Designer Teams Fed Global Trend Intelligence

"We continued the tour. In a large room, with huge drafting tables, a group of designers worked surrounded by a thousand international magazines, mostly fashion, but also decoration or more generalist, of what began to be called "lifestyle"."

""Inditex has a department of 40 people—how many are there today?, I wonder—dispersed in New York nightclubs, shopping areas of Paris, trendy bars and hotspots in Spain... This trend tracking is known as market testing to target audiences". In the search for more reasons for their overwhelming success, I add one that I think is fundamental: the constant renewal of stock, which changes by 40 percent every week and every three days new batches of clothes arrive at the stores. This means that, while other firms make their collection at once for the whole season, Zara continuously modifies its products according to what people are asking for."

"When one of his employees, whether or not they are part of the senior management, returns from a city or a new country, he thoroughly asks what sells, why, how..." For all these reasons, Amancio can tell me that "the company has never been like it is now. It's the most beautiful company in the world". And he can summarise in a few words the key to his success: "We need to strengthen the unity between the design and commercial area. We are going to go from 12,000 square meters to 24,000 for the first. No one in the world doubles this surface"."

"Amancio is a man of habits. This is how he describes one of his preferences every day, for years: "My favourite route is to take a walk through the design area. I have always liked sitting among the most creative ones and listening to what they propose, most of them very young, who spend time travelling the world and seeing all trends in the media, not only in clothing but also in lifestyle. I learn a lot from listening to them and, if they ask for my opinion, I give it, but they are good professionals and know very well what they are doing.""