MY X by CONNEX
The Romanian Mobile Network That Opened a Fashion Boutique
Forgotten Trends · 1998–2000
Archived on
Region
Romania
Associated With
CONNEX - Romanian mobile network behind the label
Defining Feature
A mobile-network fashion boutique with phone-oriented clothing and accessories
Status
Discontinued - CONNEX withdrew from clothing in 2000
Overview
MY X by CONNEX turned a Romanian mobile network into a clothing and accessories label in 1998.
Its dedicated Bucharest shop paired simple, functional clothes with phone-oriented accessories and Café MY X. The collection followed a CONNEX and ELLE România competition won by student Iuliana Şerbencu, who worked with designer Lisa Gulassa.
MY X goods were also sold through CONNEX shops in six unnamed Romanian cities. CONNEX withdrew from clothing in 2000, then reused the myX name for a mobile portal in 2001.
Why It Mattered
At a time when mobile phones were becoming part of everyday identity, a Romanian network operator attempted to turn its brand into something people could wear. Clothing designed around carrying phones, a dedicated boutique and a café reflected the growing connection between telecommunications, fashion and youth culture.
The experiment lasted only a few years, but its surviving garments and advertising preserve an unusual moment when a mobile operator tried to become a lifestyle brand.
Launch and Retail Details
- The dedicated MY X shop opened on 26 September 1998 at Strada Toma Caragiu 3 in Bucharest.
- The launch announcement scheduled the complete original clothing collection for October 1998, but does not confirm that it arrived then.
- An October 1999 CONNEX and Quasar newspaper advertisement offered a MYX T-shirt with a specified mobile connection.
Design and Campaign
- Iuliana Şerbencu later recalled placing first among ten competition finalists and spending three years on youth collections for the project.
- Business Magazin credits Scala G. Walter Thompson with the MY X name and logo, and says Headvertising later handled the campaign.
- The launch release described clothing for offices, business lunches, home, travel and gyms, alongside bags, watches and other accessories for mobile-phone owners.
Withdrawal and Later Use of the Name
- The exact final trading day and fate of remaining stock are not documented; 2000 is the supported withdrawal year.
- The myX name returned in 2001 for a Romanian mobile portal, not as a revival of the clothing label.
- Vodafone acquired Connex in March 2005, and the operator was branded Vodafone Romania from April 2006; the discontinued fashion line did not become Vodafone.
Sources & Records
- MY X by CONNEX: a new lifestyle — launch announcement, 1998 — Dates the Bucharest shop opening and describes the clothing concept and designer competition.
- Iuliana Serbencu on building a clothing business — Viata Libera — Provides the designer’s retrospective account of winning the CONNEX and ELLE competition.
- MYX T-shirt promotion — Cuvantul Liber, 22 October 1999 — Documents a retailer offering a MYX T-shirt with a CONNEX connection.
- Vodafone Romania — twenty-year company timeline — Dates the later myX mobile portal to 2001, distinguishing it from the clothing label.
- Vodafone — Romania company history in its 2025 transparency report — Dates the Connex acquisition and Vodafone Romania rebranding; it does not describe the clothing line.
Gallery

Credit
Headvertising, via IQads
Licence
Historical Ephemera
Displayed for commentary, criticism, research and historical documentation where permitted by applicable law. No permission for reuse is granted.
Caption
MY X Mobilewear’s “take it or leave it” outdoor campaign, created by Headvertising.

Credit
Laura Bucur, via VICE Romania
Licence
Historical Ephemera
Displayed for commentary, criticism, research and historical documentation where permitted by applicable law. No permission for reuse is granted.
Caption
A surviving MY X sleeveless garment from CONNEX’s late-1990s fashion experiment.

Credit
Private photograph supplied to VICE Romania
Licence
Historical Ephemera
Displayed for commentary, criticism, research and historical documentation where permitted by applicable law. No permission for reuse is granted.
Caption
The detachable CONNEX-branded phone pocket built into the MY X clothing concept.