A Shirt

Final Illustration 10/11/11

Shop Report

Zara is an international brand, currently in 76 countries worldwide making it a well spread company, it is headed under a chain, Inditex. It has sister companies such as Pull & Bear and Massimo Dutti, these stores have just recently branched out to London. All the chains of Inditex have similarities but also very separate identities.

Zara is a 'high-street' brand that is a very customer orientated business, and so it should be! The web site states 'The customer is at the heart of our unique business model, which includes design, production, distribution and sales thought our exclusive network'. Zara has expanded out to home wear and interiors which is very similar to its colours style, sleek, classic and neutral.

Zara has always had its own clear identity. Tailored, minimal to no pattern, layers, classic cuts and block colour. This helps it to be timeless and spreads itself to a wide variety of customers.

Zara on Oxford Street was my first and only to write about, it is a four floored store that is bursting with all their designs.

On approach Zara looked very dark and mysterious. Mannequins dressed all in black against a simple background, one window for menswear and one for womenswear. For both windows there was a clear theme of black with a mix of silvers and metal.

From the outside looking in it was clear how busy and popular Zara is, the shop was over flowing with happy shoppers. 

In entering the store I was greeted by four mannequins displaying outfits that consisted of black on black outfits which continued on from the mannequins in the window. Mixed textures, furs, leathers and lace. Behind these four there was another line of mannequins that, in contrast, were dressed in all white, beiges and cream. The continued theme of mixed textures could be seen again here with more fur, leather, animal skins and tweeds.

Looking around the first floor everything looked very similar, all neutral colours and a lot of black. Being neutral and classic is a key trait for Zara, it is one for the things that can always be counted on. The only time Zara has colour in store is when it is a key trend on the catwalks, this then trickles out into their stores. You can never find crazy bright patterns or anything too 'in your face'. Everything is always tasteful, hints of colour or bright colours surrounded by dark and neutrals. Looking around the store there was the odd pow of orange and other brights which really contrasted with the black, greys and neutrals that engulfed me.

Around the centre of the store there were display tables laden with jumpers and cardigans which were messy where people had been rummaging, there were no staff around to notice the growing disorder. The store was overall very busy and hectic which is what I expected for Oxford Street on a Saturday afternoon.

Zara lends itself to a variety of consumers, creating its 'basics' range it allows people with a lower budget to still be able to afford the brand. The range consists of all types of clothing, shoes and accessories. To be honest, I don't think you can really tell the difference between the basics and the premium items.

Looking at the suits that they had in a variety of cuts, colours and materials. The ranges were all priced reasonably, around £29.00 for tailored trousers and £49.99 for a suit jacket. A average suit coming in at £79.98, which I think it value for money. Each suit was lined and finished beautifully.

In my half an hour in Zara, I wasn't once asked if I was okay or if I has found what I was looking for. This is something that I imagine to be very different during my visit of Paul Smith...

Paul Smith is a designer who is known for his classic tailoring for both mens and womenswear. Smith accidentally came across fashion during a talk with college friends, this incidentally worked out very well for the fashion world. He soon became a influential and successful designer with stores in 35 countries including Japan, New York, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Paul Smith is very similar to Zara in the way of his use of classic, timeless tailoring, muted tones, hints of pattern and block colours. Interiors is another part of the business which makes them similar, both taking time to create beautiful home furnishings.

The Paul Smith store in Covent Garden is set down a little cobble lane and from the outside looks like quite an extensive size. It holds three stores in one, Paul Smith Shoes, Paul Smith Men's and Paul Smith Women's. These stores were all linked by a small archway between each making them coherent. All the decor was of a similar look, creating a very vintage and manor house feel to it. The walls were lined with maple from almost head to toe, shelf upon shelf, rail upon rail. The walls were all in a spectrum of greens which complimented to wood perfectly. 

The front window of Paul Smith Women's was very simple, one mannequin dressed in a patterned dress with a leather jacket. No background, nothing fussy.

Straight away when walking into the store you were faced with a woman at the till who was all smiles and happy in her job, serving a young female. The store only had a few people in it and was very quiet, allowing the classical music in the background to really take effect on you.

Looking around the store I could see that there were only two or three of a item out at one time rather that piles of the same. The rails were full, full of garments that complimented one another. You could pull out any two items on the rail and they would make an outfit.

There was not too much colour surrounding me, the odd punch of orange the same as Zara. There was more pattern than I originally thought there would be, some in black and white and some in colour.

Going downstairs created a change in atmosphere. The music was still the same but with the wood being replaced with white walls and 60's looking wallpaper the room got brighter and airier. The room was very well lit by the panelled ceiling that was all lit up. It had a industrial feel to it, complete with concrete flooring which was so contrasting with the clothing.

Down here all the pattern seemed to drop out again and there was a lot more black and grey around me. This room suddenly became much more like Zara but with better craftsman ship and material. The real pow of colour came from this red coat and the chair, which was very contrasting with the dark clothes.

There was a congregation of staff down at the back of the room having a chat, which I found unprofessional. As soon as more people came downstairs they paused to ask if we were all okay and then carried on.

Upstairs seemed to specialize in most of the smarter and tailored clothing. Different suits that could easily be mixed and matched, but all at a price... The average trouser came in at £166 and jackets at £241, the total being £573 per suit. Downstairs, not any cheaper, comprised of more casual items, T-shirts, jumpers and simple dresses. Your staple leather jacket could be found down here too, but at a steep price, £466.

Everything downstairs was hung on simple gold rails in a long wiggly line down the room. This was a really effective way of drawing you down the back of the room and your eye following every item on that rail. 

 After visiting both stores I can see a clear difference between high street and designer. The atmosphere, costumer and quality are worlds apart.

Walking in to one I was faced with hundreds of happy shoppers all scrambling around, and in contrast, I walked in to the other being one of three people in the room being soothed by the calming classical music. I think rarely would Paul Smith be ransacked where people are trying to find what they are looking for. And never would there be a ten minute wait to pay.

I knew there would be a difference in quality of clothing, the larger the price the more hand techniques and luxurious fabrics are going to be used. And it's worth it, Paul Smiths clothes are beautiful and so well designed and put together

Zara is good for creating similar clothes at more of an affordable price. The quality is good for high street and the majority of the clothes are well made.

For now, with my student lifestyle I can be found wearing Zara. But one day, when i'm earning millions and living the dream, I will be found wearing Paul Smith. One day.