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Tag Archives: Customization
This never gets old. The Freitag store in Zürich constructed out of 19 freight containers with four floors of merchandise and rooftop access is definitely a shopping experience worth having. There is the efficiency of the architecture. And then there is the marvel of the interior — how Freitag, seemingly unflinchingly, devised an orderly (and visually impactful) system to present each individual piece of merchandise.
Freitag manufactures courier bags, tote bags and small accessories out of reclaimed truck tarps and recycled bicycle inner tubes. No two pieces are alike. Production is in Zürich and has been running since 1993, long before repurposing was a trend. The finished products are rugged beyond any expectation and with their graphic look are icons of contemporary Swiss quality and style.
Frietag Flagship Store: Geroldstrasse 17, 8005 Zürich, Switzerland
My favorite example of outerwear customization: Kaylin Richardson’s star pants! Kaylin confirmed the star came to be out of necessity, a patch to cover a hole in the knee. It is a brilliant fix – doesn’t look like a repair, rather a stylish little detail that emphasizes her stoked style.
The star pants on the podium: 1st Place at the Snowbird, Utah stop of the 2012 Freeskiing World Tour. Photo: via skier Crystal Wright (in yellow).
NASCAR and Martinsville Speedway in Virginia have absolutely nothing to do with alpine inspiration. But this racetrack sighting has a style all its own and is too good to not share. This dedicated NASCAR fan collected signatures of her favorite drivers on her jacket and then painstakingly hand-embroidered over each inked signature to preserve. The result is very special and quite permanent. (I have a CB jacket circa 1985 with a fading Phil Mahre autograph that would benefit from this embroidery application!)
I see this race fan’s jacket as a phenomenal example of gear customization – where a stock item is transformed into a truly original, highly personal and often very creative one-of-a-kind item. I am looking forward to highlighting customization in the alpine realm – be it the never ending ways to apply colorful and graphic duct tape to race gear, patches stitched to a backpack from travels abroad or whatever exciting and unique variations may present themselves.
If you are game for some non-snow racing action, the NASCAR Sprint Cup STP Gas Booster 500 runs today at the Martinsville track. Tune into Fox at 1:00 pm ET for live coverage.