Inditex's Marta Ortega: 'We don’t want to change the essence of Zara'

Madrid – Marking the latest chapter in the already close relationship between the Inditex group and Vogue magazine, Marta Ortega has become the star of a major feature in the magazine's September issue. Ortega, the non-executive chair of the Spanish multinational's board of directors, is featured in the leading fashion publication from the Condé Nast publishing group. The piece addresses some of the most current issues concerning the company and its main fashion chain. It also features profiles of figures such as Pieter Mulier, John Galliano, Pierpaolo Piccioli and Óscar García Maceiras, the CEO of Inditex.

The feature was written by Gaby Wood and includes photographs of Marta Ortega taken by American photographer Annie Leibovitz. Leibovitz was recently the subject of the latest winter exhibition by the Marta Ortega Pérez Foundation. The report, shot in the gardens of her home in La Coruña and at the Inditex headquarters, is written in a distinctly subtle, particularly flattering and complimentary tone. This aspect does not detract from the interest in the publication. Condé Nast notes that it is part of the September issue of Vogue Spain, which goes on sale today. It will also have a global reach and will be available in various international editions of the fashion magazine.

The feature intertwines business content about Inditex's performance over the last fiscal year with more intimate and private aspects of its non-executive chair's life. This combination makes it difficult at first to discern the intentions behind the publication of this report. The piece ultimately helps to shape and promote Marta Ortega's public image. It is also published on the cusp of what promises to be one of the biggest new milestones in the recent history of Inditex and Zara: the upcoming launch of John Galliano's first collection for the fashion chain, scheduled for the end of this September. From this report, it seems Ortega is not only promoting this collection but also placing it in a broader context. She also allows Vogue readers a closer look at intimate details of her life, such as how her life and relationship with horse riding changed after becoming a mother, or how she met and the relationship dynamic she has with her second husband, Carlos Torretta. The publication includes contributions from figures such as Pieter Mulier, the current creative director of Versace; 90s supermodel Linda Evangelista; Pierpaolo Piccioli, creative director of Balenciaga; and John Galliano himself. Galliano is once again in the spotlight following his appointment as a collaborator for Zara and as the subject of the MET's upcoming spring exhibition.

“Less than 1 percent of the product remains unsold”

The feature begins, as one would expect, with statements from Marta Ortega herself to Vogue. The magazine highlights that this is one of the very few times the Inditex chair has agreed to an interview. Throughout the piece, Amancio Ortega's daughter speaks directly about various topics. These range from her childhood and her relationship with horse riding to how she met her current husband, Carlos Torretta. She also discusses her relationship with photography, her beginnings at the group, the establishment of her MOP foundation, and her views on her father and fashion. This is complemented by statements directly related to Inditex, Zara, and their business models.

Beginning with these intimate statements, which offer a closer and more personal image of the Inditex chair, Marta Ortega speaks about the influence of her maternal grandmother. “She is probably the person who has influenced me the most in my life... She raised eight children. She never cared where anyone came from or what they did for a living; all that mattered to her was that people were hardworking and honest”. She discusses her relationship with the world of equestrianism, which she set aside after the birth of her daughter Matilda, the first of her two children with Carlos Torretta. She also talks about her father, Amancio Ortega, the founder and majority shareholder of Inditex. A person who “is a source of pride for me.” “I don’t pretend to be like my father, because no one ever will be,” the Inditex chair emphasises in the pages of Vogue, before confessing, “I feel that I am at a great point in my life.” “I do a job that I enjoy every day and I work alongside incredible professionals,” she adds. “Being able to do this in a city that allows me to be close to my family is a huge privilege.”

Regarding her words that bring us closer to the reality of Inditex and her vision for it, Marta Ortega notes, “I don’t think the company would be what it is if we had left A Coruña.” She highlights how “we don’t have many senior positions.” Although “we are a huge company,” an undeniable fact, “it doesn’t feel that way from the inside. In the end, we are one big family, and I think that’s where the magic lies,” states the chair of the Spanish group's board of directors. She also highlights how the company's “model is entirely focused on demand.” “The key is to maintain extremely tight stock levels and reduce surplus to a minimum,” which is why “less than 1 percent of the product remains unsold,” she argues. To achieve this, “we don’t do large production runs that don’t sell and then have to be stored in a warehouse.” She maintains that “although some insist on calling it ‘fast fashion’, the business model itself is probably the most sustainable thing we have.”

