Pendleton Woolen Mills buys back outerwear license

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Jan 20, 2020

The Portland, Oregon-based lifestyle brand has announced that it has bought back its outerwear license from Item House, a Tacoma, Washington-based outerwear designer manufacturer and distributor. 

The deal, finalized on January 1, 2020, will be effective with the brand’s fall 2020 product line of men’s and women’s outerwear. The line is a joint venture between Pendleton and Item House, who have been licensee partners since 1999. Other brands with whom Item House has produced collections include Cece, Forecaster of Boston, Kristen Blake, Metro and Sachi, among others. 

The core Item House team will remain in Tacoma as a Pendleton Woolen Mills satellite office.

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"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," added 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."

Currently, Pendleton produces a range of men’s and women’s clothing, accessories and shoes, in addition to producing popular home accessories like blankets. Pendleton’s strategy to grow its outerwear business comes as the market for outerwear continues to rise, thanks to the popularity of brands like Canada Goose, Moncler and The North Face.

According to a report from Zion Market Research, the global outdoor clothing market is projected to reach $19.45 billion USD by 2026 at a CAGR of around 5.45% between 2019 and 2026.