Beyond the textbook: training future circular fashion leaders

At Zalando, we understand that transforming the fashion industry into a circular ecosystem in the future starts with education today. To accelerate this critical shift, the designers of tomorrow must be equipped with the necessary skills and mindsets today.

That’s why we are proud to announce the launch of the Circularity Masterclass 2025/26 programme in partnership with the Graduate Fashion Foundation (GFF). Building on a successful programme run in 2024, we are significantly expanding its reach and impact for the upcoming academic year.

Equipping students for the sustainable future

The core ambition of the Masterclass is vital yet straightforward: to support universities and students through the industry’s major sustainability transformation. This five-part educational platform is designed to inspire and educate the next generation of fashion design talent, ensuring they develop the skills necessary to contribute to a more positive future for fashion.

The Masterclass fuses theoretical concepts with practical aspects and real-life case studies. Students will explore essential topics, including materials, construction, design for circularity, garment end-of-life, and waste streams. This comprehensive curriculum helps students understand the current linear fashion system and empowers them to design for circular alternatives. As our Principal Social Impact, Lara Gesche, shared: "With this programme, we are empowering future designers to drive fashion’s transformation by placing circularity and sustainability at the core of their design process".

Our expanding commitment across Europe

For the 2025/26 programme, we are partnering with 11 leading European and UK fashion schools. This cohort includes institutions such as the Scandinavian Academy of Fashion Design, the Marangoni Fashion Institute in Milan, the Manchester Fashion Institute, BSP Berlin, and IED Barcelona.

Crucially, to maximise our impact, the Masterclass content will also be made available to the GFF’s 30 UK member universities for the first time. This commitment expands access to this vital curriculum, helping to future-proof fashion skills across the continent. The content was created by Rob Jones and Catherine Teatum, founders of the British brand Teatum Jones, alongside consultant Megan Doyle, both of whom are circular fashion practitioners.

Competing for career-defining mentorship

The Masterclass culminates in a design competition, challenging students to showcase their practical understanding of circular design theory. This offers them a direct link between their academic learning and real-world professional development.
One winning student from each university will earn a trip to London in June 2026 to attend and participate in Graduate Fashion Week 2026. The shortlisted winners will present their innovative submission to a panel of industry judges who will select an overall Circularity Masterclass winner. This overall winner will receive a highly sought-after 1-on-1 mentorship session with a renowned circular fashion designer, offering a powerful launchpad for their career.

We are incredibly proud to partner with the Graduate Fashion Foundation to kick off this ambitious new chapter for the Circularity Masterclass. By investing in the education of young talent today, we are collectively ensuring that the entire fashion ecosystem is equipped to thrive in a circular future.