The founder of Zara Amancio Ortega opened first Zara store in 1975. The first Zara store was located on a central street in A Coruña. Upon the success of Zara format, the firm started to expand and opened further stores.
Its first store featured low-priced lookalike products of popular, higher-end clothing fashions. The store proved to be a success, and Ortega started opening more Zara stores in Spain. By the early 1980s, Ortega had begun formulating a new type of design and distribution model. The clothing industry followed design and production processes that required long lead times, often up to six months, between the initial design of a garment and its delivery to retailers. This model effectively limited manufacturers and distributors to just two or three collections per year. Predicting consumer tastes ahead of time presented inherent difficulties, and producers and distributors faced the constant risk of becoming saddled with unsold inventory. Source

New to the fashion world but known globally for his innovative design installations, when you go to the Carlos Miele boutique in Manhattan, the Village, you enter an entire designer experience. His American flagship shop was designed by architect Hani Rashad and entered by New York city to the prestigious International Architecture Biennale in São Paulo, Brazil. Brazil, known for gorgeous women, sexy clothing and dynamic colors, Carlos gives us outrageously sexy fabric drapes in brilliant hues of turquoise and azure, yellows competing with the sun itself. His Manhattan boutique emulates the white sand beaches upon which every woman is the sparkling jewel, as long s they are wearing one of his creations, of course. Wisps of diasporas fabrics and stunning Brazilian country wear, leathers, artisan influence, and the elements of life, sun, wind, water and good old solid earth, every penny is worth shimmying on one of his creations. It is no wonder that New York was his first stop in his growing claim to fame. Dressed in a white cotton shirt, blue jeans and an irrepressible dimple, window shopping is just not enough to get his vibe. Walk in and demand a fitting.

Hennes & Mauritz AB (operating as H&M), is a Swedish clothing company, known for its fast fashion clothing offerings for women, men, teenagers and children. H&M has more than 1,700 stores in 33 different countries and employ over 73,000 people.
H&M's first store abroad was opened in England. Then from 1964 onwards, H&M embarked upon a major expansion programme many further stores in Europe, including the UK, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland and Germany. In the 1990s, the first stores opened in Finland, France, Belgium, Austria and the Netherlands. H&M has continued to expand its business and today H&M has an extensive network throughout much of Europe.

Lacoste is a French apparel company founded in 1912 that sells high-end clothing, footwear, perfume, leather goods, watches, eyewear, and most famously, tennis shirts. The company can be recognized by its green nan crocodile logo. Lacoste has the reputation of being culturally preppy, especially in the United States.
René Lacoste was a famous French tennis player who achieved fame in two areas: tennis and fashion. While winning the 1926 U.S. Open championship, Rene Lacoste of France wore something that he himself had created: a white, short-sleeve shirt made exclusively of a light knitted fabric called ‘jersey petit piqué’ that served to wick away moisture due to heat, the very first version of performance clothing in sports. The shirt was a radical departure from tennis fashion of the day, which called for stiff, woven, long-sleeve oxfords. In 1927 during the Davis Cup, the American press nicknamed Lacoste "the Alligator" because of a bet made about an alligator-skin suitcase. With no cognate in his native tongue, the nickname was changed to le crocodile in French. The nickname stuck due to his tenacious behavior on the courts, never giving up his prey. Lacoste’s friend, Robert Georges, drew him a crocodile which Lacoste then embroidered on the blazer he wore on the courts. Source

