The Business of Fashion
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Some Israelis are calling for a boycott of clothing chain Zara, and even setting its garments alight, after the head of the retailer’s local franchise hosted a campaign event for a prominent far-right election candidate.
Some Israelis posted videos on Twitter showing themselves burning Zara apparel after a local TV station reported that Trimera Brands chairman Joey Schwebel had hosted a roundtable with ultranationalist politician Itamar Ben-Gvir at his home last week.
Labour Party leader and Transportation Minister Merav Michaeli said that she will no longer shop at Zara in Israel due to the event, local media quoted her as saying.
Polls predict a joint ticket of Ben-Gvir’s party and other factional parties will win 12-14 of parliament’s 120 seats in Israel’s Nov. 1 election, turning the 46-year-old into a potential kingmaker of a future conservative coalition. That could inflame long-strained ties between Israeli Jews and the 21 percent Arab minority.
ADVERTISEMENT
Trimera holds the Israel franchise for Zara, which operates 24 stores in Israel and 1,800 globally. Zara is owned by Spain’s Inditex, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Spokespeople for Schwebel and Zara described the event as private, declining further comment.
While not confirming the campaign event, Ben-Gvir said Schwebel faced “a boycott based on his political background.”
“That’s the real face of the left,” the candidate told Israel’s Ynet Radio.
By Emily Rose; Editors: Steven Scheer and Susan Fenton
Learn more:
Inditex’s First Half Sales Surge Ahead of Potential Slowdown
Fashion brand Zara’s owner Inditex said that profit for the six months to July jumped by 41 percent and sales rose by around a quarter, putting it on a strong footing ahead of second half likely to see rampant inflation hitting demand for clothing.
The rental platform saw its stock soar last week after predicting it would hit a key profitability metric this year. A new marketing push and more robust inventory are the key to unlocking elusive growth, CEO Jenn Hyman tells BoF.
Nordstrom, Tod’s and L’Occitane are all pushing for privatisation. Ultimately, their fate will not be determined by whether they are under the scrutiny of public investors.
The company is in talks with potential investors after filing for insolvency in Europe and closing its US stores. Insiders say efforts to restore the brand to its 1980s heyday clashed with its owners’ desire to quickly juice sales in order to attract a buyer.
The humble trainer, once the reserve of football fans, Britpop kids and the odd skateboarder, has become as ubiquitous as battered Converse All Stars in the 00s indie sleaze years.