R E F E R E N C E is upcycling at its most elegant. Craft, attitude and aesthetics come together in four timeless bags.
The minimalist essentials bag is big enough for everything you need, but small enough for easy-going days and long nights. Understated yet eye-catching — whether carried by hand, on the shoulder or crossbody.
Versatile everyday companion or understated yet distinctive evening bag: R202 BATES is the one bag for everything. With just-right proportions and a carefully considered interior, this medium-size bag works in almost any situation. Whether as a statement piece at work or a discreet companion in real life, R202 BATES fits. And has room for a multifaceted life and all its challenges.
The extra-large tote bag is an adaptable marvel of shape and space. When needed, R203 MAZIE folds from its opulent full size to a smaller upright format. To keep keys and valuables within easy reach, the XL shopper comes with a detachable mini-pouch—an eye-catcher in its own right.
A striking silhouette that gets people talking, whether carried on the shoulder or by hand: R204 NAN breaks with convention not only in its choice of materials but also in its bag typology. Whether carried by hand, in the crook of the arm or high on the shoulder, it's a refined baguette bag for anyone who sees no contradiction between going with the times and timelessness.
R E F E R E N C E is about discovering, rethinking and mastering a craft. At FREITAG, that craft is transforming used truck tarps. For R E F E R E N C E, the raw material is recontextualized almost beyond recognition.
The message: truck tarps can hold their own against traditional luxury materials — especially when worked with dedication, an obsessive attention to detail and years of experience. Redesigned from scratch, the line combines three decades of upcycling expertise with craftsmanship at its finest.
Anyone who chooses a R E F E R E N C E one-off bag is making a statement: for resource-conscious material choices and timeless elegance, and against throwaway culture. A clear demonstration that style and sustainability can go hand in hand.
The used tarps for these one-offs are sourced throughout Europe and rigorously selected. In an elaborate, hands-on process, the one-offs are produced in small batches by European production partners, with some custom-made components even manufactured in Switzerland.
The central visual feature of R E F E R E N C E is its striking magnetic clasp with punched branding. The inspiration came from the place where FREITAG's history and identity can be felt at first hand: the bag factory in Zurich-Oerlikon.
Amid tarp offcuts, box cutters and oversized washing machines, product designer Anne Bachmann came across an unusual toothed piece of metal: an adjustment hook for heavy-duty shelving. An industrial artifact, recontextualized and refined. Typically FREITAG.
Because wear and fatigue are part of a life well lived, every R E F E R E N C E one-off comes with a repair kit: a practical pouch designed to be taken apart, made from the same individual tarp as its bag and containing a piece of lining and sewing thread. Take those out, and the repair kit can also be used for cards, keys and the like.
R E F E R E N C E bags don't just retell the FREITAG story: their trapezoid silhouettes and outward-folded side seams also introduce a new design language. The handles contain no glue and feel soft in the hand, while the carefully thought-out recycled polyester interior, with practical pockets and thoughtful details, completes this new generation of bags.
The constant rigors of Europe’s transit routes leave scratches, scuffs, wrinkles and lines on the truck tarps — all traces of a life in motion. This patina tells a story. And makes every bag one of a kind. R E F E R E N C E launches in a palette rich in patina, with whites, silvers, reds and blues — the finest shades the transit routes have to offer — alongside a limited edition in black.
Anne Bachmann has been a product designer at FREITAG for 16 years and played a key role in developing R E F E R E N C E. Here, she talks about what inspired her and why aesthetics are about more than looks.
