This Zara-Owned Brand Has Gone—Here's Where We're Shopping Instead

Uterqüe was a radical proposition when it launched back in 2008. Inditex, which owns Zara, created the sister brand and launched it as a more premium option in the retail family, with quirkier designs and luxe fabrics. It was, in many ways, ahead of its time. Before other high-street stores elevated their offerings with spin-off lines full of more directional and expensive pieces, Uterqüe provided a unique proposition that still required an investment but sat comfortably below designer price tags. It became a personal favourite of mine for both clothing and footwear: I still wear multiple pairs of shoes, a red leather jacket, a cream '70s-inspired jumpsuit and a pair of navy trousers to this date. These items have lasted better than many of my other affordable purchases. After all, quality was such an important part of the brand's DNA.

I wore this old Uterqüe jacket to London Fashion Week in September.

I wasn't alone. Uterqüe became a UK fashion-editor favourite (even though it still remained a relatively "insider" brand). The label was initially focused on accessories, and while this was one of our favourite destinations for beautiful shoes and Instagram-worthy earrings, it was much more than that. The leather products were always beautifully designed and cut, and the brand was strong at tailoring—as all Inditex brands are.

These are my favourite Uterqüe sandals.

So if you've been unable to get onto the website, you might be asking—what happened to Uterqüe? Despite my adoration of the label, Inditex made the decision earlier in the year to fold the brand into its more established Massimo Dutti. Massimo Dutti has previously erred on the side of classicism and minimalism, but since this merger, some more experimental pieces have come to the fore. 

Massimo Dutti's Studio collection features more detailed and intricate items such as corseted blazers and bold jumpers with detachable scarves—the kind of more adventurous styles I could imagine existing originally as Uterqüe. 

Since the brand first came onto the scene, other affordable labels have stepped into more individual design aesthetics, harnessing the power of a unique style profile rather than copying and repeating what is available elsewhere on the high street. So keep scrolling to see what's Uterqüe-worthy online right now from Massimo Dutti and the others stores that offer something a little different…

SEE THE 5 STORES LIKE UTERQÜE THAT WE RATE

1. ZARA

2. MASSIMO DUTTI

3. KAREN MILLEN

4. JIGSAW

5. ME+EM