Go Inside Herno L.I.B.R.A.R.Y., Pitti Uomo’s Must-See Exhibition
Every June, the biggest names in menswear flock to Florence for Pitto Uomo, the annual showcase for all things new in menswear. But this season, there was even more reason to celebrate, as Herno, one of Italy’s most iconic outerwear brands, celebrated its 70th anniversary. But rather than host a mere cocktail or dinner party to mark the occasion (though, there was that as well—a lush, multi-course meal for hundreds of guests from all over the world), the brand constructed a full-scale retrospective and exhibition, titled Herno L.I.BR.A.R.Y., which quickly emerged as the must-see event of Pitti Uomo. While “library” was an apt descriptor for the multi-decades spanning showcase, in this instance, it was also an acronym: Let Imagination Break Rules And Reveal Yourself. Constructed inside Florence’s Leopolda Station, the exhibition, which also celebrates the brand’s 50 years in Japan, explores the past, present, and future of Herno, from its founding in 1948, when it made some of the world’s first raincoats, to its evolution into a high fashion brand in the ’70s and ’80s, to what it is today: one of the world’s favorite outerwear brands under the leadership of Claudio Marenzi. Here, a look inside the wide-reaching exhibition, as well as some of the brand’s most memorable fashion moments over the years.
The raincoat is one of Herno’s most iconic pieces, and one of the centerpieces of the exhibition, including a classic version that hung from the rafters of the two-floor exhibit and was projected with different light shows.
L.I.B.R.A.R.Y. showed the journey of the brand’s beginnings in Lesa, Italy, where it is still based, and pulled all of the pieces from the brand’s archives, and celebrated strides made in sustainability, technology and innovation since its beginnings.
An archival image from 1980.
Water is at the core of the brand, thanks to its headquarter’s proximity to Lake Maggiore—and the raincoat at the center of its identity. To celebrate the element, the exhibit opens with “Water Echoes,” an interactive installation designed by Studio Azzurro.
Pieces, both archival and new, are on display throughout Herno’s L.I.B.R.A.R.Y. exhibit, including those made in both Italy and Japan. Over the years, new techniques have been implemented alongside traditional methods, including innovative machines for thermo-taping and ultrasound stitching, resulting in ultra-lightweight down materials and garments made without traditional seams.
An archival image from 1960.
In a nod to the future, the brand invited students at Florence’s Polimoda and at Osaka Institute of Fashion to come to Florence to design and manufacture new pieces under the guidance of six specialist dressmakers at the “Laboratorio H.”
An archival image from 1970.
Archival pieces decorate the space, dating back to the brand’s origins in 1948, when following the war, founder Giuseppe Marenzi joined a local raincoat company before being inspired to start his own company, thanks to Lake Maggiore’s humid and wet climate.
Today, 78% percent of Herno’s employees are women, while 18% are under the age of 30. The team is led by Claudio Marenzi, who took over as President and Managing Director of Herno in 2005.
An archival image from 1949, the brand’s first collection.
The brand has become synonymous with well-made outerwear, as well as eco-sustainability. Products are made in Herno’s 19th-century factory which has been entirely refurbished with investments in solar panels and the purchase of low-consumption machinery.
An archival image from 1995.
The materials used are also ethically sourced, most notably in the brand’s down coats, with feathers coming from Siberia in Russia and Lomellina in Italy.
