Zalando, Europe’s leading fashion and lifestyle destination, announced a five-year strategic partnership with DFB, the German national football federation. This major collaboration makes Zalando a main partner of DFB’s Men’s, Women’s, and Youth teams until 2030.

With over 8 million memberships, DFB is the largest national sports association in the world. Anchoring the brand in the DFB universe and the football culture, the partnership will resonate with fans of football and style among new and existing Zalando customers and cement its position at the intersection of sport and fashion. It marks a major milestone for Zalando’s strategic goal of further expanding as a lifestyle destination.

The comprehensive partnership with DFB grants Zalando a wide range of exclusive marketing and activation rights, creating exciting opportunities for football enthusiasts in Germany and beyond to connect with Zalando. Key elements include:

Zalando has signed a five-year partnership with the German Football Association, becoming a main partner across Men’s, Women’s and Youth teams.
The deal includes branding on training and pre-match kits, major media visibility and exclusive fan activations.
Zalando will use the collaboration to connect sport and style, enhance loyalty benefits and create new football-inspired campaigns and content.

• Prominent branding: Zalando’s logo will be featured on all pre-match and training kits for DFB’s Men’s, Women’s, and Youth teams.
• Extensive media presence: The partnership includes a full suite of marketing rights, such as significant stadium LED board visibility, cam carpets, media backdrop branding, and a strong integrated social media presence.
• Exclusive activations: Zalando will host a unique, in-camp studio during all major tournaments, creating exclusive behind-the-scenes content for Zalando customers. Zalando Plus customers in Germany will get exclusive access to raffles of tickets and gear.

The partnership is introduced through a dedicated campaign, showcasing that football is about more than just the game; it’s about style and attitude, and how owning that style with confidence creates icons beyond the pitch. The campaign references DFB legends and their memorable looks and performances, including Franz Beckenbauer’s legendary collar and Berti Vogts’ oversized fits – proof that style has always been integral to success.

The campaign not only looks back at the fashion heritage of the last decades but to a new age of style makers and star players such as Florian Wirtz, Joshua Kimmich and Karim Adeyemi.

James Rothwell, Senior Vice President Marketing at Zalando, says: “Football and fashion have a long history together, and collectively play a major role in German culture. We are delighted to become a main partner of the DFB, and to build on that legacy. We hope to inspire a new generation of fans to find confidence in their style on and off the pitch. Sport is a major focus for Zalando, and we have seen significant growth of sports audiences and brands on our platform. Through this partnership, we are excited to insert our brand into the most passionate, engaged cultural conversation in Germany, connect fans with incredible content, assortment and experiences, and to create access to special moments for fans. We look forward to celebrating key sporting events over the next five years with a diverse and passionate football community.”

Holger Blask, Chairman of the Management Board at DFB GmbH und Co. KG says: “We are delighted to welcome Zalando as a new, strong, and simply ideal main partner by our side. As a leading international e-commerce and fashion company rooted in Germany, Zalando represents creativity, diversity, and a forward-looking approach. Football and DFB are more than just about sport – they are an expression of community and emotional connection. Together with Zalando, we aim to set new standards – connecting sport, lifestyle, and fashion with digital culture. This partnership demonstrates a perfect synergy between tradition and innovation, emotion and style.”

Zalando will further leverage the partnership by enhancing its loyalty experience. An exclusive “Plus Zone” debuts for Zalando Plus customers in Germany, integrated within the sports landing page and serving as the central hub for special raffles and partnerships starting today. Plus members can enter to win tickets for the Germany vs. Slovakia match in Leipzig (Application open from 6-10th November). In addition, an exclusive raffle will offer 5 jerseys of the new World Cup kit signed by the entire team (application open from 11-18th November). The Plus Zone will be continually updated with exclusive opportunities to join the football excitement.

Further exciting elements of the partnership will be unveiled in 2026.

The partnership underpins Zalando’s ambition to further expand as a lifestyle destination, moving beyond a generalist offering to provide a curated, high-performance experience. In the last few years, Zalando has significantly expanded its expertise in key areas like football, running and cycling, onboarding technical assortment, unveiling dedicated onsite experiences for customers for different sport types and authentically embedding the Zalando brand in sports culture through supporting major sporting events in Europe.

