Mango = Fashion Not Fruit

I love mangoes as well as Mango, the store, the fashion boutique for guys and girls that opened its doors in 1984 right here in the center of Barcelona. I still haven’t been able to figure out which location is the original Mango boutique but not that it matters much. There are 10 Mango stores strategically located throughout the city adding to its impressive collection of 1223 stores in 92 countries. I guess a lot of people like me love Mango.

Mango is another Spanish multinational clothing company based in the suburbs of Barcelona resembling the Inditex Group, which produces Zara, Mango’s top competitor. It designs, manufactures clothing garments and accessories for men and women. 2008 saw the first HE (Homini Emerito) boutique opened specifically for the male gender.

As Mango would appear to be quite similar to Zara especially when it comes to company structure and price-point the look and design of the clothing is distinct. It is also worth mentioning that through my travels that the merchandise in Mango stores in Spain is far better than what you would find in some of its other international retail locations. However I assume that has to do a lot with the local fashion preference because one of Mango’s major strengths to date has been to create fashionable clothing for modern urban women keeping in mind their daily necessities and likes while applying it to each country where they have a presence.

The brand has also done something unique that has captured a lot of attention, which is working with celebrities to design capsule collections or with whom they use as inspiration for a specified season. First on the scene was Penelope Cruz who the Spanish ladies loved and brought them into the store in droves.

Now, we have Scarlett Johansson, another starlet loved around the world and known for her feminine fashion sense. I, in particular am drawn to these collections, as they tend to have a little something extra that makes them stand out from the rest of the garments for a specific season. Lately I have also been drawn to their lingerie collection comprised of cute nighties, lightweight boxers and camisoles– feminine and totally flirty.

Overall Mango has done a great job in staying current with fashion trends and the people who make them. They are constantly collaborating with other powerhouse brands like Nike, which they did for limited edition sneaker collection that was sold in their stores a year ago.

Mango also hosts fashion shows just like the big-time designer brands adding to its validity as a key designer brand but with mid-tier pricing. Their regular boutique parties, which they host in key stores, bring together the local fashion elite, press and of course their biggest fans, who are the girls like myself that shop their boutiques regularly.

So when entering a Mango store don’t expect to find more Zara-ish merchandise. The stores and the garments have a look all their own as well as specialized limited edition items from accessories to shoes that will set you apart from the crowd.

Mango Locations:
Paseo Gràcia, 12-14
Paseo Gràcia, 65
Avenida Diagonal, 609
Avenida Diagonal, 3
Calle Girona, 37
Avenida Portal De l’Àngel, 7
Avenida Diagonal, 545-577
Avenida Diagonal, 586
Avenida Diagonal, 280
C/ Portaferrissa, 16