It’s 1974 and Amancio Ortega, determined to break the cycle of poverty he experienced growing up in Spain, uses his background in retail and manufacturing to found future fast fashion giant Zara.   Meanwhile, Topshop is born as a small section in the basement of a department store, and future CEO Philip Green flounders with a misguided attempt to break into the denim business. And overseas in California, a pair of Korean immigrants chasing their American dream found Forever 21, the most affordable fast fashion brand yet.  Listen to new episodes 1 week early and to all episodes ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App https://wondery.app.link/businesswars. Support us by supporting our sponsors! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s 2018, and H&M is drowning in billions of dollars worth of unsold inventory. Brick and mortar stores are struggling. But on the internet, Shein is thriving, capitalizing on social media trends to get desirable, ultra-cheap clothing made and into customers’ hands in a matter of days. And once the head of the pack, Topshop is at risk when Philip Green is very publicly accused of abuse, racism, and sexual harassment. Forever 21 finds itself in a heap of trouble too. Listen to new episodes 1 week early and to all episodes ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App https://wondery.app.link/businesswars.  Support us by supporting our sponsors! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.