Tommy Hilfiger Corporation, through its subsidiaries, designs, sources and markets men's and women's sportswear, jeanswear and childrenswear under the Tommy Hilfiger trademarks. Through a range of strategic licensing agreements, the Company also offers a broad array of related apparel, accessories, footwear, fragrance and home furnishings. The Company's products can be found in leading department and specialty stores throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Mexico, Central and South America, Japan, Hong Kong and other countries in the Far East, as well as the Company's own network of specialty and outlet stores in the United States, Canada and Europe.
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A store called the Banana Republic was opened in San Francisco in 1978 by Mel and Patricia Ziegler. Both the Zieglers worked for the San Franciso Chronicle, Mel was a writer and Patricia an illustrator.
Banana Republic specialized in casual Safari styles and Army Surplus clothing. Many of the utilitarian items had sturdy zips and snaps and were double-stitched and reinforced. The store sold desert army hats, sheepskin vests, shorts and other items of travel clothing to armchair travelers. The garments were designed by the Zieglers for people to wear when mountain hiking or rafting. Source

Manhattan's Dr. Jay’s has revolutionized the Urban clothing scene and forever changed the landscape of New York clothing, while serving the New York Metro area for over 25 years. Beginning its legacy with the opening of its first store in the South Bronx in 1975, Dr. Jay’s clothing stores embraced the changing world around them and became a pioneer in providing Urban fashion. Ironically, as Dr. Jay’s was introducing modern Urban fashions, down the road the birth of Hip-Hop was starting to be seen. In a harmonious union, the two forms of social phenomenon worked with each other and helped to propel the Urban lifestyle beyond the streets and into mainstream Americana. With name brand including Adidas, Nike, Ecko, LRG and Coogi, Dr. Jay’s continues to showcase the best clothing lines available and hold itself in high esteem while embracing its New York roots. Today, Dr. Jay’s has over 17 locations in the New York area including very prominent stores in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens. For a piece of New York clothing culture and some of the best apparel in all of New York City, make a stop into Dr. Jay’s and see what the Urban Revolution is all about.

Spring/Summer 2006 - Paris Fashion Week
Alexander presented his Spring/Summer 2006 collection during Paris Fashion Week in October 2005. An outfit from the collection is shown on the left. It consists of grey cuffed shorts (so popular this season) with a matching jacket over a white blouse. The model is wearing gladiator sandals.
Alexander has changed from the designer who scared and shocked his audience. He sends out his models in orderly fashion, so that we can see the clothes he has designed. His black suits, beautifully tailored as always, have lost their exaggerated waists and jutting shoulder, they are now much more wearable. Spencer jackets with button-down lapels, short flippy skirts and shorts with a girl-rocker look about them, appeared. His evening gowns had the look of Greek goddesses. However a little of the old McQueen appeared in fantasy gowns with metalwork bodices, rather like eighties sci-fi TV programmes. Source

All that is youthful, sexy, vibrant, full of life and beautiful in draping cloth on men and women, young and old, is exuberantly displayed at this Manhattan shrine to the genius fashion designers, Dolce & Gabbana. JLo loves them, soccer gods model their clothing and movie directors feature their distinctive collections. All because they are really good at what they do. Deceptively simple and outrageously alive, these two Italian fashion designers have transformed quality clothing into an art. What use is designer fashion if you have nowhere to wear it? Favored by celebrities, dignitaries and the man/woman on the street, D&G give a spark of life and creativity to the streets of New York City. Their Spring Summer 2012 collection is extraordinary in fabric, line, and color, embracing the family with fashions for men, women and children, with D&G Junior. Sign up for Swide, their fashion magazine and download their app on your Iphone for everything D&G. You are sure to see some of the world’s most beautiful actresses and sports heroes in their Manhattan boutique. It is worth your while to browse through the beautiful people of the world and their clothes when shopping in New York City.

