Marcus, one of the founders of the brand, explains his philosophy.

First of all, please tell us how "Freitag" came to be.

Marcus.. 1993. . At the time, I was living in a house with a view of the highway, so the idea of using a truck tarp came to me. When I was using it, people around me said, "That's nice," and it gradually became a business from there.

The bags that "Freitag" makes use of used truck tarp designs are unique and appealing, aren't they? You have both a design approach and a philosophy that is different from that of so-called fashion brands.

Marcus.. Yes, that's right. Not only the graphics, but also the stains and scratches that are a result of used products are considered as part of the design.

What is your design philosophy?

Marcus.First of all, we are always conscious of "recycling" as a basic premise. Not only do we use used materials, but also, for example, the buttons of one of our apparel items, pants, can be attached to other items, and fabrics can be returned to the soil. It can be said that concrete consideration for the environment after the product has reached the end of its useful life runs through the foundation of the brand. Also, we do not use plastic, and when we make something, we always make sure that it is repairable.

Freitag offers good follow-up services after purchase, such as repairs, right?

Marcus.. At first glance, it may seem that if the product is to be used for a long time by the user, it may not sell well. However, customers who are satisfied with the product will tell others about its quality. I believe that good products sell by word of mouth.

Is recycling so popular in Suisse, or is Marcus special (laughs)?

Marcus.: I wonder . . I remember from when I was in kindergarten or so, we had a recycling class where we had to return banana peels to the soil. Personally, I think I was also influenced by the fact that when I was little I would pick up scrap iron from the trash in my neighborhood and make all kinds of things with Daniel (Marcus' brother), who started " Freitag " with me.

I see.

Marcus.. The world is full of eco-friendly products, but people will not buy eco-friendly products unless they are well designed. Therefore, I try to create products that are eco-friendly, but also have a good design when viewed as a stand-alone product.

Marcus's Creative Hacking Techniques.

How do you come up with such designs, ideas, and concepts?

Marcus.: Yes, I have a large collection of kirinuki, for example, bags, bicycles, furniture, etc. at home, divided by topic. My wife keeps telling me to throw them away (laughs), but they are Kirinuki, such as magazines and newspapers. I always take a cutter with me when I go out, and in the past, when I boarded an airplane, I used to do kirinuki work on board. These days, you can't take a cutter on an airplane, so I often take the train.

What kind of things do you collect?

Marcus..: I read not only articles with nice pictures and pleasant ideas, but also articles about conflicts and social problems in the world as a hint for solutions when something happens around me. . For example, this is a story about a new bike rental in Zurich, a bike with cargo that can be loaded with luggage. The Zurich store of Freitag had been renting out bicycles, and we had an idea for this kind of bike with cargo, but other people had already done it before us. So we are thinking of collaborating with them, for example, to make a truck tarp for the cargo area.

Why do you use paper instead of the web?

Marcus.. one click will put information in your head, including information you don't need, so I try to cut down on unnecessary information by using paper.

. It's a lot of hard work, isn't it?

Marcus.: Articles cut with a cutter may be marked with a pen and shown to employees.

Is there anything else?

Marcus.. I can think of a way to do it, like writing down ideas on Post-its and leaving them there. Daniel (Marcus' brother), who founded "Freitag" with me, loves Post-its so much that he says he only needs Post-its to run the company.

Working in an ideal environment .

Freitag, founded by brothers Marcus and Daniel, has grown to become one of Switzerland's leading companies.

The company headquarters is located in Zurich, Switzerland. The city is suddenly attracting a lot of attention in the fashion world, with Vetements relocating its headquarters from Paris. The city is the wealthiest in Europe, with the Swiss Bank, where the world's money is concentrated, and it is clean, safe, and has a thriving design scene. In a corner of the city where streetcars run, Freitag shares a concrete building with another company.

The atmosphere is that of a Silicon Valley IT company, with an indoor/outdoor cafeteria for lunch and coffee, a spacious area with sofas and other amenities, and a classic game of table football nearby. The high ceilings, universal design with few steps, and large windows that let in plenty of light, all of these features are the hallmarks of Switzerland, a country known for its outstanding design. While envying this blessed environment, we were taken on a step-by-step tour of the production process.

Carve out the tarp as a material .

The tarp collection is made up of "used" truck tarps from all over Europe, not new ones. The brand's eco-friendly philosophy of securing used tarps, rather than creating new ones for their products, is evident.

By the way, a tarp is what we call a canopy in Japan. In Europe, trucks with tarps are so numerous that they can be said to be the mainstream.

The tarp has extra hardware and tape attached to it, so the strong staff members place the tarp on a large platform and separate the excess from the "treasure" that will be used to make the bags. . However, the excess is also recycled at a cost.

Tarp washing using eco-friendly water.

Rainwater stored in the basement of the building site is used to wash tarps soiled with dust and dirt from the back of trucks. Using rainwater makes sense from an economic standpoint as well as an environmental one, and the idea of "chasing two hares and getting two hares" is a wonderful one. The idea of "chasing two hares and getting two hares" is a wonderful one, especially from the perspective of environmental protection, which is embedded in the DNA of "Freitag" as a matter of course.

Cut out a mold from a large tarp to make a bag.

The bag is cut from the cleaned and dried tarp. The design of the tarp is directly transferred to the product design, so this process determines what kind of product will be created. The combination of graphic elements such as text, whether or not to include them, how much volume to include, and whether to use a single color or multiple colors are all considered in countless combinations.

Management of the finished product.

Freitag products are unique, one-of-a-kind designs. That is why it is so important to be able to encounter these designs, and we put a lot of effort into online shopping to increase the chances of such encounters. In order to make sure that the designs are clearly visible, we have uploaded in-house 360° all-around photos.

. buy materials for truck tarps from various places in Europe.

Many of the sails of trucks running in Europe are made of tarpaulin material. Buyers purchase tarps from various places in Europe that meet various requirements. From the trucking companies' point of view, they were happy to make money from tarps that had previously cost them money to dispose of, rather than being like trash. . this department also sometimes checks trucking magazines.

A special place I've never seen before .

One of Freitag's flagship stores is located in the city of Zurich, and its exterior, made of stacked containers, is striking even in Zurich, where there are many well-designed buildings. Of course, the containers are reused.

Eco-friendly and clean. From concept to design, "Freitag" is packed with philosophy. . You can see this style in every word Marcus speaks and in every corner of the company.

In the next issue, we will introduce Marcus' personal items.