discoSwitzerland makes outdoor gear, bags and luxury more than streetwear: the brands to know, from FREITAG and On in Zurich to Mammut's alpine shells.
Pick the one that looks most like you, or browse without choosing. The picks and the full list follow your choice.
Start from a brand you know. Each pairing says what's similar and what changes.
Two starting points for each style. Choose a style above to see only those.
FREITAG began in Zurich in 1993, when two graphic-designer brothers made a messenger bag from a used truck tarp, bicycle inner tubes and car seat belts. It now makes some 60 models.
Start with Messenger bags cut from used truck tarps; each panel pattern is unique.
On was founded in January 2010 by Olivier Bernhard, David Allemann and Caspar Coppetti, and is still headquartered in Zurich. It has been listed on the NYSE since 2021.
Start with The Cloud shoes and their CloudTec cushioning, which began as an experiment with a garden hose.
Mammut started as a ropemaker in 1862 and still sells climbing safety gear alongside clothing. Its jackets are built for the Alps, not the street.
Start with Hardshell jackets and the Barryvox avalanche transceivers it is known for.
Kjus makes premium skiwear and golf apparel and carries the name of Lasse Kjus, the Norwegian Olympic champion skier. It is the most sport-specific brand on this list.
Start with Insulated ski jackets and the stretch golf layers.
Bally began in a family basement in Schönenwerd in 1851. It is the oldest name on this list and is still best known for its shoes, though it is now run from Caslano in Ticino.
Start with Leather shoes, bags and small leather goods.
Hanro started as a knitting company in Liestal in 1884 and now makes underwear, nightwear and loungewear for men and women. It makes the layer under everything else here.
Start with Fine cotton undershirts and T-shirts.
VETEMENTS moved from Paris to Zurich, partly for tax and partly to put Zurich on the fashion map. It is the loudest label based in the country.
Start with Oversized hoodies and logo pieces that play on merch and uniforms.
Philipp Plein runs its business from Lugano, in Italian-speaking Ticino. It is the opposite of Swiss restraint.
Start with Leather jackets, denim and sneakers.
Every brand here was founded in Switzerland or is run from there. How we decide what counts.
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Four details to look for, and why they matter.
Look for Mammut hardshells and Eiger Extreme mountaineering pieces; Kjus insulated ski jackets
Why it matters Mammut also makes ropes and avalanche transceivers, so its clothing is designed around real alpine use rather than looks.
Explore Mammut →
Look for FREITAG's F13 TOP CAT messenger in truck tarp; On's CloudTec sole
Why it matters Both started from one practical fix, a water-repellent bag and a new cushioning, so function leads the design.
Explore FREITAG →
Look for Bally leather shoes and bags; Hanro's 100% cotton undershirts
Why it matters Both houses date from the 1800s and still sell on material and make rather than seasonal trends.
Explore Bally →
Look for VETEMENTS' oversized hoodies and uniform-inspired pieces; Plein's leather and denim
Why it matters Both were founded abroad and moved their companies here, so they count as Swiss by base, not by style.
Explore VETEMENTS →If you already wear On running shoes, start there. Each step costs more and asks more of you; it isn't a ranking of quality, and you don't need to climb it in order.
Hanro cotton basics and On running shoes: the everyday way in.
Start with A Hanro cotton T-shirt or an On running shoe.
FREITAG: one-off tarp bags, a step up for something you carry daily.
Start with A Freitag messenger or backpack.
Mammut and Kjus: alpine and ski kit, priced for real weather.
Start with A Mammut hardshell jacket.
Bally, VETEMENTS and Philipp Plein: luxury and runway, the priciest here.
Start with Bally leather shoes.
The full list Disco covers. Search, or narrow by style, category and price.
