Freitag, Sweat it Yourself, Zurich

Swiss bag manufacturer, Freitag has opened a new type of DIY flagship experience named ‘Sweat it Yourself’ in its home city; a micro-factory in Zurich, where fans of the iconic bag can sign up to create their very own unique tote.
Established in 1993, graphic designer brothers Markus and Daniel Freitag were looking for a functional, water-repellent and robust bag to hold their creative work.
Inspired by the trucks driving through their city, they came up with the idea of re-purposing used truck tarpaulins, adding to this idea with discarded bicycle inner tubes and car seat belts to create their first prototype (which can now be seen in New York’s MoMA).
The business, which started life in the brothers’ Zurich apartment, has grown substantially, selling over 550 thousand products a year online and through their chain of 24 stores and 400 retail partners around the world.
Though every bag is unique, customer demand for alternative versions drove the brand to open their Sweat-Yourself-Shop, where customers can choose individual elements to make bespoke tote bags.
Located in most cosmopolitan and edgy area of Zurich, popular with the city’s youth, each session accommodates just two people who pay CHF250 (around £200) for the privilege of creating an exclusive F718 BUH bag. With experiences and bespoke products increasingly high on the retail and brand agenda, this is an experience that will appeal to Freitag aficionados, factory fetishists and do-it-yourselfers.