Zara

Zara dressed Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl. That says much more about Zara’s plans than about Bad Bunny

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On the grass of Levi’s Stadium, at halftime of the Super Bowl, the Puerto Rican artist made history Bad Bunny. At an event where ads cost $16 million a minute, he didn’t appear dressed in Gucci or Dior or Versace. Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio “materialized” with a total look creamy white, almost angelic. A monochrome suit designed to float rather than step on, visually blending with the lime lines of the field. The big surprise was not only aesthetic but also corporate: behind that sobriety was Zarathe flagship brand of Inditex. It was a movement of contrasts. Just a week before, the singer had swept the Grammys with a spectacular design Schiaparelli haute couture. Going from the most exclusive Parisian craftsmanship to retail Arteixo’s overall performance in just seven days is not an accident, but rather a declaration of intent in the most expensive setting on the planet. The architecture of an “anti-luxury” look What we saw on stage was not off-the-shelf clothing, but a designer piece bespoke (custom made). The initial outfit consisted of pleated pants, a shirt, a tie, and a key piece: a padded sports-inspired t-shirt (linebacker) that evoked the protections of American football. All in a sober and calculated, stylized cream tone by his regular collaboratorsStorm Pablo and Marvin Douglas Linares. The design evolved in real time. Midway through the performance, Bad Bunny transformed his silhouette by adding a double-breasted double-breasted blazer in the same hue, elevating the sporty tone to classic sartorial elegance. However, so that no one forgets that sobriety is an aesthetic choice and not an economic necessity, the Puerto Rican maintained a single nod to status superstar on your wrist: an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak watch. A piece of yellow gold 18 carat with a malachite dial that served as a silent reminder: the suit may be democratic, but Bad Bunny’s time is money. Zara’s choice stood out even more due to the contrast with her companions on stage. While he wore the mark of high street par excellence, Lady Gaga appeared with a design from the Luar brand and a brooch representing the flor de maga (the national flower of Puerto Rico), maintaining the dialogue between fashion and cultural identity. This movement represents an alliance where both parties gain cultural capital, but from opposite directions: Zara seeks to rise towards luxury and Bad Bunny seeks to “come down to earth” towards authenticity. According to experts consulted in Guardianlike Professor Andrew Groves of the University of Westminster, seeing a Zara suit on a Super Bowl stage is a statement about the “power shift” (power-shifting). The suit projects authoritybut that authority comes from Bad Bunny’s cultural position, not the seal of a luxury house. It’s a way of saying that style doesn’t lie in price, but in narrative. Furthermore, there was an undeniable language connection. Being the first artist to perform at halftime entirely in Spanish, challenging the Anglo-Saxon hegemony of the event, the choice of a global brand of Hispanic origin came full circle. As they pointed out from the Vigo Lighthouse“Zara is Spanish, as is its music”, the shared language functioning here as a tool for mass projection in the American market, beyond the complex historical legacies. Fast Couture and the commercial counterpoint For Zara, this is the culmination of a strategic shift. The brand issued a statement highlighting that “artistic vision” was prioritized and clarifying a crucial point: this outfit will not be made available for sale. By renouncing the immediate mass sale of the product, Zara positions itself as a creator of culture and visual narrative, moving away from the image of a seller of quick copies. They have preferred the prestige of having been there to the immediate cash benefit. However, the commercial machinery did not stop completely. Here lies the genius of the strategy: while Zara capitalized on the immaterial prestigethe tangible business was at the feet. The sneakers that completed the set were not from Inditex, but rather the BadBo 1.0his most personal collaboration with Adidas. Unlike the unaffordable tailored suit, these did go on sale just 24 hours after the show for about 160 euros. The artist achieved the perfect balance: narrative exclusivity for clothing, mass consumption for footwear. Benito’s clothing functioned as a canvas for encrypted messages that the internet attempted to decode in real time. On the one hand, the padded T-shirt read the artist’s maternal surname, “OCASIO”, along with the number 64. Speculation soared: Was it the year of birth of his mother, Lysaurie? A reference to the victims of Hurricane Maria? A nod to a Billboard music record? Finally, the most intimate answer was given Complex Magazine: The number was a tribute to his late uncle, who wore that number during his time as an American football player. Bad Bunny turned a sports shirt into a family love letter. On the other hand, white as a political response. The color cream/white It wasn’t accidental either. Colorimetry experts They point out that this tone conveys transparency, purity and leadership (“I have nothing to hide”). This visual message gains strength after his speech at the Grammys, where he protested against ICE (Immigration Service) stating: “We are not savages, we are humans.” Wearing angelic white in front of millions of spectators visually counteracts the narrative of danger associated with Latino immigration in certain political discourses. Marta Ortega’s plans To understand why Zara invests resources in dressing a superstar without then selling the clothes, you have to look your recent business strategy. Inditex, under the presidency of Marta Ortega, is trying to distance Zara from the stigma of fast fashion to bring it closer to fast couture or “affordable luxury.” A clear example is the recent reopening of its store in Barcelona, ​​designed by the Belgian architect Vincent Van Duysen with an aesthetic of boutique deluxe. Zara no longer wants to compete only on price with Shein or Primark; wants to compete in image and experience with luxury brands, maintaining affordable prices. Dressing Bad … Read more

