FREITAG writes a new chapter with REFERENCE
Some materials have no reason to hide their stories. A truck tarpaulin, for instance. It has travelled thousands of kilometres on European roads, seen wind, weather and sun, and carries the traces: fine scratches, creases, lines no designer could draw. Since 1993, Freitag has turned them into bags that exist exactly once.
With REFERENCE, the Zurich brand now writes a new chapter. The line, first launched in 2009, has been reimagined from the ground up. Four bags mark the beginning: R201 Elly, R202 Bates, R203 Mazie and R204 Nan, with clean, slightly trapezoid silhouettes and an elegance you would not expect from upcycling. The tarpaulins are hand-selected across Europe, the bags made in small series by European partners, some accessories even in Switzerland.
What we love most are the details. The magnetic clasp with punched branding goes back to a metal part from the Freitag factory, an adjustment hook for shelving that product designer Anne Bachmann came across while walking through production. Or the repair kit: every bag comes with a small pouch holding lining and original thread from its own tarpaulin. When it needs mending after many years, it is repaired with itself. In Bachmann's words, beauty happens where it isn't trying to.
The first palette moves through white, silver, red and blue, in the most beautiful nuances the transit routes have to offer, along with a limited edition in black. More models and colours follow in spring and autumn 2027.
For us, REFERENCE is about an attitude we know well: things made with care, allowed to take their time, and gaining character with use. All the more reason we are happy to carry the line exclusively in Zurich, alongside Freitag's own channels. You can discover REFERENCE at our Lagerstrasse store.
Photos: ©Timothy Schaumburg for Freitag
