Five Years with Helsinki Pride: Celebrating Diversity & Inclusion

This year marks the fifth anniversary of Zalando’s partnership with Helsinki Pride—a journey that has strengthened our commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion within our company and across our communities. Reflecting on our 2024 initiatives, including a vibrant Pride campaign and active participation in Helsinki Pride’s “Working with Pride” events, we are reminded of the importance of fostering an environment where everyone can feel seen, heard, and valued.

At Zalando, personal expression is at the heart of everything we do. As Europe’s leading e-commerce destination for fashion and lifestyle, we strive to empower our customers to express themselves fully through fashion. Our vision is to be inclusive by design, bringing to life the diversity of our talents, leaders, customers, and partners.

Celebrating Pride Through “Their Time” Campaign

At the centre of this year’s Pride involvement was Zalando’s campaign, Their Time, inspired by a powerful insight: queer lives often follow a different timeline compared to non-queer lives. Due to unique journeys—such as delayed dating, the coming out process, or transitioning—queer individuals often experience life milestones differently and at their own pace. This shared, yet deeply personal, experience of “queer time” became the theme of Their Time, honouring the diverse relationships that LGBTQIA+ people have with time and celebrating the moments that truly matter to each individual.

To bring the campaign closer to the local queer community, Zalando hosted a live panel discussion and styling consultation at the official Helsinki Pride House. The panel featured the cast from the Finnish campaign, who shared personal insights into how they navigate self-expression through style and identity. Recognizing that self-presentation can be uniquely challenging within the community, the event also offered a styling consultation with queer-inclusive stylists who addressed questions and concerns around style as a means of self-expression. This interactive event welcomed around 80–100 guests and was broadcast live on Helsinki Pride’s Instagram channel.

Fabio Baum, General Manager for Nordics & Benelux, shared his thoughts on Zalando’s commitment to supporting the LGBTQIA+ community through this long-standing partnership:

“We proudly continue our work to support the LGBTQIA+ community and promote equality within our organisation and in society. As part of our long-term partnership with the Helsinki Pride Community, we sponsor the event's performance stage and its program, also providing community members the opportunity to share their stories on Zalando's channels. Through our cooperation, we aim to celebrate and support the LGBTQIA+ community, while also strengthening the Helsinki Pride event and amplifying the voices of underrepresented groups.”

Leading with Inclusion at “Working with Pride”

Zalando’s commitment to inclusivity was further highlighted at Helsinki Pride’s “Working with Pride” events, where Fabio Baum spoke on a panel titled "How to Lead an Inclusive Working Life?" Fabio discussed how our leaders serve as role models for inclusivity, fostering a company culture where all employees feel empowered to bring their authentic selves to work.

Showcasing the Campaign’s Impact

Just last week, Pia Ahlgren, Site Operations Lead at Zalando Tech Site, Helsinki, presented this year’s Pride campaign at another “Working with Pride” event. Pia shared insights on the campaign’s development, emphasising our goal of challenging stereotypes and celebrating individuality. Her presentation offered a behind-the-scenes look at Zalando’s efforts to inspire self-expression and create a welcoming, inclusive experience for all of our customers—not only during Pride, but every day of the year.

Reflecting on her experience, Pia Ahlgren, Site Operations Lead at Zalando Tech Site, shared:

“I had a wonderful time at the event and felt incredibly proud to represent Zalando. It was inspiring to see the community come together and to share our commitment to inclusivity. What made it especially meaningful was knowing that we’re not only supporting Pride but also embedding inclusion into everything we do. Our holistic approach and dedication to being 'inclusive by design' reflect our ambition to make everyone feel welcome and valued, both within our company and in the experiences we create for our customers."

A Continuing Journey of Inclusivity

As we celebrate five years with Helsinki Pride, we recognize that our commitment to diversity and inclusion is an ongoing journey. Our partnership with Helsinki Pride is not only a proud milestone but also a reminder of the work we have ahead. At Zalando, inclusivity isn’t a one-time campaign—it’s a way of living, thinking, and working that we renew every day. By listening, learning, and adapting, we aim to grow and make an increasingly positive impact on our employees, our partners, and our customers.

"For Helsinki Pride Community, long-lasting partnerships can at their best lead to committed actions and completely new products and services to make the lives of our LGBTQIA+ communities easier, happier and more fabulous. Zalando has been exceptionally eager to listen to the needs and ideas arising from the community and to take action. With this kind of partnership true development towards LGBTQIA+ inclusiveness can be reached and we are really happy to continue our journey with Zalando also for the upcoming year," says Annu Kemppainen, Executive Director, Helsinki Pride Community.