Freitag, Out of the Bag

Back in 1993, graphic designer brothers Markus and Daniel Freitag were on the lookout for a messenger bag. Inspired by the cheerfully colored trucks rumbling along the highway that crossed the city of Zurich just in front of their apartment, they cut a messenger bag out of an old truck tarpaulin. The shoulder strap was fashioned from used car seatbelts, while an old bicycle inner tube provided the edging. Freitag bags soon became fashionable and the Freitag company now employs more than 120 people. The publication uses the example of Freitag to show that design does not end with the product. The history, products, manufacture, organization, distribution, marketing, and reception are explained, commented upon, and presented in often surprising ways. On the occasion of an exhibition dedicated to the Freitag story at Museum of Design Zurich, Lars Muller Publishers will publish a generously illustrated paperback book that includes interviews, documentation, and essays on the Freitag concept and its history.