Foundation

In 1884, Albert Handschin founded the knitting factory in Liestal, Switzerland. His vision: underwear, made from natural fibres, that is soft and comfortable to wear - for the elegant, modern woman of the time.

The brand 

The HANRO brand was registered in 1913 - a combination of the names of Albert Handschin and his business partner Carl Ronus. From the very beginning, HANRO has relied on its own patented circular knitting technology, which guarantees a perfect fit and comfort.

Expansion

Ultralight, high-waisted spencer tops and circular-knit bodysuits made from the finest wool and silk were initially designed to keep the body warm, later adding fashionable and seductive underwear pieces complete the look.

Modern femininity

Madeleine Handschin, the granddaughter of the company founder, created a world’s first: ultra-light bra shirts as invisible underwear. In addition, her beach and swimwear made their way into the HANRO collection as sporty leisurewear.

Innovations

Due to the difficult times of the Second World War, when wool was rationed, HANRO began to work with new and innovative viscose fabrics made from cellulose. Synthetic fibres were introduced under the strictest quality criteria.

Diva Glamour

In the 1950s, HANRO cemented its reputation with elegant nightdresses and gowns inspired by the glamorous style of Hollywood divas. The lingerie collections embodied seductive lace creations and celebrated the newly discovered femininity. One highlight was Marilyn Monroe, who wore HANRO in the famous scene from "The Seven Year Itch".

Raschel lace

During the flower power movement, the Raschel machines at HANRO ran in two and three shifts. The new products made of Raschel jersey in candy colours and with flower motifs boomed and led HANRO to the top of the world's underwear industry.

Close to nature

Natural sportiness was HANRO's recipe for lasting youthfulness. The coarsely knitted rib sports underwear appealed to a young and young-at-heart clientele. The prospect of changing underwear and outerwear reflected in bra sets that resembled a bikini and bodysuits that were designed like swimsuits.

Icon

In the 1980s, HANRO shaped a new, purist, wellness-inspired aesthetic and focused on tops made from the finest mercerised cotton with the motto "Back to Classics". The Cotton Seamless spaghetti top, worn by Nicole Kidman in "Eyes Wide Shut", becomes a bestseller with international cult status.

Huber Holding

1990 HANRO has been a leader in luxury lingerie for over a century. At HANRO, the awareness of its own long history meaning "Back to the Roots", was a commitment to proven quality over generations. Since its integration into the Austrian Huber Group in 1991, HANRO has continued to stand for consistency and innovative quality.

New ways

The current HANRO loungewear collections reflect the casual trend of the new century. Casual outerwear, shirts and dresses fashionably merge the areas of underwear, nightwear and outerwear. HANRO celebrated its 130th company anniversary in 2014.

Award

In 2016, HANRO received the "Designer of the Year 2016" award from the world's largest and most important underwear trade fair SALON INTERNATIONAL DE LA LINGERIE out of 500 underwear brands.

Sustainable luxury

For HANRO, sustainability is more than just an emerging trend. Sustainability has always been practised and is part of the brand DNA. That is why HANRO is increasingly relying on modern, cellulose fibres such as TENCEL™. With its fashionable trend collections and the INDIVIDUALS @ HANRO concept, HANRO also shows that underwear can do much more. Mix & Match constantly creates new styles that blur the boundaries between day and night and inner and outerwear.