BY CLAY LARROY
It
doesn't matter if you take a trip across the state line or the border, being
far from home can be exciting and also a bit stressful. When considering
traveling, it is important to think of the best mode of travel. Traveling by car can offer
many more sights and opportunities for side trips. Traveling by train can offer
a chance to relax and get some work done if they wanted. Planes can cover
ground fast but don't allow much movement and one cannot get off the plane in
flight. Each mode of travel has its own advantages and disadvantages to be
considered. When you want to plan a vacation contact me!
If
you are addicted to Project Runway, if you devour the fall fashion issue of
Vogue, if you have an account with Bag, Borrow or Steal (a website where a
monthly fee allows you to "borrow" designer handbags and jewelry), if
you and your friends have arguments over the efficaciousness of skinny jeans
(or boyfriend jeans, or low cut jeans, ...), or if you simply love fashion and
all that goes along with it, it may be time to look into booking a
fashion/shopping tour.
What
is a fashion or shopping tour, you ask? A fashion/shopping tour is a planned
tour through the fashion districts, shopping districts, fashion museums, and
other fashion-oriented hot spots that a region has to offer. If you can think
of a major city, it is certain to have a fashion culture, and a fashion tour
will give you an up close and personal look at a city’s fashion culture. The
culture changes quickly, and whatever is popular in these cities is soon
reflected in retail stores and outlets everywhere. Fashion tours aren’t just
for the shopper, however. They are also a great educational opportunity for
students studying art design and other aspects of the creative world, such as
cosmetology. If you’re a student, a fashion tour can open up your eyes to the
variety of jobs available in the industry and even possibly introduce you to
contacts for future jobs.
Want
more? Read on!
While
most cities have some sort of fashion district, there are certain cities known
as the fashion capitals of the world.
Florence
& Milan -
These two cities are world renowned for their influence on fashion, and
tourists often combine visits to the two places into one trip. In Florence, you
can visit one of the many museums that showcase fashion and textiles, such as
the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum. This museum houses a collection that showcases
the designer’s contributions to fashion worldwide. Visits to the POLIMODA
International Institute of Fashion Design & Marketing, the Italian Academy
and various designers" studios are all on the must-visit list in this
fabulous city. And no fashion expedition to Florence would be complete without
visiting the marvelous shopping districts. The designer fashion outlets are not
to be missed: Prada, Valentino, Armani, Yves Saint Laurent and many other designers
have outlets for their top fashions where travelers can see the latest styles
before they are distributed worldwide.
In
Milan, you’ll find many similar museums and designer studios. Also, the Via
Montenapoleone is one of the most famous fashion shopping streets in the world
for luxury designer outlets. In addition to touring the top fashion districts,
you will also experience the amazing restaurants of the region. In Italy where
the love of food is so immersed in the culture, it is difficult to separate the
fashion and cuisine industries.
Paris - The City of Lights is
also the city of high fashion. Channel, Christian Dior, Stella McCartney, Louis
Vuitton and many other famous designers are all at the heart of Paris fashion.
Many fashion tours available in Paris. Tours geared strictly for serious
shoppers can take you to designer studios and private fashion shows.
Shoppers
who don’t have impressive buying power still have plenty of other options. A
tour of the many museums dedicated to Paris’s fashion culture could keep a
fashionista busy for days. Three centuries of fashion can be viewed at the
Musee Galliera - Musee De La Mode De La Ville de Paris. Approximately 90,000
items of clothing and other pieces represent fashions from the eighteenth
century though modern day. Other museums include Fondation Pierre Berge - Yves
Saint Laurent and the Toile de Jouy.
Of
course, fashion houses, designer’s studios, and seasonal fashion shows are also
reasons to take a tour of Paris. The fashion culture is so large and varied in
Paris that it almost seems best to take a guided tour to make sure that you don’t
miss anything. However, a well-researched, self-directed tour is certainly an
option.
New
York City -
In the United States, the Big Apple is the fashion capital. In addition to
touring the garment and textile district, fashion houses, designer’s studios,
and shops, you can walk the Fashion Walk of Fame on the East Side of Seventh
Avenue, (known locally as Fashion Avenue) between 41st and 35th Street. The
Walk of Fame honors America’s, top fashion designers. There are museums such as
the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute and the Fashion Institute of
Technology Museum to visit as well. The hottest NYC shopping areas? The Garment
District, Soho, the lower East Side, Fifth Avenue, and Chelsea. Brooklyn is
also an emerging fashion hotspot, easily accessible from the city.
Los
Angeles -
Over on the other side of the country, you can get yourself lost in fashion
heaven in L.A."s Fashion District, a downtown neighborhood that spans more
than ninety city blocks and is home to over six hundred stores. Much of the
neighborhood is dedicated to wholesale shopping. The Intersection at 9th and
Los Angeles Streets is the location of four designer showrooms (New Mart, Gerry
Building, Cooper Design Space and California Market Center) where shoppers can
pick up wholesale items which won’t be in the L.A. retail stores for at least
another season or two. You can also pick up fabrics for making your own
fashions from the Fashion District’s textiles area located between Maple Avenue
and San Julian Street from 8th Street to Olympic Boulevard.
For
those L.A. fashion tourists who are interested in serious bargain shopping, the
district’s Santee Alley open-air market place is a thriving area. This
bazaar-style negotiation shopping offers a whole new experience. Of course,
high-end shoppers can make their way out of the Fashion District and over to
Beverly Hills to enjoy the famous boutiques of Rodeo Drive and possibly spot a
movie star.
All
of these top fashion tour destinations have times of year when the industry is
more bustling than usual. Particularly in the fall when the new fashion lines
are being unveiled and the high retail season is near, there are fashion shows,
exhibits and other special events. If you want a real insider’s look at the
fashion industry, planning a tour during fall fashion week may be a good idea.
However, it will probably be pricier than if you plan a tour at another time
during the year, and tickets to events are often hard to come by.
The
holiday shopping season is a mixed blessing event for shopper and retailer
alike. The stores are filled with inventory and selection is excellent.
However, stores are also crowded, accommodations are in peak demand, and prices
at their highest. Work with your travel consultant, and your accountant, to
figure out the best dates for your fashion pilgrimage.
Keep
in mind that a fashion tour does not need to happen in one of the world’s major
cities. Many regions in the United States have popular fashion areas: try a
long weekend visiting vintage and upscale boutiques in cities like Las Vegas,
San Francisco, Honolulu, Miami, Dallas, and Atlanta. This type of fashion tour
might quench your thirst for a fashion fix and make a more reasonable dent in
your pocketbook.
REFERENCE SITES:
http://www.travelresearchonline.com/
“Fashion fades, only style
remains the same.”
Coco Chanel
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