Freitag buys old tarps directly from trucking companies and uses recycled seat belts and bike tires for other parts of the bags.

Freitag was founded by brothers Markus and Daniel Freitag, a bike-riding, entrepreneurial design duo who recognized the great potential in used truck tarp material. Freitag buys old tarps directly from trucking companies, and they wash and cut them in their Zurich manufacturing factory. All of the other materials have also seen time on the road: the straps are recycled seat belts, and the edging is made with old bicycle tire tubes. Every bag is cut and sewn by hand, creating a product that is durable, waterproof, and sustainable. Plus, each bag has its own unique look thanks to each tarp’s wear and tear. They now have an entire line of bags for men and women, plus accessories like iPad cases, that are sold in more than 300 stores worldwide and their six (soon to be seven!) Freitag boutiques.

Each boutique has a specially designed interior, planned to reflect Freitag’s eco-friendly mission and transportation-inspired beginnings. Constructed from 17 recycled shipping containers, the Zurich store is no doubt the most impressive. The Berlin store is housed in a redesigned dye factory, and old gym equipment was used for the shelving. A concrete sidewalk leftover from the factory runs through the middle of the space. Just last month, Freitag opened a storefront in Vienna, where designer Colin Schaelli created a modular shelving unit with recycled materials, and the Cologne location was designed to resemble the interior of a tractor trailer.

We can’t wait to see what they have in store for NYC!

+ Freitag

Via Bowery Boogie