The label recently celebrated its 60th birthday: In 1948, Giuseppe Marenzi founded HERNO in Lesa, a small village on the banks of the Lago Maggiore, only a few steps away from the Ebro River. The location inspired the name for the company, adding a simple "H" at the beginning. The "H" harmonises the name, makes it more international.
During the post-war years, young and talented people found it easy to become great entrepreneurs within just a few years: Giuseppe Marenzi, then just 24 years old, is one of these, and built his success on "RAINCOATS". His first decade in business was dedicated to the development of the perfect rain coat. It was to combine functionality with a perfect cut and superior style. Waterproof fabrics had not yet been invented. In order to guarantee the functionality of the product, the use of cotton coated with natural materials was standard – Herno used castor oil to make the fabric completely impermeable. Bit by bit, the company becomes known as the best manufacturer of rain coats.
By the end of the 1950s, Marenzi already had a decade of experience and was ready for new challenges: now he aimed at becoming the best manufacturer of "double face" specialist fabrics, which were created by sewing together two separate layers of textiles. One of the challenging aspects of double face is the manufacturing technique. Processes must be very exact, and the seam has to be finished by hand to make it almost invisible. As a result, his products were particularly soft on the skin and comfortable. Once Herno had perfected the process based on his experiences, he became a much sought after supplier for big name labels, like Hermes, Louis Vuitton, and Jil Sander.
Herno in Palermo is also available in our boutique in Via Alcide De Gasperi, 62.
