No mannequins, no models, no personality endorsements—just jackets. That’s how the Italian outerwear brand Herno has presented their beloved coats since Giuseppe and Alessandra Diana Marenzi founded the company in 1948.
This month, Herno officially opened its first U.S. storefront in New York’s SoHo district where collections are displayed with gallery-like esteem. Just one of each style of coat hangs in spacious rows using the brand’s signature carabiner-style clip in place of conventional hangers (various sizes are stored in the back).
The 1,300-square-foot showroom was designed under the tutelage of CEO Claudio Marenzi, son of the company founders. Marenzi wanted to celebrate family roots with the inclusion of a central library, where deep wool-clad armchairs sit around a fireplace and Italian-themed books rest on poplar-wood cabinetry, all before an enormous leafy greenwall. Oak flooring, slate stone, and flannel details are found throughout the calming space, which also features video panels displaying wave-like visuals. It’s all to evoke the company’s connection to nature and its home on Italy’s Lake Maggiore.
Herno’s beloved coats have long adorned the racks of top department stores, but the new flagship—which began its soft opening in July—will boast the largest stateside selection with items not yet seen in the U.S., including more pieces from its limited-edition collaboration with French graphic designer Pierre-Louis Mascia.
With Mascia, the typically understated designs of Herno are given the reversible option with splashy, colorful all-over prints inside. Since it’s founding, the brand has been a leader in high-performance outerwear that stays within the confines of fashionable presentation, so expect double-breasted trench coats to feature removable down-filled liners.
As the largest purveyor of Gore-Tex outside the sportswear industry, the bubble jackets are meant to endure the most extreme weather conditions. The pieces are an investment, so the store gives the sense that you’re meant to relax into la dolce vita, have an espresso by the fire, and spend some time until you find the coat that’s right for you.
95 Greene St.; herno.it
