Galicia puede ser el Silicon Valley de la industria de la moda
04.11.2011 The green, rainy region of Galicia in northwest Spain is best-known as the destination for pilgrims hiking the Camino de Santiago to pay tribute at the remains of apostle Saint James.
But a different kind of pilgrim also makes the journey here -- retail sector analysts visiting the headquarters of Spain's most successful modern export, Zara clothes, which has made the founder of Inditex one of the richest men in the world.
Amancio Ortega, 75, has helped turn the once-poor region's traditional textile business into an industry bellwether whose smaller new and fast-growing brands are getting noticed even as Spain's retailers suffer an unprecedented slump.
Ortega shuns photographers and interviews with the media, as do most of Inditex's directors and managers. That secrecy hasn't prevented know-how from the firm flowing into nearby businesses over the last three decades, however.
