Jacksonville: 1, Orlando: 1/2, Ft. Myers: 0

[MelMel]

Over the last few weeks, I embarked on a much needed road trip to visit friends and family in Ft. Myers and Orlando, Fla.  After listening to friends talk fashion in these towns and doing a little exploring myself, I came back happily aware of Jacksonville's underrated progressions in the market that has led it to become a step above other Florida cities.

Here at Metrojacksonville, adding fashion/style as a forum thread and topic under culture has no doubt created some skeptical and hesitant readers, mostly because either some assume others, or they themselves, do not care.  With that said, even if one does not care, knowing that there is indeed a fashion industry in Jacksonville that is making moves to set itself above other towns is at least something for everyone to be proud of.  A little proof I gathered from my trip is as followed.

Last year, Orlando had its first fashion week.  Jacksonville had its second one in that time and the next fashion week is set to run March 27-30, 2013.  Not only does the occurrence feature local designers and models, it also incorporates some designers from neighboring states such as Georgia and Alabama, and others from New York and LA.  Orlando being in the central part of Florida and a popular tourist destination would be a prime area for fashion week, yet it still remains an underdeveloped concept.  Ft. Myers does not have a fashion week and any sort of fashion show is very seldom.  In comparison, Jacksonville also holds a variety of fashion shows at various locations throughout the year.  (To see a list of upcoming shows visit: http://events.jacksonville.com/jacksonville-fl/events/fashion+show+jacksonville.)

As far as street style goes, I noticed that Jacksonville had a better range than the other areas, and in some parts even a classier one.  I will admit, upon entering the world of Jacksonville night life I have seen young ladies that I wanted to grab by the arms and exclaim: "did your parents really allow you to leave the house like that when you were younger?" when they look like they've forgotten their pants, but I felt significantly overdressed on my first night out in Ft. Myers.  I wore a loose-fitting ivory cardigan, tribal shirt, high-waisted shorts and moccasins while everyone else was scantily clad in sheer tight tops, booty shorts, 6 inch heels accessorized with thick black eyeliner.  On many occasions, I found the street style of Orlando admirable, however I still felt Jacksonville had a wider range of diversity with distinct styles in Riverside, Southside, the Beaches, and San Marco.

By the time I returned home, I was happy to get back to a place with larger shopping opportunities.  With the St. Johns Town Center, the Avenues Mall and the St. Augustine Outlets, Jacksonville serves as a necessary shopping destination for tourists and North Florida dwellers.  Though Orlando did have some popular stores that our city does not (yet) have like H&M (which will be opening at the Avenues later this year), the amount of local boutiques and designers Jacksonville has conquers.  Ft. Myers has many holes that need to be filled before it could even be seriously considered as a competitor (the closest Forever 21 is in Naples.  Jacksonville has two of them, the one in the Avenues being the second largest nationwide).

Though Jacksonville's fashion industry is not yet widely recognized, it is making great progress.  We are not New York City or LA, we are better.  Jacksonville's style market is at a crucial spot where every forward move is influential, and every new designer or concept has the ability to be something original and fresh in the city.  We just need to know when the transitions exist, and we at MetJax are just trying to bridge that gap.

Have you recently visited another Florida city that you think Jacksonville totally surpasses as far as style, or one that we could learn a thing or two from?  Share it here. 

[urbanlibertarian]

"Oh, bop, do do do do do do do do
Fa-fa-fa-fa-fashion
Oh, bop, do do do do do do do do
Fa-fa-fa-fa-fashion
La-la la la la la la-la"

David Bowie

[Adam W]

There's only one city in Florida that matters when it comes to fashion and that's Miami.

[MelMel]

Interesting, Adam W.  Why do you think Miami is the only one that matters?  Are fashion shows and local designers useless in other places in Florida unless they are there?  Certainly Miami had to gain its recognition over time with similar fashion pursuits just as any other city.

