What happens to discarded sails when the ship is moored for good
Whilst some people are out sailing, others are wondering what happens to damaged sails. A conversation with the design duo Hannes & Fritz about ‘Seeking Sails’.
Copenhagen, June 2026. Sailing boats are moored in the harbour; the summer smells of salt and wind. A few minutes’ walk away, at the Swiss Embassy, the same fabric hangs – only no longer from a mast, but from a wall or ceiling light.
The room itself feels like a fresh breeze: plenty of light, complemented by individual objects with moving parts that sway gently with every gust of wind. Almost as if the wind itself had found its way into the exhibition.
A garden in Hellerup, three years before the opening
The project, called ‘ «: Seeking Sails’», was initiated by the German-Swiss design duo Hannes & Fritz. In conversation, the pair explain how it all began: at a dinner three years ago at the residence in Hellerup, just outside Copenhagen, right by the sea.
«The idea came quite naturally; it was practically right there in front of the garden in Hellerup», says Fritz Gräber. «Watching the sailing boats go by was such a poetic sight that we simply had to work with it.» Both have a connection to water: Gräber grew up on Lake Zurich, where boats were part of his life from an early age, and both enjoy fishing.
Shortly afterwards, the embassy approached them with an offer to actually realise a project there together. For the duo, this marked the launch of «Seeking Sails».
Twelve studios, an open brief
For both of them, ‘ «’ Seeking Sails» was also a personal first: for the first time, they took on the curatorial role for an entire exhibition together as a studio. Not just as product designers, but as project managers behind the scenes. Six studios from Switzerland and six from Denmark came on board, along with the two industry partners Zünd Systemtechnik and VM Sailmakers Stephan Fels.
The briefs, sent out in October 2025, were deliberately kept open-ended – for example, «Seating», «Office» or «Surface» – rather than setting out specific product requirements. «“It was important to us that everyone did whatever they felt like doing”», said Johannes Breuer.
The Swiss product designer Noelani Rutz, for example, explores the topic of connection through interlacing. Her storage bag «‘An Ode to Knots’» interprets the knot as both a practical gesture and a symbol of holding on, retaining and securing. Drawing on nautical practices and ceremonial rituals, each loop carries a trace of cultural memory.
When making their selection, Hannes & Fritz placed great importance on diversity, not only in terms of national origin but also with a conscious effort to include more female perspectives.
A coincidence that turned out to be a blessing
One of the project’s most exciting discoveries comes from the Danish designer Maria Bruun, who, for her brief «Storage», opted for the most minimalist solution imaginable: a hook. Whilst processing the used sailcloth, the team came across an unexpected advantage of the recycled material.
New sails are coated with silicone so that rain and dirt roll off easily. This layer is very difficult to bond to; there are very few adhesives that will stick to it. With used sails, however, the coating has largely been worn away by wind, sun and salt water. «This meant that the wall hooks could suddenly be glued using a completely normal, natural adhesive, without any harsh chemicals», according to Gräber. An advantage that nobody had thought of before.
According to Gräber, the material can only be used as a sail for around five to eight years before it is taken down. Sun, wind and, above all, salt water take their toll on it. However, being unsuitable for the sea does not automatically mean it is ruined: often only the outermost layer of a sail is truly worn out; a few centimetres further in, the fabric is still in perfect condition. For further processing, the team uses precisely these intact areas, much like an old piece of wood where you plane off the top layer and reuse the core.
Height-adjustable, folded, stitched
The exhibition also features several light fittings, including the minimalist wall lamp ‘ «’ and the ‘Mast Light’» by Daniel Schofield from Copenhagen. A simple strip of fabric on a metal frame, height-adjustable like a Castiglioni lamp, is particularly well received by the curators, precisely because it appears so minimalist and «finished».
The Copenhagen-based design studio Aspekt Office aims to capture the feeling of a sail in the wind with the Clipper table lamp: a single piece of fabric, sewn at the sides, with an open top edge that moves naturally. The cylindrical steel base acts as the mast.
Less flashy, but all the more ingenious: the project by the Swiss-French designer Julie Richoz from Paris. To make her basket, she sews twelve identical panels together, without any additional frame; the rigidity comes solely from the stitching. A fold running all the way round the top edge doubles as a handle. A sail that has completed its journey across the world’s oceans is thus transformed into a container that simply holds things in place.
Why everything is white
What is striking about the entire exhibition is that almost all the objects are white, even though canvas – think of kite sails – actually comes in many colours. This was a deliberate curatorial decision. «“By designing all the objects in white, we are applying a filter to the whole»,” says the studio. This visually unites the twelve very different pieces, turning them into a family.
Anna Søgaard also takes up the maritime topic, albeit through seating: Her double cushion is inspired by classic kapok cushions on sailing boats and is easy to carry thanks to its handle and folding mechanism.
Colour still features here and there on the white objects in the form of accent stitching or details. The decision arose in dialogue with the designers, many of whom preferred white anyway.
A trend with momentum
It is difficult to say whether the current focus on sailcloth is merely a short-lived design fad. The duo themselves have observed that the material is currently experiencing a sort of hype within the industry, with other brands also having recently launched products made from it. However, a «Freitag for sails» on a large scale is not yet in sight.
What’s next
Where the journey will take them next remains to be seen, but the aim is clear: the twelve objects are to find their next home, ideally a museum or a gallery. Not to stay there, but to set sail again. The team is currently on the lookout for the right venue.
On my next sailing trip, I’ll probably spare a thought for Copenhagen when the sail flutters in the wind. No longer just as a piece of fabric that propels you forward, but as a material with a second life.
Like a cheerleader, I love celebrating good design and bringing you closer to everything furniture- and interior design- related. I regularly curate simple yet sophisticated interior ideas, report on trends and interview creative minds about their work.
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