Bold New Looks for the Winter Season from Zara Studio Collection AW23
Zara Woman
This season, Zara Studio Women focuses on the joy that comes from a wardrobe of clothes that make sense of apparent contractions. Rules are cast aside. Parisian sensuality, a shot of London rebellion, some Scandinavian earthiness and the spontaneous simplicity of dressing for a New York summer come together for a lyrical reading of free-spirited attitude.
Revelling in a palette of flattering, cafe au lait block colours, undercut with shots of espresso, this elevated collection infuses contemporary practicality with a sunny, 1970s South of France optimism that works for all bodies and moods.
Fabrics with natural crinkle, soft, tiny, covered roule buttons, detailed embroideries and sun-bleached prints cumulatively build a loved, antique feel. These poetic touches aren’t just for decoration: ribbon ties can be cinched in to customise silhouettes. Generous proportions are layered with shrunken ones.
Silky, tomboy trouser suits, sophisticated-pretty, broderie-anglaise dresses, borrowed-from-the-men, bib-front blouses and low slung shorts meet chunky espadrilles, delicate scallops and dresses with pockets to create a library of timeless looks that defy categories. Cropped jackets can be worn to work or to a festival; gauzy lace dresses are made for the city or the beach-club; shrunken waistcoats and streamlined, unstructured, buttonless coats are precisely cut so they can be tossed over a multiplicity of outfits.
Every item has the unmistakable ease and polish of carefully considered design. As a result, individualised dressing looks unstudied and feels effortless – wherever the Zara woman is going.
Zara STUDIO Collection is the highest expression of Zara’s workmanship. Limited collections and anchored in methodical fabric research, there are two Studio collections a year.
Zara Man
Zara ‘s menswear runs the totemic items of a 1950s/60s West Coast meets Preppie wardrobe through a trans-global, retro-futuristic filter. All the iconic foundations of modern menswear are here: crew-neck sweaters, a checked balmacaan coat, border-edged short sleeve shirts, cropped denim jackets and sharp, slim legged chinos, but twisted so they seem fresh and unignorable.
The denim jacket gets a red, white and burgundy striped collar. The stripes on a knitted tank defy the straight and narrow. And a cricket jumper sprouts an asymmetric hem and non-trad colours. The results are slick, crisp and youthful, from the ground up – witness those glossy lace up shoes with creeper soles.
Proportioned to be layered in a neat, slightly boxy silhouette, this collection is steeped in a smart-uncontrived attitude that doesn’t take itself too seriously, yet is crammed with well-thought out items that can be individually slotted into a variety of aesthetics. Sporty tracksuits are treated with the same reverence for detail as a piped, deconstructed jacket. Cool tonal blues and whites riff off spicier tones. Small, compact, block coloured, cross-body bags and totes complete this perfectly calibrated edit of familiar men’s codes, knocked into a new shape.
Zara Kids
No logos, no gimmicks, Zara ‘s children’s wear bathes in modern charm. Scaled- down espadrilles and clogs, micro florals, mismatched patchworks and adorable broderie anglaise dresses capture the carefree essence of an idealised childhood.
Anchoring these clothes is a comforting familiarity, reconfigured for now. Boxy proportions, soft and tactile fabrics and a rough and tumble pragmatism inform every piece. Items have been conceived to play off each other. No matter who’s in charge of getting dressed, it’s all going to work.
Twee fussiness is replaced with a fresh, functional ease and plenty of pockets. Retro floppy hats, worn-in poplins, stripy shirting and rugged but pretty jumpsuits juxtapose nostalgic memories with clean, pared-back lines that leave plenty of scope for spontaneous fun.
Available from 16 March 2023 on Zara.com and in selected stores.