When talking about luxury fashion, there are certain conventions that consumers have come to expect: sumptuous materials, opulent detailing, and conceptual—if not impractical—design.
Fortunately, Freitag designer Anne Bachmann doesn’t dabble in conventions.
Photography courtesy of Freitag
“I am fascinated by the effortless beauty of objects that were never designed to please,” she says, referring to the used truck tarps repurposed to create Freitag’s newest collection of high-end bags. The Reference collection launched Oct. 8 with four new bag designs that blend artistic upcycling and luxury. With an “elevated, minimalist aesthetic,” the Reference collection highlights what Freitag does best: tell a story through sustainable, unconventional, one-of-a-kind materials.
Photography by Timothy Schaumburg; courtesy of Freitag
When conceiving the design, Bachmann imagined a collection that transcended the typical bag experience. She aimed to create something practical, but elegant; one-of-a-kind, yet ever-evolving. When she was presented with used truck tarps, one of the company’s famed upcycled materials, she knew she had found the key component of the collection.
Tarps repurposed for the Reference collection. Photography courtesy of Freitag.
“Because we cut our bags from used truck tarps, every one-of-a-kind piece already starts out with its own history, character, and unique patina,” Bachmann explains. “And as you take it out into the world, it picks up your own daily scuffs, and becomes a real companion.” It also doesn’t hurt that the sturdy tarpaulins make for a bag that is as durable as it is stylish.
Photography by Timothy Schaumburg; courtesy of Freitag
Each of the collection’s four bags is designed with a trapezoidal silhouette, creating a light, dynamic flow without compromising its sculptural elegance. While there are core colorways—white, silver, red, blue, and a limited-edition black—the variation from bag to bag means each purchase is a unique work of art. Sourced across Europe and hand-selected by the production and sourcing teams based in Zurich, the tarp “patina,” or markings that uniquely adorn each bag, was a pivotal consideration when building each piece.
Photography courtesy of Freitag
“Every tarp ages differently on the road, creating subtle variations in color and character before they reach us. Hand-picking the variations in patina, meaning the beautiful marks that weather, environment, and even tree branches leave behind on the tarp during their first life, became equally as important as the colorways,” Bachmann adds.
Photography courtesy of Freitag
Of course, as the cliché goes, the devil is in the details. That is especially true for a streamlined design like the four featured in the Reference collection. To further elevate the design, each bag features a new label and magnetic clasp unique to the collection. To say Bachmann’s inspiration for the distinct clasp was serendipitous would be to discredit the thoughtfulness of the design; the idea came to her in Freitag’s Zurich factory when she noticed a peculiar hook mechanism on heavy-duty shelving.
Photography by Timothy Schaumburg; courtesy of Freitag
“I would describe it as opportunistic wandering,” she says of the moment. “Strolling through a space or an urban environment without a specific destination, keeping yourself completely open and receptive so you actually catch a spark of inspiration when it hits.”
The intersection of form and function creates a luxury experience that Bachmann hopes will naturally build an attachment that transcends typical fashion. “Emotional attachment prevents waste,” she says. “What we love and share a history with, we rarely throw away.”
Photography courtesy of Freitag
True to Freitag, the Reference collection extends the brand’s circular approach without sacrificing style or craftsmanship. To further encourage a long relationship between bag and owner, each bag comes with a detachable repair kit that can be taken apart and used to repair the bag with its original tarp material.
If there is one tried-and-true element of luxury, it’s exclusivity—the knowledge that the piece you own is the only one in the world like it. The Reference collection promises that every bag created is built to grow and evolve with every use.
