Interesting Zara article.

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deb

Veteran

I read this article earlier today ant thought the fabbers here would find it interesting also. Your thoughts?

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06.....ef=fashion

11 years ago

General

10 replies

Latest reply was from kkards

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Mr. Suz sent me the link! Too late for Inge's roundup this week, alas....

I didn't know that Zara would not have been considered as fashionable a few years ago. Is that the case?

11 years ago

anne

Veteran

News to me too!!

I think one might be coming to the city I live in. Looking forward to it!

11 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Thanks for the article. I've been a Zara fan for 20 years. And they never advertise or promote their brand. They don't need to. Everybody buys their stuff anyway. For one of the most successful retailers in the world - that's food for thought and quite mind blowing. More than 80% of the company is run by woman.

Actually Suz, in my mind Zara has always been catwalk fashion for less. They could look very boho some seasons - but again - that was fashion at the time. I don't agree with the article in that regard. They sound like they are describing MNG.

11 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

That's what I thought, too, Angie. I distinctly remember a certain student I worked with at the university writing centre, around 2001/2002. She was an adorable Hong Kong native who was passionate about fashion. I loved her outfits and would often compliment her on her clothes. She was gaga for Zara! And she said exactly what you have said -- even back then. High fashion for little money. Every time she came back from a trip to Toronto she would be wearing new stuff. (No Zara in this town, alas, but online ordering has made my life easier!)

11 years ago

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I saw that article too. Zara is my favorite retail store and the most fun to browse. And their sale should be coming up in a few weeks!

11 years ago

deb

Veteran

I always like going through Zara. Sometimes I find stuff and sometimes I don't. The Washington D.C.store is so different than the San Francisco one. I wish we would get one here.

11 years ago

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

I've never had luck with Zara personally because it never seems to fit me right. But I've always thought of it as catwalk inspired for less, so what the article talks about seems like it's always been the case.

I read an interesting article about Zara's logistics a few months ago. The way they make their store concept work is by having everything be just in time, and having a very quick turnaround between design, manufacturing and selling. I think it was something astonishingly short like less than a month from concept to in the stores.

11 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Yes, Laura. Zara's supply chain has a 2-3 week turnaround. (They are a vertical operation in Spain). Other retailers take 4 months for the turnaround, unless the fabric is in stock.

Suz, Zara is quite new to the US, and VERY new online to us all. I think that most Americans who have not travelled to Europe and Asia (to see Zara there) are only just discovering it. That may account for their inaccurate perception of the chain.

In my mind, Zara is like a very chic, "grown-up" and sophisticated Forever 21.

11 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Ah! So in this case, we Canadians were ahead of the curve! We've had Zara for quite a while. But not the online ordering part. That is new. And I, for one, am super grateful for it. Because it is one of the few places where I CAN get a half-decent fit.

11 years ago

kkards

Veteran

i think part of the article was calling out that there is less of a line these days between high end and low end. that "label snobs" are shopping in stores that they would have ignored in the past. and that zara is using its on line presence to differentiate itself from the other fast fashion retailers

11 years ago

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