Zara, the flagship of the Spanish fashion giant, is a key part and symbol of these dynamics. Marta Ortega specifically wanted to comment on the chain in this Vogue publication. Her words seem to contextualise the brand elevation strategy that has been decisively pursued for the chain since Marta Ortega became non-executive chair of the Inditex Board of Directors on April 1, 2022. This strategy has publicly drawn mixed reactions from regular Zara customers. Amancio Ortega's daughter wanted to be clear with this audience, stating that “we are very far from wanting to be a luxury brand.” “Luxury houses do admirable work and are a great inspiration to us all, but we don’t want to change the essence of Zara,” Marta Ortega confirms. “Our goal is to offer a well-made product that reaches as many people as possible,” she adds in the interview. “Beautiful, well-designed things should not be reserved for just a few.”

With statements from Pieter Mulier, Pierpaolo Piccioli and John Galliano

To complete the piece from the business side of Inditex, there are statements from Carlos Torretta, Marta Ortega's second and current husband, who remains the head of communications at Zara. There are also comments from Óscar García Maceiras, CEO of Inditex, which are included without quotation marks, giving them a clearly diluted presence. From the 'fashion universe' close to Inditex and its chair, there are statements from Pieter Mulier, creative director of Versace; model Linda Evangelista; Karl Templer, creative director of Zara; Pierpaolo Piccioli, creative director of Balenciaga; photographer David Sims, whose work will be featured in the next winter exhibition of the MOP Foundation; and John Galliano, who is set to make his debut as a 'creative collaborator' for Zara. He reveals in the publication that he was initially very reluctant to take on this role.

Galliano recalls that his task will focus mainly on a 'reinterpretation' of the Zara archive. He confesses that when he received the proposal from Inditex, his response was a clear and categorical refusal. However, Galliano notes that he “was amazed” when he first visited the Inditex headquarters in Arteixo in March 2025 to give one of the regular lectures the company organises for its head office teams. “It seemed like a setup worthy of a James Bond film, honestly, the amount of product they move around the planet... It was like: ‘Wow, I’ve worked in prêt-à-porter, darling, but this is incredible!’” he remarks about that first visit. This ultimately led to him being signed as a creative collaborator for Zara for an initial period of at least two years. Galliano also offered some insights into the task, noting how “there are a couple of fabrics that all of us couturiers use,” such as “silk muslin and organza.” However, he was told: “‘Ah, no, you can’t use those because they are highly flammable. You can use this other one instead.’ They are on top of everything.”

From Marta Ortega's perspective, and based on her statements in this Vogue interview, having Galliano as a creative collaborator for Zara is a personal dream come true. She confesses, “the designer I have always admired the most is John Galliano, and I am lucky enough to be working with him.” She expresses similar admiration for other major figures in today's fashion world, highlighting “Phoebe Philo, of course,” and how “Sarah Burton is doing a fabulous job.” “I have always been a huge fan of Mrs. Prada,” she adds, before mentioning profiles like “Willy Chavarria, Matthieu Blazy” and “Jonathan Anderson.” Anderson was, for a few hours, the subject of a strong rumour—since denied by the Northern Irish designer—that pointed to him as a potential new collaborator for Zara. In any case, Marta Ortega dedicated these words to all of them in one of the most interesting moments of the Vogue interview. When asked how the group deals with intellectual property rights in the fashion world, she responds that “fashion is a shared language.” “The way you speak it is what makes the difference between people,” but in any case, “I have absolute respect for the work of designers: I am a client and an admirer of many of them,” she notes. She then offers her particular vision of this microcosm around which all the dynamics, strategies, and initiatives of the Inditex group revolve: “Fashion is present in the lives of millions of people every day. It is our calling card to the world. It channels immense creativity and demands enormous sensitivity. And it can be wonderful if we do it right.”