Borbala is a fashion brand based in Târgu-Mureș and Budapest, focusing on upcycling and plastic recycling. We create one of a kind, experimental garments, and earrings from post-consumer plastic waste, leftovers, and second-hand clothes.

We deconstruct and regenerate second-hand clothes while pushing forward traditional techniques and DIY methods like patchwork, quilting or textile collage. Our aesthetic is spontaneous and colorful, always playing around with the concept of old and new, waste and precious, traditional and contemporary.

Oil-based textiles like polyester do not decompose so they must not end up in landfills. We collect our material from local second-hand shops and flea markets since lots of bad quality second-hand clothes end up in this region. We look for damaged or worn-out pieces and we create new garments from them. Through this process of creating new from old and discarded, we would like to question the way society thinks about waste. After all, there is no away, when we throw things away. Since our material is constantly changing, all our garments are unique. Each piece requires special attention, they can’t be mass-produced. Each of our patchworks has a different story, combining different materials from different countries and cultures.

Our accessories line is focusing on creating jewelry from post-consumer plastic waste. We collect plastic waste locally, wash it, shred it and then melt it into new products. We are trying to show a different side of this material, which basically can last forever, but still, it is used for creating single-use objects. We work with special artisanal techniques which is the opposite of usual plastic processing techniques. Each one of our jewelry is unique and handmade. Besides production, we are hosting workshops at festivals and in schools to present their recycling methods and to raise awareness of plastic pollution. Sharing knowledge is an important aspect of our philosophy as a brand.