'House of Zana' throws party after winning trademark battle with Zara

Victory party! Fashion boutique ‘House of Zana’ set to throw a celebration after winning long-running trademark battle against high street giant Zara

• House of Zana is hosting a party after winning its trademark battle with Zara
• Owner Amber Kottri invited all to celebrate ‘mighty independent businesses’
• Zara claimed House of Zana’s the name was ‘conceptually identical’ to theirs
• But a tribunal found the link between the two stores was ‘insubstantial’

A small fashion boutique that won a long-running legal battle with global clothing brand Zara will be staging a party to celebrate its high-profile victory.

House of Zana, in Darlington, County Durham, was locked in a trademark battle after Zara took exception to its name for being too similar.

The multi-million-pound retailer claimed House of Zana, which specialises in handmade kimonos, was ‘conceptually identical’ to it and that there was a ‘high degree of visual and oral similarities’ between the two brands.

Amber Kottri, owner of the small, independent clothing outlet, insisted there were significant differences between her shop and the fashion giant.

A tribunal eventually found the link between the two stores was ‘insubstantial’ and now Mrs Kottri is hosting a victory party to ‘toast to celebrate independent businesses and how mighty we are when we fight for what we believe in.’

House of Zana owner Amber Kottri (pictured) is staging a party to celebrate its high-profile victory in a long-running legal battle with global clothing brand Zara

Kottri invited all to attend the gathering, saying on Facebook: ‘ Let’s finally toast to celebrate independent businesses and how mighty we are when we fight for what we believe in’

House of Zana is hosting a ‘fabulous evening of fashion,’ in partnership with Darlington Borough Council at the main stage in Darlington Town Centre on Wednesday.

The event will include complimentary food, a fashion show, free face painting, music from Finn Forster, alongside the Northern Shakers Bar, a pop-up boutique and a photo wall and throne.

The celebration, taking place a few weeks on from the trademark win, commemorates the firm’s victory over Zara and serves as a night of gratitude towards all those who supported the brand during its legal battle.

‘There are plenty other businesses going through the same situation I was in and I hope this outcome can give them the strength to realise that it is possible to win,’ Mrs Kottri said.

‘I’m so glad that I’ve won for myself but also all the people who have supported me – it’s been incredible.’

The event is open to all people. House of Zana promoted the event online saying: ‘After a long journey and a stressful few years, we’re so excited to be celebrating our win against ZARA – and of course you’re all invited!

‘We couldn’t have done it without your support and would love to see you all in Darlington Market Square on 31st August from 5pm.’ 

Multi-million-pound retailer Zara had claimed House of Zana, which specialises in handmade kimonos, was ‘conceptually identical’ to it and that there was a ‘high degree of visual and oral similarities’ between the two brands

Zara had tried to order Mrs Kottri (pictured in April alongside business partner Erin Harper of Rejoy) to change her shop’s name and objected to her trademark application

House of Zana is hosting a ‘fabulous evening of fashion,’ in partnership with Darlington Borough Council at the main stage in Darlington Town Centre on Wednesday. The event will include complimentary food, a fashion show, free face painting, music from Finn Forster, alongside the Northern Shakers Bar, a pop-up boutique and a photo wall and throne

Zara had tried to order Mrs Kottri to change her shop’s name and objected to her trademark application. 

The firm claimed House of Zana’s name was ‘conceptually identical’ to theirs and that the average customer will likely confuse their two brands. 

It also urged House on Zana to remove all branding – but determined to fight her corner and maintain her brand, she claimed it would cause ‘irreparable damage’ to her business and had no similarity to Zara’s brand name. 

During the tribunal, Mrs Kotrri highlighted how her independent local business is smaller and has a different ethos to one of the high streets most popular fast fashion brands.

A trademark ruling by Matthew Williams stated: ‘I am satisfied that the differences between the marks are sufficient to rule out the likelihood of direct confusion on the part of the average consumer.’

Mrs Kottri expressed her relief at overcoming the legal challenge last month and said: ‘There were some days where I was adamant that Zara would win but once I went back through all the messages of support and saw all the people who signed the petition, I thought: ‘absolutely no way’.

In 2016, a Barnard Castle business, in County Durham, was forced to change its ‘Zara Countrywear’ name after being threatened by the same company. 

In April, Inditex, the owner of Zara, defended its decision to take on Mrs Kotrri. 

A Zara spokesperson told the MailOnline earlier this month: ‘While we do not wish comment on the judgment itself, we continue to wish Ms Kottri and her business success in the future.’

Having initially launched her business online in 2018, House of Zana specialises in ethically sourced and sustainable, high-quality clothing. Mrs Kottri is pictured on 7 August 2022

The success of House of Zana led to a concept store in Grange Road, Darlington, which has seen it expand into Teesside Airport and reach a global audience online

Having initially launched her business online in 2018, House of Zana specialises in ethically sourced and sustainable, high-quality clothing.

The success of its concept store in Grange Road, Darlington, has seen it expand into Teesside Airport and reach a global audience online.

Mrs Kottri, a former Art and Design student, plays a pivotal role in the daily operation from designing clothing to selecting fabrics.

Meanwhile, the word Zana means ‘fairy’ in Albanian – the country where the company was born and has a manufacturing studio.

Mrs Kotrri said in April: ‘We don’t believe anyone has or will confuse House of Zana with Zara. We’re a small business that specialises in handmade kimonos.

‘We have one small concept store in the North East of England and a website to help promote our products, whereas Zara is a globally renowned fashion brand with over 2,000 retail stores worldwide and a massive collection of products.

‘There is no risk of confusing us with Zara, so why should a corporate giant be allowed to stop a small business from using a name that isn’t at all similar to theirs and would result in the destruction of our brand?

‘We know we are not a threat to them, but they could destroy everything we have worked so hard for.’

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