Svelte starlets will parade down the red carpet at this month’s Academy Awards presentation, but few of their pricey garments will bear tags indicating that they were made or designed in Arizona.
A new government economic report describes fashion as a trillion-dollar growth industry featuring high wages in many cases — but a business for which Arizona and most other states exert minimal economic impact.
“By far the two largest fashion hubs in the United States are New York City and Los Angeles,” said the report from the Joint Economic Committee of Congress. Those two centers account for nearly two-thirds of fashion designers and are home to some of the most prestigious design schools, the report said.
Several other cities have emerged as smaller fashion hubs, but none in Arizona, according to the report. In the West, these include San Francisco/Oakland, San Diego, Las Vegas and Boulder, Colo. Secondary hubs to the east include Miami; Dallas; Boston; Kansas City; Nashville, Tenn.; Columbus, Ohio; and Providence, R.I. Las Vegas’ role in the industry has been enhanced by several major trade shows held in the city.
[“Source-azcentral”]
