Luxury lingerie and bodywear brand Bordelle plans paid apprenticeship programme to train the next generation of garment technicians
Bordelle is a unique lingerie and bodywear concept that merges craftsmanship with innovative design. Known for its revolutionary adjustable strapping designs elegantly framing the body and revealing its architecture, Bordelle blurs the line between seduction and ready-to-wear.Bordelle produces its collections at its own manufacture, Atelier Bordelle Productions, in Cluj-Napoca, in the historic heart of Transylvania, Romania: an up and coming picturesque region in the Carpathian foothills not only known for medieval towns and castles, but for its technical excellence in garment making, especially corsetry. This expertise has deep roots in Romania’s communist era, when restricted Western imports fostered a strong local lingerie and textile industry and a legacy of technical precision. Bordelle’s decision to manufacture in Transylvania draws on this heritage, positioning the region as a high-quality alternative to established European production hubs. Established in 2019 by Bordelle founder Alexandra Popa, the solar-powered, 2,000sqm atelier represents a modern evolution of this heritage. The business employs 70 people, in majority highly skilled women, and operates on a model that challenges local industry norms, with salaries soaring up to 55 per cent above Romania’s minimum wage, alongside additional benefits including meal allowances, transport support, partial remote working for women with young children and performance bonuses. Crucially, Bordelle is not only preserving local craftsmanship, it is reshaping the conditions under which it exists.What began as a facility dedicated solely to Bordelle has quickly scaled into a multifaceted production hub. Today, the atelier manufactures for approximately 20 brands and offers end-to-end services including technical development, warehousing, and distribution. Bordelle’s growth trajectory reinforces this. The brand has been profit-making for ten consecutive years, achieving double-digit growth in the last financial year, with retail presence spanning a private showroom in west London as well as luxury department stores such as Printemps and most recently Harrods. With new categories such as swimwear in development, further expansion is already underway. Meanwhile, Atelier Bordelle Productions has tripled its workforce since launch, reaching €1 million in revenue in the last financial year alone. The brand has cultivated an exceptionally loyal customer base, with a 50% returning customer rate and a notably low 7% returns rate, while 85% of the business is driven through DTC channels.Looking ahead, Bordelle is investing not only in output, but in preserving the future of the craft itself. The planned ABP School, a paid apprenticeship programme, aims to train a new generation of female garment technicians, ensuring that specialist skills remain local, viable, and fairly compensated.In an industry increasingly scrutinised for its supply chains, Bordelle offers a compellingly transparent alternative: a vertically integrated, female-led business that combines heritage craftsmanship with progressive labour practices and robust commercial growth. Transylvania, once a necessity-driven production centre, is being repositioned as a hub of modern luxury manufacturing. Bordelle is at the forefront of that shift.