[I-10east]

^^^Remember MelMel, on Metro Jacksonville, it's trendy to act like we live at the bottom of a volcano here in Jax. It's nothing but doom, gloom, and dismal failure here all day everyday, or so most of MJ will have you to believe. Negative posts are very popular, and positive posts are nearly non-existent. MJ thinks that every different city is a booming metropolis, and a top tourist destination compared to Jax, even Mt Airy, North Carolina. So while I don't disagree with you, this post will fall on deaf's ears to MJers, as they have their tin foil hats that are only tuned in to everything negative.

*Que the 14 consecutive posts berating me, I only think about the suburbs blah, blah, blah*

[Adam W]

Sorry, I-10, but I think you're being a bit unfair. I hope my answer to MelMel below clarifies that I didn't post what I did out of some perverse hatred of Jax.

We're talking about fashion here. Miami is recognised as a significant city when it comes to fashion. It may not be NY, Paris, London or Milan, but at least it's recognised as the one city in Florida for fashion.

All (or most) cities have designers. And many have fashion shows. Simply being impressed with the way some people dress in Jacksonville or offering anecdotal evidence that you didn't really see much that you liked when you recently visited two other cities doesn't make Jacksonville suddenly a fashion mecca.

Jacksonville barely has any shopping outside of malls. And when it comes to malls, Jacksonville still lacks many of the bigger national or international retailers that other cities have. Not that any of this matters too much in the scheme of things: in the internet age, one simply needs broadband or whatever to see what's popular elsewhere and order the look for themselves.

Jacksonville is a city of many charms. But I wouldn't use the words "Jacksonville" and "fashion industry" in the same sentence. Oops, I just did. But it's not a sentence you hear too often.

It's okay that Jacksonville isn't a fashion mecca or a trend-setter: it doesn't have to be. Most cities aren't. That doesn't mean it can't be, it just means it isn't right now... even if you do think some people dress better in Jax than they do in Fort Myers.

And, I-10, it's not anti-Jacksonville to be realistic about what the city IS good at. We're not here to be cheerleaders for every silly idea that comes along - if someone started a thread on this forum claiming that Jax was Florida's number one tourist destination, would you take offense to people responding that it isn't?

[MelMel]

Thank you, I-10east.

Adam W, I realize my observations alone do not conclude that Jacksonville is a shopping mecca, I was just pointing out that our city has a step up on the other two I mentioned with their progression as far as fashion.  You won't hear me say that the industry in Jacksonville is comparable to Miami because I realize it still needs a long way to go to even be a competitor, but I was trying to point out that we still are developing in a way that we should be proud of.

You are right when you say that in the internet age has formed a solution to the one time problem of whether there are shopping opportunities outside of malls.  Many Jacksonville-based designers that sometimes sell their apparel to boutiques mostly thrive from online websites such as Etsy.com, or have even established their own domains such as ShopGoldie.com.

Also, your argument tries to contradict things that I was not even saying:  "It's okay that Jacksonville isn't a fashion mecca or a trend-setter: it doesn't have to be. Most cities aren't. That doesn't mean it can't be, it just means it isn't right now... even if you do think some people dress better in Jax than they do in Fort Myers."

All I was trying to get across was that even if Jacksonville is NOT those other things, it is growing.  And aside from the visit, I've lived in Ft. Myers for about a decade, so I can say with confidence Jacksonville is certainly surpassing it stylewise.

So yes, I think the words "Jacksonville" and "fashion industry" are worthy of using in the same sentence, maybe not to say "Jacksonville's fashion is just as competitive as New York," but one can certainly say "the steps that Jacksonville is making in the fashion industry has set them apart from other Florida cities."

[Adam W]

Though Jacksonville's fashion industry is not yet widely recognized, it is making great progress.  We are not New York City or LA, we are better.  Jacksonville's style market is at a crucial spot where every forward move is influential, and every new designer or concept has the ability to be something original and fresh in the city.  We just need to know when the transitions exist, and we at MetJax are just trying to bridge that gap.

Have you recently visited another Florida city that you think Jacksonville totally surpasses as far as style, or one that we could learn a thing or two from?  Share it here.

That quote is from your original post and pretty much contradicts everything you posted in your reply to me. Jacksonville doesn't really have a fashion industry, but if it has a fledgling one, I'd be willing to wager money it's less developed than Orlando's.

