The "heritage" resurgence has inspired Pendleton to dig through its vast archives of ads, designs, and fabrics.

Danner introduced its Light hiking boot in the ‘70s. The boot now enjoys a robust fashion following. "The design created the fashion interest, which is great," says Danner CFO Dave Carlson. "But it stays in our line because of its performance."

Danner’s popularity among Japanese and American hipsters is balanced by its enduring usefulness to police officers, soldiers, outdoors enthusiasts, and industrial workers. "We address different clienteles, and that’s a real strength," Carlson says.

Recent collaborations with the Nike-owned skate/surf brand Hurley evoke Pendleton’s connections to vintage California youth culture. In the late ‘50s and ‘60s, pioneering surfers adopted the cozy Oregon brand as après-wave wear.

Tribal prints, part of Pendleton’s repertoire from the company’s earliest days, now figure prominently in its collaborations with Hurley (seen here), Opening Ceremony, and others.

Opening Ceremony, the taste-making indie boutique chain, helped reintroduce Pendleton to the fashion world. OC co-founder Carol Lim recently told Elle magazine: "We told them, ‘we’re going to carry your line… and in the next two years, I guarantee you, you’re going to have… high-level specialty stores coming to buy this.’"

Before the link to Opening Ceremony, Mort Bishop says, “we never would have thought of collaborating with another brand. There has to be a huge element of trust. We’re letting people dig through our archives—we’re letting them see everything. So we need to find the sweet spot of common interest.”

The Japanese artist/designer Taka Hayashi contributed to Pendleton’s partnership with Vans.