DESIGN ACADEMY SIZE
SIZE, FIT AND DIGITAL INNOVATION
The Design Academy is developed in collaboration between Zalando and VORN – The Berlin Fashion Hub with the aim to use the power of community to foster positive, long-lasting transformations within the fashion industry. The fifth edition of the Design Academy focuses on size and fit.
What does this mean?
For centuries, clothing began with the individual: a tailor would take measurements and shape a garment around the person wearing it. However, as mass production took over, this personal connection was replaced by "standard sizing" - a system built on static reference bodies that often fails to reflect the reality of billions of unique shapes.
Because everyone deserves to feel confident in what they wear regardless of their size, the latest edition of the Design Academy is putting a spotlight on size and fit and the technology behind it. By exploring digital grading, we are leveraging technology to bring the precision of traditional tailoring into a modern, scalable design process. This allows us to move beyond inconsistent systems and ensure that contemporary fashion truly respects and adapts to the diversity of the human body.
The educational programme consists of sixteen weeks of remote and in-person training split into two phases: during the first eight weeks, 100 selected talents delve into themes such as sustainability, branding and business modeling and 3D technologies with emphasis on size and fit. Participants will dive deep into CLO software, a technology that can make fashion truly inclusive.
In the second phase, the 10 most outstanding designers will be awarded with a scholarship for an eight-week design sprint with partly in-person residency in Berlin. Participants engage in workshops, refining their skills and creativity under expert guidance.
Finally, the journey will end at Berlin Fashion Week 2027, where the finalists will have the opportunity to present their creations in a showcase exhibition.
THE CO-HOST
The Design Academy is a collaborative effort between Zalando and VORN – The Berlin Fashion Hub. Building on the success of previous editions, the fifth iteration of the programme continues to push innovation and drive positive change within the fashion community.
SIZE AND FIT
Zalando and VORN – The Berlin Fashion Hub are launching the fifth edition of the Design Academy
For decades, the fashion industry has struggled with a fundamental problem – the perfect fit. Traditional design relies heavily on a single base sample, usually a medium. From there, garments are scaled up or down, often losing their intended silhouette in the process. This outdated approach alienates customers and drives a massive amount of industry waste through discarded physical samples and returns.
To shape a better future for fashion, the industry needs to rethink how clothes are engineered from the very first stitch. That is why the Design Academy focuses on digital grading for its fifth edition.
Grading is the mathematics of scaling one design into a full size range, from XS to 3XL and beyond. Doing it right ensures the proportions adjust intelligently to fit a real human body. Through the academy, 100 designers are learning to master the 3D technology required to make this level of inclusivity the new standard.
Using CLO software, participants test their garments on digital avatars representing a wide spectrum of body types. The technology instantly flags tension zones – showing exactly where a sleeve might pull or a waistband might pinch.
Designers can correct these fit issues virtually before a single piece of fabric is cut. Teaching designers to grade digitally is a crucial step toward building a more social and sustainable fashion ecosystem. It moves the industry past the exclusionary "one size fits most" mindset, helping creators to prioritise diverse body shapes.
Furthermore, perfecting the fit virtually drastically reduces the need for physical prototypes. Ultimately, this helps lower the high volume of returns caused by sizing issues across the industry.
Remember: The future belongs to every body!
APPLY NOW!
CONTRIBUTERS
MODULES OF THE PROGRAMME
More Sustainable and Inclusive Design Strategies for better fit
Overview of the structural size & fit challenges in fashion, including inconsistent sizing, returns, and opportunities for digital solutions
Understand how size & fit affect product longevity, waste, and circularity in fashion systems
Learn how traditional sizing systems exclude many body types and how inclusive design strategies can address this gap
Learn how advanced design strategies, like designing for better fit, offer alternatives to standard sizing systems
3D Garment Design & Digital Technologies for size & fit
Introduction to digital technologies shaping the future of sizing and fit, including 3D design and data-driven product development
Learn how to digitally design in CLO and move beyond "standard" sizing to master digital grading and inclusive fit for diverse body types to grade garments for a diverse range of body types
Learn how digital avatars, virtual humans, and AI tools enhance customer experience by predicting fit and personalizing shopping using body data and anthropometry
Explore technologies for size & fit recommendations, and virtual try-on and understand how product information support confident purchasing decisions
Business Strategy & Customer-Centered Design
Explore key elements of building innovative, scalable, and impactful business models and storytelling
Discover how size & fit innovation can become a strategic advantage for brands
Understand how customer -centered design creates competitive advantage
Learn from real-world applications from leading brands addressing size & fit challenges
THE TRAINERS
BEATA WILCZEK UNFOLDING STRATEGIES
HARM COORDES CHURCH OF THE HAND
MUCHANETA TEN NAPEL SHAPE INNOVATE
KRISTEN NUTTALL APPSO-SUPRO ADVISORY
LESLIE HOLDEN THE DIGITAL FASHION GROUP
MALTE ALF ZALANDO
LANA CRIGGS ZALANDO
MURIEL HAGMANN ZALANDO
PELIN BEDIRGANOGLU ZALANDO
DOSAN BAIK ZALANDO
MATTHEW DRINKWATER FASHION INNOVATION AGENCY
ANASTASIA THOENS ZALANDO
CLAUDIA PAN VAZQUEZ VILA
MARTE HENTSCHEL VORN – THE BERLIN FASHION HUB
REMOTE PROGRAMME
June 2 - July 23
Join an eight-week online learning programme connecting you with experienced mentors and an inspiring European network of creatives. You will collaborate, exchange ideas, and gain valuable industry and media contacts, as well as potential partners to support your career.
