Fragrance house

Original Penguin

Original Penguin began in 1955, when Munsingwear introduced a golf shirt bearing the Penguin character. Its origin story centers on Munsingwear salesman Abbot Pederson, who bought a stuffed penguin named Pete in New York; the character was subsequently embroidered on shirts. The brand’s early identity was tied to American golf and sportswear, and contemporary accounts associated its Penguin shirt with Arnold Palmer and Frank Sinatra. In the early 2000s, Original Penguin was reintroduced through vintage-style and new sportswear collections, extending its mid-century golf-shirt heritage into a broader lifestyle brand. During that revival, Chris Kolbe’s work included retooling apparel and footwear, adding women’s categories, and repositioning the label for a younger fashion audience. Perry Ellis International acquired Original Penguin by Munsingwear in 1996, and in 2018 the parent company was taken private through an acquisition led by founder George Feldenkreis and his family. Its identity combines American sportswear, contemporary fashion, Americana, and vintage-inspired styling.