Empire State Building Partners with Sea Bags and Max to Transform Fabric from 270-Foot Dragon into Recycled Tote Bags

News

Empire State Building Partners with Sea Bags and Max to Transform Fabric from 270-Foot Dragon into Recycled Tote Bags

2024-07-29 23:18 Last Updated At：23:21

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 29, 2024--

Vhagar lives on. The Empire State Building (ESB) announced today that it partnered with Max to donate 18,000 square feet of fabric from Vhagar – the 270-foot dragon that perched on its mast as part of the HBO ® Original series “House of the Dragon” takeover last month – to create limited-edition recycled tote bags by Sea Bags. A portion of the proceeds will be donated by Sea Bags to the Ocean Conservancy.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240729126579/en/

“The Empire State Building is one of the world’s most sustainable buildings, and we continue with our sustainable mission as we transform the fabric from our epic ‘House of the Dragon’ installation into an iconic keepsake,” said Tony Malkin, chairman and CEO of Empire State Realty Trust. “Fans can now own a piece of history through these exclusive recycled tote bags made from authentic dragon skin.”

Fabric from Vhagar – made up of 1,700 total patterns and 600,000 inches of sewn seams – was transported from New York City to Sea Bags’ headquarters in Portland, Maine. Each unique tote is made from a combination of the dynamic dragon material and recycled sail cloth with hand-spliced hemp rope handles and a brass clasp. The one-of-a-kind bags are individually numbered and include a certificate of authenticity.

“We’re honored to be selected to work alongside the iconic Empire State Building and Max to transform Vhagar into sustainable, recycled, beautiful totes,” said Don Oakes, CEO of Sea Bags. “This collaboration perfectly aligns with our commitment to sustainability and creative reuse, ensuring that Vhagar's legacy continues in a meaningful way.”

The “House of the Dragon” takeover at the “World’s Most Famous Building” included a photo opportunity with the iconic Iron Throne, a visit from the “House of the Dragon” cast, and an interactive photo booth on the Observatory’s 80 th Floor.

The Empire State Building underwent a groundbreaking deep energy retrofit that has reduced emissions at the building by 57% since 2007. Empire State Realty Trust has committed to achieve net zero emissions at the Empire State Building by 2030 and throughout its entire portfolio by 2035, in alignment with New York State’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA).

Hi-res imagery of production and the Vhagar Sea Bags can be found here. More information about the Empire State Building can be found online.

About the Empire State Building
The Empire State Building, the “World's Most Famous Building," owned by Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (ESRT: NYSE), soars 1,454 feet above Midtown Manhattan from base to antenna. The $165 million reimagination of the Empire State Building Observatory Experience created an all-new experience with a dedicated guest entrance, an interactive museum with nine galleries, and a redesigned 102 nd Floor Observatory with floor-to-ceiling windows. The journey to the world-famous 86 th Floor Observatory, the only 360-degree, open-air observatory with views of New York and beyond, orients visitors for their entire New York City experience and covers everything from the building's iconic history to its current place in pop culture. The Empire State Building Observatory Experience welcomes millions of visitors each year and was declared the #1 Attraction in the World – and #1 Attraction in the U.S. for the third consecutive year – in Tripadvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards: Best of the Best Things to Do, "America's Favorite Building" by the American Institute of Architects, the world's most popular travel destination by Uber, and the #1 New York City attraction in Lonely Planet’s Ultimate Travel List.

Since 2011, the building has been fully powered by renewable wind electricity, and its many floors house a diverse array of office tenants such as LinkedIn and Shutterstock, as well as retail options like STATE Grill and Bar, Tacombi, and Starbucks. For more information and Observatory Experience tickets visit esbnyc.com or follow the building's Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Weibo, YouTube, or TikTok.

About Sea Bags
Launched in 1999 and incorporated in 2006, Sea Bags started on the historic working waterfront in Portland, Maine with a line of hand-sewn, functional, and stylish totes made from recycled sail cloth. Today the company employs nearly 300 people and has preserved its Made-in-the-USA sourcing, manufacturing, and design origins on the coast of Maine.

The exclusive use of reclaimed sail cloth is unique to Sea Bags, and since its inception the company has kept more than 1.5 million pounds of sail material from landfills. In 2021 the company was recognized as Green Circle Certified. The Sea Bags flagship store is located on Commercial Street in Portland, Maine, while its factory store is located around the corner on Custom House Wharf - where the headquarters remain today. The company has 50+ retail stores across the U.S. and operates in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Michigan, and California. To learn more about Sea Bags and the stories their sails tell, visit www.seabags.com.

Source: Empire State Realty Trust, Inc.
Category: Observatory

EU leaders commit to working together after Trump signals that Europe must defend itself

2025-03-07 07:09 Last Updated At：07:11

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union leaders on Thursday committed to working together to bolster the continent's defenses and to free up hundreds of billions of euros for security after U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated warnings that he would cut them adrift to face the threat of Russia alone.

With the growing conviction that they will now have to fend for themselves, countries that have faltered on defense spending for decades held emergency talks in Brussels to explore new ways to beef up their security and ensure future protection for Ukraine.

“Today history is being written,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters after the summit ended.

