Most towels are interchangeable. Ours isn't. Soft, skin-friendly and fair – without you having to make compromises.
You've probably never even thought about your towel.
We could have launched earlier. With a "good enough" towel – like most towels that nobody thinks twice about. That was not an option for us. Because a towel touches your skin when it's most sensitive: right after showering or bathing. That's precisely why we optimized not only for softness and absorbency, but also for materials that are tested for harmful substances and are particularly skin-friendly.
Our terry towels are made from 100% Indian organic cotton – soft to the touch, reliably absorbent, and processed in a way that ensures they retain their shape even after many washes. Labels, hanging loops, sewing threads – all pure cotton. No plastic. No greenwashing.
The fact that the cotton is Fairtrade-certified and can be traced back to the cooperative is a matter of course for us – and an additional mark of trust you can rely on.
Why would a fair fashion brand now also make home textiles?
Towels and bed linen are full of cotton – more than almost any other textile. That's precisely why every fiber counts twice here: for the farmers who grow it, and for the people in India who process it. More cotton. More impact. More impact with what you use every day anyway.
because your skin, and you, deserve only the best
Soft & absorbent
Pleasantly soft and reliably absorbent – day after day.
Gentle on the skin
Tested for harmful substances for a gentle feeling on the skin.
Durable quality
Reinforced selvages ensure shape retention and prevent fraying.
Consciously designed
From the cotton to the last detail, developed with the highest sustainability standards.
Triple certified
Fairtrade Cotton, GOTS and Grüner Knopf stand for high social and ecological standards – our proof of trust.
Fair from the origin
The cotton is traceable back to the Fairtrade cooperatives.
Three seals, one attitude.
As soft and skin-friendly as our towels feel, they are just as good behind the scenes: triple certified so you can rely on them on every level.
Fairtrade Cotton Standard: better prices and a Fairtrade premium for cotton farmers, labor rights and social standards (e.g. no child or forced labor), restrictions on particularly hazardous pesticides, environmental requirements for the protection of soil, water and biodiversity.
Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS): The world's leading certification for textiles made from organically grown natural fibers. Strict environmental and social standards along the entire production chain - and thus also proof of tested, skin-friendly processing.
Grüner Knopf (Green Button): The state textile seal that examines companies according to 46 social and ecological criteria - at product and company level.
Hergestellt in Indien mit Stolz
A journey from the cotton field to the finished towel.
Where it all begins: in the cotton field
Gujarat, India. This is where the cotton for our towels grows. Organically grown, without synthetic pesticides and genetically modified seeds.
Child and forced labor are prohibited. The cooperatives are Fairtrade certified and receive a guaranteed minimum price for their cotton as well as an additional Fairtrade premium.
In 2025, the RDFC cooperative invested its premium in, among other things, drinking water canisters, batteries for irrigation, soil and seed testing, and a preschool teacher for 42 children.
From yarn comes fabric
Tamil Nadu, India. This is where the fabric for our towels is created on the looms of our partners.
Organic cotton is just the beginning. The processing also matters, specifically how and under what conditions the fiber becomes a textile.
That's why the weaving mill is GOTS-certified and meets ecological and social requirements – from chemicals and wastewater to working conditions and social standards.
Now things are getting colorful
Tamil Nadu, India. This is where our towels get their color. If they are solid-colored, the already woven fabric is dyed; for our stripes, the yarn is dyed before weaving.
Colors should bring joy, not harm. Our dye house is also GOTS-certified. Problematic azo dyes and heavy metal-containing dyes are prohibited, and wastewater is treated in a controlled manner.
The finishing touch
Tamil Nadu, India. Unlike a garment with its many cut pieces and seams, a towel only requires a few steps in the sewing factory. It arrives as a finished fabric from the loom and is cut into individual towels. Then, the edges are folded, sewn, and labels are attached.
While the industry usually uses polyester sewing thread and labels, we rely on cotton here too.
Like all companies in our supply chain, the sewing factory is GOTS-certified. This means that social and ecological requirements apply right up to the final processing step.
And then what?
A towel consists of a considerable amount of material. Even when worn out, it's not waste for us, but a valuable resource. Far too good to simply throw away. That's why we're launching our take-back program at the end of the year: Worn-out MELA textiles can be returned to us.
Our mono-material design facilitates recycling: the fabric, sewing thread, and labels are made of cotton and do not need to be meticulously separated from each other before shredding. This way, a new raw material can be created from an old product.
Featured collection
Bathroom
herbal green striped Guest Towel 2 Pack Style TANVI
cloudy blue striped Bath Towel Style TANVI
herbal green striped Bath towel Style TANVI
cloudy blue striped Towel Style TANVI
cloudy blue striped Towel Style TANVI
herbal green striped
natural white Bath Towel Style TANVI
natural white Towel Style TANVI
natural white Guest Towel 2 Pack Style TANVI
basalt gray Guest towel 2-pack Style TANVI
birch Towel Style TANVI
birch Towel Style TANVI
bluish-grey Towel Style TANVI
basalt gray Guest Towel 2 Pack Style TANVI
bluish-grey Bath Towel Style TANVI
birch Bath Towel Style TANVI
bluish-grey Shower Towel Style TANVI
basalt gray
cloudy blue striped Towel Style TANVI Stripes Bundle
herbal green striped
birch Towel Style TANVI Bundle
basalt grey Towel Style TANVI Bundle
trübes blau Towel Style TANVI Bundle
natural white
FAQ
How do I care for my MELA towel?
We recommend washing the towels at 40°C – this protects the fibres and colour and is good for the environment. Do not use fabric softener: it would impair the absorbency of the organic cotton and reduce the effect of the tested materials. After 2–3 washes, terry cloth unfolds its full, soft potential.
Why do the towels feel so soft and skin-friendly?
Our terry quality with 440GSM is optimised for softness and absorbency. Thanks to tested, GOTS-certified materials, the towels are particularly suitable for sensitive skin.
Do the towels shrink when washed?
Our towels are pre-washed before being made up. This minimises shrinkage and allows you to enjoy the usual fit and feel right from the start.
Which size is right for me?
The guest towel (30×50cm) is suitable for hands and guest toilets, the towel (50×100cm) for daily use, the shower towel (70×140cm) for full wrapping after showering.
What exactly does "Fairtrade Cotton certified" mean?
Fairtrade Cotton Standard means better prices and a Fairtrade premium for cotton farmers, labour rights and social standards (e.g. no child or forced labour), restrictions on particularly dangerous pesticides, environmental requirements for the protection of soil, water and biodiversity.
Are the towels a good gift?
Absolutely. They come in high-quality, minimalistic packaging and can be combined with our other MELA home products to form a set.
For moments that matter.
Sometimes it's the small things that make all the difference. A towel that feels good – every morning, every evening. Made to last. Welcome to MELA Home.