During the programme, you will develop a design concept for an inclusive fashion style using CLO software and a customer-centered approach. Building on your learnings during the training in Business Strategy & Customer-Centered Design, More Sustainable and Inclusive Design Strategies for better fit, and 3D garment Design and Digital technologies for size and fit, you will explore how to create innovative solutions for diverse body types.
Your concept should demonstrate how inclusive sizing, digital design, and customer-centered thinking can drive both design innovation and business value.
CLO Digital Design Challenge
The programme places a strong emphasis on digital design workflows. You will explore how data-driven sizing and digital grading can enable garments to function across diverse body types. The challenge focuses on creating one garment concept that demonstrates how a design adapts to different proportions while maintaining its integrity and design intent.
Participants will receive CLO-basic training and focused input on avatar customization, grading fundamentals, and inclusive fit strategies, with the goal of developing a clear sizing logic and demonstrating how a design performs across multiple sizes and body types.
Participation is open to designers with different levels of digital experience:
Designers with CLO experience are encouraged to complete the challenge digitally and demonstrate grading logic across body types.
Designers without CLO experience may submit a concept using other tools (e.g. sketches or Illustrator).
Please note: Only concepts developed with a clear digital sizing and grading approach in CLO will be eligible to apply for the second phase of the programme, the Design Sprint. The other participants submitting a concept without development in CLO will receive a certificate of participation.
At the end of Phase one, participants may submit their concepts for review. A jury of industry experts will select 10 designers whose concepts demonstrate the most compelling inclusive fit strategy, digital grading logic, and design innovation to move forward to Phase two.
The Design Sprint will focus on refining digital grading and translating the concept from digital pattern to a physical prototype, culminating in a final showcase.
Who can apply?
Post-graduate: Freelance fashion designers and designers from emerging and established brands are eligible to apply. Brands must be based in Europe, and accessory brands are excluded from participation. Applications can be submitted from April 13 to May 20, 2026.
Pre-knowledge in CLO is a plus, but the Design Academy SIZE is open to anyone interested to learn more!
Skillset
Learn how size and fit innovation drives brand advantage and adds more sustainability
Master inclusive sizing systems and advanced design strategies for diverse bodies
Gain digital design skills in CLO training and create digital garments for different body types
Gain a deep dive into the technical process of digital grading
Build innovative, scalable, and impactful business strategies with customer-centered design
What to expect from the programme:
Live online trainings via Zoom with industry experts
Six training hours per week
Programme language: English
Weekly training sessions on Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays, 5:00–7:00 PM (CEST)
Weekly check-ins with the Lead Coach (Thursdays, 7:00–7:30 PM CEST) to stay on track
Bookable 1:1 feedback sessions with expert trainers to refine your concept (outside regular training schedule)
Become part of an inspiring peer group and expand your professional network
Free VORN – The Berlin Fashion Hub community membership (200+ members working towards the transformation of the textile and fashion industry)
Certificate of Participation upon submission of a concept
The application and the entire programme is free of charge
APPLY NOW!
DESIGN SPRINT
October 5 – November 26
As a SIZE awardee, you will receive a € 2,000 scholarship, plus dedicated budgets for production, materials, and travel, to support you in bringing your concept to life during the eight-week hybrid Design Sprint, partly in Berlin.
During the sprint, you will:
Participate in hands-on workshops to sharpen your skills and expand your creative approach
Refine your digital grading and translate your concept from digital patterns to a physical prototype
Gain access to high-end sampling studios and knitwear facilities, turning your ideas into reality using professional production tools and techniques
Receive individual and group coaching from experienced industry mentors
Showcase your finished design during an internal Demo Day and at a professional exhibition during Berlin Fashion Week, providing excellent media exposure and networking opportunities
Benefit from a professional photo and video documentation of your prototype
SHOWCASE
Berlin Fashion Week, February 2027
As one of the 10 SIZE awardees you will present your designs and solutions at an exhibition as part of Berlin Fashion Week in February 2027. This event will bring together press, industry leaders, creatives and fashion enthusiasts to celebrate the results.
It is a prime opportunity for networking, press coverage, and industry exposure, allowing awardees to connect with key players, gain visibility, and showcase their innovations on an international stage.
Learn more about last year’s Design Academy NOVA here.