Podcast Summary

The Grand Tourist with Dan Rubinstein

Episode: Claudio Marenzi: A Legacy of Technical Elegance
Date: November 5, 2025
Guest: Claudio Marenzi, CEO of Herno
Host: Dan Rubinstein

Overview

This episode of The Grand Tourist offers a deep dive into the legacy and evolution of Herno, the Italian outerwear powerhouse, through a candid conversation with its CEO, Claudio Marenzi. Marenzi shares his family’s multigenerational approach to craftsmanship, the company’s transformation from traditional raincoat makers to a global luxury brand, and offers insights into the Italian manufacturing landscape, sustainability, and his personal philosophy on luxury, quality, and creativity. The conversation is rich with anecdotes, industry reflections, and advice for the future.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Early Life and Family Business Roots

• Province Upbringing: Marenzi describes his rural childhood in Leyza near Arona, Piedmont, close to Milan, where “craftsmanship and business coexisted.”
• Summer Apprenticeship: He spent summers working various jobs in the family business, learning everything from cutting and pressing fabric to logistics.
  • "I start to cutting room in the cutting room and iron press, sewing, the operation, generally speaking, logistics. So that was my... early life in the company." (03:26)
• Early Exposure to Fashion Shows: His father introduced him to the major fashion event Pitti Immagine during his youth, an experience he likens to a child from the countryside seeing New York for the first time.
  • "My first pit in the 78. And for me coming from the lake, you know, going to Pitti, it was like go to New York." (03:45)

Herno’s Origins and Philosophy

• Brand Foundations in Functionality: Herno was founded in 1948, focused on technical outerwear, specifically raincoats using castor oil treatments for waterproofing—a wartime innovation.
  • "The first product was, the rainwear. So the raincoats. Everything about a function." (06:11)
• Family as Company, Company as Family: Marenzi recalls how the line between family and business was blurred, with competition and sports shaping a results-driven culture.
  • "The family is the company and the company is the family. So it's really Italian way. There is no almost a difference." (04:51)
• Sibling Rivalry and Business Evolution: Growing up with two brothers, competition was encouraged, evolving into "competing together against the market." (07:16)

Finding Herno’s Path in Fashion

• From Manufacturer to Brand: In the 1980s and ‘90s, Herno served as a manufacturer for luxury brands (e.g., Armani, Gucci), which boosted technical know-how but weakened its brand recognition.
  • "The company move more as a manufacturer than a brand. So the brand later... In the 90s, became weaker." (11:51)
• Emphasis on Sartorial Engineering: Marenzi blended manufacturing skill with an eye for design, shifting Herno from functional outerwear into a full, stylish collection.
  • "I started really the sartorial engineering fashion because I really felt deeply manufactured." (13:41)
• Technical Innovation: Investments in R&D led to pioneering products like direct injection of down (2008) and fashion collections with performance fabrics like Gore-Tex (2010).
  • "Everything was about fashion on one side and function on the other. And in this, in this way we make our own path." (16:47)

Notable Products and Innovations

• Signature ‘Zip Out’ Piece: Marenzi highlights the playful zip-out jacket from 2012 as a personal favorite, demonstrating Herno’s blend of technical showmanship and wearability.

  • "My favorite... was a very... funny, we call a zip out... a special zip that you can open that way without... break the zip." (19:35)

• End-to-End Control: While Herno uses some outside production under strict control, all design, prototyping, and industrialization is kept internally.

Challenges and Vision for Growth

• Family Differences: Marenzi’s vision to promote the brand led to a split with his brothers, who preferred sticking to manufacturing.
  • "They gave up the competitive spirit." (22:15)
• Manufacturing and Sustainability: His industry leadership roles (e.g., Pitti Immagine, Sistema Moda Italia) reinforce the need for quality, traceability, and sustainability across the entire supply chain—not just aesthetics, but a collaborative focus on responsible production.
  • "Manufacturing shifted to quality, traceability and sustainability... quality could be not done by just one player, but... all the supply chain." (23:13)
• The "Made in Italy" Debate: Marenzi advocates reserving “Made in Italy” for the highest-quality and most “astonishing” products, leveraging both local and Eastern European manufacturing for best value and materials.
  • "We have to make in Italy only that items that people, you know, stay astonished in some way." (41:43)

Shifting Consumer & Market Landscape

• Retail Expansion: Herno’s strategy is to increase direct-to-consumer presence, aiming for 60% of sales through branded retail, to better control display and storytelling.

