Swiss bagmaker FREITAG is trading used seatbelts for Hender Scheme’s hand-cut, high-grade leather. Quite the upgrade. 

Every FREITAG bag is made using old tarpaulin from lorries, often alongside disused seatbelts that create the straps. But with Hender Scheme and FREITAG’s second collaboration, those straps are constructed from off-cuts of light beige cowhide leather from the Japanese artisanal label.

The collection consists of two bags, FREITAG’s tall rectangular Miami Vice tote bag and the more compact Sonny shopping tote. No two bags are the same, each proudly displaying the original prints, colors, and scuffs of the tarpaulin.

Since their first collaboration in 2023, FREITAG has found itself capturing a newfound coolness.

As Highsnobiety’s shopping editor and longtime FREITAG fan, Maximilian Migowski, noted earlier this year, the bags have reached “IYKYK accessory status.” They’re no longer only a hit amongst socks-and-sandal-wearing eco-conscious consumers, but also among a more style-conscious customer.

Collaborations like this one, releasing on October 24 in Japan, have helped propel FREITAG’s upcycled bags into the arms of a newfound fanbase. 

Although its collaborations are few and far between, FREITAG has a discerning eye for partnerships. Its previous link-ups have included the Japanese avant-garde fashion pioneer COMME des GARÇONS, for instance, and street-savvy Parisian ready-to-wear label Études. 

These are some objectively fashionable names, especially for a tree-hugger tote.

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