LONDON — Zara is kicking off its 50th anniversary with a redesign of its first store in A Coruña, Spain, and a star-studded film by Steven Meisel, both of which blend style and a sense of history.
On Friday, Zara will swing the spotlight on the store that spawned a retail empire when it opened on the same day in 1975.
The store, on Calle Juan Flórez, has undergone a makeover courtesy of Zara’s in-house architects and design team. They’ve brought the city’s elegant architectural features in, and transformed it into an experiential space.
The store’s opening 50 years ago was a pivotal moment for Amancio Ortega’s company, Confecciones GOA, which had been making womenswear since 1963.
That Zara, which sells womenswear and has been trading constantly since 1975, would be the first of more than 2,000 stores and the launchpad for what is now a 28-billion-euro brand.
The new shopfit at the A Coruña store, inspired by the city’s famous “galerías,” or glassed-in balconies.
domo fotografia sl
Zara’s in-house teams worked for more than a year on the A Coruña unit, which spans 3,780 square feet and has two entrances. The shop also features a Zacaffè, a concept that began rolling out late last year.
Inside, there are fashion books, magazines and limited-edition pieces and objects made to commemorate 50 years of the Zara brand. Among them is a T-shirt with the names of the 50 models who feature in an anniversary film shot by Steven Meisel.
Also on sale is a limited-edition collection of clothing from the Meisel film, more than 100 pieces that channel the classicism of tuxedo dressing, with lace, satin, cutout and mesh details. The palette is black with dashes of white, and the collection includes dresses, leather pants, suits, shoes and accessories.
The refreshed store design also includes a giant scroll-like display that charts the history of Zara and an interactive digital screen with a map where visitors can take a close look at the brand’s worldwide expansion over the past five decades.
In contrast to the massive Zara flagships in major cities around the world, there is a neighborhood feel to the A Coruña store, with interiors made to mimic a stroll through the streets and around the marina of the port city, which built its wealth on fishing, petroleum refining — and clothing.
The Zacaffè in the newly redesigned Zara store in A Coruña.
domo fotografia sl
A Coruña’s distinctive “galerías,” or glassed-in balconies, on the city’s seafront buildings are the focus of the design. The white balconies, with their lattice designs, were meant to let in the sun and keep out the rain. Most of them were constructed in the late 19th century.
The overall feel of the store is warm, with rustic oak floors and Galician granite details. There are benches near the windows so that people can sit, have a coffee from Zacaffè, and watch the city go by.
As reported, the Zacaffè concept was created by Ramdane Touhami, owner of the design agency Art Recherche Industrie. Touhami designs the café interiors to reflect each Zara locale, and has created glasses and cups with a fancy retro script and a long, cartoonish arm pouring a silver pot of coffee.
The A Coruña shopfit, which will remain until the end of the year, is being unveiled within hours of Meisel’s anniversary film featuring 50 top models.
The idea came from Ortega’s daughter and Inditex non-executive chair Marta Ortega Pérez, a longtime friend of the American photographer.
A behind-the-scenes shot from Meisel’s film, with Carolyn Murphy, Adriana Lima and Imaan Hammam.
“Creativity is the heart of Zara — it is the characteristic that defines us. This incredible film by Steven Meisel is an expression of creative freedom and the magic we always want to create,” said Ortega Pérez.
She said the models are not only known for their beauty “but also for their characters, individuality and strength. This campaign is a testament to everything the teams at Zara have created over the past five decades, honoring their enthusiasm, talent and boundless creativity.”
The film shows the models, styled by Karl Templer, singing Donna Summer’s 1977 hit “I Feel Love.”
The cast cuts across generations and geographies and includes Marisa Berenson, Twiggy, Penelope Tree, Joan Smalls, Naomi Campbell, Paulina Porizkova, Alek Wek, Amber Valletta, Candice Swanepoel, Carla Bruni, Carolyn Murphy, Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, Doutzen Kroes, Edie Campbell, Eva Herzigova, Linda Evangelista, Karlie Kloss and Lina Zhang.
The limited-edition Zara T-shirt with the names of the 50 models in the Steven Meisel film.
Longtime Meisel collaborators worked on the shoot, including Pat McGrath, who did the makeup, and Guido Palau, who was in charge of hair. Art direction was by Jason Duzansky, with casting by Piergiorgio Del Moro.
The look book for the 100-piece anniversary collection was photographed by Ned Rogers and models include Imaan Hammam, Rosalieke Fuchs, Natasha Poly, Mariacarla Boscono, and Sascha Rajasalu.
#Zara #Marks #Years #Store #Redesign #Steven #Meisel #Film
