Zara and Ader Error Collaboration Hits... Some Products Scarce Due to Crowds in Front of Stores

On the morning of the 6th, about 50 customers were lined up waiting at the Zara flagship store Gangnam Station branch.

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] The first domestic brand collaboration of the global SPA brand Zara is gaining popularity through word of mouth. It is evaluated as a new growth foothold for Zara, which was hit hard by COVID-19 last year, and a synergy effect for domestic brands to advance globally.

At 9:30 a.m. on the 6th, Zara's flagship store at Gangnam Station had about 50 customers lined up waiting for the store to open, even an hour before opening. On this day, Zara unveiled the 'AZ Collection' in collaboration with the domestic fashion brand Ader Error, which attracted attention from the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z) even before its release through word of mouth.

Since its launch in 2014, Ader Error has been well known for its eye-catching designs among fashion enthusiasts. Recently, it released products in collaboration with Maison Kitsun?, and the products combining Ader Error’s signature blue color and Maison Kitsun?’s fox logo caused a sell-out frenzy. Following this, the brand’s recognition increased, and it also introduced the 'Blue Mark' authentication system for genuine products.

At the store opening on this day, customers who had waited for a long time quickly started selecting products, and popular sweaters sold out within about 10 minutes. Online sales also surged, and most of the high-demand items are sold out.

The AZ Collection covers all product categories including padding, coats, sweatshirts, denim pants, suit sets, bags, shoes, sunglasses, and hats. This collaboration collection is analyzed to be popular among MZ generation customers because it is cheaper than existing Ader Error products while allowing ownership of the Ader Error brand. Zara plans to continue sales until the prepared stock of the AZ Collection is sold out. If this trend continues, sales are expected to end within this week.

The AZ Collection unveiled this time is Zara’s first collaboration project with a domestic brand. It expresses the lives of youth who, based on different identities and uniqueness, newly define the generation ‘Generation AZ’ as they experience both virtual and real worlds simultaneously and find their own persona.

This collaboration is also expected to accelerate the overseas expansion of the domestic brand Ader Error. Zara plans to introduce this collaboration product to its main markets including Spain, where its headquarters are located, as well as the United States, France, China, and Japan. Given the recent success of Korean popular culture and the premium attached to Korea in Europe, North America, and Asia, the success potential of this collection is higher than ever.

Meanwhile, Zara is operating a zone on the first floor of the flagship store at Gangnam Station until the 14th where visitors can see the aspirations pursued by the collection. On the metaverse platform Zepeto, a dedicated 'ZARA Store' pavilion has been opened, allowing avatars, the personas in virtual reality, to purchase and experience the AZ Collection products.