A Lake Story – In the Beginning, There Was Water

The Element That Brought Life

“In the beginning there was water. It carries the flow of life. It creates…”

This is how In Flumine est vita, the project dedicated to Herno’s 70th anniversary, begins — a poetic homage to the element that has always defined the brand’s identity: water.
Whether it flows in the river or the lake, falls as rain or snow, or lingers as fog and humidity, water is both muse and memory for Herno — the eternal source of inspiration behind the brand’s most iconic creation: the raincoat.

Where It All Began

The story of Herno starts in 1948, on the shores of Lake Maggiore, with a simple yet revolutionary idea.
Giuseppe Marenzi and his wife Alessandra Diana discovered a new use for wartime cotton treated with castor oil, originally designed for aircraft. From that discovery came a vision — to craft garments capable of protecting against rain, wind, and cold, without sacrificing elegance or comfort.

In post-war Italy, a period of renewal and restless creativity, Herno was born from experimentation, driven by the desire to combine function and refinement, utility and beauty.

The Spirit of the Lake

The constant presence of water — from the river that flows through Lesa to the mist that rises from the lake — became both a symbol and a challenge.
Herno learned to embrace water, transforming its unpredictable nature into technical excellence and craftsmanship.

Each coat, each jacket, carries within it that same duality — protection and grace, innovation and tradition, Italian soul and natural harmony.
For Herno, water is not merely an element; it is a metaphor for connection, passion, and progress — the source of its ingenuity and the reason for its enduring success.