VETEMENTS$$$$Paris-founded label led by Guram Gvasalia, turning workwear, merch and uniform codes into oversized, logo-heavy runway collections.Runway labels that moved in · T-shirts & graphic tees · ParisProfile →Based in Switzerland
FREITAG$$$Swiss cult bag brand making one-of-a-kind messengers and backpacks from used truck tarpaulins, inner tubes and seatbelts.Recycled-tarp bags · Bags · ZurichProfile →
On$$Swiss performance sportswear label known for CloudTec-cushioned running shoes and technical apparel, publicly listed on the NYSE since 2021.Running performance · Sneakers · ZürichProfile →
Mammut$$$$Swiss alpine outfitter founded in 1862 as a ropemaker, making climbing hardware, Barryvox avalanche transceivers and technical mountain apparel.Alpine & ski technical · Outdoor & technical · DintikonProfile →
Philipp Plein$$$$$German designer's Lugano-based maximalist luxury label known for crystal-studded denim, skull motifs and logo-heavy sneakers shown at spectacle Milan runway shows.Runway labels that moved in · Clothing · LuganoProfile →
Bally$$$$$Swiss luxury house founded in 1851, known for leather footwear, striped-webbing accessories, and now owned by US investment firm Regent LP.Heritage houses · Footwear · SchönenwerdProfile →
Kjus$$$$Swiss maker of premium technical skiwear and golf apparel, founded by Olympic champion Lasse Kjus and owned by Titleist parent Acushnet.Alpine & ski technical · Golf · HünenbergProfile →
Hanro$$$Swiss knitwear house founded in 1884, making understated fine-gauge cotton, modal and silk underwear, sleepwear and loungewear.Heritage houses · Socks & underwear · LiestalProfile →A brand counts as Swiss if it was founded in Switzerland or is based there today, and we say which one applies.
Pick one of three, depending on what you want. For everyday wear, On is the easiest way in: running shoes built around its CloudTec cushioning, from a company founded in Zurich in 2010 and still based there. For something only Switzerland makes, FREITAG cuts each messenger bag from a used truck tarp, so no two match. For the mountains, Mammut began as a ropemaker in 1862 and still builds its hardshells for real alpine use.
Only a few. At regular prices On is the most affordable brand here, with Hanro and FREITAG a step up; Mammut, Kjus and VETEMENTS cost more again, and Bally and Philipp Plein are the most expensive. Those are full prices: a sale can bring a piece down for a while, but sales come and go, so don't plan around them. The wardrobe ladder shows where each brand sits, and an On running shoe or a Hanro cotton T-shirt is the cheapest way in.
Mostly not. A Swiss brand here is one founded in Switzerland or run from there today, which says nothing about where it is made. FREITAG dismantles, washes and cuts its tarps at its Zurich headquarters, but production partners in Portugal, the Czech Republic, Romania and Bulgaria, plus a work-integration programme in Zurich, assemble the bags. On says about 90% of its shoes were made in Vietnam in 2025 and the rest in Indonesia, and Hanro, founded in Liestal, is now run from Götzis, Austria.
Yes, most of them. FREITAG sells through 30 of its own stores and more than 300 partners in around 25 countries, as well as on its own site, and Mammut's online store delivers across much of Europe, the UK and the US. Bally runs regional online stores, including for the US, UK, Canada, Australia and Japan, and VETEMENTS' own site sends menswear shoppers to SSENSE. Shipping terms change, so check the current details on each brand's page before you order.
No. Switzerland is best known for its watches, but this guide covers clothes, shoes and bags, so watchmakers are left out. If you want a Swiss accessory, a FREITAG bag or a pair of Bally shoes is the place to start.
Not much, and this guide doesn't pretend otherwise. Switzerland's best-known clothing names make outdoor gear, running shoes, bags and luxury. The closest thing to streetwear is VETEMENTS, the Paris label that moved its headquarters and design office to Zurich in 2017. Its CEO, Guram Gvasalia, said lower taxes were one reason and putting Zurich on the map as a fashion city was another.
Zürich Tourism points to Bahnhofstrasse for luxury, the Old Town for independent shops and Zurich-West for local, urban labels. FREITAG's flagship is in Zurich-West: a tower of 19 used freight containers next to the Hardbrücke, open since 2006. For the full ranges, start with each brand's own website.
How we chose: every brand here is in Disco's directory, placed by where it was founded or is based today. Styles, picks and pairings are editorial, drafted from the catalog and published sources; researched, not wear-tested.
