Random #2JourNotes On ZARA After The Buzz Around The Galliano Partnership

1. Last week, Zara was in the spotlight over its agreement with John Galliano. Out of all the discussions, the funniest part was how social media mocked Zara’s archives.

2. When I worked in a political party, every word, written and spoken publicly, was carefully weighed. Once said, it can’t be taken back.

3. It’s quite amusing how the team behind the press release didn’t consider how what was written correlates with reality. We all know perfectly well what “Zara archives” actually are. Re-author archives, really? One word can shift the entire focus of hashtag#communications and create the opposite effect.

4. What Inditex does well is online. Many brands—both luxury or mass—could learn from their approach.

5. Zara, specifically, regularly incorporates varied styling through editorial content and demonstrates versatility through certain* techniques.

6. I am a bit sceptical about their visual product information, as it often doesn’t close a certain* gap for the customer—although I partly attribute this to the nature of the fast fashion business.

7. In luxury, eCommerce is often taken too literally. The visuals are almost never truly commercial, failing to provide the necessary information to the customer, while such a key luxury component as storytelling is largely ignored. The irony is that these brands already have editorial content available—magazine shoots, runway shows, backstage—but they never use it to its full potential in connection with conversion.

8. I’m currently searching for sneakers. I’m very loyal to my choices and usually buy multiple pairs of the same item as backups. For a couple of years, I wore different Bottega Veneta slippers; then, for about five years, I rotated through CELINE Triomphe sneakers. Neither model is produced anymore.

9. Last year, I randomly—truly randomly—bought a very basic pair of white derby-style trainers from Zara for running errands. They turned out to be the best pair I’ve had in a while. Not a single logo—Zara has figured out the game, and you rarely see logos on their items.

10. Unfortunately, I once left them in the garden to dry, and a fox tore them apart overnight.

11. I still can’t find a pair. Have you noticed that luxury brands often place logos at least three times—front, back, and on the tongue?

12. I’m not tolerant of logos unless they are part of the visual story. After all, you’re not payed to act as a walking ad.

logo-free design before/logo design after

13. A long time ago, at the very beginning of my career, I had a gap of a few months between jobs. I applied everywhere and, after a group interview, a phone interview, and a third round with a senior Inditex manager (for Eastern Europe, if I remember correctly), I was offered a Deputy Manager role at Stradivarius.

14. After the offer, they gave me a start date, asked me to come in wearing black trousers until a uniform was provided, and shared the salary. It was so low—especially compared to my previous one—that I never showed up.