NOT content with just dressing humans, Spain's largest and most world-famous fashion empire has started a new clothing line for pets.
As well as collars, leads and pup-beds, dogs can now strut about the streets of Spain in the latest New Zealand rugs to protect them from the cold and rain, bomber jackets for extra padding, or cotton scarves and jackets to shield them from the heat, thanks to the new Zara range for the furry members of the family.
Or they can simply don any of these merely to give themselves a new look – or even to match their humans, since a walking accessory on a lead always ups one's street cred, as most dogs firmly believe.
Dogs shown on Zara's new online catalogue showcasing just-released designs are all family pets of the human models presenting the high-street store's seasonal range for bipeds, and creators behind the scenes said the pooches were very 'content', 'well-behaved', 'relaxed', and generally just enjoying the attention.
The fact their own humans were their handlers during the photo-shoot meant they were completely at ease, the team reveals.
Pet outfits from the most global brand owned by the fashion empire Inditex vary in price from around €9.95 for 'doggie-bag bags' – so you don't have to stuff your pockets with plastic pouches for poo-collection when out walking – through to around €25.95 for a padded coat.
Many of the new pooch pieces are in similar colour schemes, patterns and fabric as the women's, men's and children's collections, so fashion-conscious dogs can make sure that the human accessory attached to their collars complements their own look.
Supermarket shopping in style
The new range to hit the 'dogwalk' comes just four months after Zara launched its collection of pull-along shopping trolleys, in a bid to keep on selling at a time when nobody was buying.
With lockdowns and restrictions on movement and trade, home-working being advised wherever feasible, the average consumer in Spain has had no real need to buy new clothes since the start of the pandemic as there are few places they can go to wear them – but supermarket trips will always be necessary, and buying larger grocery hauls cuts down on the need to leave the house for those who are wary.
To this end, a large, padded, waterproof trolley with an ample front pocket is a handy addition – as the designer brand based in Pedreguer (northern Alicante province), Rolser, knows well, given that it has long been the last word in shoppers.
Zara's come in grey or beige, costing €49.95 each, and sold out within days of their release, but stocks have since been replenished.
Pull-along trolleys are not just an elderly ladies' accessory in Spain – they come in all patterns and colours and are used by all ages; in fact, smaller versions are very popular among school children who use them to lug their textbooks to class every day.
Zara has also created a line of fold-up cloth bags with a pouch to stuff them in, to add a bit of flair to the grocery run which standard plastic supermarket carriers tend to lack – you can get them in navy-blue with daisies, olive-and-white checked, or blue, white and maroon, for €12.95 each.
