Borbala Ferencz

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 focuses on upcycling—transforming existing materials into new garments. Her designs have been showcased internationally, from San Francisco to Kyiv. In 2019, she took part in the Arts of Fashion Competition (USA), Lisboa Fashion Week (PT), Lodz Young Fashion (PL), and IYDC (UA). In 2021, she exhibited at Dutch Design Week (NL) and Kunsthalle Lingen (DE). In 2022, she joined Feeric Fashion Week (RO) and Kunsthalle Budapest’s “Közös tér” exhibition. In 2023, her collections appeared at BCEFW (HU), Milan Fashion Week (IT), Helsinki Fashion Week (FI), and Kiscelli Museum (HU). She is a member of the Precious Plastic community and Trash Club network. During her two-week residency at Center Rog, Borbala intends to create a unique conceptual garment using damaged second-hand polyester and synthetic leftover materials. She started experimenting with transferring colors from one synthetic garment to another. At temperatures above 200°C, synthetic fabrics can transfer their colors through processes such as ironing or using a heat press. This method allows for the reuse of color pigments from damaged synthetic clothing, providing a creative way to dye synthetic materials without the need for new pigments or water pollution. In the first phase of her residency, she will conduct multiple tests using various colors and fabrics, aiming to create intriguing textures through techniques like folding, layering, and color transfer. In the second phase, she will use the results from these experiments to design a conceptual patchwork T-shirt, combining the experiment pieces into a cohesive garment.