Zalando launches first adaptive fashion collections

European online fashion and lifestyle platform Zalando has launched its first adaptive collection featuring more than 140 styles across its private labels in 25 markets as part of its ongoing commitment to inclusive fashion.

In a statement, Zalando said it wanted to embrace the disabled community with an adaptive fashion collection, offering clothing, footwear and accessories intentionally designed to be accessible for people living with permanent or temporary impairments.

Available in all Zalando markets, the adaptive fashion collection will include women’s and men’s clothing, as well as footwear, across its private labels - Zign, Pier One, Anna Field, Yourturn and Even&Odd. Styles include seated designs for wheelchair use, sensory-friendly fabrications, pieces with easy closures and styles that accommodate prosthetics or bandages.

In addition, Zalando will also be adding Tommy Hilfiger’s Adaptive collection to nine markets, including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland.

The adaptive offering will be launched with a dedicated landing page and accompanying marketing campaign to help customers discover and shop the collection, added Zalando. With “further improvements in customer experience planned in the next months” to help the disabled community find and shop adaptive fashion more easily.

Zalando commits to inclusive fashion with a new adaptive fashion collection for disabled people

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), around one in five Europeans live with some form of disability. Zalando said its adaptive fashion collection is the “first step” to address disabled persons living with impairments of different kinds, such as limited mobility and limited dexterity, and sensory sensitivity, as well as addressing caregivers of kids with disabilities.

Zalando added that before launch, it conducted “extensive qualitative and quantitative customer research” across several markets "to better understand the experience and needs of disabled customers". It also worked with the creative agency All is for All, which specialises in helping brands be truly inclusive and accessible for disabled people.

Sara Diez, vice president category women and private labels at Zalando said: “We see a gap in the fashion market — finding fashionable adaptive clothing still represents a challenge for disabled people. By launching adaptive collections under our Private Labels and introducing the Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive collection to our customers, we hope to contribute to solving this challenge and offer a varied selection of stylish adaptive fashion across price and size in one place.

“We want to learn from the disabled community and inspire our partners, so that together we can continue building a delightful experience for our disabled customers and making fashion even more inclusive.”

Megan Maley, general manager of Benelux, UK and Ireland, added: “As part of our vision to be the Starting Point for Fashion for our British customers, we aim to be a platform that is welcoming to everyone. We strive to provide product choices that make all our customers feel respected, included and represented.

“Thanks to the launch of our adaptive fashion collection under our Private Labels on Zalando, we will be able to offer our customers an inclusive assortment that inspires them, and enables them to express themselves through fashion.”