While moving house, I came up with a fun game to speed up the clearout: guessing the age of very old items. I stumbled upon a lamp from an ex and an open tube of tomato puree from 2019 hidden at the back of the fridge. And then there was the towel that my mother bought around 1986, which she called “white”. Kristoffer Juhl, co-founder of Danish homeware brand Tekla, understands this experience all too well. He remembers growing up and simply buying the towels that his mother told him to buy, or even the towels she gave him. This was the norm for most of his adult life. If he was lucky, it would be the White Company; for him, it was John Lewis. These towels became part of his journey from university to his first houseshare and even through his last breakup. Juhl explains that there was simply nowhere that specialized in nice towels that you’d want people to see.
In 2017, Juhl and Charlie Hedin, formerly of Acne Studios, co-founded Tekla with the intention of selling high-quality, everyday items to stylish Danes who cared about their homes. They offered bed sheets, flannels, pyjamas, and blankets in muted tones. Since then, they have expanded their product range to include 25 colorways, with the most popular being a shade close to NHS blue. Tekla has become one of Copenhagen’s most recognizable brands. During the summer months, you can spot girls cycling in striped Tekla pyjama shorts and men enjoying beer in square-necked navy Tekla pyjamas (yes, outdoors). Tekla towels also line the wooden jetty at the Copenhagen harbourfront on Islands Brygge, and it’s entirely possible that these people will go home to sleep on Tekla sheets. The overall effect is a mix between a stylish uniform and a friendly cult. Recently, Tekla has expanded into Europe, with plans to open a shop in London.
When I visited Tekla’s new store on Vognmagergade, a busy road in Copenhagen filled with curated graffiti and design shops, it was the towels that caught my attention. They were thick yet not heavy, coming in buttery creams, yellows, deep greens, and stripes. These towels were neatly folded on shelves within recessed walls, resembling cashmere sweaters. Juhl explains that they incorporated luxury tricks into their designs, such as keeping the towels in drawers, similar to Hermès scarves. It’s no wonder that Tekla’s products have found their way into the bathrooms of celebrities like Alexa Chung and Harry Styles.
Juhl realized after the pandemic that bathrooms had become the forgotten room of our homes. While other rooms changed functions during lockdown, the bathroom remained the only private space left, the one with a lock on the door. This led to the rise of the “spathroom,” a combination of a toilet and a hammam. It also explains why big fashion brands like L’Oréal and Celine have entered the bathroom market, offering luxury soaps and towels. The bathroom has become a room for Instagram, where people showcase their style and aesthetic. Juhl reflects on his own upbringing, where bathrooms were often tiny, and having a big bathroom was considered a luxury, despite it being the space where you start and end your day.
So, what’s behind this trend? Fashion loves a gateway drug, which usually takes the form of a non-essential luxury item that is more affordable than high-end clothing. Towels have become one such item, with brands like Dolce & Gabbana and Hermes offering their own versions. Even Chanel gifts towels to their best customers. Designer Paboy Bojang creates ruffled towels that he describes as an extension of our wardrobe, and Anna Fahey of Baina believes in elevating everyday objects through a season-less approach. In contrast, Juhl’s towels are functional and practical, with people even bringing in photos of their bathrooms and paint samples to find matching colors.
Overall, the bathroom has become a space where style meets functionality, offering opportunities for self-expression and aesthetic curation. Whether it’s Tekla’s luxurious towels or other designer brands entering the bathroom market, it’s clear that the humble towel has gained a new level of importance in our homes and on our social media feeds.