Zara has found the formula to produce more photos in much less time. The answer was not where many thought

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Every time a big fashion brand mentions artificial intelligence, the reflex is almost automatic. We think about the possibility of models replaced by avatars, sessions that are reduced to a minimum and increasingly automated campaigns. It is a logical reaction, fueled by what we have already seen in the sector in recent months. But not all bets go that way. In the case of Zara, the question is not whether AI enters the creative process, but how it does so and what it decides to preserve intact. Not all AI in fashion is the same. In recent years, the sector has been trying very different paths under the same label. There are brands that have opted for generate complete campaigns with images created by generative systems, and others that have explored the creation of digital “doubles” of models to reuse their image in marketing. This context explains why Zara’s announcement triggers almost automatic suspicions. But it also forces us to refine the focus, because replacing a session is not the same as reusing a photograph, nor is it the same to displace people as to reorganize how visual content is produced. What exactly has Zara announced. Reuters reports thatZara has begun using AI to help create new images of real models in different outfits and accelerate visual production, in a movement that is part of a broader trend in the sector. As explained by an Inditex spokesperson, AI is being used to complement existing processes, not to replace them. The company presents it as a way to gain speed in the production of images without considering a total change of model in how its visual communication is built. How the “nuanced” approach works. From what has been published so far, the approach aims to take real photographs of human models and use AI to edit them and show those same models with other combinations of clothing, without repeating the session. The British newspaper CityAMfor its part, includes the anonymous testimony of a model according to which Zara asked for permission to edit its images with AI and thus show different items. This difference is important, because we are not talking about generating a campaign from scratch or creating a complete digital replica, but rather about expanding the number of final images based on previously photographed material. A precedent that marked the debate. Months before Zara’s move, H&M had contributed to tense the conversation with a much more visible proposal. In March 2025, the swedish company announced that would begin to create digital “twins” of 30 models to use in social networks and campaigns, always with prior permission. The initiative included compensation and control of rights by the models, but it also provoked criticism and once again put on the table the fear of a progressive reduction in work on traditional sets. The other end of the spectrum. The clearest contrast is offered by Mango. The company presented a campaign for its youth line generated entirely with AIa much more radical approach than Zara’s. In its case, AI is not limited to expanding combinations from a previous session, but is placed at the center of the creative process, although with subsequent intervention by human teams for selection and retouching. Mango frames this decision within its 2024-2026 strategic plan and presents it as a commitment to efficiency and innovation, thus marking a clear limit compared to hybrid approaches. Even so, the discomfort does not disappear. Some actors in the sector warn that the growing use of AI could reduce the number of assignments for photographers, models and production teams. It does not speak of a specific impact, but of a cumulative effect that can alter an entire ecosystem, from established professionals to those trying to make their way. The concern is not only focused on a specific brand, but on the sum of decisions that, little by little, change how many times a camera is turned on. Images | Zara | Highlight ID | M. Rennim In Xataka | All tech companies are putting AI in all their products. The problem is that nobody wants them

Russia had managed to manufacture drones and missiles despite the sanctions. So selling Zara clothes was a matter of time

