Zara: Redefining Fashion

The function of clothing has already surpassed the most basic functions of shame and warmth. The phrase “You are what you wear” has overcome the proportion of clothing in the consumption structure of some people (especially women). Such a high level of clothing is the first layer of media that individuals can use to convey their own qualities. It is the most natural extension of a person’s physical appearance. Therefore, McLuhan also defined it as one of 26 mediums.

Although they belong to the apparel industry, there seems to be a gap between the high-end fashion industry and the mass-market garment industry at the top of the pyramid. The world's most talented and outstanding fashion designers are generally concentrated in the high fashion industry, which is a special industry with extremely strict restrictions, a very narrow market, and no more customers than designers. Due to sophisticated materials used in high fashion, high prices, and even in order to maintain the noble value, and often use a very small amount of manual production, it is difficult to benefit ordinary consumers. The general fashion brand calls for fashion and mass production in an industrialized way. On the aesthetic sense, it is difficult to escape the mediocre and herd aesthetics and give consumers unique psychological values.

In the unique fashion between high-end fashion and fashion, Spanish clothing brand Zara has redefined the concept of fashion: not only abandoned the traditional idea of ​​industrial production of clothing, but also did not choose to get involved in luxury brands, but let the T-stage display of Chinese clothes, Become a "affordable fashion" for people.

As Spain’s number one and world’s third-ranking clothing retailer, Zara is considered a “monster” by the fashion industry’s peers, and Daniel Piette, fashion director of the veteran luxury goods group LVMH, calls it “the best in the world”. Creative is also the most destructive retail store." Harvard Business School awarded it the title of "the most valuable brand in Europe". For some fashion brands represented by Zara, who are pursuing the business philosophy of "first-rate image, second-rate product, third-rate price", the British "Guardian" has put forward a concept "McFashion" for them, which means "McDonald's". "(McDonald)-style cheap, fast, stylish "mass fashion."

As a representative of "Mega Fashion," Zara is a business model that achieves high returns through the use of high-value-added brands that are different from luxury brands. Its growth is expected to be even higher than that of high-end brands such as Bulgar, Burberry and Hermès. On the other hand, Compared with other members of the "Mai Shi Fashion," although the scale and visibility is not as good as GAP and H & M, but the operating performance is no less. In 2004, Zara's global operating income was 4.6 billion euros, profit was 440 million euros, and profit margin was 9.7%, which was 3.3% higher than GAP. Nowadays, Inditex Group, which is led by Zara, has become a trans-European, U.S., Asian, and African country with more than 2,700 sales channels. In 2004, it had a consolidated turnover of 5.67 billion euros and a net profit of 680 million euros. One of the world's largest fashion companies.

The ubiquitous "fashion observer"

Zara understands that he is a fashion-making company. Therefore, how to grasp the fashion with the most sensitive and abundant tentacles and to meet quasi-consumption needs is the first question that Zara should consider. As Zara President Ortega said in explaining the road to success, "Five fingers control the factory, and the other five fingers grasp the needs of the consumer and help each other as much as possible; always stare at your product until it is sold. "Compared to that, Zara's first finger, the most critical, is the source of all production. Because only the customer needs and fashion trends are mastered, it is possible to produce and control inventory on demand.

It is Zara's innovation and patience to build a three-dimensional, efficient and harmonious team in the design process. The most prominent performance is that Zara has a "trinity" business design team, including design experts, marketing experts and procurement staff (fashion designers, textile graphic designers, procurement personnel, sales / production managers, style reduction personnel, distribution personnel ) A total of more than 260 people. They like to “plagiarize” the trend information of the latest fashion week everywhere, and at the same time they work together to work together to design upcoming popular styles, quickly update the products of the season, discuss the need for fabrics, the approximate cost, related price and other issues, and as soon as possible Reached consensus. What's more, everyone on the team is a spokesperson. For example, designers need to keep in touch with the international arena that represents each season's fashion trends. New products are introduced every week. Market experts are required to assign dedicated handheld devices to branch store managers through the company to maintain instant contact with the frontline and keep abreast of market trends. Orders and designs are determined; chain managers control the channel information and order on demand, etc.; procurement personnel have independent decision-making abilities, and on the basis of a comprehensive understanding of the global textile market, determine those who can guarantee quality, style and delivery The suppliers negotiated with them, and finally the goods were supplied in a timely manner; the distribution personnel, on the premise of knowing the stock situation, guaranteed the supply of goods according to the manager's requirements, shared the opinions with the business team and participated in them.

In contrast to Benetton, GAP, H&M and other major clothing retailers, Zara not only designs its trend through each season, but also moves the design process forward. In the last round of sales, as well as in any possible locations, Zara began to close. Focus on trend information and consumer behavior. Among them, Zara's chain stores play an important role, and the manager and staff can communicate with the headquarter's designer team at any time, especially the manager, who directly controls the ordering rights twice a week. In addition, in order to more sensitively capture fashion trends and revamp the design in real time, Zara has a small team called “fashion watchers” that are widely distributed on T-tables, department stores, entertainment venues, universities, clothing stores, and people’s walkways. Streets and other places continue to give designers new inspiration.

Always grasping the trend and proceeding from the needs of customers are the core of Zara's new product design. But the problem is that clothing from the design concept to becoming standardized information instructions also requires a series of work penetration and cooperation. Zara effectively solved this process problem. Specifically, first, designers need to conceive new designs and improve existing models by querying daily data and information that is continuously collected at the headquarters. They can also decide with the production and operation teams to determine specific fabrics, tailoring, pricing, etc. Work; Secondly, textile graphic designers need to quickly draw clothing styles, list detailed dimensions and necessary technologies, and make samples; again, after team discussions, designers must perform a new round of design modification work to achieve style and materials. A reasonable mix of colors and colors; then, estimating production costs and sales prices, avoiding potential losses at the design stage; then, a skilled worker will try out a small sample, conduct live demonstrations, and listen to all parties Comments, immediate amendments and improvements. Since the entire team is working in the same place, if there are objections and questions, they can be quickly discussed, reviewed and approved. Finally, if the design style is approved, a series of easy-to-perform production instructions provided to the small factory can be immediately generated, which enables them to quickly sew the clothes and continuously deliver the sewn clothes to Zara's garments and packaging. department.

In the process of information collection and product development in the design process, Zara solved the problem of "standardization" of information. Thanks to the standardized information system, its design team can swiftly and accurately brewing the design through standardized product information in the warehouse (such as an accessory database) and set clear cutting production instructions. Specifically, through these self-developed database systems, which are mainly used for product information and inventory information management, Zara's design team can relatively easily master thousands of fabrics, various specifications of decorations, and design lists. At the same time as inventory information, the design of any garment is completed. Therefore, this standardized information system is to ensure that the Zara design team's work is carried out quickly and efficiently, and that it can provide new or modified models in 2-4 weeks, with 5 series and 40,000 designs each year. The balance, the introduction of more than 10,000 models of strong support.