IMPLICATIONS?
Consequently, due to companies limiting the definition of Los Angeles to a product line or a marketing strategy, the city has adapted to accommodate a more restricted scope of what its fashion is. To evidence this, only a handful of trends come to mind when you consider popular fashion in 2021. In turn, tourists travel to Los Angeles with a specific image in mind of what exemplifies the city’s looks and main trends. Depending on how you view it, this phenomenon can be economically stimulating and fruitful in its endeavors of expanding the fashion industry in southern California — or rather, it could marginalize diversity in styles and culture, resulting in a one-dimensional perception of trending fashion. LOOKING AHEAD
As Los Angeles continues to grow as a global fashion hub, we must be cautious of how we define the city’s clothing culture and avoid letting “LA” become commercialized and mass-marketed in the eyes of fashion corporations. While to a certain degree, every city has its own one-dimensional stereotype that, on the surface, defines its looks and trends. Nonetheless, Los Angeles risks a more deep-rooted reclamation that places its years of culture, history, diversity, and influences into a shallow box characterized by merely a few styles. The danger in this scenario is that fashion is meant to drive creativity, develop ground-breaking ideology, make statements about the world and give voices to those silenced — not be put in the hands of a corporation who uses their multi-million dollar worth to erase the artform that makes fashion so appealing just to drive up their stock.
Fashion tourism, like any form of tourism, is a booming economic sector. Local businesses and vendors can reap the benefit of clientele from abroad enamored with their unique products. But as the story goes with general tourism, if a destination let’s tourism define its industries — instead of vice versa — then ensues great simplifications in what made the destination so appealing. Fashion is at a hedge in Los Angeles, straddling the lines of expansive cultural statements and art, and pared down, mass-marketed production that comes from a factory. So, where do we go from here?
Fashion tourism is defined as traveling to and staying in places outside of your “usual” culture, environment or space for the purpose of experimenting with, enjoying and purchasing fashion. The market of fashion tourism emerged out of 15th century France under the rule of Charles VII, a notorious admirer of foreign fashions and trends. However, only in the most recent two decades has fashion tourism re-emerged as a combination of both cultural and shopping tourism — two economic drivers that attract hundreds of thousands of travelers each year.
WHY THE RE-EMERGENCE IN 2021?
Fashion has become one of the most vanguard forms of expression in 2021 — arguably with fashion influencing culture as much as culture influences fashion. We see fashion take a primary role in celebrity culture, the music and film industries, and on social media, with both high- and low-culture implications.
With globalization and highly accessible transit opportunities, individuals are increasingly traveling on the basis of fashion. With that being said, businesses and fashion houses have begun to respond to this phenomenon in their marketing strategies. Brands like Los Angeles Apparel explicitly promote themselves as the ‘fashion of LA,’ while others including Louis Vuitton, Fendi and Baja East have released LA-themed collections directed at the same market. This sort of market positioning is meant to give consumers the flavor of Los Angeles fashion, while simultaneously iconizing the city in merely a perfume bottle, or a pair of “sustainable” joggers.
Let’s dive into just a few specific examples, noting their neighborhoods, looks and appeals.
THE RISE OF STREET-FASHION
Streetwear is an area of particular interest that has become synonymous with trends in LA. While Chrome Hearts occupies a more high-end, exclusive appeal, the Dover Street Market and Los Angeles Apparel offer more affordable street-fashion for those seeking an urban, casual and even rugged look. This sector of fashion in Los Angeles has given rise to trends like Air Jordan 1s, skate-wear and high-end hoodies in the mainstream market.
Most notably, Beverly Hills and Downtown LA house a number of streetwear brands and storefronts, including marques like those aforementioned as well as Supreme, JOYRICH and Bodega. You can even find “streetwear” as a buzzword in travel articles that explain how to dress on your trip to Los Angeles. And if you don’t own any of these pieces yet, there are listicles outlining dozens of places to obtain it.
“LET’S GO VINTAGE SHOPPING”
In addition to streetwear, vintage shopping has in recent years become central to fashion trends in Los Angeles. Whether it’s second-hand luxury that exudes a classic look, or aged denim with a perfectly pre-worn fit, “vintage” encompasses a massive appeal. The Melrose Trading Post, located in the Fairfax District, is the first shopping center that comes to mind when “LA” and “vintage” are in mention. Each Sunday, the gates open to vendors selling second-hand clothing items, repurposed fashion, curated artwork and home goods, artisan jewelry, and the list goes on. These small businesses and merchants can charge premiums on their offerings because of the high demand for vintage items.
The Melrose Trading Post isn’t just a local spot for Los Angeles city-dwellers to come shop, it’s famous nationwide and brings in “fashion tourism” as it’s advertised on Los Angeles travel websites, where-to-shop LA guides, and featured on the feeds of recognized influencers and celebrities.
WHAT ARE ITS IMPLICATIONS?
Consequently, due to companies limiting the definition of Los Angeles to a product line or a marketing strategy, the city has adapted to accommodate a more restricted scope of what its fashion is. To evidence this, only a handful of trends come to mind when you consider popular fashion in 2021. In turn, tourists travel to Los Angeles with a specific image in mind of what exemplifies the city’s looks and main trends. Depending on how you view it, this phenomenon can be economically stimulating and fruitful in its endeavors of expanding the fashion industry in southern California — or rather, it could marginalize diversity in styles and culture, resulting in a one-dimensional perception of trending fashion. LOOKING AHEAD
As Los Angeles continues to grow as a global fashion hub, we must be cautious of how we define the city’s clothing culture and avoid letting “LA” become commercialized and mass-marketed in the eyes of fashion corporations. While to a certain degree, every city has its own one-dimensional stereotype that, on the surface, defines its looks and trends. Nonetheless, Los Angeles risks a more deep-rooted reclamation that places its years of culture, history, diversity, and influences into a shallow box characterized by merely a few styles. The danger in this scenario is that fashion is meant to drive creativity, develop ground-breaking ideology, make statements about the world and give voices to those silenced — not be put in the hands of a corporation who uses their multi-million dollar worth to erase the artform that makes fashion so appealing just to drive up their stock.
Fashion tourism, like any form of tourism, is a booming economic sector. Local businesses and vendors can reap the benefit of clientele from abroad enamored with their unique products. But as the story goes with general tourism, if a destination let’s tourism define its industries — instead of vice versa — then ensues great simplifications in what made the destination so appealing. Fashion is at a hedge in Los Angeles, straddling the lines of expansive cultural statements and art, and pared down, mass-marketed production that comes from a factory. So, where do we go from here?