The Fashion Atlas of Europe - the map of contemporary fashion capitals in Europe has been produced in collaboration with ABCD Agency and customer insight tool Rascasse in August 2021. 

In order to determine the most stylish cities in Europe, it was necessary to determine what is meant by fashion capital, and how to identify them. Nowadays, interest in fashion and style choices on an individual level are mostly expressed online. As one of the biggest online shopping clubs in Europe, Lounge by Zalando wanted to explore this area even more. The Fashion Atlas aims to redefine European fashion capitals, which in the past were intended more like a cluster of famous designers and their fashion shows. By taking into account individual fashion choices and interests expressed online, The Fashion Atlas presents contemporary fashion capitals of people.

The research team agreed on the following definition: 

In order to identify which cities in Europe have the highest level of interest in fashion, ABCD Agency partnered with consumer insights tool Rascasse. They measure consumer interest expressed online in more than 275,000 topics using artificial intelligence. Rascasse does this by analysing consumer engagement on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. They also analyse consumer search activity on search engines such as Google and Bing, and streaming activity on streaming sites like YouTube and Spotify.

A list of Europe's 250 largest cities with their respective populations was created.

The second step was to define the fashion topics, where we want to measure the level of interest. Lounge by Zalando chose the 10 topics listed below, and monitored 94 keywords:

Alternative fashion

Keywords: alternative fashion, Chelsea boot, cosplay, Dr. Martens, gothic fashion, leather jacket, Philipp Plein, ripped jeans, white denim

Boho fashion

Keywords: bohemian style, boho-chic, Desigual, espadrille, flower child, Free People, linen, Mango, Missoni, sunglasses

Business fashion

Keywords: blazer, blouse, business casual, cardigan, formal wear, Hugo Boss, messenger bag, Oxford shoe suit, pencil skirt, smart casual, Tommy Hilfiger

Conscious fashion

Keywords: ethical trade, Levi Strauss & Co., Stella McCartney, sustainable fashion, vintage clothing

Elegance

Keywords: cashmere wool, clutch, elegance, Furla, high-heeled footwear, Max Mara, Michael Kors, necklace, necktie, Ralph Lauren, trench coat

Loungewear

Keywords: Calvin Klein, lingerie, nightwear, pajamas, slip-on shoe, slipper, Tezenis, Triumph, undergarment

Outdoor fashion

Keywords: backpack, cargo pants, gore-tex, hiking boot, outerwear, Patagonia, poncho, raincoat, Salomon, The North Face, waterproof fabric

Sportswear

Keywords:: Adidas, gym clothes, Reebok, running shoes, running shorts, sportswear, Under Armour

Streetwear

Keywords: baseball cap, beanie, Fila, hoodie, Kappa, Nike, sneakers, streetwear, tracksuit

Trendsetter

Keywords: Balenciaga, Christian Dior, fashion blog, fashion show, fashion trends & style, Gucci, Japanese street fashion, outfit of the day, Pull & Bear, Stradivarius

Rascasse analysed what percentage of people in each city were interested in each fashion topic, by mapping interest in the keywords listed above. The percentage of the population interested (instead of total interest) was chosen, in order to place emphasis on the density of fashion interest, and to reduce emphasis on population size. Each category score equates to the percentage of people interested in that topic. For example, London scores 20.11 in the alternative fashion category. This means 20.11% of Londoners are interested in alternative fashion. 

All the category scores were added together to create a total score. A final shortlist of 40 cities was created. 

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