Adaptive Fashion Hub: functionality meets style and inspiration

According to the World Health Organisation, an estimated 1.3 billion people worldwide experience significant disability. This represents 16% of the world’s population, or 1 in 6 people, yet the fashion industry largely fails to meet their needs. Since 2020 Zalando has been working to bridge this gap and meet the needs of the Disabled community through Adaptive Fashion. After two years of research and design, the first adaptive collections were launched in 2022 across five of our Private Label brands: ZIGN, Pier One, Anna Field, Yourturn and Even&Odd. Since then, we have been progressively expanding our adaptive assortment to new categories (for instance kidswear via our in-house Kids brand Friboo), deepening our community connections and crafting a digital experience that lives up to our vision of being truly inclusive. 

When buying fashion, Disabled people often have to sacrifice style for function. However, just like any other customer, Disabled people want and should be able to find outfits that mirror their own style and current trends. All of our Adaptive Private Labels collections have been designed to provide fashionable, functional, comfortable and affordable styles, with fashionability being as important as all of the other factors. Customers are able to choose from several hundred different styles from our Private Labels and brand partners - a wide range of adaptive collections for women, men, kids and sports, including not only apparel but also footwear and accessories. 

The door to navigate through the adaptive assortment is the Adaptive Fashion Hub - a dedicated space within Zalando’s Fashion Store, carefully designed to help Disabled customers check each item’s adaptive features and get inspired. “It’s a space where customers can not only explore the Adaptive assortment but discover items according to their functionalities and get inspirational and fresh content,” explains Senior Product Manager Galina Charni.

Easy to find, easy to wear

Within the Adaptive Fashion Hub, collections are categorised according to their benefits: Fit for Prostheses, with items adapted for wearing with prostheses, orthoses or bandages; Sensory Friendly -  skin-friendly styles using materials and design for reduced sensory stimulation and increased comfort, Easy Closure, with features such as magnets and special zippers that make getting dressed quicker and easier; Seated Style, designed for wheelchair users or extended sitting times and Easy Dressing, with features enabling assisted dressing, such as pull-up loops. In all of these categories, filters allow customers to refine their search based on almost 30 adaptive functionalities, such as wide neck opening, adjustable waist or back closure, for instance. 

Additionally, the Kids assortment offers garments for different growth stages, with styles for babies, children and teens, as well as shoes that are easy to put on and take off, with adjustable features and removable soles. 

Constantly evolving experience

For those looking for inspiration, the Highlights section of the Hub features trending items and the latest additions, while our curated influencer content shows how to bring style and functionality to the next level. To complement the experience, we add a description section to the product detail page of an item to help customers better understand the adaptive feature through images and descriptive text.  

Just like the process of designing the Adaptive collections, the development of the online experience is based on research and carried out in close collaboration with customers. “We conducted in-depth interviews and talked to the Disabled community to understand their challenges and their needs”, adds Galina. Since June, customers have also been able to share feedback on the items they have bought and their features with Zalando. "The insights we gain help us improve our adaptive offering and continue to strive to provide the best possible experience for our customers," says Galina.

Want to learn more? Discover how Galina Charni and her team are paving the way for a truly inclusive shopping experience.