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In recent months, a strange wave of western products has begun to reappear in places where, on paper, it is already they shouldn’t exist. Between geopolitical changes, forced business exits and an increasingly opaque market, certain brands have unexpectedly become visible again, fueling rumors, theories about how they are getting there and who is really pulling the strings of their distribution towards Moscow. Now a giant from Spain has (re)appeared: Inditex. A market that does not close completely. After announcing the end of operations in Russia a few days after the invasion of Ukraine, Inditex left behind its second largest market and sold its business in the country. However, more than two years latergarments with official labels from brands such as Zara, Bershka, Oysho, Stradivarius or Massimo Dutti have once again appeared on the shelves of the Russian channel Tvoenow renamed Tvoe n Ko, which boasts a “constantly updated” selection on social networks and presents the collections as almost clandestine finds. The pieces, which match models from previous seasons and carry prices in euros, are now sold in at least 19 stores Russian companies without there being (according to the official version offered) any contractual relationship between the Spanish company and the local distributor. In fact, they occur two months after the executive director of Inditex, Óscar García Maceiras, will declare to the Financial Times that the conditions “were not met” for his return to Russia. The engineering of the Russian gray market. I was counting a few hours ago the FT that the mechanism that allows the reappearance of these garments is based on the system of “parallel imports” established by Moscow to circumvent the massive departures of Western brands. In this scheme operates Disco Club LLCa Russian company that has recorded 18 statements in accordance, citing Inditex as supplier and presenting itself as its “authorized representative”, despite the fact that Inditex flatly denies having granted such permission. The garments come partly from inventories originally destined for various EU countries and partly from Chinese factories, according to labels and documents customs, in a circuit that takes advantage of legal loopholes and the Kremlin’s lack of inhibition to give formal coverage to a trade that would previously have been considered smuggling. The denial. For its part, Tvoe assures that it does not have direct agreements with Inditex and hides behind confidentiality agreements so as not to detail its suppliers, while Disco Club insist in which he only performed a “punctual technical service.” Burkhard Binder, the businessman linked to the founding of the company and based in Dubai, is disassociating himself from current operations. Inditex, known for its tight control of inventory, distribution and franchises, completely reject any link: he claims not to have authorized Disco Club or any Russian entity to act on his behalf and avoids commenting on how his products arrive in the country since he withdrew. Matter of time. we have been counting: the ability of the Russian economy to adapt in the midst of war has shown that international restrictions, no matter how strict, always find cracks. A country that has rebuilt chains complex supply chains to produce drones, precision ammunition or long-range missiles, despite technological embargoes and industrial vetoes, would not have difficulties reopening the door to much more “simpler” products, such as Western fashion clothing. In that context, the reappearance of garments of Zara in Russian stores is not so much surprising as confirming a trend: Moscow has perfected an ecosystem of parallel imports capable of circumventing almost any blockade, from military components even t-shirts and dresses from past seasons, turning the impossible into routine and the forbidden into a merely logistical problem. Russia, a laboratory of consumption in times of sanctions. The appearance of Zara products in Russia despite the exit from the company illustrates the magnitude of the gray market that Moscow has made official since 2022: an ecosystem that allows consumers to access Western brands through private intermediaries and indirect routes, without participation of the original companies. In this context, the reappearance of the Spanish firm in the Russian commercial landscape is not due to a business return, but rather to a state-run mechanism. commercial evasion that turns its garments into parallel import merchandise. If you like, the phenomenon also reveals the extent to which Russia has rebuilt its global consumption through third countries and front companies, and how even the strictest groups in controlling its supply chain cannot prevent its products from reappearing in a market from which they tried to leave definitely. Image | Pexels In Xataka | Ukraine has opened the Russian ballistic missile that has devastated its cities. Your surprise is a condemnation: your main supplier is untouchable In Xataka | Zara has been selling clothes for years. Now he aspires to sell something more difficult: prestige

Victoria from Sweden, with Zara metallic fringe jacket and knotted earrings

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Sweden victory yesterday, Saturday, January 18, she resumed her 2025 agenda. The heir to the throne did so by attending a gala on the occasion of the centenary of the Malmö Symphony Orchestraheld at the Malmö Live Concert Hall in the aforementioned city. The daughter of Carlos Gustavo and Silvia from Sweden captivated us again with a style featuring affordable pieces, as she did at the dinner with the Nobel Prize winners when she came dressed in a long H&M dress that Queen Letizia also loves. This time, it convinced with a configuration that we will surely emulate from now on on special occasions. © GTRES Copy Victoria of Sweden’s Spanish stamp look! Princess Victoria of Sweden wanted to take advantage of the concert that was held to surrender to Spanish fashion. The royal succumbed to a look as striking as it is sophisticated led by a fringed jacket belonging to Zara which, by the way, is already sold out. It is a metallic design with a round neckline and long sleeves with a front closure using hidden hooks. A perfect creation to elevate any proposal in a matter of seconds. © GTRES © GTRES Are you wondering how Daniel’s wife from Sweden completed the styling? Adding some long flowy wide-leg pantsa wardrobe basic capable of saving us in all types of environments. As far as accessories are concerned, Victoria from Sweden rose, first of all, to about black patent leather heeled shoes under the signature of Gianvito Rossi with whom we had already seen it before. An iconic pointed-toe model that will be drawn (if it hasn’t already) as the object we didn’t know we needed to look stylized and elegant in equal measure. © GTRES © GTRES Secondly, he completed the festive bet with a clutch adorned with rhinestones in various shades and Aldo pearls. Jewel accessory that already embraced in December 2023 –also at the traditional Nobel Prize dinner at the Royal Palace–. The jewelry itself also had a relevant role in the result. The heiress premiered the dangle earrings tinsel by Edbladwhich feature long interlocking chains and are made of shiny stainless steel. Likewise, he also did not hesitate to show off his usual ring Mom from the same house. © GTRES Regarding proposals beautyVictoria of Sweden opted for the significant event for a impeccable high bun somewhat casuala dream resource for guests looking to exude delicacy and simplicity with an easy-to-achieve updo. In relation to makeup, she conquered the space with a natural finish achieved from eyebrow pencil, mascara, glitter eye shadows, pink lipstick and subtle doses of blush. © GTRES

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