Zara

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Zara SA, stylized as ZARA, (Spanish: [ˈθaɾa]) is a Spanish apparel retailer based in Arteixo (A Coruña) in Galicia (Spain). Founded by Amancio Ortega, the brand opened the first Zara store in 1975 in central A Coruña, Galicia, Spain.[1] The company specializes in fast fashion, and products include clothing, accessories, shoes, swimwear, beauty, and perfumes. It is the largest company in the Inditex group, the world's largest apparel retailer as it has opened 2270 stores around the world.[2]

Controversy

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In August 2014, Zara received a huge backlash for releasing “White is the new black” slogan tee, which many are viewing as racist and insensitive.[3] The controversial T-shirt sports black block letters over white fabric. The slogan believed was a reference to a TV series Orange is the New Black. Zara tweeted d an apology not long after that.

A year later, in June 2015, Zara faced a $40 million discrimination lawsuit accusing it of practicing race-based favoritism within the company. The suit claimed that managers treated darker-skinned employees worse than their lighter-skinned counterparts.[4] The Center for Popular Democracy in 2015 accused Zara of using racial code words for black and Latinx customers (which Zara denies). The advocacy group surveyed 251 Zara employees in New York City about the retailer’s practices. Poll respondents said that when the term “special order” was used at the store, employees were to find the location of the shoppers in question and follow them around. Black customers were most often described as “special orders,” according to the survey results.[5]

References