The Armani signature label is the most expensive Armani label and is available in its 75 worldwide boutiques. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org

Liz Claiborne is a Belgian-born fashion designer. She immigrated to the United States in 1939, and was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. She attended St. Timothy's, a boarding school then in Catonsville, Maryland. Rather than finishing high school, she went to Europe to study art. In 1949, she won the Jacques Heim National Design Contest, and then moved to New York City where she worked as a sketch artist at the sportswear house Tina Leser. She worked as a designer for Dan Keller and Youth Group Inc., before starting her own design company, Liz Claiborne Inc., in 1976. The firm grew from its origins designing affordable active sportswear for women and is now a multi billion-dollar enterprise. Source

Bikinis! Dresses! Jewelry! Oh my! Intermix in Manhattan, located on Madison Avenue, is a trendy and fun store filled to the brim with excellent, high quality clothing. A great store for those looking for the latest trends available, Intermix holds all sorts of designers. 10 Crosby, Fendi, L'Agence, and Valentino are some of the major design houses they carry. Girls all over Manhattan come to this store to either browse and relax or find the perfect piece to wear to an uptown party or event. Very conveniently located, surrounded by many of the most popular stores and right in front of a bus stop. This New York City fashion boutique makes for great walk through window shopping and browsing. A big plus is their separate shoe section! Most Intermix locations have shoes scattered around the store which make it seem cluttered, but this one is much more organized and easier to find that perfect thing you're looking for in a cinch. You'll be the envy of everyone you know if you shop here. They carry the hottest of the hot new styles that will be in and out all Summer 2012, so buy soon!

With 700 stores covering 42 states and Puerto Rico, Marshalls is one of the nation’s largest off-price family apparel and home fashions retailers. Times may change, but our promise doesn’t: “Brand names for less. Every day.” At Marshalls, you'll find a great selection of designer and brand name fashions for men, women and children, as well as giftware and domestics for the home at prices 20-60% below department stores, specialty stores and catalogs. But we’re more than bargains. We’re proud to say that we are dedicated to furthering diversity and community programs, too. Part of our culture is that we don’t just talk, we DO.

Salvatore Ferragamo was a 20th century Italian footwear designer, providing Hollywood's glitterati and many others with unique hand-made designs and spawning an emporium of luxury consumer goods for men and women, with stores in some of the most important cities of the world. Ferragamo started his career in California during the 1920s, initially creating specific designs for Hollywood productions. One of his most celebrated pieces are Dorothy's ruby slippers for the 1939 version of The Wizard of Oz.
The Company, Salvatore Ferragamo Italia S.p.A., founded in 1927, is one of the most prestigious and internationally known luxury brands, with more than 450 stores in over 55 countries. Footwear, handbags and small leather goods, scarves and ties, men's and women's ready to wear, bijoux, watches, fragrances and eyewear are the products created and marketed by Salvatore Ferragamo. Source

Noted for its quality materials, use of color, and elegant and femininine designs, Escada successfully widened its clientele and by 1981 established a name in many categories of womenswear, specializing in formal wear and knitwear. In 1982, the company opened their first store in the United States on Fifth Avenue in New York City and opened its first store in Asia the following year in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong boutique became a worldwide landmark, marked for its use of gold in the store's design.
Though debuting in America in 1982, Escada did not gain national prominence until 1984 when the leading fashion and women's wear magazine Vogue published an entire edition devoted to promoting Escada. Its worldwide prominence led its 1986 IPO on the FSE to be highly anticipated and Escada's debut on the stock exchange marked the headlines in hundreds of major newspapers worldwide. 30 years later, Escada has established itself as one of the largest fashion houses in the world. Escada?s headquarters are based in Munich, Germany and Escada?s collections are available in nearly 500 locations in 60 countries. In the United States, the company has 16 boutiques in Arizona, California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, Texas, and Washington. Escada has opened several larger stores carrying various fashion lines including Escada, Escada Sport, and Couture and Accessories. The largest of these stores is located in Vancouver, Canada, and is 16,000 square feet.
Like many fashion houses, Escada also has a line of fragrances for both women and men. Source

