Pendleton Woolen Mills reveals formation of outerwear division

Pendleton Woolen Mills, the lifestyle brand with roots as a Pacific Northwest woolen manufacturer since 1863, announced that as of January 1, 2020, it has successfully re-acquired its outerwear license from Item House Inc. and has retained the team that has helped elevate Pendleton’s outerwear line. This transaction is the culmination of a long and successful partnership for two Pacific Northwest companies. Pendleton is focused on leveraging the technical fabric and outerwear expertise of Item House to expand on Pendleton’s history of innovation in fabric and apparel suited for the outdoors.

Item House has been a licensee of Pendleton’s since 1999. The core Item House team will remain in Tacoma, Washington as a Pendleton Woolen Mills satellite office.

“We are very excited to continue the outerwear innovation and growth we have witnessed throughout our partnership with Item House,” said John Bishop, president and chief executive officer of Pendleton. “This is an investment in an important product category. We’re looking forward to leveraging the expertise that our new team members have in technical fabrics and sourcing across other Pendleton lines. Our teams have been working together for years and our cultures mesh nicely.”

“We are thrilled to see Pendleton continue to build on the outerwear momentum and take the offering to an even higher level,” said Greg Davis, president of Item House. “Since our founding in 1956, Item House has been creating outerwear with a focus on quality, design and trends, which is aligned with Pendleton’s history and vision.”

The re-acquisition is an expansion of the iconic apparel and outerwear that Pendleton has been creating since the early 1900’s. The transition will be seamless and is effective with the fall 2020 product line. The fall line has been a joint development and will feature a full range of outerwear for men and women.

Courtesy: Textile World