By the majestic shores of Lake Maggiore in Lesa, on the Piedmont in Northern Italy, stands the home of Herno. The Italian luxury fashion house, founded in 1948, has maintained its manufacture in the same location which inspired its first garment: the raincoat. The region’s famously rainy seasons and wet climate are evident in its lush landscape, reflected in the exterior green-filled living walls of Herno’s contemporary manufacture. There, the brand’s swooping letter “H” iconic logo symbolizes 70 years of innovation and craftsmanship.
What began as an original design of a raincoat to more effectively shield the elements, has expanded recently to include a total collection from Herno. The Italian house’s unique ability to combine made-in-Italy knowhow, an eye for smart aesthetics, and a dedication to performance has resulted in a contemporary expansion across categories, as seen this fall in the presentation of its spring/summer 2024 collection showcasing Herno’s prowess for so much more than outerwear.
How Herno Began
The origin story of Herno remains a touchstone for future collections. It began with the novel idea of Giuseppe Marenzi and his wife, Alessandra Diana, to create a raincoat from cotton treated with castor oil, showcasing the functionality and style at the heart of the house. That brilliant bit of postwar experimentation inspired a growth into women’s garments, as well as double face and handwoven cashmere coats by the mid-1950s. Herno also reached beyond Italy, first to Japan in the 1960s where it opened boutiques in Tokyo in Oaska, and later the United States in the 1980s. The Italian house’s signature attention to detail garnered the business of major fashion labels out of Milan and Paris, eventually producing outerwear for some of the biggest names luxury.
With an international clientele, Herno stayed true to its Italian roots, producing and designing at its manufacture in Lesa. With Lake Maggiore as its backdrop, it continued to produce performance-forward garments with style. With an exacting functionality, their range of outerwear diversified to items like down jackets, made with precise technicality and craft to chicly cover oneself from the cold, rain, and wind.
Courtesy of Herno.
From Raincoats to a Total-Look Collection
Today, just as they were 70 years ago, all designs, patterns, prototypes, and pieces begin at Herno’s Lesa headquarters. The in-house creative team behind each season’s collection is backed by decades of rich history, emboldening the burgeoning talent of its design team. Beyond Lake Maggiore, Italian workmanship is further embraced in the production of unpadded garments, delicately done at a hub in Sicily. Upholstered pieces are overseen at Herno’s Romanian headquarters before all final quality control is completed and guaranteed on Italian soil.
Herno’s collections embody a perfect blend of functionality and style. A passion for expertly-made and effective fabrics, handled with fine workmanship and attention to every detail, drives the creed and craft of the Italian luxury house. With its long history of high-quality manufacturing, each new collection is about innovation as a source for improvement and elevated elegance. It is discerning in its choice of the very best in material, openness to advanced technological fabrics, and well-noted experience in processing and adapting them into garments that garner attention. In the Herno collection, cashmere silk and full-bodied wools sit smartly beside technical fabrics like nylon and neoprene.
Courtesy of Herno.
Herno’s Commitment to Craft and Innovation
An unwavering commitment to craft and innovation has led Herno to imagine and generate new pieces, categories, and silhouettes, leading to its current offering of a complete Herno wardrobe. Its spring/summer 2024 collection, recently shown in Milan during fashion week, cascaded with covetable garments, from sweaters to skirts, and dungarees to dresses. Herno’s monogram emblazoned scarves, vests, denim jackets, and belts. A relaxed take on the trench as well as thoughtful layers, exaggerated volumes, and more made for an oh-so contemporary feel. As did accessories like puffed slippers, monogram sneakers, baseball caps, and bucket hats.
Herno’s refreshing total-look collection is exemplary of its tried-and-true dedication to excellence in craftsmanship, elegance, and cutting-edge performance. Fueled by new ideas and grounded in its resplendent roots, it continues to raise the bar of what it means to be made in Italy.
