Henri Lloyd back on track (with Swiss ownership)

Henri Lloyd changes ownership again(after the 2019 “rescue”) and becomes Swiss.

Henri Lloyd acquired by Odlo

The historic clothing brand founded in Manchester in 1963 Has been acquired by the Swiss group Odlo International AG, founded in 1946 and today a major player in sports underwear (125 million euros in sales, presence in 35 countries), whose majority shares were in turn acquired, in 2020 by Monte Rosa Sports Holding (Hugo Maurstad and Christian Casal’s Swiss company that controls the well-known ski brands Rossignol and Dynastar, among others).

Henri Lloyd, a strategic choice

Odlo is active in the Running, Cycling, Outdoor and Skiing segments, and with the acquisition – in progress – aims to get a foot in the sailing world as well.

And with what a brand! Henri Lloyd is an icon of nautical clothing, both “leisure” clothing and clothing with a decidedly more technical edge (Ineos Team UK at the last America’s Cup was dressed Henri Lloyd and now dresses the British SailGP team commanded by Ben Ainslie): but the last few years have not been easy.

The company had gone into receivership in 2019 after a period of crisis due to the management of the company’s various stores. Rescuing it from the situation was the Swedish Aligro group led by Magnus Liljeblad, which had already purchased some rights to the brand the previous March.

Henri Lloyd, latest news

Now, Henri Lloyd passes into the hands of a company that appears to be solid and well-structured.

Meanwhile, the development and launching of new products especially in the field of sailing apparel has not stopped. Among the latest new products launched by the brand are the M-Pro 2.0 jackets, which are ultra-light and breathable designed for the racing world, and the Mav Lite soft shells (pictured above).

The story of Henri Lloyd

Founded in Manchester in 1963 by former Polish soldier naturalized British Henri Strzelecki and Angus Lloyd, the Henri Lloyd brand had grown to own 40 stores in the UK, Australia, the Middle East and Europe.

The brand pioneered the use of new technologies and fabrics such as Bri-Nylon in its early clothing lines. They dressed Henri Lloyd Francis Chichester, in his 1966/67 world tour, and Robin Knox-Johnston at the 1969 Golden Globe, just to name a few.

Among the brand’s innovations are the first anti-corrosion nylon zippers, the introduction of Velcro closures in waterproof garments, hand taping of seams as an alternative to painting, and the incorporation of Gore-Tex waterproofing.

The use of Gore-Tex alone was tested at sea for over 22,000 hours worldwide before it was first sold to customers in 1994.

The brand also became famous in the fashion world thanks to the Milanese “paninari” who wore Henri Lloyd’s Consort Jacket as part of their uniform along with Levi’s 501 jeans and Timberland boots.

• Discover all of Henri Lloyd’s products here