That mythical yellow raincoat that has been in fashion for 70 years

Helly Juell Hansen spends his life at sea from an early age. In 1877, at the age of 35, he and his wife Maren Margarethe began making jackets, pants, pants and tarpaulins from raw linen soaked in linseed oil. In the first five years the two sold about 10,000 pieces. In 1878 the company was awarded the Diploma of Excellence at the Paris Expo and began exporting its products.

After Helly Juell Hansen’s death in 1914, management of the company passed to his son Helly Hansen, an experienced merchant. In the 1920s a new fabric was developed, which Helly Hansen called Linox.

THE HELOX BREAKTHROUGH
A crucial change for the brand occurred in 1949, when Helox was developed-a revolution in weather-protecting clothing and fashion. In fact, the Marshall Plan and investment in new production facilities enabled the Norwegian brand to begin production of translucent PVC plastic fabrics for men’s and women’s coats, capes and ponchos under the Helox brand.

Rainwear is collapsible and placed in small bags, easy to carry with you and usable when needed when it started to rain. It’s a hit, both in the seafaring world and in the fashion world.

Production touches very high peaks, talking about 30,000 head per month.

The first raincoats are transparent, gray in color for men and milky white for women. In this way, elegant clothes are visible through rainwear and you can show your style in any weather. Soon they are made in different colors, with the plastic more like a fabric.

Specially designed textured seams, buttonholes and buttons, as well as faux seams, are welded into the foil. In this way, the fashion of rainwear moves from a “plastic” look to a more “fashionable” expression.

The collections are inspired by Parisian haute couture and are offered and advertised in magazines, trade brochures, newspapers and movie posters. Helox’s story is still on display at the Østfold Museum in Moss.

MORE TECHNOLOGICAL, BUT ALMOST UNCHANGED IN LOOK
Helly Hansen raincoats are a great classic, and since 1949 Helox has continued to evolve and never stopped being in fashion: in particular, a few years ago Helox+ was born, which uses PVC-free material with a series of holes conveniently placed in the back to allow for greater breathability.

It has a similar look to what Helly Hansen used in the late 1800s and late 1980s, which even then allowed total insulation from the elements along with excellent stretch for maximum freedom of movement.

The new Jeloey Jacket (classic women’s waterproof jacket made of PU with a 3/4 length) and the Kirkwall (modern, revamped version of the classic Fisherman raincoat) for women are reminiscent of Helly Hansen’s early women’s designs from the 1900s.

www.hellyhansen.com

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