History of Zara
Zara, the Spanish fashion retailer, opened its first store in 1975 in A Coruña, in the Galicia region of Spain, under the leadership of Amancio Ortega Gaona and Rosalía Mera. The store was originally going to be called Zorba, but the name was changed to Zara because a bar with a similar name already existed nearby. From the start, the business offered affordable versions of popular fashion styles, an approach that would later define its global identity.
In 1985, Inditex was established as the parent company of Zara, and the group went on to add other brands such as Massimo Dutti, Pull&Bear, Bershka, and Stradivarius. Zara opened its first store outside Spain in Porto, Portugal, in 1988, followed by New York in 1989 and Paris in 1990. Through the 1990s it expanded rapidly across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and the Middle East.
Zara became known for its 'fast fashion' model, built on vertically integrated production, small batches, and a supply chain that can move new designs from the drawing board to store shelves in a matter of weeks. Much of its production has historically taken place close to its headquarters in Arteixo, allowing the company to respond quickly to shifting trends and customer demand.
Today, Zara is the flagship brand of Inditex, one of the largest fashion groups in the world, with around 2,000 stores and a large online business. Amancio Ortega's daughter, Marta Ortega, became chair of Inditex in 2022. The brand continues to invest in online sales, recycling programmes, and alternative fabrics as it adapts its fast fashion model to growing scrutiny over environmental and labour practices.