Whether it’s modern outdoor brands or highly respected industry figures, fast fashion is making its way into the outdoor sector through an increasing number of collaborations. While some see these partnerships as purely profit-driven, others recognize significant opportunities and potential.
Outdoor has fully become embedded in the mainstream. The crossovers are multiplying, blending functional performance gear with street-ready style and pulling outdoor aesthetics into the everyday. Even the fast-fashion giants are in. Zara has set its sights on the mountains and trail running with collaborations with japanese outdoor powerhouse and Wander or Zara’s new Athleticz line— which’s visual direction was worked on by acclaimed Munich-based creative studio Bureau Borsche and just recently fronted by Patrick Stangbye, one of the most popular voices in the outdoor scene. Some collaborations arrive quietly. This one didn’t.
ZARA x andWander
ZARA ATHLETICZ
When Zara dropped the first Athleticz designs in early 2025, the reaction in the outdoor and running scene was immediate. The logo drew more than a little inspiration—some would say far too much—from London running label Soar. The reflective, geometric shape seemed impossible to mistake. While Bureau Borsche was behind the collection’s visual direction, the studio was unavailable for comment on its work with Zara.
Founded in 1975 by Amancio Ortega Gaona, Zara has grown into a global fashion powerhouse, with over 2,000 stores worldwide and revenues exceeding €27 billion in 2024. Operating in the low-to-mid price bracket, the brand thrives on speed, dropping new collections in rapid succession to capture emerging trends. In 2020 alone, Zara launched more than 20 product lines. With running culture surging and trail-inspired lifestyles trending, it’s no surprise that Zara would enter the space with a dedicated line—and enlist high-profile partners to make it happen.
According to futurecheck.org, half of Zara’s products are manufactured in Europe—countries like Spain and Portugal. The other half comes from Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Cambodia, Pakistan, and Vietnam. Zara’s supply chain has faced repeated criticism for poor working conditions, low wages, and the environmental impact of its materials. Buying from them is, knowingly or not, buying into that system.
The easy solution though — avoiding cheap clothes and shopping exclusively from brands with a reputation for quality — turns out to be not so simple. As a Financial Times investigation revealed, even luxury labels stumble. Italian house Loro Piana, synonymous with exquisite craftsmanship, was placed under court administration after labor abuses were uncovered in its supply chain.
Jörg Haas, founder and Managing director of Beinghunted., a Berlin-based agency and archive, has seen dozens of collaborations that gave rise to discussions. Drawing parallels from skateboarding, graffiti and the music industry, he says, “a lot of the brands I like, such as Stüssy, Supreme, A Bathing Ape, and Wander, and Acronym were not mainstream in the beginning. However, since brands, musicians, and their record labels have the drive to expand in order to be economically successful, there is always the chance that they will do it, that they start advertising and marketing just like big established businesses. Also, big corporations have always entered niche segments, and the industry has, and always will, pick up on trends - today via social media, in the earlier days via trend scouts. If brands see an opportunity, they go all in. Whether it’s cheap skateboards being sold in the supermarket, Buffalo jumping on the platform shoe trend, or sportswear brands collaborating with anyone and everyone across all genres."
"Big corporations have always entered niche segments, and the industry has, and always will, pick up on trends.”
Jörg Haas
To him, the mechanics are always the same. But today, he says, there is one major difference - quality. “If in the 1980s you’d put a cheap skateboard from the supermarket next to a proper skate-shop assembled one, you’d instantly see the difference, but more so feel it when riding it. Today’s manufacturing for the running and outdoor categories is more or less centralized in a number of countries and most likely also spread across only a handful of factories. Fast fashion being able to do the same as smaller indie labels is highly-linked to those manufacturers. Fabrics are easier to source, designs are easier to “refine”, and picking up aesthetics to replicate in almost real time has become the standard procedure.”
