Zara Taps John Galliano to Design Seasonal Collections

PARIS – John Galliano will design seasonal collections for Zara as part of a two-year partnership that marks a new step in the Spanish retailer’s move upmarket.

The former Dior and Maison Margiela designer will “deconstruct and reconfigure” designs from Zara’s archive, reissuing them using new materials in a process the company described as “re-authoring.” The first collection will be released in September, Zara said in a statement Tuesday.

The recruitment of one of the industry’s biggest names comes as Inditex’s flagship brand, led by non-executive chairwoman Marta Ortega, pushes upmarket to capture new growth. In recent years, Zara has had to contend with the rise of Shein and Temu, which have grabbed an increasingly larger share of young, budget-conscious shoppers.

Zara has responded by elevating its product and retail strategy, raising average prices, introducing more fashion-forward and higher-quality pieces and investing in more premium store experiences in a bid to capture customers who want something between mass market and luxury.

Further details on the collaboration with Galliano will be announced in due course, Zara said.

Galliano is a trans-generational icon in the fashion world, having conquered younger audiences and largely rehabilitated his image (tarnished by a 2011 anti-semitic rant) during a 10 year stint as artistic director of Maison Margiela.

His gender-bending, theatrical collections established a new identity for Margiela, while the boom in second-hand luxury retail fuelled awareness of his groundbreaking tenure at Dior among young shoppers.

Galliano further cemented his legacy with a viral 2024 show for Margiela’s Artisanal line, in which couture characters moved through a misty show space under a Paris bridge, wearing glassy mask-like makeup by Pat McGrath.