Pendleton Turns 100 In Style

You can imagine that the executives at Pendleton Woolen Mills must have been a little bit surprised when Humberto Leon, the designer for the cutting-edge fashion brand Opening Ceremony, called. After all, Pendleton is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and is more likely to be associated with Dad's old work shirt than high couture.

This fall, Opening Ceremony began selling a line of updated Pendleton garments. The company's iconic plaids and Navajo prints have been re-imagined as fashion-forward jackets, miniskirts and tailored shirts with price tags starting at $400.

And people have noticed. The line has garnered mentions in Vogue, The New York Times Magazine and countless fashion blogs. Mischa Barton, Rihanna and Reese Witherspoon are all said to own pieces. Not bad for a company that has its roots in the 19th century. While we love the hipster-chic duds, we're still crazy for the original Pendleton blankets in their unadulterated form. (We're not alone: ELLE Decor recognized the enduring style of Pendleton Woolen Mills in its December 2009 issue.) Pendleton may have gone high-fashion with its Opening Ceremony collaboration, but the company hasn't changed much since its beginning. While Pendleton is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, the brand's history actually starts further back than 1909, which is when the first Pendleton blanket came off the loom. In 1863, Thomas Kay, a young English weaver made his way from the Atlantic, across Panama and up the Pacific coast to Oregon. In 1889, Kay opened his own mill. Kay's daughter then married a local retail merchant with whom she would found the Pendleton Mill in 1909. For the last 100 years this family-operated, all-American company has been making its famous patterned blankets and clothing.

From its earliest days, Pendleton manufactured wool blankets. The original Pendletons were bed blankets and robes for Native Americans. These early blankets were woven using the Native Americans' own designs, which showed graphic representations of their beliefs and legends. Today, Pendleton collaborates with tribes to create contemporary designers. Each year, Pendleton releases a new commemorative pattern; each blanket features a suede patch that tells the design's story.

GERONIMO BLANKET (above): This blanket is a tribute to Geronimo, the famed Apache medicine man and spiritual leader. The pattern is inspired by a Pendleton robe Geronimo is seen wearing in a photograph from the early 1900s.

GLACIER NATIONAL PARK BLANKET (above): Beginning in the early 1900s, Pendleton manufactured blankets that honor the country's National Parks. This design pays tribute to Glacier National.
SERAPE BLANKET (above): This Serape blanket is lighter than other Pendleton blankets, in accordance with traditional serape weaving. According to Pendleton, "Most commonly, the serape is woven of fine yarns that allow it to be lighter in weight than other blankets, with unbalanced stripes of varying widths providing the characteristic serape pattern."