The Chinese city beat out Tokyo, Singapore and Hong Kong as
Asia’s most stylish city in 2013, according to a ranking from Global Language
Monitor, a firm that analyzes language use around the world. Shanghai ranked
No. 10 world-wide for fashion, rising 12 spots from its 2012 position, by
“leading the fashion charge as China further emerges on the world stage,” the
report noted. Globally, New York, Paris and London took the top three slots,
respectively.
Asia-Pacific was well-represented on the list, with Sydney
(8), Tokyo (11), Singapore (18) and Hong Kong (20) all cracking the top 20.
The Texas-based Global Language Monitor calculates its
rankings by analyzing the top 250,000 print and electronic news media, as well
as new social media sources, blogs, and other online sources. It tracks words,
phrases and concepts in relation to their frequency, contextual usage and
appearance in media outlets, according to the firm.
Shanghai, home to such shopping meccas as Nanjing Road and
the newer Xintiandi, has become a hot spot for consumption in China, with its
high-end malls, multimillion-dollar properties and luxury cars. It has had its
own Fashion Week for more than 10 years and is home to up and coming domestic
brands like Zuczug, Hermes-backed Shang Xia and Uma Wang.
Shanghai residents spent an average of $1,000 on their last
purchase, double the amount of their New York counterparts, according to
statistics from Milan-headquartered marketing firm ContactLab cited in the
China Daily. It also said that 91% of Shanghai residents said they plan to make
a similar purchase in the next six months, compared with just 77% of New
Yorkers.
What remains to be seen is whether the city can hold on to
its fashion crown amid a wide-ranging national clampdown on corruption and
ostentation led by President Xi Jinping that has targeted nearly every sector
of luxury consumption, from five-star hotels to lavish banquets to foreign cars.
Brittany Hite | WSJ
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