Henri Lloyd

For serious sailors it is a name built on genuine offshore credibility. Henri Lloyd has long pursued the goal of the world's best waterproof clothing, pioneering Gore-Tex foul weather gear that went through more than 22,000 hours of round-the-world sea testing before it first reached customers in 1994. That kind of proving is why its technical kit reads as a premium, durable investment rather than a fashion buy.

Technical sailing apparel above all. Henri Lloyd is a British clothing brand that specialised in sailing apparel and fashion for men and women, and it made its name pioneering new fabrics and waterproofing for the sea. Its foul weather gear has been worn on some of the most famous voyages in sailing history, which cemented its reputation among offshore sailors.

The company was founded in 1963 in Manchester by Henri Strzelecki, a Polish soldier who moved to Manchester to study textiles during the war, alongside his partner Angus Lloyd. Strzelecki, known as Mr Henri or Waterproof Henry, was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1985. The brand name combines both founders, Henri and Lloyd.

The Consort is the brand's landmark piece, first designed by Henri Strzelecki himself in 1965. Its place in sailing history was sealed when Sir Francis Chichester wore a Henri Lloyd Consort Jacket while becoming the first person to sail single-handed around the world by the clipper route in 1966 to 1967. The Consort was even redesigned for 2017 in a collection of 21 different editions.

An extraordinary roster. Henri Lloyd oilskins were worn by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston during the first single-handed non-stop circumnavigation in 1969, and Sir Ranulph Fiennes and his crew wore the brand's foul weather gear on the Transglobe Expedition. Chay Blyth and Naomi James both wore Henri Lloyd for their circumnavigations, which speaks volumes about its offshore pedigree.

Several that shaped modern sailing gear. The brand pioneered fabrics like Bri-Nylon, the first non-corrosive nylon zipper, the use of Velcro closures in waterproof garments, hand taping of seams instead of varnishing, and the incorporation of Gore-Tex waterproofing. In 2001 its TP3 Reflex Jacket and Hi-Fit Trouser won The DAME Design Award at the Marine Equipment Trade Show in Amsterdam.

If you want the brand's essence, look to its foul weather sailing gear, the category it pioneered and is most respected for. The Consort Jacket lineage in particular carries the brand's history right back to its 1960s origins. For everyday wear, its heritage jackets also carry that same technical DNA in a more casual form.

Partly by accident, through subculture. Henri Lloyd first became known for fashion in 1984 when Milan's Paninaro scene adopted the Consort Jacket as part of their uniform alongside Levi 501 jeans and Timberland boots, and it was also hugely popular in the Madchester scene. That crossover gave the technical brand a second life as a style statement.

The brand has changed hands in recent years. After severe financial difficulties, Henri Lloyd was sold to the Swedish investment firm Aligro Group in 2018, which refocused it on European sailors, and in 2022 the brand was acquired by Monte Rosa Capital. So the label that began in 1963 Manchester now operates under newer ownership while keeping its sailing heritage.

Very much so. Henri Lloyd has sponsored Sir Ben Ainslie since 1996 as his first commercial sponsor, served as the technical clothing supplier for the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race from 2002, and is the current official Performance Clothing Partner of the America's Cup team Ineos Britannia. Those partnerships keep the brand tied to the sharp end of competitive sailing.