Jess Clayton Becomes Patagonia's New Product Public Relations Contact

VENTURA, Calif. (May 19, 2009) – Patagonia, Inc., a designer and distributor of technical outdoor clothing, announces today the selection of Jess Clayton as Product PR Marketer. Drawing upon her five-year tenure at Patagonia, Jess will serve as the media’s contact for all issues related to Patagonia’s product line. Media requests for product samples, product placement and product reviews will be managed by Jess.

Jess brings to this role an intricate knowledge as Patagonia as a brand, as well as a passion for product from a user’s perspective. Jess surfs, skis, climbs, runs, bikes and is a championship sailor – providing her with the ability to speak about Patagonia’s product from a first-hander’s viewpoint. Hailing from a family with deep roots in the textile industry, Jess has an intricate knowledge of fabrics, garment construction and environmentally-friendly textiles that the media will appreciate.

“We’re really excited to have Jess as an integral part of our PR team,” said Rob BonDurant, Patagonia’s VP of marketing and communications, “Not only is the media going to love working with Jess because of her great personality, they’re going to quickly learn that Jess is someone who can speak about design and color trends, fabrics, new technologies and really provide journalists with a unique insight into Patagonia’s entire product offering.”

Jess Clayton formally stepped into her new role on May 18th. She can be reached at: jess_clayton@patagonia.com, (805) 667-4755

Patagonia, with sales last year of $315M, is noted internationally for its commitment to product quality and environmental activism. Its Environmental Grants Program has contributed over $34M to grassroots environmental activists since the program began in 1985, and its Environmental Internship Program allows employees to work for environmental groups while receiving their full paycheck. Incorporating environmental responsibility in to product development, the company has, since 1996, used only organically-grown cotton in its clothing line, and its most recent launch of synthetic fiber-to-fiber recycling â���“ taking back its worn-out clothing and reincarnating it as new products, forever capturing the petroleum used in making virgin fiber. Known for a unique corporate culture, the company has been recognized for many years by Working Mother magazine as one of the “100 Best Companies for Working Mothers,” and is a regular recipient of recognition by Fortune and Human Resources Management magazine as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work for in America. ”

Contact: Jen Rapp, (805) 667-4768, jen_rapp@patagonia.com
259 West Santa Clara Street, Ventura, Calif. 93001
Phone (805) 643-8616
www.patagonia.com