You asked what FL cities Jax could learn from. I gave you a biggie. Don't ask if you don't want to get a reply.

I don't disagree with you about Ft Myers - I've only been through there once and it didn't make an impression. I will defer to your knowledge on that - Jax is a much bigger city, so I'd be shocked if it's citizens dressed worse.

I think the fact that you have to go on anecdotal evidence and list a variety of mall stores (and namecheck H&M as evidence) goes to illustrate that Jax is lacking when it comes to a fashion industry. Not saying people in Jax don't dress well - quite the opposite. I have a lot of very stylish friends. But stylish people does not a fashion industry make.

Every town or city has people who make shit and sell it on Etsy.

I think if Jax got a reputable fashion programme at a university or trade school, then things might start to change. Until then, we'll have to be content being like most cities.

[gjosephunf]

AdamW I have to agree and yet disagree with you. Albeit Jacksonville isn't Miami, Los Angeles, or New York however there is an industry whether it is microscopic or grand (aforementioned cities). However, Jacksonville has a-lot of potential in regards if local politicans supported the arts & creative industries (It wasn't as if Miami popped up as a fashion capital overnight it's taken decades, and ultimately having a vision for example Miami's Art & Design District/Wynwood).

The city needs to improve the marketing for local designers, and boutiques. There's still a sense of "good ole' boy" politics supporting individuals in Ponte Vedra or upper-middle class areas versus Springfield, Riverside, and Downtown.

On the other hand, I do agree with you if Jacksonville had a reputable art & design school among the likes of (SCAD, Parsons, Pratt, School of the Art Institute of Chicago) the city would tremendously benefit by having increased creative capital. However, the city can ATTRACT students from SCAD (fashion marketing, merchandising, etc.), FSU (fashion merchandising) if leaders and businesses work together, and ultimately continue to work on branding Jacksonville as a "cool" & "hip" place to live, work, and play.

My vision of the city is to have a mini-garment district downtown that spans a block, and is easily accessible to transit, entertainment, and affordable housing. If you build & support "they" will come.

Here's how the city of New York plans to INVEST its industry for 2020

http://www.nycedc.com/industry/fashion
http://www.nycedc.com/system/files/files/resource/Fashion_study.pdf  (MUST READ)

"Fashion manufacturing represents 31% of all manufacturing jobs in NYC"
"NYC whole sale market accounts for 27% of the U.S. wholesale market"
"NYC fashion retail market is the country's largest, generating over $15 billion in sales annually"
Excerpt from nycedc

Hmm imagine, if local brands/designers (8103, Strata, Burro Bags, and numerous others) had the financial capital from the city to set-up "Home Offices" in Jacksonville and truly expand nationally, and internationally.

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/jobs-and-economy/2012/08/creativity-entrepreneurship-connection/2847/

[JaxJag]

I heard if you smile enough you can actually trick your brain into thinking youre happy.

[Adam W]

Anything's possible. It just takes the right people, hard work and money. And good fortune or whatever, I suppose.

Downtown can be any number of different things - unfortunately, right now it's not anything at all.

I did realise as I was reading your list of local companies that I totally overlooked Salt Life. Yeah, I hate them too. But they are probably one of the single most successful local clothing (and other stuff) companies, along with Venus Swimwear.

[MelMel]

Adam W, perhaps you misinterpreted me.  What I meant by "it's better" than New York and LA, I meant that we have all the potential to create things that are original contributions to the industry in Jax, since NY and LA are already have years and years and years of expertise surpassing us, nothing is new for them.  For instance, when I interviewed Chris Williams from BURRO a little while back, he said he happily created the brand in Jacksonville because it was easier to grab attention here versus trying to start up as a small fish in a big pond in a city that IS a fashion mecca.

And while I haven't spent as much time in Orlando than I have in Ft. Myers, I know people in the industry.  In fact, the talk between one fashion event planner friend, another friend in fashion PR, and myself in Orlando is what sparked this post in the first place.  Because we were comparing and contrasting the fashion in Jax and theirs and they both agreed Jax has developed more.

