The Herno brand - the world leader in the production of outerwear - was born in the Italian countryside near the Erno River in the late 1940s. The company was founded by a husband and wife - Giuseppe and Alessandra-Diana Marenzi, focusing on the production of raincoats, which are in great demand in northern Italy. To create a water-repellent effect, the fabric was impregnated with a special oil, which is part of aviation fuel. This is how the brand began researching innovative fabrics and materials processing.
The company gradually expanded its range of outerwear: cashmere coats, comfortable jackets, warm and very light, literally weightless down jackets. They have become bestsellers: some models weigh only 80 grams.
Herno celebrates its 70th anniversary this year. During the last Pitti Uomo exhibition, the LIBRARY project was presented, which the president of the company and the son of the founders, Claudio Marenzi, dedicated to the past, present and future of the company.
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About the beginning of the path
“Herno has made a huge contribution to the revival of Italy, its economic development and today's prosperity. The brand appeared in 1948, immediately after the Second World War, and stood at the very origins of the country's industrial development. Difficult times, all efforts were thrown into the realization of the dream of a new and strong Italy. The period of the 50s and 60s can be called the heyday of production in Great Britain and France, but soon Italy with its Made in Italy brand took the lead, gaining the trust and love of customers."
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About brand philosophy
“Ethics, care and knowledge are the three pillars on which Herno is built. The first means openness and clarity in dealing with clients. Caring is the desire to build harmonious relationships not only with customers, but also with the environment. We attach great importance to the impact that we have on nature, and we try to take a responsible approach to this issue. And the last point is knowledge: it is a solid foundation for us, we learn every day to make our product better."
Family business and independence
“Today, in an era of huge conglomerates, keeping a family business alive is like a David versus Goliath standoff. In our high-quality business, staying afloat and growing at the same time is extremely difficult. Despite all the incoming offers to buy our business, we remain true to our values and continue to develop the company.
One of the new business decisions I see is the opportunity to issue a certain number of our shares for public sale, this will make the company more economically stable. The family will retain the main points of management: strategic planning and development of development concepts."
Claudio Marenzi © press service
About innovations
“Herno Laboratories is an ongoing research process. Over the past 10 years, we have created several innovative technologies such as lightweight down jackets and jackets with ultrasonic seams. Most of all, I am proud of the Laminar line, which appeared six years ago and combined the city and the sport. We were the first to introduce elegant urban jackets from sports materials and make fashion functional. All famous brands of sportswear began to copy us”.
Functionality and elegance
“I believe that things without functionality are the last century. Each of them should be both aesthetically beautiful and useful, helping its owner to solve specific problems. We create things that help people find inner harmony and emphasize confidence, thereby creating an ideal image. I will paraphrase the catch phrase: "It is not a thing that makes a person elegant, but a person - a thing."
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