THE DESIGNER
Borbala Ferencz is the founder and designer of BORBALA. Born in Târgu-Mureș, Romania, she studied in Cluj-Napoca (RO), Pécs (HU), Turku (FI), and Eindhoven (NL). Her work centers on upcycling—transforming existing materials into new garments—and blends bold aesthetics with sustainability.
Her designs have been showcased internationally, from San Francisco to Kyiv, and she has been featured in key events such as Romanian Design Week and Romanian Creative Week. In 2019, she participated in the Arts of Fashion Competition (USA), Lisboa Fashion Week (PT), Lodz Young Fashion (PL), and IYDC (UA). In 2021, her work was exhibited at Dutch Design Week (NL) and Kunsthalle Lingen (DE). In 2022, she took part in Feeric Fashion Week (RO) and Kunsthalle Budapest’s “Közös tér” exhibition.
In 2023, her collections were presented at BCEFW (HU), Milan Fashion Week (IT), Helsinki Fashion Week (FI), and the Kiscelli Museum (HU). Borbala is also a member of the Precious Plastic community and the Trash Club network, reflecting her ongoing commitment to environmental consciousness and creative reuse.
THE BRAND
BORBALA is an upcycling fashion collective based in Budapest and Târgu-Mureș, dedicated to transforming waste into bold, experimental design. Drawing inspiration from Eastern European flea markets, the collective uncovers unexpected beauty in discarded materials, reimagining them through a fresh, contemporary lens.
Working with post-consumer plastic, textile remnants, and second-hand garments, BORBALA creates one-of-a-kind pieces that blend elements of streetwear, folk tradition, and modern craftsmanship. Their vibrant, spontaneous aesthetic is shaped by techniques such as patchwork and textile collage, infusing each garment with narrative and individuality.
More than a fashion label, BORBALA operates as a community-driven platform where collaboration, workshops, and knowledge-sharing play a vital role. Through their commitment to circular design and hands-on education, they challenge the boundaries between waste and value, old and new, tradition and innovation—pushing forward a more sustainable and inclusive future for fashion.
THE COLLECTION
The SS25 collection merges candy-colored fantasy with raw dystopia. “Princess-like” silhouettes, corsets, and exaggerated hips meet deconstructed textures, exposed stitches, and upcycled materials—like towels, curtains, and second-hand tees. This contrast reflects a world in flux: delicate yet decaying. In collaboration with jewelry designer and biomaterial researcher Harsány Patrícia, the collection introduces pieces made from experimental biomaterials and textile microplastics, resembling magnified unicellular organisms. The organic influence flows through sculptural garments, patchworks, and threads that hint at strange, hybrid beings of a speculative future.
The BORBALA SS26 collection is inspired by contrasts: the meeting point of simplicity and extravagance, the dialogue between old and new, permanence and renewal. The collection blends the brand’s iconic, recurring pieces with seasonally refreshed designs, creating a distinctive identity that is both timeless and ever-evolving.
BORBALA’s signature patchwork technique returns in a new, textured form, appearing across various garments in different shapes and color combinations. The main materials used in the collection are textile remnants sourced from knitting factories in Budapest, complemented by repurposed cotton T-shirts, towels, and even plastic bags—all given a second life through the design process. Floral prints, original graphics from upcycled T-shirts, and fragments of once-used slogans from plastic bags contribute to the collection’s unique aesthetic—eclectic yet structured. This visual language continues to define the brand's identity season after season.