Style Admirer - The Zara Grand Opening Bash

The Zara Grand Opening Bash

October 31, 2009 Post Pic

Store openings are particularly rare in these fiscally disparate times, but Thursday night Chicago got its first Zara. The grand opening party was an all out shopfest, where attendees scoured the 34,000-square-foot, three-story retail masterpiece on Michigan Avenue. With a glass of champagne in one hand and the other free to roam rack after rack of moderately priced goods, guests had first dibs to purchase everything Zara, including collections commonly sold out around the globe. As a DJ spun his tunes, the club-like setting was packed with fashionistas ready to party and pull out their credit cards.

Aside from the dynamic atmosphere, the store was designed to wow, but without distracting from the task at hand: spending mullah. The Chicago location’s architecture and interior design is like no other Zara I’ve seen, and, I would have to say, we now have the best one. After learning how the store was fashionably curated, it’s obvious particular attention was paid to how and where collections were placed.

Zara's Opening Party

The first floor has the trendier, pricier women’s collections, many with a definitive nod to high-end designers like Balmain and Alexander McQueen. An escalator ride to the second floor takes you to more women’s collections that are slightly cheaper and have a classic, more conservative aesthetic. This floor includes a room for the little boys and girls collections, which are also designed for the kiddies’ various outings. The third floor is dedicated exclusively to the “Zara Man.”

Aside from having first pick of these collections, shoppers were further motivated by an evening of tax-free shopping. The meticulously folded, hung and wrinkle-free clothing was rummaged through by ladies and gentlemen hell bent on adding Zara to their closets. Based on the full fitting rooms and clothing piles at registers, Chicago is welcoming Zara with open arms and open wallets.

Zara is located at 700 N Michigan Avenue.

By Meghan Turner

Chicago Shopping at Zara