Inside the secretive world of the style model | EUROtoday

It’s going to be a really attractive summer season, a contact of romantic, cowboy and rock and roll.

That’s in response to Mehdi Sousanne, not less than. And he ought to know. He’s a designer for Zara who helps create the garments for a model that is probably the most profitable tales in High Street trend.

Zara is owned by Inditex, the world’s largest trend retailer, which runs a string of retailer chains together with Massimo Dutti and Pull & Bear.

It depends on 1,800 suppliers internationally, however practically all the garments are dropped at Spain the place the corporate is predicated, to be despatched to shops in 97 international locations.

Zara does not promote and barely provides interviews. But because it marks 50 years because the opening of its first retailer, I’ve come to its huge campus in Galicia to fulfill the boss and employees for a uncommon glimpse into how the secretive model operates.

It’s a time when the corporate finds itself having to navigate fast-changing markets, with rising competitors from ultra-cheap on-line gamers Shein and Temu, who ship their items direct from China, in addition to uncertainty surrounding US tariffs.

But Oscar Garcia Maceiras, Inditex’s CEO, says US President Donald Trump’s tariffs will not disrupt its provide chains or change Zara’s plans to develop additional within the US, now its second largest market.

“Bear in mind that for us, diversification is key. We are producing in almost 50 different markets with non-exclusive suppliers so we are more than used to adapt ourselves to change,” he tells me.

The enterprise has definitely tailored and grown since its first retailer opened a brief drive away within the city of A Coruna.

It now has 350 designers, with the employees coming from some 40 completely different international locations.

“There are no rules in general. It’s all about feelings,” says Mehdi, who works on delivering the important thing items for the season.

He says inspiration can come from anybody starting from the “street” to the cinema  in addition to the catwalks. He likes to sketch his concepts as soon as an all-important temper board has been created.

In the sample chopping room, the designs are changed into paper samples, and are pinned on to mannequins. Dozens of seamstresses then run up the primary material samples on the spot for a primary becoming.

Pattern maker Mar Marcote has been with the enterprise 42 years and nonetheless makes use of a magnifying glass to look at every merchandise of clothes earlier than it lastly goes into manufacturing.

“When you finish the item and see that it looks good, and then sometimes sells out, it’s marvellous,” she says.

Zara is a enterprise that has modified the way in which we store.

In the previous days, retailers launched simply two primary collections a 12 months, Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter. For many years, most chains have outsourced manufacturing to lower-cost factories within the far east with the garments arriving as much as six months later.

Zara went in opposition to typical knowledge by sourcing a number of its garments nearer to dwelling and altering merchandise far more incessantly. That meant it may reply a lot quicker to the most recent tendencies and drop new gadgets into shops each week.

Just over half of its garments are made in Spain, Portugal, Morocco and Turkey. There’s a manufacturing facility doing small manufacturing runs on website at HQ, with one other seven close by, which it additionally owns.

As a consequence, it will probably flip round merchandise in a matter of weeks.

More fundamental trend staples are produced with longer lead occasions in international locations like Vietnam and Bangladesh.

Logistics and information are different components behind its success. Every piece of clothes is packaged and despatched from its distribution centres in Spain, in addition to one within the Netherlands.

“What is absolutely critical is the level of accuracy,” says CEO Mr Maceiras.

“It’s something that allows us to make the right decision in the last possible minute, in order to assess properly the appetite from our customers, in order to adapt our fashion proposition to the profile of our customers in different locations.”

In different phrases, getting the fitting merchandise to the fitting retailers.

At HQ, product managers then obtain real-time information on how garments are promoting in shops worldwide, and – crucially – suggestions from clients, which is then shared with designers and patrons, who can regulate the ranges alongside the season in response to demand.

Unlike another High Street rivals, it solely reductions when it phases its twice-yearly gross sales.

But is Zara beginning to lose its shine after posting slower gross sales progress initially of this 12 months?

“The key challenge for Inditex is continuing to be relevant in a fashion world that continues to get faster and cheaper,” says William Woods, European retail analyst for Bernstein.

Not solely are mainstream rivals like H&M, Mango and Uniqlo making an attempt to catch up, the market has been disrupted by Shein and Temu.

Shein racked up $38bn in world gross sales final 12 months, only a whisker behind Inditex.

Asked how a lot of a risk Shein and Temu’s success poses to Zara, Mr Maceiras stresses that its enterprise mannequin does not depend on worth.

“Of course, we are looking at providing our customers our products at an affordable price. But for us, it’s critical to provide customers fashion that should be inspirational, with quality, creativity and sustainable.”

Zara has come a good distance since its founder Amancio Ortega began the enterprise.

The firm continues to be majority-owned by his household and his daughter Marta is now chairwoman of the group.

Now aged 89, Mr Ortega stays famously reclusive however nonetheless pops in, in response to Mr Maceiras.

“He’s a presence, a physical or moral presence, absolutely every day.”