The Spanish fashion retailer founded by Amancio Ortega and Rosalía Mera in 1975 is Zara.
Zara opened its first shop in central A Coruña, Galicia, Spain, in 1975. The founders were Amancio Ortega Gaona and Rosalía Mera Goyenechea, who had already worked together in clothing production. The store initially sold inexpensive versions of fashionable garments, helping make current styles accessible at lower prices.
The name was almost Zorba, after the 1964 film Zorba the Greek. Ortega changed it after discovering that a nearby bar already used the name, rearranging available letters into “Zara.” The first shop’s success led to further Spanish locations and eventually to international expansion.
Zara became the flagship retail brand of Inditex, the Spanish group founded by Ortega in 1985. Its operating model became famous for short design-to-store cycles, frequent deliveries, and close attention to customer demand. The company is therefore commonly associated with fast fashion, although Zara’s identity is specifically the retail brand, not the name of the parent corporation. Pull&Bear and Bershka are separate Inditex brands, while Mango is an independent Spanish retailer.