Starting out as Daffy Dan’s Bargaintown, the new Daffy’s has revolutionized quality clothing stores by giving you the opportunity to wear the best designer collections while not breaking the bank to do so. Daffy’s became famous as the first fashion clothing store by making Madison Avenue and European designer brands available to all consumers. With their location in the heart of Madison Avenue, Daffy’s has been recognized as one of Manhattan’s premier clothing stores and is a must visit for anyone looking to do some serious shopping. With extensive selections of dresses, sweatsuits, sportswear and even houseware, Daffy’s is sure to have a little bit of something for everyone. Daffy’s fashion clothing store maintains the highest of quality control and makes a promise to its consumers to maintain these values. A family run business, Daffy’s allows its customers a chance to relax and feel at home with some of the best customer service available in New York City. Evolving from a single New Jersey store specializing in samples and irregulars to a 19 store corporation carrying the finest apparel available, Daffy’s has firmly established itself as one of the best New York clothing stores at bargain prices.

Simply elegant. Barbara Bui, combines the simplicity of good design sense with the elegance of her native Paris and catapulted into the hottest fashion markets of the world. Manhattan, Milan, Rodeo Dr, Frand, Italy, Monaco, Lebanon and Russia, just stroll down Prince in Greenwich Village and save the price of jet fuel by shopping in America. White is her basic color palate with ebony incorporated for drama. She excels at adding the jeweled colors of the season. Her Spring Summer 2012 collections radiate with this year’s sunburst yellow and ripe tangerine. Cooling with a bit of fresh live green, Bui designs to enhance a woman’s beauty by making the deceptive simple elegance a canvass for a woman’s natural grace. In fact, if Grace Kelly were alive today, she would be all over Barbara Bui’s clean and flowing garb, especially the gorgeous gowns that fall to the floor in perfect symmetry. Gowns, suits, tops , skirts, pants, knitwear, casual, formal, bags to make you whimper and shoes to incite passion, browse through all her accessories and shop wisely. Once you wear a Barbara Bui original, New York City shopping will have a whole new meaning for you.

A|X Armani Exchange makes statements, in more ways than one. It's the voice of urban youth, a fashion conscience, an incubator for Giorgio Armani's new ideas and the street barometer of his fashion directions. Armani Exchange is a translation of Mr. Armani's pure sense of design to an innovative, interchangeable mix of edgy separates for men and women. A|X doesn't just capture a new generation, it creates one.

Shopping in Manhattan is a cultural experience. Once you have visited the staple of American pop culture, New York City clothing stores’ Guess on Broadway, there is no turning back; your budget for the best will never be the same. Known for its often risqué and trendsetting advertising campaigns with endorsements from Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Carla Bruni, Anna Nicole Smith and many others, Guess designs for the eternally youthful whose beauty is extraordinary and never ending. Their eyebrow-raising designs set them aside as a trendsetting New York shopping experience with a Manhattan department store expense account. The brainchild of founders Maurice and Paul Marciano, Guess symbolizes the American dream. These edgy designers borrow from their unique backgrounds to create the desirable clothing and accessories that make Guess a global lifestyle brand. With over 1200 stores and worldwide distribution, it is no wonder Guess has become such a recognized symbol in the fashion world. Shopping for jeans or a hot date, make sure you make time for this icon of fashion. The enthusiastic clerks of this Manhattan clothing store will gladly dress you with every pair of shoes, jeans, casual and sexy to your heart desires.

The Louis Vuitton Company is a luxury French fashion and leather goods brand and company, headquartered in Paris, France. It is a division of the French holding company, LVMH Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy S.A. The company is named after its founder Louis Vuitton, who designed and manufactured luggage, as a Malletier during the second half of the nineteenth century.
The company manufactures and markets luxury leather goods, fashion accessories, prêt-à-porter, and jewelry. Many of the company’s products utilize the signature gray Damier and Monogram Canvas materials, both of which were first used in the late 19th century. All of the company’s products utilize the eponymous LV initials. Source

