by germinal » Sat Jun 14, 2014 9:55 pm
London has a great support network in place with newgen, man, fashion east etc. it means that new labels can feasibly have half a dozen seasons worth of bfc funding to establish themselves. This doesnt really exist in milan, where, thanks to the more fragile italian economy, designers are seeking out an older, more conservative customer to pay the bills. This isnt really a viable longterm strategy though because it only serves to give the labels a stodgy image. It's telling that Burberry have moved to london - Bailey has built the brand on a young, sexy image, something milan can no longer provide. "London" - the idea, the brand - is super popular in the (lucrative) middle and far east markets right now - it's no coincidence that burb are doing london streetmap prints this season, and have been trading on london stereotypes for a few seasons.
It also helps that london menswear is shown separately from the women's (something the increasingly bloated nyfw needs to replicate) and is shown first in the schedule. The early scheduling means that audiences arent suffering from fatigue and overexposure, their ideas seem fresher, and crucially their products are the first in stores. It's june and the christophers' stock is trickling in already. I bet many casual consumers arent going to wait four months for the third rick owens delivery to arrive - they buy the first cool jacket they try on.
And finally, like syeknom says paris suffers from its own reputation. Its position as the creme de la creme means it's harder for newer brands to infiltrate.