On Saturday, Marta Ortega will complete her first year at the head of Inditex, which her father Amancio Ortega created in 1985. On April 1, 2022, Marta Ortega replaced Pablo Isla in the position, who since 2011 the presidency of the Galician textile group, whose best-known brand is Zara.
On the occasion of this anniversary, Marta Ortega (39) has given an interview to the financial newspaper of British origin Financial Times, in which she reviews how she has lived this last year in which she has taken the reins of the group, in addition to fashion and their children.
“In person she is friendly, funny and courteous. She speaks quickly and confidently in English, with a low, hoarse voice," says journalist Jo Ellison, author of the report on Marta Ortega. And he adds: "He was in the business from the womb." According to the president, her mark "is in the product and how it is presented: this is the soul of our company and where I can offer the greatest value". And he says that his goal "is to maintain and continue to build quality, quality, quality in all aspects of the company". The firms of the Inditex group are synonymous with fast fashion, something that Ortega rejects: "We don't recognize ourselves in what they call fast fashion, because that brings to mind an enormous amount of unsold items and poor quality clothes focused on a very cheap price, which is very far from what we do".
Marta Ortega explains that she usually wears the brands in her group: "I mostly use Zara or Massimo Dutti, but I also buy designer clothes... And then, obviously, I like shoes," she confesses. "I also have things from my mother. So, yes, it has become a big wardrobe. My son always asks me: 'Why do you have so many clothes?' Because I've had it for many years."
She is the mother of two children, Amancio (10), from her first marriage with the rider Sergio Álvarez, and Matilda (3), with her current husband, Carlos Torretta. Marta Ortega amusingly explains that her eldest son "is totally obsessed with clothes and labels", and that it far exceeds his own desire for clothes.
Unlike her father, Amancio Ortega, who was always a very discreet person, it is common for Marta Ortega to be seen at major fashion events, such as in some fashion shows in Paris: "I don't feel comfortable being the center of 'attention, it's not something I enjoy, but I like to go... not to fashion parties, but I go to events that are related to my work'.
In the Financial Times report, the journalist Jo Ellison also asks some of the people who have collaborated with her for their opinion on Marta Ortega, such as the British stylist Karl Templer, who defines the president of Inditex as "very intuitive" and that “he makes decisions quickly. She always wants to do even better and is eager for the next steps to take." Some words in the same vein as those dedicated to her by the designer and architect Van Duysen: "Marta is not only generous and affectionate, she is also a great entrepreneur. She is meticulous. He has a good eye for aesthetics and art. And he has his feet on the ground."
