Brands
Zara turns 50 in style with star-studded collab
MUMBAI: Fifty and fabulous! Zara is marking its golden anniversary not with a cake but with couture. To celebrate turning 50, the Spanish high-street giant has enlisted 50 of the world’s most renowned creatives, from Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss to Annie Leibovitz, Pedro Almodóvar and Norman Foster, to design one-of-a-kind pieces that will hit stores on 6 October.
The capsule spans jackets, bags, sleeping bags, chairs and even a pet carrier, each reflecting the signature spirit of its creator. Photographer David Bailey reimagines the aviator jacket, Pat Mcgrath puts her artistry into a makeup bag, Marc Newson crafts a set of sleek glasses, while Steven Meisel designs a collector’s pet carrier.
“It is an honour that these artists have chosen to mark our birthday with us,” said Inditex non-executive chair Marta Ortega Pérez. “They share the same passions Zara has had since the beginning: quality of craft and the joy of design.”
The project isn’t just about fashion fantasy. All proceeds will go to Women’s Earth Alliance, with Zara also donating 20,000 euros to 50 charities selected by the collaborators.
Paris Fashion Week is playing host to the celebrations with a pop-up at 40 Avenue Georges V from 2–5 October, curated by Sarah Andelman. Visitors can view the entire collection, attend talks with designers such as Marc Newson, and soak in the atmosphere, soundtracked by Michel Gaubert and fuelled by We Are Ona’s café.
Zara, founded in 1975 by Amancio Ortega in A Coruña, has grown from a single Spanish store into a global cultural force. Half a century later, its anniversary is doubling as a masterclass in the art of collaboration.
Brands
PeopleStrong appoints Adishri Charla SVP marketing to drive global growth
Former UiPath marketing head to scale brand, demand and expansion across regions
NEW DELHI: PeopleStrong has brought in marketing heavyweight Adishri Charla as senior vice president, marketing, tasking her with sharpening the company’s global brand and fuelling its next phase of growth.
Charla steps in with nearly two decades of B2B marketing experience across both fast-moving start-ups and global technology giants. She joins from UiPath, where she served most recently as director and head of marketing for India and Saarc, playing a key role in the automation firm’s rise to category leadership in the region. Her work there ranged from revenue-driven marketing strategies to building strong customer and community engagement programmes.
At PeopleStrong, Charla will oversee global brand strategy, demand generation and customer engagement as the HR tech firm expands across India, Asia, the Middle East and other emerging markets.
CEO Sandeep Chaudhary said the company was looking for a leader who could connect brand storytelling with measurable business outcomes. “Adishri brings global marketing experience and strong team leadership. We are confident she will help sharpen our positioning and support our next phase of expansion,” he said.
Charla previously held marketing roles at Oracle India and IBM India, working across cloud, systems and product marketing. An MBA graduate from Symbiosis Centre for Management and HR Development, she has also completed executive programmes at Columbia Business School and ISB.
Sharing her excitement about the move, Charla said PeopleStrong has the potential to reshape how organisations across the region think about HR technology. She added that her focus will be on building stronger brand connections while driving measurable business impact.
Backed by Goldman Sachs Alternatives, PeopleStrong today serves more than 500 enterprises and has won several industry recognitions, including honours at the ET Human Capital Awards and the People Matters Infini-T Awards. Charla’s appointment signals the company’s intent to strengthen leadership as it scales its global ambitions.
