Is upcycling the new recycling?

Some years ago, Katarína Hutyrová and Jakub Ptačin came up with an innovative idea about ​​how to improve second-hand shops, and in 2015 they brought it to market by opening the first scented second-hand shop, Nosene, in Slovakia. Katka and the rest of the team behind the Nosene project have been trying to improve the Slovak fashion scene with their upcycled pieces for seven years. Upcycling is a step beyond recycling: it tries to give unnecessary things a new and useful purpose, which avoids such objects going straight to the trash.

With that concept in mind, you can buy a unique book cover sewn from fabric made from recycled textile waste, which is produced directly in NOSENE. This unique cover from 2019 is stitched and redesigned with zero waste cuts and was created from damaged men's shirts, denim, and residual or damaged materials and fabrics, and was made in cooperation with Martinus.

RENEWALS by Nosene is a unique upcycled collection of unique pieces, stitched and redesigned with zero waste, and produced locally in Slovakia. Deutsche Post DHL Group group provided materials from damaged/discarded courier uniforms as part of its commitment to sustainability, while student Karin Elízová from the VŠVU art school’s clothing design studio designed the collection.

Working with Natália Pažická, an influencer dedicated to raising awareness of sustainability, Nosene also created the first upcycled merch. A limited collection of t-shirts was created, from which the proceeds of €951 went to support the Animals in Need civic association.