Jackets from two Orange County clothing companies are big hits after cameo roles in “Twilight” and appearing on the set of the hit movie’s sequel due out later this year.
Costa Mesa-based BB Dakota, a maker of trendy clothes for young women, saw sales of its Jack BB Dakota cargo jacket surge after Kristen Stewart,Bella in “Twilight”,wore it in the first film.
“It was a tsunami of demand,” said BB Dakota founder and designer Gloria Brandes. “I think ours was the most significant clothing item of this first film.”
Irvine’s Billabong USA, a maker of surf-inspired clothes that’s part of Australia’s Billabong International Ltd., is getting a boost from the sequel, “The Twilight Saga: New Moon,” which isn’t due out until November.
Billabong saw its Hannah jacket sell out at stores across the country after “Twilight” fans saw a picture of Stewart wearing it on the set of the sequel.
In both cases, the appearances were flukes,neither BB Dakota nor Billabong paid to have their jackets featured in the movies.
BB Dakota has sought to have its clothes featured in other films by sending them to stylists, according to Brandes.
“But none of them received this huge of a reaction,” she said. “The movie was wonderful and it a touched a nerve.”
“Twilight” was released in November and generated about $200 million in ticket sales. “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” is due out this November.
The movies are based on Stephanie Meyer’s book series, one of the most popular since “Harry Potter.”
The four books,”Twilight,” “New Moon,” “Eclipse” and “Breaking Dawn”,chronicle the star-crossed romance and adventures of teen Bella Swan and her vampire love interest, Edward Cullen.
BB Dakota’s lake blue jacket became a must-have after Stewart wore it in the first movie and in many of the movie’s posters.
The jacket is part of the company’s line for younger women and teen girls. BB Dakota had sold the jacket for several years before the “Twilight” movie.
It plans to reissue it in August, “especially after we saw some of the original ones we made sold on eBay for $500,” Brandes said.
The original jacket usually sells for about $65 at stores. The reissue is set to sell for about $85.
BB Dakota doesn’t disclose yearly sales. It employs 30 workers here and about 20 in China.
The “Twilight” exposure has helped boost sales of other BB Dakota clothes, according to Brandes.
“It brought so much publicity that I am sure the awareness (of the brand) skyrocketed based on the number of hits to our Web site,” she said.
BB Dakota retailers such as Los Angeles-based MetroPark USA Inc. have upped orders after the movie, according to a BB Dakota spokeswoman.
Didn’t Notice
Brandes said she didn’t even know the jacket was in “Twilight” until the company started getting inquiries about where to buy it.
“We never noticed it was our jacket,” she said. “But the kids zoomed in on the logo or called producers and somehow found out it was ours.”
The jacket made its way into the movie by chance, according to Brandes.
“It had been purchased by a stylist working on the costumes for the film at Nordstrom Rack,” she said.
Billabong, which gets half of its $1 billion in yearly sales from the U.S. and the rest of the Americas, has had a similar experience since a behind-the-scenes picture of Stewart wearing its jacket on the set of the sequel was made public.
The company’s Hannah jacket regularly sells for about $60 and has sold out at stores. It’s been selling on auction sites for upward of $350.
Billabong Girls, a Billabong unit focusing on young women and teen girls, has promised retailers that the jacket will be back in stock by August.
“And in new colors: charcoal and army green,” said Many Robinson, senior design director at Billabong Girls.
