Fashion is defined as “the cultural construction of the embodied identity”. It encompasses all forms of self-fashioning, including street styles, as well as so-called high fashion created by designers and couturiers.

Fashion is defined as the prevailing style of dress or behavior at any given time, with the strong implication that fashion is characterized by change.

The first fashion magazine is thought to have appeared in about 1586 in Frankfurt, Germany. By the seventeenth century, Paris was the capital of European fashion, and the source of most new styles in women’s dress.

By the eighteenth century, fashion in men’s clothing tended to originate in London.

The later nineteenth century witnessed both mass-production of ready-to-wear clothing and also the development in Paris of the haute couture.

Although most dressmakers were women, some of the most famous early couturiers were men, such as Charles Frederick Worth. Other famous Paris couturiers of the twentieth century include Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent.

Designers in the twenty-first century are still responsible for creating trends, the notion of designers dictating fashion has been replaced with lifestyle designing.

Each season, designers follow a process of identifying trends and searching for inspiration, researching fabrics and colors. They then focus on creating a collection that will appeal to their specific target customers’ lifestyle.

Although fashion trends continue to emanate from Europe, many designers look to the street for inspiration.