Portrait of Jörg Haas: Jorge Alvarado
For a garments price point, scale is a very decisive factor. When more units are being produced, the cost per unit will be lower —even if the quality stays the same. So, for example, producing less than 100 t-shirts incurs some kind of “sampling cost”. Compared to a large-scale run, the costs for this smaller amount can be up to double the price per unit. Per unit, manufacturing 300 pieces is still significantly more expensive than making 5,000. Factories are built for efficiency, and small runs inevitably cost more. This difference is passed on to the consumer through the retail price.
For Jörg, it’s a personal choice: “Who will I support with my money? Am I willing to pay full price or am I consciously waiting for the higher-priced item to be discounted by 70% so that it gets closer to the lower-priced alternative? Do I care whether the heavy hitters ‘invade’ my territory or do I just wait it out? It depends, I’d say. It’s about who is working with whom, which toolset they have at hand, whether they can actually create truly innovative products and use the company's capabilities to actually make good garments or gear available to a wider audience.” He’s convinced, that if these big corporations want to go in a certain direction, they will do it anyway and at least by working with the right people - there is a chance they can get it right.
Wai Tsui, founder of Hiking Patrol, industry insider, and experienced collaborator, does not believe in the future and longevity of these collaborations. “The most meaningful collaborations rarely happen in haste", he notes. "They take shape through patience, mutual respect, and a clear alignment of values. Many opportunities arrive with impressive names attached, but the truest value lies in building something authentic rather than chasing momentum. In some cases, the strongest partnerships have come from slow, deliberate relationship-building that unfolds over years, grounded in trust and a shared commitment to substance. The current wave of fast fashion entering the outdoor sector often tells a different story. In many instances, it’s about extracting from a culture rather than contributing to it, pursuing the optics of credibility without engaging in the responsibility that comes with it. With vast resources at their disposal, these companies can mimic products, design language, and visual identities from smaller players with little consequence. In this climate, the competition is less about scale and more about philosophy, longevity versus the volatility of passing trends.”
Wai Tsui
Collaborations like these might offer an opening. Zara's reach is undeniable, the global wealth gap keeps widening and providing affordable product at a good price-point and making it available for more people can have a positive impact. By bringing in respected names, Zara isn’t just paying for endorsements, they’re tapping into expertise. Someone like Patrick Stangbye could, if given real influence, help steer production and product development toward more responsible, higher-quality outcomes at a price that’s accessible to a much larger audience.
Zara has become a test case for whether the mainstream can adapt and elevate niche performance culture without simply diluting it. The answer will depend on whether the people shaping these collections are there just for the paycheck or whether they will actually get the chance to shift the industry’s needle.
Many people are sceptical though, whether Zara will give their collaborators the toolset to actively change production processes. There is also the chance that, as soon as the next big trend arrives, the fast-fashion giant will move on. And so, “if the aim is meaningful change, involvement isn’t always the right move”, Wai argues. “Sometimes the strongest position is to step away. No amount of hype or short-term profit outweighs the cost of compromising with those whose primary goal is to capitalise on a moment.”
“Sometimes the strongest position is to step away. No amount of hype or short-term profit outweighs the cost of compromising with those whose primary goal is to capitalise on a moment.”
Wai Tsui
Looking at online debates and social media comments, it’s no surprise that niche communities feel protective when their once-exclusive look hits the mainstream. From an identity perspective, what was once a marker of "outsider" status now is available to anyone who shops at a mall. That can sting. But it can also be seen as a form of validation: the lifestyle you’ve cultivated is compelling enough to inspire mass interest. If the only reason to resist is to maintain a sense of being “different,” maybe the issue is more about ego than ethics. And if you're a fashion-minded runner who buys every new drop from hyped performance brands, it’s worth being cautious when using sustainability as a main argument.
Whether Zara seizes the opportunity remains to be seen. If they can offer better, responsibly produced garments to their enormous customer base, it could be a win. Or, to put it as Wai says: “Some collaborations are built to endure, others exist purely to sell. The real skill lies in recognising, and choosing, the difference.” In the end, it’s a personal decision.