  • "Our expansion in the next years should be in a retail... not a question of margin but...to show our product in the right way." (27:48)

• American Market: US customers are “keen on quality and very fast,” with high expectations for service—parallels drawn with the brand’s experiences in Japan.

  • "The American consumer very keen on quality and very fast... everything must be on time, must be in the right moment." (33:21)
  • "If you spoil them then it's very difficult to make them come back." (35:29)

• Climate Change’s Impact: Herno is adapting to global warming by focusing on lighter, transitional pieces, moving away from traditional seasonal heavy outerwear.

  • "We are making a collection really a lot of transitional items... more different in a different way. Not there's not one season for heavy items and one season for light." (38:03)

Marenzi’s Personal Interests

• Art Collector: Bought his first artwork at 15 using summer job money—commissioned a local artist to paint his bedroom door, which he took when he moved out.
  • "I make painting my bedroom doors from a local artist... I keep it the door. When I... left my family's house, I went out with the door." (29:37)
• Art as Future Vision: For Marenzi, art represents a “view of the future,” paralleling artists’ foresight with his vision for Herno.

Reflections on Luxury and Quality

• Shifting Perceptions of Luxury: The new interpretation of luxury is about time and experience, not just material markers. Performance and quality are increasingly intertwined.
  • "Time is luxury... Perception of quality is even the performance..." (46:18)
• On Succession & Legacy: Marenzi instills in his sons that business is “about value more than metrics,” emphasizing passion and experience as core to leading the company.
  • "I just say teach them that they keep going. The company is not only about metrics, but is about the value." (50:03)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Italian family business:
  "The family is the company and the company is the family. So it's really Italian way. There is no almost a difference."
  — Claudio Marenzi (04:51)

• On differentiating Herno:
  "I start to make a balance between the aesthetic and the manufacturer... value for money. This was really important for me."
  — Claudio Marenzi (13:41)

• On innovation:
  "We start first in 2008. Direct injection of the down... In 2010 for the first time making a collection... with Goretex fabrics."
  — Claudio Marenzi (16:47)

• On the American market:
  "Everything in terms of... engagement is about quality and the service. You cannot drop that. The American are spoiled about that."
  — Claudio Marenzi (33:21)

• On “Made in Italy”:
  "We have to make in Italy only that items that people... stay astonished in some way... focus on the high quality."
  — Claudio Marenzi (41:43)

• On sustaining vision with growth:
  "Keep going like that in a world that is... quite unbalanced... you know, changing the needs change the dimension, change even, you know, the mentality. So the big task is keep going in the same way."
  — Claudio Marenzi (48:44)

Important Segments & Timestamps

• Early life and family roots: 02:24 – 07:44
• Joining Herno officially: 07:52 – 08:54
• '80s Italian fashion landscape & shift to manufacturing: 09:17 – 13:20
• Relaunch as a brand and R&D innovation: 16:33 – 19:18
• Iconic products (Zip Out jacket): 19:32 – 21:50
• Retail strategy for the future: 27:33 – 29:23
• Art collecting and its influence: 29:23 – 31:48
• Experience with American & Japanese markets: 32:55 – 36:42
• Climate change and lighter, transitional outerwear: 37:31 – 39:04
• Meaning and challenges of 'Made in Italy': 39:04 – 44:53
• Changing meaning of luxury and quality: 46:05 – 48:41
• Succession and teaching the next generation: 49:58 – 50:49

Takeaways

• Heritage and innovation can coexist: Herno balances artisanal roots with ongoing technical advancement.
• Quality and authenticity matter more than ever: Both in product and in the “Made in Italy” ethos.
• Understanding local markets is key to retail and brand evolution—tailoring approach to regional tastes and expectations.
• True luxury is increasingly about experience, flexibility, and comfort, not just materials.
• Sustaining a family-run business takes adaptation but also fidelity to core values.

For those inspired by Italian craftsmanship, innovation in fashion, or the leadership stories behind enduring brands, this episode offers an authentic, insightful behind-the-scenes narrative with timeless lessons for makers and entrepreneurs.