Hi. I'm Morgan Jones. I'm a Senior at the Community School in Sun Valley, Idaho. This Spring I, and my fellow peers, will embark on our individually designed Senior Projects. In order to understand the idea of my Senior Project, it's important that you understand a little bit about me. I enjoy playing tennis, involving myself in the theatre, spending time with my family, laughing with friends, grabbing coffee, exploring, and most significantly, second-hand store shopping. I'm a thrift store fanatic! So for my Senior Project I wanted to take gently used clothing to another level by repurposing and altering special garments and creating them into new and unique one-of-a-kind pieces.
â–º QUARTER FINALIST 2012 TEEN TRAVEL WRITING SCHOLARSHIP
I’ve been lucky enough to be able to travel to San Sebastian, Spain where my father has a cousin who lives there with his Basque wife. I will take on a new perspective of clothing in a European setting, experience new adventures, and dive into a whole new world of food, culture, architecture, lifestyle, and fashion. I’ve created this blog to jot down my observations, interests, and notes while I’m here in Spain. Let the journey begin! Enjoy!
Zara, "Probably the most innovative and devastating retailer in the world." -Louis Vuitton Fashion Director, Daniel Piette
A couple of days ago I went into San Sebastian with Biki’s son, Andoni, and his girlfriend, Sonia. We intended to do some shopping and later visit some tapas bars. Sonia lead the way as we weaved through the crowded alleyways of the city. She strutted ahead of us with an excited pizzazz urging Andoni and me to pick up the pace. She called back to us saying, "Vamos a Zara, Vamos a Zara!" Zara is a clothing store that I had never heard of until I met Sonia. She raved the whole morning about this fashion Mecca in her broken English. As we rounded a busy corner, I knew we had found our spot. A swarm of young women clogged the large open glass doors to an enormous sky-high building. This was Zara, the flagship chain store that produces 10,000 designs a year and focuses its money-making strategy on putting out product that the people want. As we finally managed to get through the entrance my eyes were opened to a stunning art gallery of gorgeous clothing. Handsome blazers and pants adorned the mannequins. Vivid and daring colors splashed the walls (bright aqua trench coats, tangerine ballet flats-wow, that’s brave!). Glittery handbags cluttered the shelves. Nautical, formal, hippie, hipster, conservative, bohemian, classic, modern, girly, athletic, punk…you name; they had it. All the clothing styles intermingled with one another creating a stunningly vibrant garment panorama. I was in complete awe. Zara had the fashion forwardness of H & M, the variety of Forever 21, the classic sophistication of J. Crew class, the comfort of Banana Republic, and a slice of Urban Outfitters’ edge. Oh, and let’s not forget the splash of cool European flavor! Just add a side of fries and a drink and you’ve got the ultimate deal! Women tromped around the store in their high-heeled boots like determined soldiers, snagging the bright fluorescent tank tops and blouses off the loaded racks. The music bumped a catchy international pop song. My head was spinning 360 degrees. I went into a euphoric trance…this place was everything I could have dreamed of, but so much better…
After an hour, maybe two, (heck probably three!), I stepped out of the fashion forward time machine with a new sea foam green dress and t-shirt in hand. I have found my new place of worship! Hallelujah Zara!
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