She said the 27 EU leaders are “determined to ensure Europe’s security and to act with the scale, the speed and the resolve that this situation demands. We are determined to invest more, to invest better and to invest faster together.”

The pledge underscored a sea change in geopolitics spurred on by Trump, who has undermined 80 years of cooperation based on the understanding that the U.S. would help protect European nations following World War II.

The leaders signed off on a move to loosen budget restrictions so that willing EU countries can increase their military spending. They also urged the European Commission to seek new ways “to facilitate significant defense spending" in all member states, a statement said.

The EU’s executive branch estimates that around 650 billion euros ($702 billion) could be freed up that way.

The leaders also took note of a commission offer of loans worth 150 billion euros ($162 billion) to buy new military equipment and invited EU headquarters staff “to examine this proposal as a matter of urgency.”

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a staunch supporter of Trump and considered to be Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest ally in Europe, refused to endorse part of the summit statement in favor of Ukraine.

But the 26 other EU leaders approved the bloc’s stance that there can be no negotiations on Ukraine without Ukraine and that the Europeans must be involved in any talks involving their security. The Europeans have so far been sidelined in the U.S.-led negotiations with Russia.

In other developments, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said talks between Ukraine and the U.S. on ending the war will take place in Saudi Arabia next week. In his nightly address, Zelenskyy said he would travel to Saudi Arabia on Monday to meet the country's crown prince, and his team would stay on to hold talks with U.S. officials.

In recent weeks, Trump has overturned old certainties about the reliability of the U.S. as a security partner as he embraces Russia, withdraws American support for Ukraine and upends the tradition of cooperation with Europe that has been the bedrock of Western security for generations.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency, said that three years of war in Ukraine and a shift in attitudes in Washington “pose entirely new challenges for us, and Europe must take up this challenge ... and it must win.”

“We will arm ourselves faster, smarter and more efficiently than Russia,” Tusk said.

Zelenskyy welcomed the plan to loosen budget rules and expressed hopes that some of the new spending could be used to strengthen Ukraine's own defense industry, which can produce weapons more cheaply than elsewhere in Europe and closer to the battlefields where they are needed.

"We are very thankful that we are not alone, and these are not just words. We feel it. It’s very important,” Zelenskyy said, looking far more relaxed among Europe's leaders in Brussels than almost a week ago when he received a verbal lashing from Trump in Washington.

Friedrich Merz, the likely next chancellor of Germany, and summit chairman Antonio Costa discussed ways to fortify Europe's defenses on a short deadline. Merz pushed plans this week to loosen his nation’s rules on running up debt to allow for higher defense spending.

Others too appeared ready to do more.

“Spend, spend, spend on defense and deterrence. That’s the most important message,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told reporters.

The call is a sharp departure from decades of decline in military spending in Europe, where defense often ranked low in many budgetary considerations after the Cold War.

In an address to his country Wednesday evening, French President Emmanuel Macron said the bloc would “take decisive steps."

“Member states will be able to increase their military spending,” he said, noting that “massive joint funding will be provided to buy and produce some of the most innovative munitions, tanks, weapons and equipment in Europe.”

Macron conferred with his EU counterparts about the possibility of using France’s nuclear deterrent to protect the continent from Russian threats.

The short-term benefits of the budget plan offered by von der Leyen were not obvious. Most of the increased defense spending would have to come from national budgets at a time when many countries are already overburdened with debt.

Part of the proposal includes measures to ensure struggling member states will not be punished for going too deep into the red if additional spending is earmarked for defense.

“Europe faces a clear and present danger, and therefore Europe has to be able to protect itself, to defend itself,” she said.

France is struggling to reduce an excessive annual budget deficit of 5% of GDP, after running up its total debt burden to 112% of GDP with spending on relief for businesses and consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic and the energy crisis that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Five other countries using the euro currency have debt levels over 100% of GDP: Belgium, Greece, Spain, Italy and Portugal.

Europe’s largest economy, Germany, has more room to borrow, with a debt level of 62% of GDP.

Part of any security plan would be to help Ukraine defend itself from Russian attacks such as the one that hit Zelenskyy's hometown overnight.

A Russian missile killed four people staying at a hotel in Kryvyi Rih, in central Ukraine, shortly after volunteers from a humanitarian organization moved in. The volunteers included Ukrainian, American and British nationals, but it wasn't clear whether those people were among the 31 who were wounded.

Early this week, Trump ordered a pause in U.S. military supplies being sent to Ukraine as he sought to press Zelenskyy to engage in negotiations to end the war with Russia. The move brought fresh urgency to Thursday's summit.

But the meeting in Brussels did not address Ukraine’s most pressing needs. It was not aimed at drumming up more arms and ammunition to fill any supply vacuum created by the U.S. freeze. Nor will all nations agree to unblock the estimated 183 billion euros ($196 billion) in frozen Russian assets held in a Belgian clearing house, a pot of ready cash that could be seized.

Associated Press writers Sylvie Corbet in Brussels; David McHugh in Frankfurt, Germany; Barry Hatton in Lisbon, Portugal; and Illia Novikov in Kyiv, Ukraine, contributed to this report.