Top Five Cities

As a rule, we live on the road to bring you firsthand news from across the globe. Some places we found more influential than others and below we present our shortlist of cities that rocked us in 2008.

Los Angeles

While there's no ignoring the allure of Hollywood, our fascination with Los Angeles lies with the city's growing range of fashion. Stores such as Mameg, H. Lorenzo, Weathervane and Zainab are serious purveyors of cool that don't rely on mentions in US Weekly to boost their brand. Coupled with a stream of luxury store openings (most recently, Chanel), LA is sewing serious fashion roots. Now if only they could produce more visibly stylish people.

Rio de Janiero

Our love affair with Rio de Janiero is multi-layered. The magic of it excites us on each of our multiple annual trips as we discover more about the sprawling South American city with each visit. This year, Rio also garnered impressive style currency with the launch of all-out fashion fest Claro Rio. If you weren't paying attention before, this is the year that Rio demanded attention.

Sydney

Our trek Down Under to Rosemount Australian Fashion Week in Sydney earlier this year opened our eyes to this far away locale's burgeoning style mecca. We were struck by the chicness of that fashion week's show-goers, who rivaled the high-end designer statements made in any city. Designers such as Akira, Easton Pearson, Jayson Brunsdon, Anna & Boy hold things down on the local front.

Beijing

There was no denying Beijing's influential status this year as the Olympic host. But beyond the cultural institutions, growing political clout and awesome architecture, the city has come to be known for its budding fashion scene. Sure, there are big luxury labels such as Gucci, Prada and Louis Vuitton, but the city also boasts an impressive number of avant-garde labels such as Martin Margiela and Commes des Garçons. Beijing's shopping will soon be as dynamic as its culture.

Moscow

We made our first trip to Moscow this year and instantly fell in love with the city's emphasis on fashion. Stores such as Podium, Cara & Co and Tsum teem with every brand under the sun, making the Russian capital a shopper's paradise. Despite the economic blow to Moscow this year, it still ranks high on our list.