Driving Adaptive fashion forward, in partnership with Ottobock 

An estimated 1.3 billion people worldwide - 1 in 6 of us - live with a disability. Yet finding clothing that is simultaneously stylish, functional and affordable remains a significant hurdle. We believe fashion should welcome everyone, supporting independence, confidence and self-expression in everyday life. That is why, to continue advancing Adaptive fashion at scale across Europe, we’re happy to renew our partnership with Ottobock, a global leader in in human mobility solutions, including prosthetics and orthotics.

"True credibility in inclusive design comes from doing the right thing the right way. By partnering up with Ottobock, we have access to deep technical knowledge and community insights that help us to ensure that our Adaptive fashion collections respond directly to lived experience. This collaborative effort honors our foundational guiding principle that stems directly from the Disabled¹ community: “Nothing about us, without us.” - Jemma Garner, Head of Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) at Zalando.

Driving progress together

Since launching the first Adaptive fashion collections on Zalando in 2022, we have focused on addressing a clear market gap: Disabled customers have long had limited access to clothing that combines accessibility, functionality and personal style. We’re proud to be offering a curated assortment of more than 800 Adaptive items from more than 20 brands on Zalando’s dedicated Adaptive hub today, accessible to our more than 60 million customers across 29 markets. 

Looking back, the joint initiatives of Ottobock and Zalando since 2024 have helped move Adaptive fashion from a niche topic into more mainstream conversations. Together, Ottobock and Zalando have collaborated on a range of initiatives to raise awareness, inform product development and improve the design of adaptive clothing and footwear. We are also grateful for the opportunity to have engaged with the extended Ottobock Movao community through workshops, in-depth interviews and quantitative research. These insights have played an important role in deepening our understanding of customer needs and shaping our approach to Adaptive fashion.

Nicole von Bergen, Head of Global Customer Programs & Product Communication at Ottobock, confirms: "For decades, we've helped people improve their mobility and independence through prosthetic and orthotic solutions. Hearing people describe the transformative impact of Adaptive fashion completes the picture. It's inspiring to see how accessible clothing helps people dress more independently, express their personal style and participate confidently in everyday life." 

Highlights include:

1. More inclusive representation in media:

Through more than 10 media engagements across Europe, our partnership helped increase the visibility of Adaptive fashion and elevate the voices of Disabled people in mainstream fashion conversations. Ottobock ambassadors, including Desirée Vila in Spain, Richard Bionic in France, and Elena Kratter in Switzerland, shared their lived experiences alongside Zalando's General Managers, demonstrating how Adaptive fashion can support independence, confidence and self-expression. The conversation continued at the 2025 Ottobock Media Day in Berlin, where Zalando Private Labels designer Markus Breitsameter joined a panel exploring the everyday experiences of people using prosthetic and orthotic solutions and how these insights can shape more inclusive product design. 

2. Consumer insights:

At REHACARE 2025 in Düsseldorf, Ottobock and Zalando engaged directly with consumers to better understand their needs and experiences with Adaptive fashion. Through an interactive booth, the partnership not only increased awareness of Zalando's adaptive offering but also gathered valuable customer insights to help inform the future development of adaptive products.

Zalando Private Labels also partnered with Ottobock's Movao community to involve consumers in the early stages of product development through prototype fitting sessions. Integrating customer feedback from the outset has helped shape more inclusive and functional designs. For example, insights from participants informed the decision to replace magnetic closures in parts of our adaptive sportswear range with alternative fastening solutions to avoid interference with connected prosthetic devices.

3. Design Academy - ADAPT:

Through the Design Academy, co-hosted by Zalando and VORN – The Berlin Fashion Hub, our partnership helped inspire the next generation of fashion designers to embed accessibility and inclusion into the design process. Several Ottobock ambassadors contributed their lived experience throughout the programme, helping participating designers develop creative and functional garments for Disabled people. The programme culminated in the presentation of 10 finalist collections during Berlin Fashion Week at the VORN atelier in Bikini Berlin.

What lies ahead for our collaboration

As we extend our commitment, we will continue to test, refine and scale inclusive collections. Access to fit testers from Ottobock's Movao community allows our product development teams to continually improve item functionality; from designs that consider prosthetic and orthotic solutions to easy-closure footwear. Together, we aim to inspire more brands across the industry to join us in making fashion truly accessible for everyone.

Ottobock's Dear AI-campaign demonstrates how inclusion can also shape emerging technologies. Through open-source datasets featuring people with limb loss and limb difference, the initiative aims to promote more authentic representation of amputees in AI-generated content. At Zalando, we’re currently working on an AI ethical & operational framework for creative content production. Stay tuned to find out more!

Explore the Assortment

Discover our full collection and learn more about accessible design features on the Adaptive fashion Hub on Zalando.

¹ Zalando intentionally chose to use "disability-first" language when referring to the disabled community, based on collaboration with disability-led consultancy All is for All and extensive customer research. We acknowledge that "people-first" language (such as “people with disabilities”) is also commonly used.