When Shirts Become Vases: Hugo Boss Upcycling Project

Berlin-based design studio Haus Otto has collaborated with Hugo Boss on the project Deconstructing Icons, presenting new possibilities in fashion upcycling. The project deconstructs Hugo Boss's iconic shirts and assigns entirely different roles to the leftover materials. Starting from the principle of maximizing the use of existing garments and surplus fabrics, it expands the material potential of clothing beyond its original function.

The project yielded a diverse range of outcomes. The Sleeve Vase, created from a shirt sleeve, alongside light shades and stools, showcases how garments can be reimagined into functional objects. The blue fabric vase retains the structural characteristics of the original shirt while being reinterpreted for a new purpose. Each object goes beyond simple recycling, respecting the formal identity of the original garment while receiving a new function.

This project was specifically created for the Hugo Boss headquarters in Metzingen, Germany. Haus Otto demonstrates that sustainable design can be a field of creative experimentation beyond mere environmental responsibility, assigning new purpose and value to materials that might otherwise have been discarded. The transformation of a single shirt from clothing into an object that fills space dismantles the boundaries between fashion and design while proving the aesthetic potential of upcycling.