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70 years of luxury family-ran fashion was celebrated Thursday night with the opening of Herno’s first New York City storefront in Soho Manhattan. Located down a quiet cross street at 95 Green, and perfectly positioned next to other designer power houses like Dior, the Herno storefront launch was a gathering place for fashion insiders. Claudio Marenzi, current President & CEO, hosted the reception and music was curated by by Paul Sevigny with Sophie and Wolfgang Sevigny. 

The room was filled with a healthy mixture of lightweight, breathable neon fall bubble jackets and  fur-hooded pastel a-line winter jackets, each with their own unique styling. We sat down with Olivia Labella at the event to find out more about the brands first ever U.S flagship launch:

On the Importance of Thursday’s Launch:

“Very important because the brand is now in its second generation. It’s a family owned business and with the second generation Herno went through a relaunch of the family business, starting a new approach of outerwear so a little bit more technological more couture, more feminine. And every jacket tries to contact every need of the customer today but with a glamorous appeal. Of course we’re an Italian made brand but we’re sold in 54 countries. We’re very international and what’s nice is next year we’re celebrating 70 years as a brand, but 50 years that we’ve been selling in Japan. So it’s going to be a double anniversary. But even in Japan our business is run by a family, but it’s a second generation running it as well. So it’s family to family. So it’s very nice to work in such an environment, I think it makes it more special.”

On the Most Popular U.S. Herno Styles:

“This new phase that Herno is going through, for the first time, and we started making them 10 years ago, for the first time we started showing down jackets in a couture format. I mean literally, when the first prototype of an egg shaped, 3/4th sleeve, crater color down jacket came out- we were all saying ‘o.k, it might make you look fat. It’s 3/4th sleeve will it keep you warm? Who’s going to buy it?’ It’s been the number one selling piece for 10 years because it’s the first time you felt elegant and glamorous in a down jacket. It’s also super light because it’s produced with the newest technology, you can even see the quality of the feathers through the label. It’s so fine because it has no quills, no grains, it’s all pure white feathers. This feels like silk, and amazingly this is a jacket, you can wear all year round because it’s so light.”

On U.S. Expansion:

“In the past two and a half years the company has invested a lot in the American market. We started with this flagship store in New York but the branch has been open two and a half years because American business is very good to us, the customers have been reacting very nicely. Also to our Lux business, for example, the cashmere line has Lux material like cashmere and silk. And all the Americans love the combination of the lux materials but also feeling comfortable and protected. So the American line has been doing very well for us. And what is important is this store, is the only direct store after Milan. All the other stores were done with franchise partners but this one here is direct from the company so that’s the importance we’re giving to the American line.”

Alessandra Balazs

On What’s Next For Herno:

“I think we’re going to go for another store, maybe in Europe? But for sure we’re going to invest more in the American market.”

Credit: BFA/ Matteo Prandoni