When Englishman Thomas Kay opened his first Pendleton Woollen Mill in Oregon in 1903, HBC had already been trading furs and textiles for over 200 years.
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| 1920s advertisement for Pendleton Blankets via Pendleton |
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| 1941 Painting of R.M. Ballantyne, Clerk and Chief Trader George Barnston's arrival in 1846 wearing HBC coat via HBC |
In May 1670, Prince Rupert was appointed by King Charles II to be the Hudson's Bay Company's first Governor, allowing the Company to set up trading posts around the James and Hudson Bays.
First Nations people would bring pelts to these posts to barter for manufactured goods. By the 18th Century the Company had begun its expansion into the interior of what is now known as Canada, eventually to become a household name throughout the country.
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| Hudson's Bay Company store in Calgary, Alberta, 1884. via HBC |
One of the staple products of the Hudson's Bay Company was its woollen point blankets. Woven in Oxfordshire and shipped to North America, their warmth and quality made them an in-demand item at trading posts from 1780.
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| HBC point blankets in Kwakiutl Indian house at Fort Rupert, 1898. HBC Archive |
The efficient 'point' system was developed by French weavers as a way to indicate a blanket's overall size which could be seen without unfolding the blanket. Small indigo lines, or points, were woven into the blanket and its number and length dictated the blanket's size. Three and a half points would indicate a twin, four points a double, etc.
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| Advertisement for HBC blanket colour range, 1950. via HBC |
There were a number of original designs including solid indigo, scarlet, and the 3 point white blanket which provided excellent camouflage in winter, but it was the Chief's blanket or multi-stripe introduced in 1800 that has become the iconic design associated with the Hudson's Bay Company.
The wearable blanket
Point blankets, and particularly those bearing the classic multi-stripe pattern (green, red, yellow and blue stripes on a white background) were eventually made into garments either by HBC or by the indigenous communities themselves.
During the War of 1812, the original Mackinaw coats were made from point blankets, and the tradition of turning blankets into garments continued well into the 20th Century. Over the past two decades the iconic design had been less visible in shop windows, this but has recently been rectified.
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| Point blanket coat advertisement from 1939. via HBC |
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| HBC club jacket from 1979. via HBC |
In 2009, HBC launched a new heritage collection re-discovering the aesthetic value of its past. They have since continued to produce new and striking designs and have collaborated with notable designers and production companies, including Pendleton themselves.
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| Smythe hooded swing coat for HBC, 2009 |
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| 2012 Collection at NY Fashion Week via GQ |
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| Klaxon Howl for HBC, 2011 |
I'm still obsessed with this Klaxon Howl for HBC backpack, and their 2013 collection is just as noteworthy.
It's refreshing to see that HBC has re-discovered its roots, and given that earlier this month the company announced its first brand redesign in almost over fifty years-a new look which recalls its heritage more effectively- I think it's fair to say that there will will be new designs to covet in seasons to come.
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