Switzerland's cult design brand is Freitag, which makes bags from used truck tarpaulins.
You've probably seen Freitag — those colourful, hardy-looking bags that have infiltrated European streets.
Back in 1993 two brothers in Zürich wanted a bag that could survive a wet bike commute, so they cut one out of a used truck tarp.
Every Freitag is still made from a real tarpaulin that's already done a couple hundred thousand kilometres on the motorway, so no two are ever the same. It's the Swiss thing of over-engineering something boring until it's striking.
Brothers Markus and Daniel Freitag, both graphic designers, needed a waterproof messenger bag for cycling through Zürich's rain. They cut the first from a discarded truck tarp, a bike inner tube and a seatbelt.
Each bag is cut from a unique section of a real, used tarpaulin — so every single product is one of one. The shop lets you rummage through pieces to find your exact pattern.
Switzerland's cult design brand is Freitag, which makes bags from used truck tarpaulins.
Every Freitag is still made from a real tarpaulin that's already done a couple hundred thousand kilometres on the motorway, so no two are ever the same. It's the Swiss thing of over-engineering something boring until it's striking.