case study

1. Describe Pendleton Woolen Mills as a company, including an analysis of their current product lines. Who is the target customer for Pendleton products? 2. What are the advantages and disadvantages for Pendleton in collaborating with other fashion brands? 3. What fashion brands are currently collaborating with Pendleton? Why do you think these brands have agreed to collaborate with Pendleton? Why do you think Pendleton has agreed to collaborate with these fashion brands? 4. What criteria should Pendleton use in selecting fashion brands for future collaborations? Based on this list, what three fashion brands would be appropriate brands for future collaborations with Pendleton? Why? How would each brand continue Pendleton's commitment to designing for longevity of use? Case Study: Heritage Brand Collaborations: Pendleton Woolen Mills Pendleton Woolen Mills exemplifies the characteristics of a heritage brand. As stated on their website, "For more than 153 years, Pendleton has set the standard for American style. With six generations of family ownership, the company remains dedicated to its American heritage, authenticity and fabric craftsmanship" (Pendleton Woolen Mills, 2017). In 1909, three brothers, Clarence, Roy, and Chauncy Bishop, opened a woolen mill in Pendleton, Oregon, at the time a major wool shipping center for sheep growers in the Columbia River Plateau region. The products first produced included blankets and robes for Native Americans. The Pendleton blankets "were used as basic wearing apparel and as a standard of value for trading and credit among Native Americans. The blankets also became prized for ceremonial use." With the opening of an additional mill, Pendleton added men's apparel, specif- ically men's woolen shirts and sportswear, to their line of products; and later (after WWII) added a line women's apparel to its offerings. as "It Lasts," highlighting the resiliency and durability of wool and high-quality product construction. As heirlooms, "Pendleton blankets, shirts, 49er jackets and pleated skirts and many other signature products are passed from generation to generation." With corporate headquarters in Portland, Oregon, USA, Pendleton remains a vertically integrated company- owning and operating five production facilities that process raw wool into finished materials, designing apparel and home products, and selling merchandise through specialty and department store retailers in addition to direct sales through fifty Pendleton retail and outlet stores, apparel and home direct catalogs, and the Pendleton-usa.com website. They are well-known for wool blankets and other home products and for both woolen and non-woolen apparel with classic styling and consistent color stories. They market their merchandise In recent years, Pendleton has collaborated with fashion brands including UGG Australia, Timberland, Canada Goose", and Nike" to create merchandise that incorporates Pendleton textiles. For example, Canada Goose X Pendleton hat, scarves, and blanket combine Pendleton wool with Canada Goose white goose down