The Return of Henri-Lloyd
Emerging from 1960s Manchester as the brainchild of visionary Henri Strzelecki, the Henri-Lloyd brand was built on a foundation of consistent innovation and the determination of its creator to craft the highest quality sailing clothing in the world. After becoming the first label to utilise nylon in the creation of waterproof garments they quicky noticed the amount of permeable holes created by stitching the material. The now industry-standard method for seam sealing was quickly developed by the brand when it was discovered that using glue to attach a durable tape over the seam not only aided in the waterproofing of their jackets but also the durability.
New technical innovations and developments became regular occurences for the brand in the 1960s, such as the first application of Velcro on clothing and the creation of a non-corrosive zip which began to attract the attention of the world's adventurers and explorers of the time. The following decades saw Henri-Lloyd venture more heavily into the fashion market rather than a strict dedication to technicalwear after the mass adoption of the brand by Italy's Paninaro; a demographic comprised of young adults characterised by their obsession with expensive designer clothing that had been designed primarily to impress. Significant changes emerged in proceeding collections, including a bold use of colour previously unseen.
Cementing their position as global leaders in performance clothing allowed the brand to diversify its collections while continuing to develop and push forward their specialism, with multiple sporting sponsorships and partnerships coming to fruition in the years ahead. One example is the brand's iconic relationship with Sir Ben Ainslie, continuing unbroken for 25 years of his famed career and placing the Henri-Lloyd brand at the forefront of British sailing excellency. The commitment to innovation did not stop there, with the launch of the "Optivision" hood system that allows unparalleled peripheral vision coming in 2009.
The previous 60 years of experimentation and experience have not only led to the recognition of Henri-Lloyd as a true pioneer in the performance clothing space but also ensured its continuation for years to come; their vast archive of previous favourites and treasures allows the brand to reimagine and reconstruct to allow for new generations of wearers, new manufacturing techniques, new materials and new challenges to be faced.
