Fashion Week in Milan, Paris, New York and London may set the global style agenda, but some of their best looks are inspired by the runways less travelled.
While every fashionista has heard of the Big Four of the fashion industry, silhouettes, prints and trends are often inspired by the world's hidden style hubs. These fashion titans are home to designers disrupting the norm, from Dakar to couture streetwear brands born in Tbilisi's hipster enclaves.
At Skyscanner, we love putting underrated destinations on your radar. So, we've teamed up with Sita Abellán, stylist to the stars and fashion expert, to unveil the sartorial underdogs you need to have on your radar.
Marrakesh, Morocco
Marrakesh has long been a muse in the fashion world. In fact, Yves Saint Laurent’s intense love for the vibrancy of the city was the inspiration behind Dior’s 2020 Cruise Show at El Badi Palace.
Travellers today will find fashion woven throughout the fabric of the city, from Jardin Majorelle, the designer’s former home, now one of Marrakesh’s most photographed fashion backdrops, to the bustling markets. The medina’s many souks are an absolute must for style seekers, especially Souk Smata to stock up on enviable leather goods.
Before Marrakesh, everything was black. This city taught me colour, and I embraced its light - Yves Saint Laurent.
Dakar, Senegal
Dakar has been an elite shopping destination since Adama Amanda Ndiaye launched Dakar Fashion Week in 2002, which is now one of Africa’s most influential style events.
The Plateau district anchors the city’s creative scene, with designer ateliers and fashion collectives lining the streets alongside art galleries. Here, street style often blends in with traditional flowing boubou gowns at modern streetwear labels and concept stores such as Selly Raby Kane and FKoncept, which aim to platform young designers who are reshaping Senegalese fashion.
Accra, Ghana
Bold, vibrant and full of texture, the Ghanaian clothing scene makes Accra one of Africa’s most dynamic style hubs. It hosts both Accra Fashion Week and Glitz Africa Fashion Week, where traditional kente weaving and sharp tailoring.
This fusion runs right off the catwalk and stocks the rails of East Legon’s, creative collectives and exclusive boutiques, while the city’s daring street style is best explored in Osu, Accra’s nightlife capital.
Buenos Aires, Argentina
The Argentine capital indulges in its reputation of being labelled, the Paris of South America, a sophistication that is reflected in the collections that debut at Buenos Aires Fashion Week, and hang on the rails of luxury boutiques that line the upscale Avenida Alvear. But the real inspiration that drives Buenos Aires street style lies in its indie districts.
In Palermo, bold murals create backdrops for independent designers and vintage shops like Juan Perez and Kiki, while streetwear labels define the local look with distressed denim and 60s-inspired silhouettes. For outlet shopping, travellers head to Distrito Arcos, a former railway site turned open-air mall.
Mexico City, Mexico
Fashion in Mexico City has been a stage for individualism since the days of its famous non-conformist daughter, Frida Kahlo. Her unapologetic self-styling still resonates today, acknowledged by Dior at its 2024 Cruise Show, and the city’s Fashion Week continues her legacy of blending folklore with contemporary design.
The Mexico City shopping experience in an electric mix of indie boutiques in the stylish Roma Norte and trendy La Condesa barrios, while La Zona Rosa and Santa María la Ribera are the ideal hubs to nurture alternative energies.
Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo is already one of the world's best loved fashion capitals and home to unique concept stores from some of the world’s status streetwear brands, including Onitsuka Tiger. However, while Harajuku fashion may be Tokyo's best-known subculture, the cities lesser-known neighbourhoods paint a picture of a city where streetwear style thrives alongside sleek silhouettes, a patchwork of countercultures that has become synonymous with Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo.
Minimalism dominates runways, and influences upmarket boutiques in Daikanyama, the city’s design district, while further along Shibuya, Japanese street fashion is categorised by the distinct Gyaru aesthetic, which pays homage to various facets to Americana (from California Valley Girl to hip hop culture). For vintage hunters, Koenji is unmatched with its hippie-meets-punk vibe and eclectic thrift shops.
Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul’s fashion history is anchored in its famous Grand Bazaar, where, since the 15th Century, travellers have been flocking to this Eurasian melting pot for exotic fabrics and quality leather goods. It’s Fashion Week Istanbul continues to celebrate this marriage of heritage handiwork with contemporary aesthetics, as do the luxury retailers in Nişantaşı and timeless antiques of Çukurcuma.
However, lesser known is the city’s flourishing punk and rock scene, buzzing throughout the arts district of Kadıköy, where Istanbul style becomes a cocktail of tradition mixed with rebellion.
Tbilisi, Georgia
Tbilisi has fast become fashion’s breakout star, thanks in part to Demna Gvasalia, the Balenciaga creative director who hails from Georgia.
The city’s underground techno-rave culture feeds directly into its experimental street style. Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tbilisi is the best time to see rising designers like Situationist, Materiel and Keburia, while the Dry Bridge Flea Market and vintage boutiques show how locals remix thrift with avant-garde flair.
Copenhagen, Denmark
Copenhagen Fashion Week now stands shoulder to shoulder with the Great Four with the world obsessing over its effortless, functional, and chic style.
While during CPHFW, you’ll see hoards of fashionistas strutting through Nyhavn, hoping to get discovered as the next up-and-coming Scandi-chic stylist, to capture the city’s signature look, explore Nørrebro. Here, diverse communities drive upcycling projects that inspire Copenhagen street style, while in Vesterbro, the former red-light district has re-birthed into a hub for creative boutiques.
Krakow, Poland
Krakow is steadily carving out its fashion identity though a focus on minimalism, sustainable fabrics and homegrown talent. It’s Fashion Week, organised with the Kraków School of Art and Fashion Design, puts eco-conscious collections and emerging designers centre stage, many of whom are waiting to be discovered in Podgórze, Kraków’s up-and-coming creative pocket.
Beyond the catwalk, no shopping guide to Krakow could be without Kazimierz, brimming with indie boutiques and galleries that harness local labels and the city’s thoughtful and understated styling.
Berlin, Germany
Since the fall of the wall, Berlin fashion has marched to the beat of its own drum. It’s post reunification clubs and art spaces have shaped Berlin’s fashion style, built on freedom of expression.
Berlin Fashion Week showcases this experimental edge, which takes root from its lively neighbourhoods. Neukölln is a wonderland for thrift shops that specialise in the city’s unique club wear, while Kreuzberg thrives on oversized jumpers, patchwork garments and art-inspired pop-ups. And for Berlin shopping, sundays at Mauerpark remains a rite of passage for fashion-savvy travellers.
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