A 270-foot-long dragon that recently perched atop the Empire State Building is getting a new life in Maine.
Called Vhagar, the inflatable creature was wrapped around the New York skyscraper’s mast for a week in June. The stunt promoted an HBO fantasy drama series, “House of the Dragon,” which is the prequel to the popular “Game of Thrones” series created by George R. R. Martin and Ryan Condal for the cable TV network.
Instead of discarding Vaghar’s 18,000 square feet of canvas, the Empire State Building and Max (formerly HBO Max) donated the fabric to Sea Bags, the Portland-based designer and maker of tote bags and other accessories from recycled sails.
Out of the material, Sea Bags aims to create around 1,200 dragon-themed limited-edition totes. The bags will retail for $295 each, with $50 from each sale going to the Ocean Conservancy.
“We started production over the past two weeks using our existing staff and equipment, and have completed more than 250 totes thus far, and sold over 50 in the first 24 hours,” Sea Bags CEO Don Oakes told Mainebiz. “This material is easier to work with than used sails, which are also a key feature of these totes.”
‘Commitment to sustainability’
Asked how the collaboration came about, Oakes said that Sea Bags was contacted by the marketing team at the Empire State Building.
“They knew of us having visited our store in Portland and were aware of our reputation for sustainability and our manufacturing capabilities to turn old sails into beautiful products, so they hoped that we might be able to reuse this material,” he said.
“The reason for their interest is the Empire State Building organization’s own commitment to sustainability and the fact that they are known as one of the most sustainable buildings in the world.”
Oakes said he believes the undertaking is the first re-use of a public art installation to make Sea Bags products. But he was unable to see Vhagar in the Big Apple himself.
“I was away on vacation when it was up so I have only seen the videos,” he said. “However, two of our crew made the drive to New York City to pick up the dragon material at the Empire State Building once it had been removed.”
Oakes also hinted at the possibility of similar collaborations in the future.
“We’re certainly open to it if it makes sense and with the right partners who share similar commitments and values,” he said.
Oakes, who was honored as a Mainebiz Business Leader of the Year in 2022, said Sea Bags currently has around 250 employees.
