Shoppers queue outside the Oxford Street store in London. Photo: Aurelia Lorimer Save Story Save this story Save Story Save this story On Thursday, Zara took over a Paris mansion for the launch of John Galliano’s new Zara collection, Re{form}. The Hotel Particulier pop-up, which doubles as an exhibition, is by appointment only, and tells the backstory behind Galliano’s first collaboration with Zara.
In Paris, the collection is exclusively available at the pop-up, which is open through Tuesday. In New York, there’s no stock; the collection is only available to US shoppers online. The only stores carrying any Galliano are the London and Madrid flagships, where fashion fans are showing up in droves to purchase a piece of Galliano’s latest offering. The designer has been a frequent fixture in the news of late, first when it was announced in March that he was to design a collection for Inditex-owned Zara, and again when news hit that the Met retrospective set to focus on Galliano’s work would not proceed as planned .
Today, the designer is once again making headlines as consumers lined up outside stores where the collection was available, and made even more noise about it online. The line consists of 157 pieces, all of which the designer ‘reworked’ from previous Zara pieces. “This is an innovation — this idea of going in and treating their existing garments,” he told Vogue ahead of the launch. “I called it Zara’s archives…but in this fast age, what denotes an archive?”
Shopper: Erich, manager at a Zara boutique shopped the collection at the pop-up in Paris.
It may be Zara, but prices are, by no means, typical of the high street. A chiffon dress will set you back a hair under four figures at $999, while a faux fur-collared coat costs $759. For many shoppers, this isn’t a deterrent — nor is the limited IRL availability. Model and actor Hari Nef bought six pieces from the collection, including a full look (minus the gloves, which were sold out). “I lost sleep to grab my favorites, which is a testament to how much I love Galliano and a competitive price point,” she says. “As a fan, it was also exciting to see a version of his independent design language after so many years integrating another house's codes.”
Not everyone was as glowing as Nef. Millie Adams, owner of Studded Petals Vintage, posted to Twitter critiquing the price point versus fabrication — some of which was polyamide, polyester, and viscose. Adams linked to a 100% linen and silk Dior by Galliano jacket she was selling on her site for $545 — well below many of the Zara pieces. The fashion publication 1 Granary chimed in , suggesting that a number of industry figures who denounced the collection would later shop it.
The collection was unveiled as an installation and by-appointment experience alongside Fashion Week in Paris.
At the time of writing, 86 products from the 209-item drop (41.5%) have sold out online. Inditex did not respond to our request for comment.
On the ground, Vogue Business caught up with shoppers in London and Paris to get a sense of why, for many fashion heads, John Galliano’s Zara is hitting the mark.
A steady queue of shoppers formed outside London’s Bond Street flagship since morning, with security handing out wristbands. Maisie, a 22-year-old fashion student at Kingston University, checked the website early and was intrigued. “I’m quite familiar with him — at Maison Margiela and Dior — but I wanted to come and see what’s going on,” she says.
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