I was and am interested to find out other cities that Jacksonville can learn from, the keyword being LEARN from.  You said the only city that matters for fashion in Florida is Miami, that wasn't really a statement that mentioned we could learn anything from them, it just sounded more like you were saying Jacksonville's development has been insignificant thus far.

I namechecked H&M for a reason.  It has 700 vendors worldwide and is an important retailer because it buys quality clothing for 30 percent less on average and is able to sell to customers for cheap.  Furthermore,  New Yorkers and other residents of fashion cities buy heap-loads of clothes on the daily that are on point and trendy and often go to H&M to satisfy those needs.  (from New York Magazine: Why We’re Lucrative Customers: Manhattanites are predictable fashion drones, buying three trucks’ worth of clothes a day, in precisely seasonal color trends and cuts. “The only other city that compares this way is Los Angeles,” says spokesperson Lisa Sandberg. http://nymag.com/news/features/2007/profit/32905/)  You will hardly ever see a style magazine that features street style NOT showing someone wearing designer clothing paired with H&M.  (From Elle.com: http://www.elle.com/news/street-chic-daily/august-9-nyc-street-style).  And also importantly, H&M has also collaborated with many prestigious designers to create affordable lines like H&M Marc by Marc Jacobs.  So that was one of the few highly beneficial shops Orlando had over us, but not for much longer.

I do agree with you and GJoseph about having a trade school or something specializing in fashion in Jacksonville to help breed potential, but I was not trying to say we shouldn't be content with being like most cities, I was, again, just saying that even though we are not living in a city with a huge fashion mecca, we should be content knowing that are town still has cool fashion features that DO set us apart from other places in Florida, and we should be proud of it and it's potential to grow.  And though stylish people does not a fashion industry make, they do help build inspiration and help reassure people that embracing fashion/style is a good thing.

[Adam W]

H&M is basically IKEA for clothing. Not saying it's bad, but it is what it is. And that was kind of my point: it's everywhere. The fact that it has 700 vendors worldwide and Jacksonville is finally getting one (and that it's being trumpeted as some sort of major achievement) pretty much sums up my point: Jacksonville is average (or maybe even a bit behind).

We could go around in circles forever on this. And I'm never going to accept your premise that somehow Jacksonville is better than LA or NYC (or Miami) because it is unencumbered by success - which means it somehow has more "potential" as a result. I don't buy that.

Especially when the claim is baseless or not backed up by any evidence. Or at least no evidence stronger than anecdotal evidence.

I would never contend that Jacksonville has no potential - I just think there's a huge gap between what's happening (and what realistically potential) and what you seem to be saying.

But that's just me. I already know I'm stylish this summer, because I have skin 

[MelMel]

On the contrary, H&M is not everywhere.  In fact, H&M just opened its first store in Miami Beach in early June.  Not long before H&M will open here in Jacksonville.  Some states don't even have one at all, so I would not call us behind.

You are right though, we don't have to go around in circles arguing about our conflicting ideas that will never come to an agreement.  But this is what I write about.  I love the fashion industry, and my job is to connect Jacksonville to its own by writing about what IS out there in our city.  Luckily for you, you can just ignore my posts about its "potential" to come up with more originality than other cities that have experienced it all.  Though, I'm not sure what would be more difficult for you -- trying to prove that Jacksonville is "a bit behind" or turning off the cynicism.

[Adam W]

On the contrary, H&M is not everywhere.  In fact, H&M just opened its first store in Miami Beach in early June.  Not long before H&M will open here in Jacksonville.  Some states don't even have one at all, so I would not call us behind.

You are right though, we don't have to go around in circles arguing about our conflicting ideas that will never come to an agreement.  But this is what I write about.  I love the fashion industry, and my job is to connect Jacksonville to its own by writing about what IS out there in our city.  Luckily for you, you can just ignore my posts about its "potential" to come up with more originality than other cities that have experienced it all.  Though, I'm not sure what would be more difficult for you -- trying to prove that Jacksonville is "a bit behind" or turning off the cynicism.

Well, I lived in Jacksonville for almost 28 years. So I think I might know a thing or two about it. But I appreciate the insight a recently transplanted 20 year old college underclassman can provide. So thanks for that.