Zara launches into Zepeto metaverse via collaboration with South Korean label Ader Error
Zara is keen to appeal to the new generations. And it is doing so by embracing the virtual world, for the first time connecting with its aficionados in the metaverse, in the digital world of customisable avatars developed by highly successful South Korean app Zepeto. Names like Ralph Lauren, Disney and Nike are already collaborating with Zepeto, which will now feature the virtual clothes and make-up from the latest collection by the leading chain of Spanish apparel giant Inditex, designed with South Korean fashion collective Ader Error.
Defined by Zara as a “collaborative project” that “identifies a new generation” based on “the identity and singularity of every individual,” the AZ Collection is designed as a reflection on “the ability of language to express ideas, originate new forms of thought and create new cultures.” From the A of Ader to the Z of Zara, and of the generation to which it is designed to appeal, the AZ Collection taps the letters of the alphabet as an “inexhaustible source of creativity” through which to develop silhouettes that reflect the lifestyle of young people.
Together with the South Korean collective founded in 2014, Zara has developed a unique “persona” that not only lives in the metaverse, represented in the collection’s videos and pictures by the virtual alter ego of renowned models like Mica Argañaraz, but that also has a counterpart in physical reality, in the form of clothes whose palette ranges from navy blue to black, yellow and bright orange.
The AZ Collection includes oversize down jackets, patchwork knitwear, long scarves and wool hats, messenger bags, backpacks, sunglasses, caps, two types of jeans and three sneaker models, in addition to shirts, suits and coats in a more sartorial style, enhanced by stitched details like pattern outlines and lettering.
The collection also features graphic-style cotton shirts and sweatshirts decorated with AZ patches and the collection’s logo, a turquoise design element that “metaphorically expresses the world contained between A and Z,” inspired by alphabetical motifs and embodying the “organic connection” of the two brands’ identities. The collection is available from Monday December 6 on Zara and Ader Error's e-shops and at select stores in South Korea, Spain, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, France, Italy, the USA, China and Japan. Price-wise, the products range from €39.95 for the beanie hats to €239 for the longline down jackets.
Cosmetics line continues to expand
The AZ Collection’s drop is only one of the Spanish label’s recent efforts in terms of product diversification, as Zara strives to achieve a more premium positioning. Recently, Zara has launched collections styled by French artist Charlotte Gainsbourg and Dutch collective Kassl Editions. Zara has also upgraded its make-up range, developing a specific Zara Beauty line in May this year. Zara Beauty is a complete cosmetics line, with products and formulas developed in collaboration with renowned make-up artist Diane Kendal. The latest addition to the line is the Manifesto Stick, a hydrating stick for the eyes and face with a hyaluronic acid base, available in 11 shades with a matt, pearly or glitter finish, priced at €12.95.
Recent developments within the Spanish group have not been limited to new collection drops. Last week, Inditex announced a rather surprising series of strategic changes in its top hierarchy, involving the creation of a new management committee, as well as the dismissal of CEO Carlos Crespo, replaced with immediate effect by Óscar García Maceirass, and the future appointment of a new president in lieu of Pablo Isla. From next April, Marta Ortega, daughter of Inditex founder Amancio Ortega, will take charge of the Spanish conglomerate, whose H1 revenue was €11.936 billion.
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