Helly Hansen

Helly Juell Hansen had been at sea since the age of 14. In 1877 at the age of 35, he and his wife Maren Margarethe produced their first oilskin jackets, trousers, sou'westers and tarpaulins made from coarse linen soaked in linseed oil. Over the first five years they sold around 10,000 pieces. In 1878, the company won a diploma for excellence at the Paris Expo, and began exporting its products. After Helly Juell Hansen's death in 1914, company leadership passed on to his son Leiv Helly-Hansen, an experienced merchant. The brand developed a mass appeal and is now sold in sports shops, not only the hiking and specialized clothing shops of before. In 2008, they launched Odin, a 3-Layer materialization system made for mountaineers. The Odin collection won the Red Dot Design Award the same year. In 2012, Helly Hansen introduced their H2 Flow Technology with the H2 Flow Jacket. The H2 Flow Jacket allows the wearer to regulate their body temperature. ==Corporate history==

By 1995, the company was owned by Norwegian conglomerate Orkla. That year, Orkla sold a 50% stake in Helly Hansen to Resource Group International, which merged with Aker in 1996. In 1997, Investcorp bought Aker's stake and most of Orkla's stake, resulting in its 70% ownership of Helly Hansen, which was valued at $160 million at the time. In October 2006, Investcorp sold its shares in Helly Hansen to Altor Equity Partners, a private equity firm. In 2012, Altor sold a 75% stake in Helly Hansen to the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan. In 2015, the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan increased its position, acquiring Altor's remaining stock in the business. In May 2018, Ontario Teachers sold the company to Canadian Tire for 985 million. In February 2025, Kontoor Brands agreed to acquire Helly Hansen for $1.3 billion. The acquisition was completed in June 2025. ==Partnerships==

In February 2011, a three-year partnership was announced with guiding company Mountain Madness to outfit all Mountain Madness operations guides "with technical apparel from head to toe" beginning the 2011 season and extending through 2013. In November 2012, Helly Hansen partnered with the US Ski and Snowboard Association to be their official baselayer provider. The US Alpine Ski Team wore Helly Hansen baselayer while competing in Sochi. Helly Hansen is the official apparel sponsor of the NOOD Regatta Races for sailing. In July 2015, Helly Hansen became the apparel partner for Canada’s alpine and para-alpine ski teams. In 2020, Helly Hansen partnered with The Ocean Race. ==Use by far-right groups==

Helly Hansen clothing has been appropriated by neo-Nazi groups in Australia, due to the brand's "HH" logo, which extremists choose to interpret as an abbreviation for "Heil Hitler". Members of groups such as the now disbanded National Socialist Network have been observed wearing Helly Hansen jackets. ==References==