It’s not goodbye, it’s rock it later – How old clothes are transformed into design objects

In a workshop in Cluj-Napoca, old clothes don’t disappear – they are reinvented. Adrian Vele, founder of Velements, has been working for several years with the idea of upcycling, a creative process that rejects waste and proposes a new aesthetic, built from what would otherwise have been considered trash.

Currently, a collection of design objects created by Velements can be discovered in Bucharest: a capsule exhibition hosted by Promenada Mall, on level 1, part of the “It’s Not Goodbye, It’s Rock It Later” campaign, brings sustainability into the midst of everyday consumption. The collection on display brings together unique pieces—furniture, lighting fixtures, and accessories—all made from collected clothing and creatively reinterpreted.

You have been working for years with the idea of upcycling, a process that not only recycles but also imagines. What attracts you most to this form of work?

Adrian Vele: Paradoxically, it’s a form of freedom. When you work with old materials, with clothes that have already been worn, you never start from scratch—you start from a story, from an imperfect form that challenges you to see something else in it. For me, upcycling is a combination of instinct, observation, and respect for what came before. I like that it’s not just a creative gesture, but also an ethical one—you’re not just creating new objects, but also new perspectives.

How did your involvement in the “It’s not goodbye, it’s rock it later” campaign come about?

Adrian Vele: It was a natural alignment. We at Velements already work with this idea, but we rarely have the opportunity to show it in such an accessible and direct setting. What attracted me was the courage of the proposal – to exhibit pieces made from old clothes, transformed into design objects where people normally come to buy new things.

The exhibition features a series of unique pieces. What did this process entail—from selecting the materials to creating the objects?

Addrian Vele: Each object in the exhibition started from a material donated during the campaign: a worn coat, a broken zipper, a forgotten lining. We didn’t try to hide their imperfections, but to integrate them into their new function – whether it’s a light fixture, a piece of furniture, or an accessory. It was an intense and personal process—each object was basically rebuilt from scratch, with attention to detail, but also to the story it tells.

What impact do you want to have on people?

Adrian Vele: To pause for a moment. To look at an object and realize that it was something that might have been thrown away. That there is value where we usually only see waste. I would like the exhibition to act as a trigger—small but significant—in the way we relate to things we no longer wear or use.

The exhibition for the “It’s Not Goodbye, It’s Rock It Later” campaign was also part of Romanian Design Week 2025 and can be visited at Promenada Mall in Bucharest until June 8. After that, it will be at the Electric Castle festival.