Henri Strzelecki

Henryk "Henri" Strzelecki MBE (04 October 1925 – 26 December 2012) was a Polish-born British fashion designer. Strzelecki and Angus Lloyd co-founded the British clothing label, Henri Lloyd, in Manchester, United Kingdom, in 1963.[1][2] He was known as Henri to colleagues and friends.[2]

Early life

Strzelecki was born in Brodnica, Poland.[2] He fled Poland with the outbreak of World War II and enlisted in the Polish 2nd Corps (later part of the British Eighth Army) in Italy.[2] Strzelecki fought with the Corps in battles throughout the war, notably participating in the liberation of the city of Bologna from the Germans.[2] He was awarded medals from both the British and Polish militaries for his service during the war.[2] Strzelecki decided to remain in the United Kingdom following the war due to the Communist takeover of Poland.[2] He began studying textiles and fibers, which would lead to a career in the clothing industry.[2]

Career

Strzelecki and Lloyd launched Henri-Lloyd Limited, an amalgamation of their two names, in 1963.[2] Their company, which specializes in outdoor gear, golf clothing, yachting and outdoor lifestyle apparel, quickly earned a reputation for introducing new technologies and man-made textiles and fiber into their clothing.[1][2] Under Strzelecki and Lloyd, Henri Lloyd became one of the first to utilize Velcro, Gore-Tex, and Bri-Nylon in their apparel.[1][2] Henri Lloyd clothing became the choice of prominent sailors, Olympians, and explorers, including Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Shirley Robertson, and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston.[2]

Henri Strzelecki died on 26 December 2012, at the age of 87.[2] He was survived by his two sons, Paul and Martin, both of whom are joint chief executives of Henri-Lloyd Limited; and his daughter, Diane. His wife, Sheila, died in 1999.[2] British Olympic sailor Ben Ainslie, who had worn Henri Lloyd during his competitions, tweeted "Great man and much loved 'RIP'", calling news of Strzelecki's death "very sad."[2]

Awards

Queen Elizabeth II awarded Strzelecki the Member of the Order of the British Empire for his contributions to the clothing industry in 1985.[1][2] The Henri Lloyd company further received the Queen's Award for Export Achievement in 1986 and 1987.[2] In 1987, Strzelecki was named the Marine Personality of the Year by the Marine Trades Association.[2] The President of Poland also awarded him the Gold Cross of Merit in 1990.[2]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Founder of 'Henri Lloyd' clothing brand dies". thenews.pl at Polskie Radio. 2012-12-28. Retrieved 2013-01-13.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Edwards, Anna (2012-12-28). "'Visionary pioneer' behind Henri Lloyd brand and who was first to use Velcro in clothing dies aged 87". Daily Mail. Retrieved 2013-01-13.
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