Zara responds to criticism from Hindu community and renames leather mat

Zara, the flagship brand of Spanish fashion group Inditex, has apologised and changed the name of a cowhide mat initially marketed for yoga. This follows criticism from representatives of the Hindu community. They considered the item offensive as it combined two concepts sacred to Hinduism: leather sourced from cows, which are revered in the religion, and yoga, a spiritual discipline of Hindu origin.

The foldable mat is priced at 399 dollars. It was initially marketed as a “yoga” mat, a designation that has subsequently been amended to “gym”. In Spain, the product is distributed through Zara Home under the name “Foldable leather gym mat”, priced at 199 euros.

The change follows a campaign led by Rajan Zed, president of the Nevada-based Universal Society of Hinduism in the US, as reported by the media outlet India News Calling.

In an email addressed to Zed, Inditex's corporate communications and institutional relations department expressed regret over what it described as a misunderstanding. “This was not our intention at all. At Zara and Inditex, we are committed to treating all people, beliefs and cultures with respect,” the company stated.

Zed thanked the company for its response and suggested that major corporations train their executives in religious and cultural sensitivity before launching new products or advertising campaigns. During the protest, the activist had also directly addressed Inditex chief executive officer Óscar García Maceiras and the group's chair, Marta Ortega.