Zara-tonin

Whoever owns the Zara franchise in Hong Kong must be grinning ear-to-ear. Zara on a weekend is just like Greenhills on December 22 - packed with people, and shopping frantically.

I'm a big Zara fan since the early 2000s when I discovered the store in Barcelona. I find their menswear casual but edgy, and the women's line is classic but playful. Since then, i'd make a regular pilgrimage to outlets in Europe almost every year, and would happily come home with a stash of jeans, shirts and the occasional jacket. What's great about this brand is that the stuff I bought 4 years ago are as wearable now as when i first bought them... that's a testament to how timeless the appeal of the brand is.

I bought my first pair of really low-rise jeans way back in 2002, and when i wear them today, people keep on asking me where I got them. When I explain that I got them 3 years ago, they swear that the design could have been something from this season's collection. Which makes me realize that Zara is not only timeless, it's fashion forward.

Now, Zara is taking up more space in my closet than it did 2 years ago. It didn't help that they now have stores in Asia, and it has elevated from being a once-a-year thing to a once-I-feel-like-it thing. Some of my favorite clothing pieces are from Zara, and my dual-time watch from Singapore is yet to be dethroned as the best looking watch ever.

Shopping in Zara Hong Kong is much more difficult that when i'm in KL or Singapore. The reason being there are more fans of the brand here. Nay, they're not Zara fans, but Zara HOARDERS! One thing I learned is that when you see something you like, go ahead and buy it. Because in a few hours, it might be gone forever.

Take this simple jersey that I saw last night. It was made of a nice cotton fabric, there was an interesting slit in front, nice print, and it was only HK$49! (the price is what did it for me.) So, I saw it last night, and there was a big pile of it in different colors and designs. I came back today after lunch, and the shirts were all gone!

AFTER LESS THAN HALF A DAY, ALL THE SHIRTS WERE GONE! THAT SHOULD BE WRITTEN IN THE GUINESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS!

Imagine, in a span of 3 hours, all the shirts, in all the colors, all the designs and all the sizes were lapped up by this crowd of shoppers in the Kowloon branch. (It's the price! I'm sure it's the price!) I proceeded to the IFC branch, and all the shirts were gone as well. That's how popular it is.

Maybe it's because the brand is new and a novelty that people are just snapping everything up, call it an "infatuation phase" with the brand. Knowing how finicky the Hong Kong market is, the brand might not be as hot in a few years or so. But for those like me who are in a long term relationship with Zara, no matter where the store is or how old it is, i'll always feel the same way. Just like that moment I first laid my eyes on it in Barcelona in 2001.

So while its making some Hong Kong businessman very happy these days, Zara has been making me happy for the last 4 years.

And I heard that the Manila store is almost complete. Ah yes, it's yet another reason to be deliriously happy.