The origin of modern fashion industry

The story of the modern fashion industry begins in the ateliers and salons of Europe, where creativity, craftsmanship, and commerce converged to shape an enterprise that now moves billions of dollars and influences how people across continents dress, think, and express themselves.

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It is a story of how the simple act of clothing oneself evolved into a global system of design, production, marketing, and consumption that mirrors the social, cultural, and technological transformations of the modern world.

Before fashion became an organized industry, clothing was largely a matter of practicality, status, and regional tradition. People dressed according to their social rank, occupation, and climate, and garments were handmade, often within the household or by local tailors and dressmakers. Styles changed slowly, and there was no concept of a seasonal collection or designer identity. The seeds of the fashion industry were sown in the royal courts of Europe, particularly in France, where the aristocracy’s appetite for novelty began to turn clothing into a form of art and spectacles

In the seventeenth century, King Louis XIV of France made fashion a cornerstone of his reign. His elaborate court at Versailles became a stage for visual splendor, where the king and courtiers displayed luxurious fabrics, intricate embroidery, and striking silhouettes. Paris soon emerged as the centre of taste and style, and artisans who supplied the court—dressmakers, tailors, milliners, and shoemakers—gained reputations of their own. The monarchy’s promotion of French textiles, especially silk from Lyon and lace from Alencon, strengthened the link between fashion and national pride. This royal patronage laid the groundwork for France's dominance in the world of style, which it maintains to this day.

Industrial Revolution