Lecture presentations in India by Freitag brothers

Lecture/presentations by Markus and Daniel Freitag on 'some waste, a sewing machine and one idea’ - how FREITAG became a worldwide known brand. [dated September 2008]

Pro Helvetia - Swiss Arts Council presents lecture/presentations by Markus and Daniel Freitag on ‘some waste, a sewing machine and one idea’ - how FREITAG became a worldwide known brand.

At Max Mueller Bhavan/ Goethe-Institut, Bangalore Date: Saturday, 6 September 2008 Time: 4: 00 pm Open to public

At Srishti School of Art Design & Technology, Bangalore Date: 8, 9 & 10 September 2008 Time: 10:00 am For Design students only

At National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi Date: Friday, 12 September 2008 Time: 10:30 am For Design students only

Freitag – the international brand
It was 1993 when Markus and Daniel Freitag, both brothers and graphic designers, were in need of a bag. Zurich locals ride bicycles and they get rained on a lot. So the Freitag Brothers wanted a functional, tough, and water-resistant bag to carry their designs. Inspired by the colourful traffic on the highway extension in front of their apartment, they sewed together a messenger bag from an old truck tarp, took seat belts for straps and used a spare bicycle inner tube to keep the edges from fraying. Quite unintentionally, the brothers landed a hit. Today FREITAG products are sold and copied all around the globe. Since the original messenger, Markus and Daniel have put out more than 40 different products, with more in the pipeline and even more up their sleeves. Nevertheless, FREITAG products are still produced in Switzerland, next to that same highway extension.

In the presentation Markus and Daniel Freitag will present the company history and point out the success-factors, how they managed to grow a "student-project" into a "known" Brand.

Facts & figures about FREITAG 
Headquarter: FREITAG lab. ag / Maag works, Zurich, Switzerland 
Founding year: 1993 
Founders & Owners: Markus and Daniel Freitag 
Workforce: about 60 employees in Zurich, Davos, and Hamburg 
No. of shops: 3 own flagship-stores (Hamburg, Davos, Zurich), over 350 point of sales worldwide Material use: 200 tons of truck tarps = line of trucks 50 km long; 75,000 bicycle inner tubes; 25,000 seatbelts No. of models: over 40 items For more information on Freitag visit: www.freitag.ch

The presentation is being held within the context of the ongoing exhibition CRISS + CROSS design from Switzerland 1860 – 2007 Curated by Ariana Pradal, Köbi Gantenbein & Roland Eberle Exhibition on view from 6 - 20 September 2008 10:30 am - 6:30 pm (Mon - Sat) 10:30 am - 5:00 pm (Sun)

Venue: Goethe-Institut Bangalore /Max Mueller Bhavan The CRISS + CROSS exhibition and the Freitag lectures in Bangalore and Delhi are supported by: Pro Helvetia – the Swiss Arts Council Goethe-Institut Bangalore, Max Mueller Bhavan, BangaloreSrishti School of Art, Design and Technology Bangalore National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi