On Thursday, Zara took over a Paris mansion for the launch of John Galliano’s new Zara collection, Re{form}. The Hotel Particulier pop-up, which doubles as an exhibition, is by appointment only, and tells the backstory behind Galliano’s first collaboration with Zara.

In Paris, the collection is exclusively available at the pop-up, which is open through Tuesday. In New York, there’s no stock; the collection is only available to US shoppers online.

The only stores carrying any Galliano are the London and Madrid flagships, where fashion fans are showing up in droves to purchase a piece of Galliano’s latest offering. The designer has been a frequent fixture in the news of late, first when it was announced in March that he was to design a collection for Inditex-owned Zara, and again when news hit that the Met retrospective set to focus on Galliano’s work would not proceed as planned.

Today, the designer is once again making headlines as consumers lined up outside stores where the collection was available, and made even more noise about it online. The line consists of 157 pieces, all of which the designer ‘reworked’ from previous Zara pieces.

“This is an innovation — this idea of going in and treating their existing garments,” he told Vogue ahead of the launch. “I called it Zara’s archives…but in this fast age, what denotes an archive?”

It may be Zara, but prices are, by no means, typical of the high street. A chiffon dress will set you back a hair under four figures at $999, while a faux fur-collared coat costs $759.

For many shoppers, this isn’t a deterrent — nor is the limited IRL availability. Model and actor Hari Nef bought six pieces from the collection, including a full look (minus the gloves, which were sold out).

“I lost sleep to grab my favorites, which is a testament to how much I love Galliano and a competitive price point,” she says. “As a fan, it was also exciting to see a version of his independent design language after so many years integrating another house's codes.”

Not everyone was as glowing as Nef. Millie Adams, owner of Studded Petals Vintage, posted to Twitter critiquing the price point versus fabrication — some of which was polyamide, polyester, and viscose.

Adams linked to a 100% linen and silk Dior by Galliano jacket she was selling on her site for $545 — well below many of the Zara pieces. The fashion publication 1 Granary chimed in, suggesting that a number of industry figures who denounced the collection would later shop it.

At the time of writing, 86 products from the 209-item drop (41.5%) have sold out online. Inditex did not respond to our request for comment.

On the ground, Vogue Business caught up with shoppers in London and Paris to get a sense of why, for many fashion heads, John Galliano’s Zara is hitting the mark.

London

A steady queue of shoppers formed outside London’s Bond Street flagship since morning, with security handing out wristbands. Maisie, a 22-year-old fashion student at Kingston University, checked the website early and was intrigued. “I’m quite familiar with him — at Maison Margiela and Dior — but I wanted to come and see what’s going on,” she says.

Maisie wouldn’t typically shop at Zara, although she has spied some 100% wool and 100% cotton items. “I’m hoping the quality will be good,” she adds, noting her budget will err towards the lower-priced items. She’s interested to see if the £349 fringed wool coat — cut raw across the midriff — will actually sell. “I personally wouldn’t [buy it],” she says with a smile. “But I think it’s cool.”

Ilaria, a 30-year-old aspiring fashion designer who works in retail, has her eyes on the yellow silk camisole, which sold out online. With a budget of £200, she’s toying with the shoes but thinks they’re a little overpriced. Would she ever shop at Zara otherwise? “Never, but the materials are different [this time].”

One prospective shopper, Sam, a 38-year-old freelance fashion designer, was drawn in first by the queue, but decided to stick it out. The cancellation of Galliano’s Met show and the fact that he’s been off the circuit since exiting Maison Margiela in 2024 fueled Sam’s Galliano appetite.

“I’m only going to get something if I love it,” she says. Once inside, she’ll weigh up the quality, although she’s au fait with some compromise.

“At the end of the day, whenever big designers do collaborations with the high street, it has to be at a price point that works for people,” she says.

In fact, for Lulu, a business owner with a PR agency based in London and Shanghai, the price — and design similarities to Galliano’s previous work at Maison Margiela and Dior — was the draw. “It’s still expensive,” she says. “I woke up this morning to check the whole collection and what pieces I need today.” The designs she wanted had already sold out.

“​​I was positively surprised. I think the product is good and the quality is OK,” says strategist Mimma Viglezio, who visited the pop-up earlier today. “If I did not know the designer is John, I would probably not guess it from all products, but when his signature is there, it is obvious. All in all, not bad at all.”

Paris

Hopeful buyers have been turning up all day at the Zara flagship in Champs-Élysées asking for the “Galliano collection”, shared one of the shop assistants, but had no luck, since it is only available in Paris online and at the by-appointment pop-up until the 6th of October.

The collection itself was presented in a salon upstairs, which felt like a showroom. You could only browse there, not try pieces on. People dressed in black trousers and white shirts took orders, and the fitting rooms were downstairs. Paris-based stylist Jenke Ahmed Tailly and Naomi Campbell shopped together in the salon space on Thursday and bought plenty.

“I felt like a kid in Disneyland,” says Ahmed Tailly. “I’ve got so many pieces I know I will keep for a long time. I even got a few women’s pieces that will add panache to my wardrobe, all reminding me of John’s very first collection.”

At Paris Fashion Week, there was plenty of chatter about the collection drop front row. Peghah Maleknejad, fashion director of Hero and Heroine Magazine, bought the dotted mesh long dress for $359 on her phone while waiting for the Alainpaul show to start. She also wanted the Edwardian-style, Guipure black lace midi gown for $759, but it was sold out in her size.

“I was trying to shop on the US site before the US woke up, so more stuff was available,” she said. “I feel like this is the only way I'm going to be able to afford something, anything, by Galliano.” She acknowledges the price is high, but says most of the people she knows have bought online quickly so they can get their hands on the collection, with plans to return “if the quality isn’t there in real life.”

“I bought the oversized black coat, the burgundy cashmere jumper, the tuxedo blazer, and a cotton shirt with matching cotton boxers,” says stylist Nicco Torrelli, who also shopped online between shows. “I’ve always been an enormous admirer of John’s work.

I was lucky enough to work in the styling team during his years at Maison Margiela, so I was incredibly excited to see his return. From the British Vogue images and the images online, the clothes feel unmistakably his.

I’m looking forward to feeling the fabrics and seeing them up close.”

With additional reporting from Hilary Milnes, Lucy Maguire and Laure Guilbault