A Study on the Types and Characteristics of Global Fashion Clusters

Abstract

This study analyzes global fashion clusters to provide insight for the domestic fashion market to form a competitive fashion cluster. We examine formation factors and operation types of the global fashion clusters to understand their characteristics. We also explore the effectiveness of each global fashion cluster by investigating the stage of development in fashion clusters. Fourteen cases of global fashion clusters are collected and analyzed. First, global fashion clusters show three types of formation and operation: self-formation, self-formation & government based development, and government, institute, and enterprise based formation & development. Second, the characteristics of global fashion clusters are based on functions related to space, learning, innovation, network, and knowledge. Third, there are four steps in the development stage of global fashion clusters: professional clusters, industrial clusters, learning clusters and innovative industrial clusters. In particular, innovative industrial clusters, the final stage of development, have high levels of effectiveness in terms of co-growth and collaboration among fashion-related businesses in fashion clusters. The results of this study can help guide the development of local fashion cluster in Korea.