New York was on Wednesday named as the world's top fashion city for the fourth consecutive year, according to a survey by a US-based language use group.
The Global Language Monitor, a non-profit group that tracks words and phrases in the media, on the internet and throughout the blogosphere, compiles an annual list of the top fashion cities.
New York ousted Paris as the leader in the list four years ago, leaving the French capital jostling with London, Rome, and Milan for the other top positions in the list.
This year, Rome beat out the others for second place with Paris coming in third position, followed by Milan and London. Hong Kong was rated the top fashion city in South Asia, coming in 8th position overall.
Other notable rankings included Shanghai at number 14, Sydney and Melbourne at numbers 12 and 15 respectively, and the fashion quartet of South America - Santiago, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Palo, and Buenos Aires.
Krakow, one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland, made it to number 25, apparently because of its emerging status as a centre of neo-Bohemian influence.
"The ranking is surprising in a number of ways, most of which relate to the changing nature of the global fashion industry," Millie Payack, a director of the Global Language Monitor, said in a statement.
"Cities that recently would have been considered fashion backwaters - or worse - are now emerging as significant regional hubs."
The top 25 fashion cities
1 New York
2 Rome
3 Paris
4 London
5 Milan
6 Tokyo
7 Los Angeles
8 Hong Kong
9 Las Vegas
10 Singapore
11 Berlin
12 Sydney
13 Barcelona
14 Shanghai
15 Melbourne
16 Moscow
17 Bangkok
18 Mumbai
19 Santiago
20 Rio de Janeiro
21 Sao Paolo
22 Buenos Aires
23 Johannesburg
24 Dubai
25 Krakow
California-based Global Language Monitor said it analyses and catalogues the latest trends in word usage and word choices and their impact on the various aspects of culture.
