There are places where nature and climate have always represented both a challenge and an opportunity, such as Lesa, on the shores of Lake Maggiore, where Herno was founded almost eighty years ago. Rain, wind and humidity are constant companions for those who live in this region. Giuseppe Marenzi and his wife Alessandra Diana, recognising the potential of waterproof and breathable fabrics, created a company that combines functionality and style, typical elements of Italian craftsmanship.
The history of the brand, whose name is inspired by the River Erno that flows alongside the factory, immediately reveals a deep connection to the environment and the local area. It is strongly linked to entrepreneurial ingenuity and a vision of clothing that has evolved without ever losing its identity.
First steps and growth
Herno’s first products focused on raincoats, made with innovative materials for the time, such as cotton treated with castor oil. The success was immediate: the ability to combine protection from the elements with elegance quickly conquered the Italian market and, soon after, international markets as well. In the 1960s and 1970s, Herno expanded, diversifying its offering: alongside raincoats, coats and outerwear in fine fabrics, crafted with artisan care, appeared. Herno thus built a range that went beyond the seasonality of fashion, focusing on products designed to last, consistent with an idea of measured and conscious luxury, deeply linked to Made in Italy. The brand soon became synonymous with refinement, attention to detail and continuous research. In 1968, Herno arrived in Japan, opening boutiques in Osaka and Tokyo. In the early 1980s, it was the United States’s turn.
A family business with an international outlook
With Claudio Marenzi, the founder’s son, the company has entered a new phase of development, strengthening the brand and its international positioning without distorting its identity. His vision aims to consolidate the brand’s value by investing in the product, the supply chain, and the sustainability of production processes.
Under his leadership, Herno has become an example of an Italian company capable of engaging with global markets while maintaining strong local roots. Its commitment to the fashion industry also helps to strengthen the role of Made in Italy as an industrial and cultural heritage, recognised at an institutional level.
Environmental awareness and Herno Globe
Over the years, Herno has reinvented itself while remaining true to its traditional values. The company constantly invests in technological innovation, introducing increasingly advanced, lightweight and high-performance fabrics. In recent decades, the brand has embraced sustainability, choosing production processes with low environmental impact and recycled materials, anticipating the needs of a public that is increasingly attentive to ecology. In 2019, the company introduced Herno Globe ‘Take Care of Your Future’, the label that encompasses all the brand’s sustainable projects. Over the years, projects such as PEF, Fast5Degradable, Recycled Wool, Onibegie Recycled Nylon, 100% Econyl® Regenerated Nylon, and other low-impact materials have been developed to progressively expand the range of products made with increasingly responsible processes and raw materials. Herno demonstrates that being at the forefront also means respecting the local area and people, without ever compromising on quality.
Herno today: facts, figures and global presence
Today, Herno is an international standard in functional luxury. Its headquarters remain in Lesa (Novara) and the brand closed 2024 with a turnover of approximately €184 million. It aims to reach €200 million in 2025, confirming steady growth despite the challenges of the fashion market.
From an organisational point of view, Herno has around 220 employees at its headquarters and more than 500 employees in total across production, retail and services, figures that testify to a solid structure and a consolidated international presence. An example of how an Italian company can combine quality, style and global success while remaining true to its DNA.
Discreet elegance, technical research and respect for tradition are the pillars on which Herno continues to build its future. In a constantly evolving fashion landscape, Herno is an example of how innovation can arise from continuity and how a functional garment can become a style icon.
Congratulations to those who bring Italian-made products to the world!
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