Zara is the Spanish fashion retailer that began as a store named Zorba in 1975.
Amancio Ortega and Rosalía Mera established the first Zara shop in central A Coruña, Galicia, Spain, in 1975. The founders initially intended to call the store “Zorba,” inspired by the 1964 film Zorba the Greek. They changed the name after discovering that a bar with the same name stood only two blocks away.
The letters were rearranged to produce “Zara,” reportedly using an additional set of prepared letters to complete the new name. The shop sold lower-priced versions of styles associated with more expensive fashion, helping it attract customers seeking current looks at accessible prices.
Zara later became the flagship fashion chain of Inditex. During the 1980s, it developed faster design, manufacturing, and distribution methods designed to reduce lead times and respond quickly to changing trends. Pull&Bear and Bershka are also Inditex brands, but they did not originate as the 1975 Zorba store.