The story behind the New Icon - Fremantle Stripe Hooded Jacket
by Henri Lloyd 24 Jun 2019 16:00 BST
Following the change in ownership in 2018, the new Henri Lloyd management team have looked deeply and respectfully into the history of the brand and the aim has been to reconnect with the heritage and focus upon the goal of striving to produce the best sailing gear in the world. The first products from the new team is a Limited Edition Collections named Fremantle and was launched globally on May 29th across digital channels and at a series of events.
The inspiration behind the Fremantle collection was the yachtsmen Dennis Conner and his winning challenge in the 26th edition of the America's Cup in 1987, which was held in Fremantle Australia. He sailed the legendary Stars and Stripes to victory wearing the then radical Henri Lloyd foul weather gear featuring the "hooped chest design in red, white and blue". Inspired by his exploits Henri Lloyd have created a new and truly unique collection. It's striking athletic designs use the latest manufacturing techniques and are not only visually stunning but are matched by function and quality, making it the number one choice for today's performance sailor.
The crown jewel of the Fremantle collection is set to become a new icon, the Fremantle Stripe Hooded Jacket. It is a highly technical Gore-Tex Pro 3 layer jacket with a perfect balance of durability, weight, breathability and was engineered and manufactured in Henri Lloyd's own European manufacturing plant to world class standards and attention to detail.
Although the visual inspiration was taken from a design from over three decades ago the Fremantle Hooded Jacket is a thoroughly contemporary product featuring state of art fabrics, trims and manufacturing techniques. Features such as waterproof aqua-guard zips means that unnecessary weight of the storm and pocket flaps have been removed to increase breathability and aid freedom of movement. Inside there are considered details such as a "spray skirt" and a "breeze clip" which allows the jacket to be actively vented while keeping the jacket securely in place. This combination of state of the art fabric selection, world class manufacturing and considered technical design means that Fremantle is matched to the demands of today's active keelboat sailor.
Jonas Olsson Creative Director of Henri Lloyd says: During our quest to find a design that could be our starting point, we discovered the original Stars and Stripes vintage jacket with "hooped chest design in red, white and blue".
Olsson continues: These new Fremantle jackets represent everything we want the new Henri Lloyd to stand for. Heritage, Timeless design and Functional Active wear. We wanted to honour our legacy but with a modern twist and contemporary function for the active inshore sailor. Our aim was for the first collection to be instantly familiar and the "Hooped chest design" jacket is a Henri Lloyd icon.
See the Fremantle Stripe Hooded Jacket and the rest of the Fremantle limited edition collection here.