Freunde von Freunden Sits Down with Haerfest

Kris Seto of Freunde von Freunden recently sat down the founders of Haerfest, a brand known for its beautifully minimalistic luggage and accessories. Haerfest was founded by brother Tim and Dan Joo along with business partner Gino Reyes and the team continues to work in New York. Sitting down with Seto, the trio shared the story of how the brand got started with conversations over a glass of whiskey, how the brand’s signature aesthetic has developed, and how the business has grown. Check out a brief excerpt below and head over to Freunde von Freunden to read the whole piece.

Interestingly, Hærfest didn’t begin with bags. Instead, they started with a foggy vision. In 2010, Tim and Dan were living together in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. They would often come home late after work and find themselves discussing their ambitions over a glass of whiskey.

Tim: We wanted to have this imaginary company and this type of collaborative environment where we could be passionate about what we were doing and work with talented people we love. We didn’t know if we should provide a product or if we should provide a service, but we thought to ourselves, “you know, Harvest would be a great name because harvest is about putting a lot of love and care into the things you do and knowing that you reap what you sow. You pour all your energy and efforts into good things.”
Gino: And that grows into something great.
Tim: The standard spelling felt a bit generic and heavily referenced agriculture. We then found that there was an old English way of spelling it: Hærfest. I think that makes it more substantial. It really captured that rewarding feeling and that spirit that we pour into what we do and what we make. The feeling is really rewarding for us and hopefully rewarding to the people who buy our products.
Gino: It also references days of simpler times in the past.