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Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

Talon Wins Record for World’s Longest Zipper

Talon International Inc., an apparel fastener and trim manufacturer in Woodland Hills, claims to have built the original zipper in 1893. So when the company was invited to design an art installation for the opening gala at LA Fashion Week, Chief Executive Larry Dyne wanted to create a piece that paid homage to Talon’s history while leaving a lasting impression on the fashion-conscious crowd. “We gave a lot of thought as to what would make a splash,” Dyne said. “We wanted something impactful that tied us to fashion and went back to our roots.” After a bit of brainstorming, the answer became clear: What better way to celebrate one of the world’s oldest zipper-makers than with the world’s longest zipper? But even for a company with more than 100 years of know-how, assembling one long enough to beat the previous world record of 1.8 miles wouldn’t be easy. After all, standard zippers are about 25 inches long, Dyne said. “To get a continuous zipper to be that long (and still function) requires that you put it together manually, almost in slow motion,” he explained. “It was quite a significant task from a technical standpoint.” Still, Dyne and his team never questioned whether the project would be a success. After four weeks of painstaking work, the company invited professional inspection service Bureau Veritas to measure the final product. At 3.1 miles, Talon’s zipper had broken the existing world record by more than a mile. “Once we overcame the technical challenges, it was just a matter of getting it done slowly,” Dyne said. The patience paid off on March 16, when Dyne and other Talon executives unzipped history before a crowd of celebrities and fashionistas at the W Hotel in Hollywood. The company used social media to generate buzz, an extension of a marketing campaign that included 10 15-foot painted wooden zippers around Los Angeles in the days leading up to the event. Patience may pay off for Talon shareholders too. The company’s over-the-counter shares have traded below 20 cents since late 2014. In its most recent quarter, the company reported net income of $20,695 (0 cents a share) on revenue of $10.9 million. That compares to a loss of $90,353 (0 cents) on revenue of $10 million for the same quarter a year earlier. As the big zipper’s unveiling fades in memory, Dyne has a creative re-use for it. He plans to cut it up and incorporate the sections in new garments as part of a special collaboration with up-and-coming designers. “We think it would be pretty neat for someone to be able to wear a piece of the world’s longest zipper,” he said.

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