MARTA ORTEGA: WHO IS SHE & WHY SHOULD HER NAME RING A BELL?
Zara on Oxford Street, London: the heir presumptive worked here!
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A Zara kimono
By Natalie McNeal
Photos: Natalie McNeal, etc.
Although the name Marta Ortega might not strike a chord, it’s almost certain that there’s a Zara tacked somewhere in your closet! Whether it be for simple and chic fashion, or just for being a famous brand, it would be difficult to not know Zara and its iconic affordable fashion. Now, what does Marta Ortega have to do with Zara? Marta is the younger daughter of Amancio Ortega who is one of the wealthiest men in the world (sixth by Forbes’ billionaire ranking on June 30, 2018, though there had been at least three times when he momentarily eased Bill Gates from the top of the list!), certainly the world’s wealthiest retailer. Amancio’s rise to riches is all thanks to cofounding Madrid-listed Inditex of which he owns some 60%. Inditex, one of the world’s largest fashion retailers, possesses 7,475 stores in 96 markets for which 171,839 employees work. Inditex’s eight brands include Massimo Dutti, Zara, and Pull & Bear. From this fashion empire, Amancio’s net worth is a shocking $73.6 billion on the aforementioned date.
Pull&Bear
Now let’s talk about Marta, a thirty-four year old socialite who often finds herself in revistas de corazon (celebrity magazines) of Spain. In contrast to her older sister as well as her father, Marta is less concerned about keeping her life and image private and is often photographed on nights out looking as stylish as would be expected. Magazines refer to her as the inheritor of Inditex. Although this has not been confirmed, it is a big question as Amancio is now eighty-two years old. Amancio has two other children, Sandra, 49, and Marcos, 47, who was born with cerebral palsy and, unfortunately, can’t possibly work at Inditex.
By the looks of it, Marta is being groomed to take over her fathers business, but why? It is hard to know for sure, but there are some good indications as to why she would be the child to take over the fashion empire her father built. One reason has already been slightly touched on, and that is privacy. Rather, the lack of it. Marta is the least private person in her family. Amancio doesn’t like to be photographed, and he spends millions of euros to maintain a private lifestyle. Similarly, daughter Sandra prefers to be out of the public eye despite her awesome status as the richest woman in Spain with upwards of $7 billion in her coffers. But not Marta. Though Sandra is a very successful businessperson in her own right, she and Marta differ in many ways including the socialite persona that Marta has been cultivating through the years.
Another reason why Marta is thought to be the heiress of Inditex is her upbringing. Marta attended private school, which also differed from her sister Sandra who went to state schools. Marta went to an elite Swiss boarding school where, outside the classroom, she learned to ski and ride horses. Later, she studied business management in London and trained as an assistant at Zara on Oxford Street. Her direct involvement with Zara as well as her intense schooling have led people to believe that she will have more chances of taking over the company.
Marta’s lifestyle and fashionable look do seem to suit Amancio’s legacy of Zara and all of the other companies within Inditex. Now all there is left to do is wait and see what happens. Keep updated on Marta and her celeb adventures!
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Images
Featured image/Gpccurro via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA4.0
Zara kimono/Zara summer sale catalog 2018, Fair use
Amancio’s portrait painting collage/Danor Shtruzman, CC BY-SA4.0
Others/Natalie McNeal
