Zara to launch its first collection with John Galliano on October 1

Madrid – Following the news on March 17 that Inditex and Zara were collaborating with designer John Galliano, a move that shook the fashion industry, the chain has now set a launch date for the first collection by the Gibraltar-born creative. The collection will debut on October 1. While further details are yet to be released, this date clearly indicates that Zara and Inditex intend to counter-programme a key day of the upcoming Paris Fashion Week.

Neither Zara nor any other Inditex group chain currently participates in the official schedules of any major international Fashion Week. This is in contrast to direct competitor H&M Group, whose premium brand COS has shown on the official calendars of New York Fashion Week and London Fashion Week. However, the presence of the chain and its parent company is becoming increasingly noticeable at major international runway events. This increased visibility was first felt during the September-October 2025 edition of Paris Fashion Week. During the event, Zara opened an exclusive pop-up in the French capital to present its equally exclusive anniversary capsule collection, “50 creators”.

The collection featured designs by figures such as Norman Foster, Pedro Almodóvar and Pierpaolo Piccioli. This strategy appears to have fully blossomed during the current September-October editions of Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks. The Spanish fashion multinational is successfully capitalising on the heightened interest generated during these events, as the entire industry eagerly awaits the presentation of collections for the upcoming spring/summer 2027 season.

The latest examples of this strategy, which positively impacts both visibility and brand value for Inditex and Zara, include the Spanish multinational's recent appearance at Milan Fashion Week. The event took place in the Lombardy capital from September 22 to Monday, September 28. Amidst the fashion week atmosphere, but outside the official calendar, Zara officially launched a capsule collection designed by the creative duo of filmmaker Luca Guadagnino and industrial designer Stefano Baisi. The collection includes menswear, womenswear, and home decor items. It has been available for purchase since September 26 in select physical stores worldwide and on the respective Zara and Zara Home e-commerce platforms.

To officially celebrate the launch of the capsule collection by Guadagnino and Baisi, titled “Atlas of Desire” and comprising over 200 pieces, Zara hosted an “exclusive event” last Friday, September 25, at La Pelota Jai Alai in Milan. Inside the exhibition space, the chain built an experiential and immersive pop-up where the public could discover the capsule collection's pieces in detail on September 26 and 27. The setting was specifically designed for the occasion by Luca Guadagnino and Stefano Baisi themselves. On the preceding day, September 25, this experience was made available to a select number of carefully chosen guests at a launch party. Notable attendees included Guadagnino and Baisi, as well as Marta Ortega Pérez, non-executive chair of Inditex. Other guests included Jamie Bell; Kate Mara; Chase Sui Wonders; Michael Stuhlbarg; Mai-Linh Lofgren; Martina Mondadori; Riccardo Crenna; Simona Flacco; Gabriella Campagna; Mario Milano; Connie Vallese; Ambra Medda; Anna Dello Russo; Stefano Tonchi; Sara Sozzani Maino; Francesca Ragazzi; Simone Marchetti; Ferdinando Verderi; Rossana Orlandi; and Italian stylist Robert Rabensteiner.

First John Galliano collection for Zara on October 1

Following the temporary activation in Milan, and as the Zara exhibition at La Pelota Jai Alai was drawing to a close, the chain caused a stir on social media. It surprisingly announced the upcoming launch of its first collection designed by John Galliano on both its social profiles and official website. On March 17, Zara and Inditex announced a strategic collaboration agreement with the creative. Under the agreement, the Gibraltar-born designer, whom Marta Ortega has publicly acknowledged as the designer she has “always admired the most,” will design a series of seasonal collections for Zara for an initial period of at least two years, starting this September 2026.

The collaboration between the Spanish fashion firm and the designer has been surrounded by great anticipation. Galliano was creative director at Givenchy from 1995 to 1996, at Dior from October 1996 to March 2011, and at Maison Margiela from 2014 to 2024. Zara has now confirmed that the first Galliano collection for the brand will be released this coming Thursday, October 1. The announcement was made with an air of intrigue and mystery, further fuelling interest and anticipation for the imminent launch. The company has only specified that it will take place at 10am Central European Summer Time (CEST).

“Created by the couturier John Galliano,” and “built from our memory,” but “made for the present,” is all Zara has added about “Vol 1,” the title of this first collection. As announced in March, the collection is “conceived by the couturier John Galliano” for the chain, drawing from Zara's historical archives. It remains to be seen whether the launch of this first collection by the Gibraltar-born designer will be accompanied or preceded by a special event, similar to the Guadagnino and Baisi capsule. In any case, its release is set to counter-programme the official schedule of the new edition of Paris Fashion Week. Galliano was the undisputed star of this runway for over 14 years as creative director of Dior. He is set to be the talk of the town once again with this first collection for Zara. The launch will take place two days after Jonathan Anderson presents his new collection for Dior. The October 1 schedule also includes runway shows from houses such as Chloé, Balenciaga, Schiaparelli and Isabel Marant.