The fashion industry just lost a true innovator. Rosalía Mera, Co-Founder of Zara, died of a stroke this past Thursday while vacationing Menroca.
Mera’s legacy lives on in Zara, where we can score runway-inspired pieces for a fraction of the price. The entrepreneur joined forces with former husband Armanico Ortega to create the fast fashion store, which was originally going to be Zobra, in 1975.
With 1,763 stores across the globe, it’s no surprise that Mera has been named the richest self-made woman with approximately 6.1 billion dollars. We know, wow. But even with all that money, Mera remained humble. BBC’s Tom Burridge was reported discussing “her belief that the money of millionaires, or even billionaires like her, should not be flaunted.”
In addition to her major strides in the fashion industry, Mera was also a political activist. The billionaire also voiced her opinions on abortion and Spain’s government cutbacks.
Mera is survived by her two children, Sandra and Marcos. Our thoughts go out to her family.