You probably never thought you'd read a story about Columbus, Ohio, being a mecca for fashionistas. But this Midwestern city has a surprising secret: It's one of the country's chicest capitals.

So what's fueling the fashion phenomenon 

in a place largely known for college football (Go Buckeyes!)?

Clothing retail giants like The Limited and Abercrombie & Fitch, Express and Victoria's Secret have headquarters here, and a young, entrepreneurial vibe has brought new life to this section of flyover country.

"Columbus has to be fashionable," says Marin Roth, who owns Rowe Boutique, a clothing and accessory shop in the Short North. "With so many fashion companies based here, Columbus has a discerning client base that sees what's being sold in New York City and wants to be able to buy it here. They have an appetite for clothing."

Project Runway alum and Columbus native Kelli Martin calls Columbus "a mosaic of creative energies." She launches her latest project, Columbus's Alternative Fashion Week, in June.

The "mosaic" she describes includes fashion recruits who have been scouted from around the world by Columbus' bevy of national retailers. The fashionable set also includes students, a talented group of aspiring clothing designers who hone their skills at the Columbus College of Art & Design and stay in the city after graduation. And then there is the creative class of entrepreneurs 

like Roth, who are redefining Columbus's Short North arts district. That community used to be one you hit the gas pedal to get through; now it's an inviting, Bohemian neighborhood lined with eclectic shops and restaurants.

For tourists, the local hunger for fashion translates into an exceptional shopping vacation. So put on your comfiest -- and most-stylish -- pumps and hit the shops.

Start your fashion getaway 

at the Rodeo Drive of the Midwest, Columbus's Easton Town Center (160 Easton Town Center, 614-416-7000, eastontowncenter.com). You'll find high-end luxury stores like Tiffany's and Kate Spade here and new additions like the preppy women's apparel brand C. Wonder. A 11,500-square-foot American Girl store will open its doors this summer.

For local couture, head to High Street in the Short North arts district located between Ohio State University and downtown Columbus. Here you can peruse an assortment of trendy, independent clothing stores.