ZARA HOME x todobarro
Málaga's artisanal tradition goes global through a collaboration between Zara Home and todobarro
Zara Home, the Inditext-owned home décor brand, has more than 400 stores in around 60 countries and reaches customers in over 180 markets through its online store. Its collections, appreciated by beauty lovers and interior design professionals alike, set global trends.
That’s why, when the international brand contacted us, we were astonished: they wanted our Andalusian neo-craftsmanship atelier—heir to the ceramic tradition of Vélez-Málaga (where our shop is located)—to develop tiles for them, which would be sold in selected physical stores and via Zara Home’s online platform.
This wasn’t the first time Inditex had turned to todobarro: over the years, Zara and Zara Home have used tiles from our Málaga-based company to decorate several of their locations, even covering floor to ceiling in their first café, Zacaffè, with our clay pieces. But this time was different: the goal was to sell todobarro’s handcrafted tiles worldwide.
“That call was really exciting for the whole team, but it was also intimidating: could we meet the standards of a giant like Zara Home while making our products by hand?” recalls Samuel Vega, our marketing manager, about that first contact.
The answer materialized in early June, when the collaboration between the two brands became tangible in the form of two sets of tiles made from white firing clay and grogged clay. The first set is a dark brown with a glossy finish, while the second is light-colored, with some tiles in a matte finish and others glossy. Each set includes 50 square tiles measuring 9.7×9.7 cm (or 3,8 in), which can cover a total area of 0.5 m² (or 19,6 squared inches), and are meant to be used in any kind of interior wall.
Zara Home’s appreciation for artisan craftsmanship
“The beauty of each piece reflects the care and craftsmanship behind its creation,” says Zara Home. In fact, their design team visited our tile shop and were impressed to see that everything—down to the boxes the tiles are packed in—is done by hand using traditional methods. Zara Home goes on to say:
“Thanks to their versatile design, both sets allow for a wide range of custom compositions and patterns. The natural variations in color, shape, and texture enhance the authenticity of the collection and enable unique designs—perfect for projects seeking an original and characterful finish.”
Indeed, these tiles—whose colors were created exclusively for the Inditex brand—are unique due to their handcrafted nature. “The Zara Home design team was very open to listening, and from the beginning, they understood both the advantages and limitations of developing a handmade product. But the process was challenging: we created over 50 unique colors and numerous finish combinations for the glazed tiles before arriving at the final selection,” explains the marketing manager.
The effort, however, has paid off: “For us, it’s confirmation that there is still room for artisanal work. A collaboration of this scale tells us that research and innovation in craftsmanship is a long but rewarding path”, Vega concludes.
