The greatness of Konfekció is that it doesn’t take itself seriously, yet it is obviously operated with true passion. Hidden away in gritty District VIII on Víg Street behind the Rákóczi Square market hall, this tiny shop is a big indication of the increasingly hip status of the surrounding neighborhood, long disregarded by most locals as an undesirable area. When first spotting Konfekció, we were immediately fascinated by the tattered purple-yellow “Mini Store” sign, and the leopard-skin boots next to Tímea the mannequin in the window, all screaming out from a genuinely offbeat clothing store.
When we enter the store occupying a 16-square-meter space – so it definitely is a mini store – we could instantly tell that what we saw on Facebook was real. Clothes, shoes, accessories, and decorative items that are part of the store’s personality all swirl in harmony amid this controlled chaos. The jam-packed bijou boutique is absolutely stuffed with funny and sometimes-surreal relics and gags.
The founders and factotums of Konfekció are Magyar underground-style mavens Kata Oltai and Vera Vida, who both have a light case of materialism, but who can easily say goodbye to their favorite duds and important pieces from time to time – so that they can be replaced by new threads. They are fans of pop culture and trash art, and they also care about gender-related questions and the feminist movement – all of this mingles to create a unique feeling that is readily apparent to customers, whether they are friends, lost tourists, or senior-citizen neighbors. There really is something for everyone to find here, as long as they don’t mind digging through a lot of random raiments to find it.
Once discovered and paid for, purchases are often packed into “limited edition” plastic bags from another era.
Vera and Kata didn’t necessarily start Konfekció in hopes of big profit; their motivation is more rooted in their experiences of recent years, and with a desire to spend more time together creating a shared project. They have experience in clothing adoption, as they had a pop-up shop at Madách Square within the formerly empty site that now houses IGEN pizzeria (which also displays an affinity for cool kitsch). The important thing was the time they spent together, the enjoyment of rummaging, the environmental awareness, and charity, since the donated clothes went to an institution for girls.
It’s fun to shop at this store: the stock at Konfekció changes every day, as there’s only one of everything. Each piece has its own history, including the Jesus-patterned bag that traveled the Caucasus, the notGucci bag, the Gucci bag, the neon-colored quilted coat with gummy-bear buttons, the shell earrings with Michael Jacksonpainted on them, and the coat from the old clothing factory in Debrecen. Making up stories about the origins of all this stuff is an amusing pastime in and of itself, and then you can wear your newest possessions without worrying about someone else copying your style, as you surely won’t see such duds anywhere else. And as an added bonus, they are really cheap, so you can afford a leather jacket, a pair of boots, or a handbag anytime. Meanwhile, you reduce your ecological footprint without over-explaining it.We recommend this place for those who like to dress uniquely but have no patience for sorting through massive secondhand shops for the very occasional funky discovery, but also for those who want something really strange for a costume or performance, and for those who want to experience the awakening atmosphere of the Rákóczi Square neighborhood, and want to explore it beyond the market hall. It is worthwhile to pay attention to the area: Kék ló, Puccs, Konfekció… something is happening here.
Konfekció
Address:
Budapest 1084, Víg Street 62 (behind the market hall)
Open: Wednesday-Saturday, 2pm-7pm
