Wits students react to the Zara x John Galliano collab. In a cost-of-living crisis, is the designer label still a status symbol or just overpriced plastic?
- Global high-fashion icon John Galliano signs a historic two-year creative partnership with Zara.
- Wits students are divided; some chase the ‘status’ of the label, while others slam the ‘tacky’ dilution of luxury.
- The rise of high-quality ‘dupes’ and fast fashion collabs is blurring the line between prestige and plastic.
Luxury used to be defined by exclusivity, the rustle of silk, the weight of hand-stitched leather, and a price tag that felt like a gatekeeper. But as Vogue reports about the unexpected two-year partnership between the legendary John Galliano and fast-fashion giant Zara, the golden gates of high fashion have swung wide open. Wits students may be far away from the fashion high streets of Milan or Paris, but they had something to say about the reported collaboration.
The collaboration, set to debut in September 2026, marks the return of Galliano (the former Dior creative director known for theatrical couture) to the mass market.
For Lindani Dweba, a final-year BA student majoring in Politics and HR, the allure is simple: the name. “I would buy for the name,” Dweba admits. When faced with the choice between a R1,800 designer-labelled polyester jacket and a R200 thrifted wool coat, he leans toward the label. “Preferably the label. But luxury is becoming cheapened because of alternatives making the same thing.”
However, not everyone is buying the hype. For Caleb Boroto, a first-year Film and TV student, the collaboration feels “tacky.” Boroto argues that someone of Galliano’s regard partnering with a fast-fashion brand strips away the luxury feel entirely. “Gun to my head, I’d pick the R200 wool jacket,” says Boroto. “I’d prefer to be sustainable and choose something that lasts, like wool or cotton.”
Katlego Hlahla, a third-year Actuarial Science student, echoes this scepticism, noting that luxury prices often feel “unnecessarily inflated” for the quality provided. As Zara’s prices creep up, the lines between ‘high street’ and ‘high end’ are blurred.
The psychology of the label remains a powerful force, even when the quality is questionable. Sephaku Tshoshi and Kirsten Pudi, both fourth-year Accounting Science students, admit they would choose a designer name over a thrifted bargain any day. “I wouldn’t get the same bag without the name, even if the quality was the same,” said one of the students, gesturing to her Ted Baker tote. They noted that the rise of high-quality “dupes” has made luxury more accessible, but also less significant. “People are buying fakes now, even people with money. You can’t tell the difference anymore.”
Psychology Honours students Daiyaan Kahan and Jake Fourie said that “accessibility cheapens the value, but people still buy it for the status symbol.” Fourie, however, sees the positive side, “If it’s more accessible, it’s overall good. More people representing a brand is good for the brand’s expansion” he stated
As the Zara x Galliano collection prepares to hit shelves, the Wits campus remains a tug-of-war between the desire for status and the demand for authenticity. In an era where ‘luxury’ can be bought at the mall in a plastic bag, real luxury might just be the ability to tell the difference.
FEATURED IMAGE: Reframing the Aesthetic: By pairing a sporty PUMA track jacket with tailored pinstripe trousers and formal loafers, Demitri Michaud, a postgraduate student, demonstrates a ‘high-low’ styling approach that mirrors global trends of deconstructed luxury. Photo: Daniella Ripamonti
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