Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Shanghai Ranked 12th in "Global Fashion Capitals"

Really??

This ranking by the Language Monitor was enough for me to come back to the blogosphere from a nearly 4-month hiatus.

How many kinds of stupid do you have to be to rate LA higher than Tokyo on a list of "global fashion capitals" (and especially with such a large discrepancy)?

I guess you would have to be about as dumb as this algorithm:

"This exclusive ranking is based upon GLM’s Predictive Quantities Index, a proprietary algorithm that tracks words and phrases in print and electronic media, on the Internet and throughout the blogosphere."
-Language Monitor Website

I mean, ya, it kind of makes sense as an algorithm, but I don't think sartorial code can be that simple or one-dimensional.

If you lived in Shanghai and had seen all the times that the words "fashion", "style" or "vogue" are used completely out-of-context, then you would understand my point... The following are just sartorial examples, but there are "fashion" restaurants, cafes, nightclubs, that permeate ever visual component of Shanghai:




Just because the media on the Internet of one city may use certain key phrases like "fashion" or "style" more than another city doesn't mean that the actual practice and existence of fashion/style is necessarily "better" (meaning, of the former).

Perhaps instead of reading more of my incoherent ramblings (my English is suffering severely from living on the Mainland), you should just take a quick gander at the list below and decide for yourself what does or doesn't make sense:

1. New York (+1) – Reclaims the top spot which it sees as its rightful place.
2. Hong Kong (+5) – The highest ranking ever for an Asian city.
3. London (+2) – The first time, the No. 2 ranking goes to anyone other than the Classic Four (New York, Paris, London and Milan).
4. Paris (-1) – No. 1 in our hearts by No. 4 in the eyes of the media.
5. Los Angeles (+1) – Film is playing an ever more important place in the world of fashion.
6. Milano (-5) – Milan Fashion Week was widely considered a disappointment.
7. Sydney (+2) – Sydney and Melbourne are both energizing the fashion world from Oz.
8. Miami (+5) – strength in swimwear propels Miami into the Top Ten.
9. Barcelona (+5) – Once again, take the top spot in Iberia.
10. Madrid (+11) – Impressive leap into the Top Ten.
11. Melbourne (+14) – Sydney strides ahead; Melbourne even moreso.
12. Shanghai (+2) — Hong Kong and Shanghai both outpace Tokyo.
13. Sao Paulo (-5) – No. 1 in Latin America, again.
14. Tokyo (-2) – Maintaining a relatively strong message while slipping a bit.
15. Singapore (+5) – Strong fashion infrastructure helps it keep pace.
16. Las Vegas (-6) – Hard economic times make a dent in Vegas’ standing.
17. Amsterdam (NL) – Move on to the list for the first time.
18. Berlin (+1) – Hard work helps it main spot in the Top Twenty.
19. Rio de Janeiro (-1) – Strong Latin presence yet slips further behind Sao Paulo.
20. Moscow (+2) – Back in the Top Twenty where it belongs.
21. Dubai (-10) – Transformation of Burg Dubai into Burj Khalifa mirrors the local fashion industry’s trajectory for the year.
22. Rome (-18) – Steepest decline for the survey, ever.

But maybe I'm giving Shanghai and the Language Monitor a rough time... I mean, there are certainly glimmers of style throughout this fantastic city, but the seasonal trend of rolling your shirt up over your beer belly to beat the summer heat has made me overall really skeptical of Shanghai's style potential. But here are a few springtime outfits I managed to snap while I still had an iPhone that make me still believe:





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