Nine West or 9 West is a subdivision of Jones Apparel Group. Nine West is a women's fashion retailer/wholesaler with offices in sixty countries. There are chains of stores from Hawaii to Maine. It was co-founded by Jack Fisher. The footwear offices are located in White Plains, NY.
Distribution of all Nine West Goods in the United States is processed through 2 large warehouses both located in West Deptford, NJ. Source

The House of Chanel, more commonly known as Chanel, is a Parisian fashion house in France founded by Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel. According to Forbes, the privately held House of Chanel is jointly owned by Alain Wertheimer and Gerard Wertheimer who are the grandsons of the early Chanel partner Pierre Wertheimer.
The Luxury Line, introduced in 2006 featuring a metal chain embedded in the leather, is one of the most desired "it" bags of the moment.
The House of Chanel, under the leadership of Karl Lagerfeld, has defined the style and fashion of Chanel as being the five essentials: audacious, perfectionist, unique, passionate, and visionary. Source

In case you aren't in the mood for overly colorful clothes, and getting bored with funky, spunky, and bright colors, fear not. Dr.Jays in Queens will help you out. While most fashion these days uses color to sell their product, Dr. Jays uses quality and more muted styles; perfect for any of those boys or tom-boys out there that don't want to attract too much attention to themselves when they're just trying to walk down the road. Dr. Jays' style seems to really blend in better with the younger people of the nation with their almost hip-hop like clothes. They have an extensive collection for both the men and women that want to try something a little different from everyone for Summer 2012. They even feature a kids section for the little tots that want to be in fashion this year. Employees are extremely helpful and not afraid to help steer you in the direction of something they believe will suit you better, which is very helpful for those wandering in, unsure of what they should be purchasing. Not to mention the hat selection! What a perfect store to go to for those fun summer parties, or even just your everyday wardrobe.

With a motto of “Quality First,” it is no wonder that Esprit has shaken the fashion world with its uniqueness, cost efficiency and reliability in the world of fashion. Starting as a clothing fashion store on wheels being sold from the back of a station wagon, Esprit has changed the landscape of clothing and raised the bar on value production. With over 800 directly managed retail stores and 14,000 wholesale outlets worldwide, the New York City Esprit location instills a sense of superiority to all who walk through its doors. With wares ranging from casual men and women’s clothing to time wear, eyewear, jewelry and more, this Manhattan clothing shop is truly a splendid array of quality products all under one roof. Most recently, Esprit acquired the rights to Red Earth and now distributes its cosmetics, skin and body products, adding an even richer assortment of selection to the Esprit line. Esprit continues to push the bar with everything they venture into and it would be foolhardy to miss a trip to one of the world’s largest fashion chains. If you are in Manhattan, make sure to shop at Esprit and experience the quality for yourself.

Vera Wang, a native New Yorker, understands women who embrace fashion. As a child, she accompanied her mother as she shopped Parisian and American couture. Vera studied at Chapin, Sarah Lawrence College and The Sorbonne.
Vera Wang has created a unique aspirational world that alludes to sensuality and youthful sophistication. Exquisite details, intricate draping and a nonchalant sense of style characterize the Vera Wang aesthetic.

Incredibly well staffed with some of the friendliest, most enthusiastic, and helpful people you've ever had the pleasure working with. This place is an absolute pleasure to visit, and amazingly well stocked, too! If you're doggedly searching for that one special piece, but can't seem to sniff it out at any other locations, you'll be delighted to know that this store has nearly every fashion American Eagle currently has in stock! You could lose yourself for hours in Manhattan just by just taking a leisurely browse. Everything is so beautifully arranged, so you won't have worry to about your eyes tiring of pleasant sights. If you find yourself overwhelmed by the vast selection of clothes in the Woman's section, any of the cheerful employees would be more than happy to help you pick out the perfect outfit, no matter the occasion. Whether it is the perfect top to compliment your figure, or a beautiful dress to wear to a party, they'll help. If you ever happen to be in NYC, do yourself a huge favor and stop by here. You will always find just what you're looking for in Spring and Summer 2012.