Annie Leibovitz, Anna Sui, David Chipperfield, David Sims, Kate Moss, Marc Newson, Naomi Campbell, Nick Knight,
Norman Foster, Pat McGrath, Pedro Almodóvar, Rosalía, and Zara’s own design team are among the 50 creatives
designing products including jackets, bags, sleeping bags, chairs – even a pet carrier – to celebrate the brand’s 50th
birthday.
Zara is celebrating its 50th anniversary with some of today’s greatest creatives. In a unique project, artists from
Philip Treacy to Tim Walker have designed their own piece of clothing, accessories or furniture, to be available in
stores on October 6. The initiative distils the brand – founded in 1975 by Amancio Ortega in A Coruña, Spain, where it remains headquartered – in its commitment to working with the best design and creative talent, and making that
work available to many.
“It is an honour that these artists have chosen to mark our birthday with us in this way,” says Marta Ortega Pérez,
Non-executive Chair of Inditex. “Each is a leader of their field, in terms of imagination, innovation and integrity. They share
the same passions as Zara have since the beginning: quality of craft and the joy of design.”
All proceeds from the collection will benefit “Women’s Earth Alliance”, a non-profit organisation focused on the
mission to protect our environment by empowering women’s leadership. Zara will also donate 20,000 euros to 50
charitable organisations chosen by the participating artists.
The selection of contributors, all friends of Zara, speaks to the brand’s evolution into a cultural powerhouse over the last
five decades, spanning fashion, beauty, the home and more. The list includes filmmakers Pedro Almodóvar and Luca
Guadagnino; photographers Annie Leibovitz, Craig McDean, David Bailey, David Sims, Javier Vallhonrat, Mario
Sorrenti, Nick Knight and Steven Meisel; design visionaries David Chipperfield, Norman Foster, Marc Newson,
Vincent van Duysen and Axel Vervoordt; pop icons Rosalía and Robbie Williams; fashion stalwarts Anna Sui, Guido
Palau, Harry Lambert, Pat McGrath, Pieter Mulier, Pierpaolo Piccioli and Philip Treacy; and supermodels Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, Karlie Kloss and Kate Moss.
Each piece sums up their creator’s unique spirit. David Bailey, the photographer who captured the essence of the
‘60s, offers his take on an aviator jacket, while stylist Harry Lambert, who has created some of the most definitive looks of now, shows his trademark with a badge-covered hat. Kasing Lung reimagines his globally beloved
Labubu as a street style photographer. A makeup bag is available from Pat McGrath, the greatest makeup artist of
the last 30 years, and a set of glasses is made by Marc Newson, forefather of industrial design today. Steven Meisel,
who has shot many of Zara’s most enduring campaigns, has designed a stylish pet carrier. Each object, intended to be a collector’s item, allows Zara’s audience rare access into these creatives’ worlds.
The full list of contributors is: Alex de Betak, Anna Sui, Annie Leibovitz, Axel Vervoordt, Beka Gvishiani, Cedric Grolet,
Charlotte Rampling, Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, Craig McDean, David Bailey, David Chipperfield, David Sims,
Es Devlin, Ezra Petronio, Fabien Baron, Guido Palau, Harry Lambert, Javier Vallhonrat, Karl Templer, Karlie Kloss, Kasing Lung, Kate Moss, Leslie Zhang, Linda Evangelista, Luca Guadagnino, Ludovic de Saint Sernin, M&M Paris, Marc Newson, Mario Sorrenti, Naomi Campbell, Narciso Rodriguez, Nick Knight, Norman Foster,
Paolo Roversi, Pat McGrath, Pedro Almodóvar, Philip Treacy, Pierpaolo Piccioli, Pieter Mulier, Ramdane Touhami, Robbie Williams, Rosalía, Samuel Ross, Sarah Andelman, Sterling Ruby, Steven Meisel, Tim Walker and
Vincent Van Duysen.
The project is the latest initiative to spotlight creativity and artistry at Zara. Past collaborations and campaigns with Meisel, Moss, Samuel Ross or Vincent van Duysen have signalled its ambition to give distinctive visions a global platform.
Zara’s 50th anniversary creative gathering will be thrown open to the public at a very special week-long pop-up
that begins during Paris Fashion Week. It will take place at 40 Avenue Georges V from October 2nd to October 5th, and will be open from 10 AM to 7 PM. Curated by Sarah Andelman, the space will bring together all 50 of the Zara
anniversary designs in exhibition format, accompanied by a programme discussions with some of her fellow
fifty friends of Zara. A bespoke soundtrack by Michel Gaubert will conjure atmosphere, while energy levels will be
maintained at a café space by We Are Ona. A series of talks moderated by Derek Blasberg opens on 2 October with
a conversation with Marc Newson.
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Ms. Soumya Vajpayee, Senior Entertainment & Lifestyle Journalist |
