It was at the 2000 Rose Bowl in which my husband and I were attending a tailgater before the game in the middle of a sea of Stanford and Wisconsin “Red.” Due to the chill in the air I was dressed for warmth and was sporting a silk scarf around my neck. Before long, an alum started to rib me about my fancy French scarf for not being Stanford Cardinal enough or for that fact, a Stanford scarf. My retort was, “Well, if Stanford had a scarf, I would probably wear one!” That was enough to plant the seed.

After returning home to Palo Alto I inquired at the bookstore with the purpose of purchasing a scarf, to find to my dismay that they really didn’t have anything that fit the spirit so representative of a Stanford sport’s fan. I searched across the Bay at their rival school, Cal and found nothing as well.

Thus the process started which involved the search for the silk-screen manufacturer, just the right weight and quality of silk twill, countless hours researching archives on Stanford’s and Cal’s history and traditions to the rough concepts and medium of what images would appeal to fans and alums. At that point I collaborated with Wendy Wahman, an editorial illustrator who's client list includes the LA Times, NY Times and Washington Post. Her illustrative style and enthusiasm for the project was a perfect fit - through her drawings she has made the collegiate spirit come alive.

Before the art could be applied in the manufacturing process, the next phase involved a number of rounds of prototypes and final licensing from the Universities. As they say, “It is not about the destination, but the journey along the way” - which due to the positive reception that the Cal and Stanford alumni and fans gave the scarves in 2004, this year I added UCLA and USC. I find that sifting through archives and digging up tidbits of history that make up each school's personality is like being part of the school. I look forward to adding on additional colleges to the collection...Perhaps it will be your Alma Mater.

Tie One On,

Karen Jason
General Partner

Wendy lives in Washington state and works part-time in the art department of the Seattle Post Intelligencer, a daily newspaper in Seattle. The rest of the time she freelances, and spends time with her standard poodles, GoGo and Andy. She and Andy are Delta Society Pet Partners. They visit the psychiatric ward at Providence Hospital in Seattle, where Andy regularly performs miracles...

Check out her portfolio:

www.wendywahman.com