Note: The headline, insights, and image of this press release may have been refined by the Fibre2Fashion staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RM)

Apparel manufacturers in Bangladesh expect an additional $5 billion from high-end garment exports in the first year after the government scraps the 50-per cent ceiling on free-of-charge (FoC) imports, according to Mohammad Shehab Udduza Chowdhury, vice president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).

Under this arrangement, the buyer supplies raw materials like fabrics and accessories. Manufacturers receive only the cutting and making charges.

Bangladesh apparel manufacturers expect an additional $5 billion from high-end garment exports in the first year after the government scraps the 50-per cent ceiling on free-of-charge (FoC) imports, trade body BGMEA said.
Under this arrangement, the buyer supplies raw materials.
The additional earnings could cross $10 billion in the second year once the FoC quota is fully abolished, BGMEA noted.

The additional earnings could cross $10 billion in the second year once the FoC quota is fully abolished, Chowdhury said.

The country’s Ministry of Commerce has decided to amend the Import Policy Order within the next two weeks, allowing garment exporters to source all raw materials from overseas buyers, process them and ship the finished products back, the Chief Adviser’s Office said.

Exporters now are permitted to import only half of the required raw materials under the FoC arrangement.

A few years ago, FoC imports were capped at 33 per cent of total raw materials. This was raised to 50 per cent later.

Bangladesh’s apparel exporters use FoC for less than 5 per cent of total shipments now due to restrictive conditions and reported complications at the Chattogram customs department.

As FoC is straightforward, less risky and faster, garment exporters feel without any quota on FoC import, global brands will place more orders with Bangladesh.

Manufacturers say orders for high-end man-made fibre and polyester garments are shifting from China to Bangladesh as the United States has imposed higher tariffs on Chinese goods.

Many Bangladeshi factories, however, cannot take full advantage of this as these are barred from importing more than half of raw materials under the current FoC regulations.

Chowdhury said FoC reduces risk as buyers cover raw material costs and cannot abruptly cancel orders, according to domestic media outlets.

However, Showkat Aziz Russell, president of the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA), said the government should consult all stakeholders before taking any decision. He believes higher import of raw materials could harm the domestic textile industry by reducing demand for local yarn, fabrics and accessories, and lowering local value addition.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)

The British Fashion Council (BFC) has announced that Rei Kawakubo, Adrian Joffe and Dickon Bowden will receive the Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator at The Fashion Awards in London next month.

The trio is being recognised on 1 December in London “for their incredible contribution to the global fashion industry through the establishment of Dover Street Market (DSM), an internationally renowned shop for emerging talent, established brands and cross-disciplinary collaborations. Widely regarded as the first concept store of its kind, DSM has become an innovative platform for immersive brand storytelling and artistic exploration”.

DSM celebrated its 20th anniversary last year and has become a key name at the cutting edge of international luxury fashion retail. But it’s seen as more than just a shop. The BFC said that “through experimental installations and unconventional displays, it has created a living, breathing cultural space that dissolves the boundaries between fashion, art and commerce. DSM has fostered a collaborative community in the fashion industry and continues to shape the global conversation with locations in London, Tokyo, New York City, Singapore, Beijing, Los Angeles and Paris”.

While Comme des Garçons co-founder and creative director Kawakubo is perhaps the best-known name among DSM’s founders, all three have played a key part.

Kawakubo “has greatly influenced the contemporary fashion industry with her revolutionary designs and shaped the conceptual foundation of DSM,” the BFC said. 

Meanwhile Adrian Joffe is the CEO and co-founder and president of Comme des Garçons International. “His leadership has been instrumental in the brand curation and evolution of the DSM concept over time”. 

And Bowden is the VP of DSM as well as “a guiding force in the company’s international expansion”.

BFC chief executive Laura Weir said: “Rei, Adrian and Dickon’s steadfast commitment to innovation, support for emerging talent and dedication to building an authentic creative community continue to influence the industry and challenge wider fashion discourse.”

Previous recipients of the Isabella Blow Award for include Tyler Mitchell, Campbell Addy, Edward Enninful, IB Kamara, Katie Grand, Amanda Harlech, Mert & Marcus, Nick Knight, Pat McGrath, Professor Louise Wilson and Sam McKnight.