In 2024, Freitag will launch a new backpack, signaling a departure from the iconic imagery the Zurich-based brand has built over three decades. This new release breaks away from the truck tarps that have become synonymous with Freitag’s global recognition, spanning cities from Berlin to Tokyo, Bangkok to Milan. It represents the most remarkable evolution of the brand’s philosophy, which has always been at the forefront of sustainability. The Mono[PA6] is a backpack made from a single material, Polyamide 6, which is super easy to recycle at the end of its life cycle – unlike truck tarps.

There is a simpler name by which polyamide has been universally identified for nearly a century: nylon. For the backpack, Freitag scoured the market for a water-repellent polyamide fabric. Instead of relying on an existing product, the company eventually decided to develop it in-house. Working with a Taiwanese partner, they came up with an extraordinary result: a robust nylon with a water-repellent outer membrane, composed of three layers, all made from PA6. “It’s very strong, although not as strong as truck tarps”, explains Anna Kerschbaumer, Product and Services Lead at Freitag. It took more than two years and a lot of effort to get there. “But now we have a material that is set to be transformed from a potential waste into a valuable resource”.

The Mono[PA6] backpack will be black at launch, but a new color scheme will follow in the second half of 2024. All components, not just the main body, are made of PA6, including the laces and zippers, with glass fiber added to the puller for increased durability. Even the closure system’s clip is made from this mono-material. Kerschbaumer points out that this last element in particular was the subject of extensive study and rethinking. It was not easy to design an efficient closure using only mono-material. In addition, the small detachable modular pocket on the front is also made of mono-material, offering versatility as it can be transformed into a handy pouch or attached to the shoulder straps to hold smartphones or documents. Choosing a backpack as the debut product for this new material was certainly not the easiest decision. “We chose it because backpacks are very popular”, says Kerschbaumer.

This is a significant paradigm shift for Freitag.

The Swiss brand has been actively exploring alternative solutions for its product materials. In this regard, it recently launched a line made of PET fabric recycled from post-consumer bottles. Further releases are also scheduled for the fall. Freitag plans to present something different from the usual and easier to recycle. But despite these innovative changes, one enduring element remains on the black fabric – the iconic tarp cutout.

Compared to the Tarp on Pet line, the Mono[PA6] backpack undoubtedly stands as a bold move. It’s more futuristic. It’s a stark departure from the visual identity that the Swiss brand has built up over three decades – it celebrates its anniversary this year. While some may view it as a sharp contrast, even in-your-face, the backpack remains true to the brand’s philosophy. In fact, it represents an almost mathematical outcome of it. It’s a bold, though linear in nature, evolution. Qed.

Since its establishment, the company has centered its production around the concept of reuse. Ironically, Freitag embraced sustainability long before it became a prominent focus in brand marketing agendas and global communications campaigns. As a result, this vital aspect of their brand identity somewhat flew under the radar. Undoubtedly, other brands have been more forward-thinking and astute in using the concept of sustainability to build their own identities (hit Patagonia up if you have any doubts).

If Freitag doesn’t immediately evoke “sustainability”, it has certainly left its mark on it, creating an aura as a design and luxury brand. Compared to the low-key and sometimes sloppy aesthetics of many current and future eco-friendly advocates, the Zurich-based company has distinguished itself with a celebration of vibrant colors; with products that are industrial yet unique, each different from the next, yet unmistakably recognizable; with a unique packaging design (and consequently the whole retail visual identity) that has set a benchmark even in the East.

The brand was founded in 1993 by brothers Markus and Daniel Freitag, who were inspired by American bike messenger bags. They drew their materials from the everyday sights on the Beltway outside their house: discarded truck tarps, used inner tubes, and seat belts. Freitag is a Ballardian urban dystopia translated into design. They sold their first bags on a bridge leading to the beltway, near the railroad tracks. Today, their famous flagship store, built from shipping containers, stands as a symbolic stronghold in the neighborhood, with a tower offering an observatory over the ever-evolving Zurich. The only money Daniel and Markus ask their parents for is for an industrial sewing machine, according to the Freitag legend. During the mid-1990s, the startup landscape was far different from today, with no incubators, angel investors, or freshly graduated students fitting into structured business plans. Unicorns were merely fantastical creatures back then. Freitag’s journey began in a 20-something’s living room and grew largely by word of mouth.

It would be hard to find a more representative example of 1990s industrial design than this company, where the “designer” is not only the creator of the project, but also the person who selects and cuts the tarp pieces, assembled in the Oerlikon factory. This colorful patchwork of bottom-up solutions embodies a fusion of design quality and pride in diversity. Extremely versatile, Freitag’s products fit seamlessly into a bustling Saturday market or within the walls of a luxurious Asian mall. They are used by the architect friend who still dresses like a raver from the golden years, as well as the youngster who never steps out without his cherished Off-White outerwear and Suicokes. Freitag products can also be found in the hands of those who dress 100% second-hand and choose only sustainable and certified materials.

Freitag remains a radical and timeless product, carrying the essence of countercultures that became mainstream during the prosperous years of Clintonism. This unique spirit has become an inseparable part of Freitag’s philosophy. But to confront the realities of an increasingly economically challenged West and the looming anxieties of a world heading towards potential catastrophe, something else is needed – something more. 

The rucksack, which will be launched in 2024, is just the tip of the iceberg of Freitag’s wide range of research and initiatives aimed at innovation, not only within the company but also in its wider sphere of influence. Bigna Salzmann, the company’s Sustainability Officer, reveals to Domus that Freitag has initiated discussions with truck tarp manufacturers to explore new materials that can replace current ones and achieve full circularity. This step is essential to ensure that the raw materials used in their bags and backpacks are fully recyclable. Freitag is actively experimenting with various materials, including PET, TPU, BioPBS, and others. The goal is to use 500 tons of these materials by 2030. By that time, Freitag aims to have 99 percent circular products in the market, says Salzmann.

Meanwhile, Freitag has introduced a number of initiatives to extend the life of the bags already in circulation. Through its physical stores and online platforms, the company actively encourages and facilitates repairs – 6,737 repairs were made last year alone. In addition, they have ingeniously created a platform, playfully inspired by Tinder’s interface, where individuals can “swipe” and exchange their Freitag bags with others who no longer want them or have grown bored with them. This exchange program resulted in 6,784 bags finding new owners last year. Freitag also offers a rental service that allows individuals to rent a bag for a few weeks of vacation instead of buying it and leaving it unused. They have also introduced a “Netflix-style” program that allows users to have access to a bag at all times by paying a fixed monthly fee. These efforts are all part of Freitag’s overarching commitment to “intelligent design for a circular future”, says Bigna Salzmann, who describes Mono[PA6] as “a challenge” that she is sure will open new horizons for the brand.