Bag it

Two seat belts, a bicycle tube and a few metres of tarpaulin 8212; these are the raw materials of one of the international fashion industry8217;s most innovative brands...

The Frietag brothers on how they created one of the world8217;s most popular sling bags

Two seat belts, a bicycle tube and a few metres of tarpaulin 8212; these are the raw materials of one of the international fashion industry8217;s most innovative brands, Freitag bags. The snazzy bags that ooze attitude are an identifiable accessory throughout Europe, the US and Japan. Though the Freitag fever hasn8217;t yet arrived in India, the two brothers who created the label did stop by in Delhi recently.

At a seminar organised by the Swiss Arts Council on Friday, Markus and Daniel Freitag told engrossed students at NIFT a success story that began with the rumble of trucks outside their Zurich home. 8220;From the top-floor window, we8217;d watch the trucks pass8212; all of them covered with colourful tarpaulin. Then, in 1993, when we were both graphic designers we wanted a suitable bag to carry all our art stuff. We couldn8217;t find what we wanted anywhere so we decided to do it ourselves,8221; says Daniel, 37. They visited the local truck company and asked for spare tarpaulin. 8220;We cut and sewed the tarp, used seat belts for straps and bicycle tubes to keep the edges from fraying,8221; says Markus, 38, the quieter of the two. And the first Freitag bag were born.

It was a huge hit in Zurich8217;s art circles and requests from friends and their extended friends began to flow in. 8220;Before we knew it, we were supplying bags as soon as we could make them,8221; says Daniel. Though the bags stress strongly on individuality and remain the preferred sling of creative types and youngsters, the larger market also includes greying ladies. Suddenly the brothers were an industry, employing 60 people, making 45 different designs.

Awards began to flow in and, in 2004, the Museum of Modern Art displayed the classic Freitag messenger bag as part of its design collection. The bags also have a strong fan base, one of whom surprised the Freitag brothers by documenting every slight change in the logo. 8220;They know the bags better than we do sometimes,8221; shrugs Markus. He adds that India is part of their long-term plans.

The two still design together: 8220;I8217;m always trying to be better than my brother and he8217;s always trying to be better than me,8221; says Markus about their persistent sibling rivalry. They still swear by trucks8212; their store close to their old house near the highway is a local tourist attraction. 8220;It8217;s built of 17 freight containers,8221; grins Daniel. And they continue to collect tarpaulin. 8220;If you put all the tarp used in Freitag bags together, you8217;d have a 50 km line of trucks,8221; he adds.

Some traffic jam, that!