In the heart of Lausanne, Laboratoi/RE has long been a staple of the local design scene. Founded in 2000 by two fashion designers and later evolved by a core team of four textile and fashion designers, the boutique is more than a shop — it’s a manifesto for creativity, sustainability, and Swiss craftsmanship. Their mission? To transform existing materials into unique or limited-edition pieces while championing local talent.
When you walk into the store, located — fittingly — on Rue Mercerie (translation: Haberdashery Street), you don’t know where to look first. It’s an explosion of colors, materials, and textures. Clothing, jewellery, ceramics, sponges and soaps, handkerchiefs and scarves, posters and art, bags and backpacks (it was one of the first places in French-speaking Switzerland to sell the Zurich-based brand QWSTION), slippers and postcards… It’s a carefully curated — and very cool — selection of Swiss design, handcrafted objects from local artists, and original pieces produced in the workshop located on the lower floor.
A Story of Collaboration and Reinvention
Laboratoire was founded in 2000 by Maryll and Patricia, both textile designers and seamstresses. After some time, the team made a conscious decision to step away from traditional production systems to focus exclusively on creating garments on site from pre-existing materials. The team ebbed and flowed over the years, with Maryll always at its center. In 2018, Laure joined the project, followed by Pascale. Both come from fashion backgrounds, and together they truly launched the current concept. Fayez, a tailor, and Amélie, a fashion designer, later joined the team, completing it as it exists today.
Laboratoire thus became Laboratoi/RE. The “RE” stands for reusing, recycling, recovering, reprocessing, and revaluing. It’s more than a prefix — it’s a mindset, and the guiding value at Laboratoi/RE.
Their collections include RE/Papa’s (shirts, trousers, and blazers crafted from second-hand men’s garments), RE/Maison (derived from household textiles like tablecloths, tea towels, and curtains), as well as RE/Cover and RE/Terry (vests and tops made from old blankets and bath towels). The materials are either sourced from local flea markets or generously donated. Selected garments and textiles are then transformed into new, contemporary pieces with entirely new stories. Collaborations with other labels, such as RE/Jungle Folk, and upcycling projects by creatives like Diana Rikasari further extend this philosophy of transformation.
I know what you’re thinking… Upcycling makes you think of your elementary school teacher’s weird-length skirt made of ties. This is not that. Laboratoi/RE is cool and fashion-forward. The silhouettes are sharp, the styling contemporary, the cuts deliberate. These are pieces you’d spot in an editorial shoot or on someone who really knows how to dress — not in a DIY cautionary tale. The past lives of the materials are still there, but subtly and intelligently integrated. The result is fashion with depth, attitude, and just the right amount of irreverence.
Directly below the boutique, Laboratoi/RE’s workshop allows the team to manage production in-house, adapting each cut to the fabrics at hand. It’s also a way to support local employment and honor traditional craftsmanship.
The Boutique — A Hub for Swiss Creativity
The boutique showcases Laboratoi/RE creations alongside a curated selection of Swiss designers committed to sustainability. From jewellery and illustrations to ceramics and fashion, each item reflects a shared ethos: maximum use of existing materials, originality, and environmental responsibility. More than a shop, the space is a meeting point for discovery, inspiration, and conversation about responsible, eco-friendly Swiss creation.
At any given moment, Laboratoi/RE presents and sells the work of around thirty Swiss designers whose values align with their own. Recent highlights include Studio Sediment’s minimalist ceramics, Capucine Jewelry’s delicate silver pieces, Sabelle’s silk scarves, Neus’ glass jewellery, and Jungle Folk’s knitwear. The selection is based on a loose set of criteria: ecological and ethical responsibility, craftsmanship, and, of course, aesthetics.
A Vision for Fashion
At Laboratoi/RE, fashion isn’t disposable — it’s transformable. Customers are encouraged to repair and cherish their pieces, extending their life and contributing to a more virtuous system. With its commitment to upcycling, collaboration, and Swiss talent, Laboratoi/RE proves that sustainable fashion can be beautiful, unique, and full of story.
Laboratoi/RE is part of the fabric that makes up Lausanne’s community of local creators. It is one of the few stores in the city today that offers a truly curated selection of local designers and artisans, while championing a “shop local” mentality.
The team behind Laboratoi/RE are not just designers — they’re facilitators of a different fashion system. Part makers, part curators, part community builders, they operate somewhere between atelier, laboratory, and cultural space. Their work quietly reshapes what “made in Switzerland” can mean today: resourceful, collaborative, rooted in craft, and open to constant reinvention.
Laboratoi/RE
Rue Mercerie 16
1003 Lausanne
+41 21 311 79 49
mardi-vendredi 10h-18h30 / samedi 10h-18h
