The invisible string tying together Meghan Markle, John Galliano, and Bad Bunny isn't a luxury brand. It's Zara, according to fashion search engine Lyst's Q1 2026 Index report.
Fueled by celebrity Zara outfits and a host of luxury partners, 2026 is apparently the start of a Zaraissance. Lyst named the Spanish retailer "this quarter's breakout brand," due to its VIP fans and slate of designer collaborations. The biggest of all? A two-year creative partnership with John Galliano—which "moved the dial on brand heat" despite it not hitting stores until September.
Toward the end of Q1, Zara's parent company, Inditex, announced the Dior and Maison Margiela alum's mission: to "re-author the brand’s archives through a series of seasonal collections."
If anyone can revamp the label's "archives," it's the creative director behind fashion girls' most coveted vintage finds. This year alone, Rihanna, Hailey Bieber, Kendall Jenner, and Margot Robbie have modeled new-to-them Galliano.
But as a growing slate of celebrity outfits proves, Zara is just as A-list-worthy beyond its collections with runway brands.
Designer partnerships aside (of which Zara also had with Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy's wedding dress designer, Narciso Rodriguez, in 2022), shoppers could sense its revival as early as January. Everyone from Kate Middleton and Millie Bobby Brown endorsed Zara's winter essentials. Pretty Little Liars star Ashley Benson even walked The Chronology of Water red carpet in an oversize Zara trench coat and knee-high boots.
Meanwhile, the Princess of Wales stacked a sold-out, navy turtleneck beneath three-figure winterwear from British brands on Jan. 20. (It's worth noting, however, that she's been publicly pro-Zara since 2007.) One day later, longtime shopper Selena Gomez styled Zara's take on the Spring 2026 fringe trend. Her date night skirt hailed from the retailer's premium line, ZW Collection. But with a marked-down $40 price tag, it sold out well before gracing Gomez's Instagram Stories.
February was perhaps Zara's most celebrity-driven month to date, thanks to Bad Bunny's Super Bowl LX halftime show. Stylist Storm Pablo traded custom Schiaparelli (seen during the singer's Grammys acceptance speech) for Zara's all-white imagining of football uniforms. Shoulder pads added dimension to his ivory button-down, trousers, neck tie, and "OCASIO 64" jersey—an homage Zara helped facilitate to his late uncle, Cutito, who was born in 1964.
Once the "Monaco" singer took his final bow, Zara returned to its royal family-beloved roots. The label dominated Meghan Markle's luggage during a mid-February trip to Jordan. Within days, she styled a $19.90 army green T-shirt, peep-toe $79.90 kitten heels, and most notably, a seemingly upscale wool jacket, featuring spring's winning funnel-neck trend. Unlike Bella Hadid or Jenner's luxury renditions, Markle's coat—and its stiff collar—only set her back $169. Block-heel pumps from Chanel proved just how easy it is to elevate Zara.
Q2 is already picking up where Q1 left off: Zara has been spotted on Markle and Benson's shoulders again, plus it played a part in Margo's Got Money Troubles. (Elle Fanning, the AppleTV show's star, wore high-rise, snakeskin jeans in Episode 2, which sell secondhand for $99 on Poshmark.)
Celebrities have always loved their high-low styling moments, whether they're pairing striped dresses with Dior bags or Coach boots with Hermès accessories. But in 2026, it seems there's only one store on the mall directory where they're acing the affordable part of the equation.
