Take a stroll around Henry Street, Grafton Street or Dundrum Town Centre, and you’ll be greeted with a variety of clothing, footwear and beauty brands to make even a fashion maven dizzy with excitement. Ireland has come a long way in terms of the range of UK, European and US brands that have landed on our soil, and nowadays it’s easier than ever to develop a unique sense of style. Some of us flit from store to store, drawing inspiration from a plethora of sources, while others tend to maintain loyalty to a small, selective group of brands. I fall into the latter group, and it is the Galician retail powerhouse Zara that keeps me coming back for more.
Founded in 1975 in the Spanish city of La Coruña by Amancio Ortega, the Zara brand had swept through Europe and the US by the 1990s, and Ireland along boasts nine branches. Zara has long been hailed by fashion editors and publications as the epitome of minimalistic, cool-girl chic. Rather than slavishly interpreting catwalk trends, Zara has carved out a niche for itself for customers favouring a more classic yet stylish aesthetic. This formula translates across Zara’s menswear, children’s wear and interiors ranges, and when one takes account of their reasonable pricepoint, it’s easy to see why Zara continues to excel on the high street.
Zara’s SS15 campaign is set to impress, and in particular we’re loving this androgynous double-breasted jacket (€99.95) and this printed dress, a modern take on the psychedelic trend (€59.95). All we ask for now is a handy little student discount!
Emily O’Brien
