INTERVIEW #133 CLOTH’EL
In collaboration with CLOTH’EL.
Based in: Budapest, Hungary
Founded in: 2024
Founded by: Szilvia Gecser
Store: www.clothel.co
Price range: 20-320 EUR
Instagram: @clothel.co
Who are you, and what inspired you to start CLOTH’EL? What moment or insight sparked the idea to turn discarded hotel fabrics into fashion?
My name is Szilvia Gecser, the founder of CLOTH’EL. As a lawyer, I had a successful career, but a seminar led by a former colleague changed my perspective forever. The seminar, which focused on environmental responsibility and sustainable practices, struck a chord with me. It made me realise that everyone has a role to play in reducing waste and living sustainably. I felt an obligation to do something meaningful to contribute to a better future.
Motivated to take action, I dove into learning about sustainability, taking courses and exploring ways to make a tangible impact. I have loved sewing since I was a little girl, so I started thinking about upcycling as a solution to keep textiles in a circularity. Since hotels frequently update their interiors, resulting in large quantities of high-quality textiles being discarded, I saw an opportunity to turn this ‘waste’ into something valuable.
The brand was born from my desire to merge sustainability with impeccable style, creating garments that are as kind to the earth as they are beautiful.
Can you describe the typical CLOTH’EL wearer? What are they looking for in their clothing, and how does your vision align with their values?
The vision for CLOTH’EL was clear: to transform discarded hotel textiles into elegant, exclusive, unique garments that tell a story of renewal and sustainability. The aim is that when you look at our products, you can't tell that they are made from used home textiles. We would like to show an alternative way of upcycling, we are creating a cohesive, clean look. We want to offer an alternative to new textile products. We are targeting eco-conscious customers who are looking for elegant, unique clothes and accessories.
Can you walk us through your process, where the hotel textiles come from, how you select and work with the materials, and what production looks like? What certifications or standards do you use, and how do you approach issues like waste, packaging, longevity, and circularity?
The journey of a CLOTH’EL garment begins with sourcing textiles from partner hotels. Our first partner was The Torridon, a family-owned, five-star boutique resort in Scotland. They believed in CLOTH’EL’S mission and provided the textiles that became the foundation of CLOTH’EL’S debut collection. Once the fabrics are collected, they go through a meticulous process of inspection, cleaning, and preparation. Then we work on creating pieces that blend timeless style with sustainable innovation. We design our garments to be as versatile as possible (reversible jackets) and to fit a wide range of body shapes.
We source the parts needed to make our products locally and work exclusively with local tailors and bag makers. To minimise waste, we use smaller materials to make accessories and smaller products. If, for some reason, we cannot use the textiles we receive (e.g. stained, poor quality lining), we donate them. Our aim is to save as many textiles as possible so that they can be used to make quality products. We also pay attention to the packaging of our products, using only textile and paper packaging.
How is it to be dependent on hotels' fabrics, what opportunities and challenges does it impose, and how do you work with partnerships?
Our main idea was to create new products from decorative hotel textiles, such as curtains, pillowcases, and bedspreads. However, I realised that these fabrics are not regularly changed in hotels, so we need to involve as many hotels as possible in our network of partners. That's when the idea came up to try to use "white textiles" such as bed linen, towels, and tablecloths. We can get larger quantities of these textiles from hotels regularly and use the high-quality cotton to make products with different decorations.
We are in contact with several hotels in Budapest and Hungary and are currently working on adding products made from the white cotton textiles we received to our White Collection.
What inspires the look and feel of your pieces? When transforming hotel linens into fashion, what do you consider most important: function, story, or aesthetic?
Our clothes have an elegant but comfortable look. When we design our clothes, one of the most important principles is to create clothes that are functional in more ways. That is the reason why our first product was a reversible jacket. A jacket that can be worn on both sides and is suitable for both elegant and casual occasions.
Aesthetics is also important to us. We saw many upcycled designs, but all of them were guided by the idea of designing a new garment from several different used pieces of fabric. Our goal is to give the garments a uniform look, as if they were made from new fabric.
What have been your biggest challenges, whether it’s sourcing materials, changing public perception, or scaling sustainably?
When I started to implement my idea, I reached out to almost a hundred hotels, explaining the concept of upcycling their retired textiles into sustainable fashion. The journey was challenging, with many hotels hesitant to participate. Public perception is a challenge for both hotel management and customers. We need to convince hotels to think about CLOTH'EL when they have textiles to discard.
Many hotels say that they donate textiles that are no longer used, which is a very generous gesture on the one hand, but I don't think they can donate all kinds of textiles, and in any case, they can be put to good use by the institutions to which they are donated.
On the other hand, customers may have perceptions regarding used textiles. We must assure them that our products are as clean as those made from new textiles, and we need to change their thinking about upcycled clothes so that they think of these clothes as a real alternative to new ones.
This could be personal fulfilment, creative growth, community connection, or business milestones, what’s made it all feel worthwhile?
For me, just being able to show that it is possible to use alternative raw materials to make new products is a success. I'm also happy to have been able to show the versatility of the use of used fabrics. We have not only created clothes, but also other products. I'm always excited when we receive hotel textiles, and the best part of the whole project starts: figuring out what beautiful new products can be made from these fabrics.
From your perspective, what needs to change to create a more responsible, less wasteful industry?
We need to change the way people think. On the one hand, we need to stop putting individual interests first and start thinking as a community. On the other hand, I think that the majority of people think as individuals, so we need to find solutions that are very similar to what we are used to and that involve less real sacrifice.
CLOTH’EL is more than just a fashion brand—it’s a movement toward a more sustainable future. By turning discarded hotel textiles into wearable art, CLOTH’EL reduces waste and encourages consumers to think differently about fashion. We want our garments to inspire people to make more conscious choices. Every piece we create is a step towards a more sustainable world.
Do you have any upcoming projects, collaborations, or visions for how CLOTH’EL will evolve?
Our aim is to involve as many hotels as possible in the project. This can also be done by using textiles donated by hotels to create products that can be used by the hotels too. Whether it is a gift for the hotel shop or a product that can be used by the hotel itself. We would like to work with fashion brands that already have a good name in the market, but would enhance their reputation by offering recycled clothing. We would also like to introduce ourselves in other countries, setting up operational centres to facilitate logistics when working with hotels in other countries.
Is there anything else you’d like people to know about CLOTH’EL?
Our brand name is a combination of two words: Cloth + Hotel. We wanted to express what we do as expressively as possible.