“In the AI Era, What Lies Ahead for Fashion?” ... CEO of Zara’s Parent Company Unveils Sustainability Strategy at Yonsei

[Financial News] Oscar García Maceiras, CEO of Inditex Group, the parent company of global fashion brand Zara, outlined the future direction of the fashion industry and sustainable business strategies in the age of artificial intelligence (AI).
According to Yonsei University on the 21st, the Center for Sustainable Wellness Convergence Research at the Yonsei Institute for Future Convergence Research held a special lecture on the 15th at Gakdangheon in Daewoo Hall on Yonsei University’s Sinchon Campus in Seoul, inviting CEO Maceiras.
Around 400 people attended the lecture, titled “50 Years of History and Future Strategies of Inditex and Zara,” including Yonsei University Vice President for Research Lee Won-yong, Spanish Ambassador to Korea Julio Herráiz, Inditex executives, and Yonsei students and researchers. The event drew considerable interest.
At the lecture, CEO Maceiras described how Zara established itself as a global fashion company over the past 50 years and outlined its core business strategies. He also stressed the importance of future competitiveness for companies amid a rapidly changing industrial environment, including the adoption of AI technology, and of environmentally friendly, sustainable management.
During the following question-and-answer session, students continued to ask about changes in the fashion industry in the AI era, characteristics of Korean consumers and the Korean market, and the role of companies in promoting sustainable fashion.
The lecture was the result of industry-academia collaboration between Yonsei University’s Center for Sustainable Wellness Convergence Research and Zara Retail Korea. The two institutions signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in April last year to develop the next generation of fashion talent and promote the exchange of knowledge, and have since been working to train professionals and conduct joint research.
“It was a meaningful opportunity for students and researchers to learn firsthand about the management experience and future strategies of a global fashion company,” said Go Eun-ju, director of Yonsei University’s Center for Sustainable Wellness Convergence Research. “We will continue to broaden our exchanges with industry and work to nurture talent who will lead the fashion industry of the future.” 

[email protected] Man-gi Kim Reporter