Billabong
Accessories / Active Wear / Apparel / Bags / Denim / Swimwear
In 1973 Gordon and Rena Merchant began producing handmade boardshorts under their flat overlooking his beloved Burleigh. They were tough as teak, able to withstand not only the elements, but also...
In 1973 Gordon and Rena Merchant began producing handmade boardshorts under their flat overlooking his beloved Burleigh. They were tough as teak, able to withstand not only the elements, but also able to absorb the sort of punishment that local juniors Guy Omerod and Rabbit Bartholomew would put those first issued |trunks through. From those humble beginnings, Billabong was born. Gordon buried himself in his North Burleigh factory for the next few years and Billabong gradually made ground on the more established labels. His no frills, practical approach to boardshort manufacturing paid dividends, as Billabong grew steadily until his little homespun factory literally burst at the seams. It was out to West Burleigh, a modern factory and warehouse and much more work for Gordon and Rena. Sure a lot of low pressure systems, plus the waves they generated, passed by the coast during those years, but Gordon's Kombi stayed put. It became obvious to the Australian Surfing Industry that here was a man, driven by the desire to produce the highest quality, best cut boardshort on the market, and by the early 80's Billabong had achieved it's primary objective. During the 80's Billabong went International, firstly exporting to California, Japan, New Zealand and Europe and then finally licensing, but only after each international licensee had achieved Gordon's benchmark of dedication, honesty and prudent business savvy. Gordon surrounded himself with some of the finest minds in the industry, both in Australia and abroad, who helped steer the good ship Billabong on a course which would take Billabong to the helm of the world surfing.||In the water, surfers of the calibre of Joe Engel, Mark Occhilupo, Luke Egan, Wayne Bartholomew, Munga Barry, Shane Dorian, Taj Burrows, Sunny Garcia and the late Ronnie Burns have given Billabong international credibility, not to mention Worldwide exposure. As we entered the 90's, Billabong had well and truly assumed #1 status in Australian waters and had further consolidated on the International scene. Of course, very few people even realised that Gordon Merchant had such a hands-on role in designing, marketing and sales, but having an intimate understanding of the fickle nature of the garments industry, Gordon knows that every label lives and dies by each seasons range. On it's 25th Anniversary in 1998, Billabong moved into the new premises at 1 Billabong Place, Burleigh Heads, featuring a state of the art new factory. One feature of the new complex is the Polynesian style Retail Showroom, that stands proudly at the forefront of the factory, displaying the largest range of Billabong product anywhere in the world. Billabong is involved in many promotions, but one thing that underpins the respect the company enjoys in the marketplace, is Billabong's commitment to pro boardsports and its team riders. Billabong sponsors many events around the world, with a heavy emphasis on Junior athlete development, but the Jewels in the Crown are The Billabong Pro contests held in Teahupoo - Tahiti, Jeffreys Bay - South Africa, Mundaka - Spain and the Pipeline Masters in Hawaii.Brand Details
Founder
Rena Merchant
Brand Strategy
Market segment
Mass Market
Core business
Apparel
Targets
Men, Women
Billabong Latest News
Billabong to Drip Plus, Big and Tall Collection
Authentic Brands Group partners with Profile Ent., a specialist in plus-size women's clothing, to create the plus, big, and tall collection for Billabong.
Billabong's New Kids Apparel Partner
Authentic Brands Group chooses Centric Brands LLC as the Kid's Apparel Partner in the US and Canada for its brands including Billabong.
