After facing legal action over its branding, a fashion boutique defeated retail behemoth Zara in court.
Zara, a multibillion dollar fashion company with outlets all over the world, attempted to get Amber Kotri, owner of “House of Zana,” a business that specialises in handcrafted kimonos, to change its name.
When Zara claimed that Mrs. Kotri’s store name was “conceptually identical” to theirs and that the typical consumer would probably confuse their two brands, it was objecting to Mrs. Kotri’s trademark application.
It also encouraged Mrs. Kotrri to take down all marking, but she was adamant about defending her position and keeping her brand, claiming that doing so would harm her company “irreparably” and that it bore no resemblance to Zara’s brand name.
We accomplished it! declared Mrs. Kotrri, a Darlington resident who won support from people all around the world in her battle against Zara.
She posted: “We did it!!!” on social media. All of you are appreciated for your help.
“Thank you for your wonderful words of support, for signing our petition, spreading the word, and for all the news outlets who reported this issue.
“I will always be grateful to you all for giving me the bravery I needed to take on global fashion powerhouse Zara.
WE WON!! With the utmost respect, Amber xxx.
In a letter to Mrs. Kottri, Zara added that the brand name “dilutes the individuality and renown of the ZARA brand” and that there is a chance that “consumers will misread, mishear, mispronounce, and/or otherwise interpret House of Zana as ZARA.”
She defended her modest company before the lawsuit was heard, claiming: “Our name is very meaningful and personal to us and offers no commercial danger to the multi-billion dollar clothes company ZARA, and their vast market.”
House of Zana, which she first established online in 2018, focuses on high-quality clothing that is sustainably and ethically sourced.
Due to the popularity of its concept store on Darlington’s Grange Road, it expanded into Teesside Airport and now has a global internet following.
From choosing materials to designing garments, the former art and design student is crucial to the everyday functioning.
In contrast, the word Zana means “fairy” in Albanian, the nation where the business was founded and where a production facility is located.
We don’t think anyone has confused House of Zana with Zara, Mrs. Kotri stated in April. We are a tiny company that specialises in making kimonos by hand.
“While Zara is a well-known fashion brand with over 2,000 retail outlets worldwide and a vast product selection, we have one modest concept store in the North East of England and a website to assist promote our items.”
There is no chance that people will mistake us for Zara, so why should a corporate behemoth be permitted to forbid a small company from using a name that isn’t even somewhat similar to theirs and would destroy our brand?
We are aware that we pose no threat to them, but they have the potential to destroy everything we have fought so hard to achieve.
Before the decision, Mrs. Kotri remarked, “We don’t think anyone has or would confuse House of Zana with Zara. We are a tiny company that specialises in making kimonos by hand.
“While Zara is a well-known fashion brand with over 2,000 retail outlets worldwide and a vast product selection, we have one modest concept store in the North East of England and a website to assist promote our items.”
There is no chance that people will mistake us for Zara, so why should a corporate behemoth be permitted to forbid a small company from using a name that isn’t even somewhat similar to theirs and would destroy our brand?
We are aware that we pose no threat to them, but they have the potential to destroy everything we have fought so hard to achieve.
The last thing we want to do is be forced to change the brand, take out any labels that are sewed into our stock, change our social media names, and modify our storefront after working so hard to create this distinctive brand in the first place.
This would harm our little, cherished company in ways that are irreparable. Years have been spent building our ambition and hiring a fantastic team. We have never noticed any resemblance between House of Zana’s name or logo and those of Zara, and we still don’t.
“They can just take it away from me. I have developed an entire team and a life for myself.”
“How can I just change that? It’s the name I’ve built up, and everyone recognises us because of that.”
A Barnard Castle company in County Durham was compelled to alter its name from “Zara Countrywear” in 2016 after receiving threats from the same business.
Inditex, the company that owns Zara, justified its choice to sue Mrs. Kotrri in April.
When asked why they were opposing the “House of Zana” trademark application at this early stage, a spokesperson responded, “Because of its similarity to Zara’s brand name.”
“We wish the company every success and we continue to try to get in touch with the company directly so we can settle this issue amicably.”
They have also been contacted by The MailOnline regarding this most recent announcement.