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APPAREL: Brand has buzz among retailers; tough competition with Volcom, RVCA
Orange County's latest buzz brand, Irvine-based Analog Clothing, has an edge on other industry hopefuls.
It's part of the grandfather of snowboards, Vermont's Burton Snowboards, which has estimated yearly sales of more than $200 million.
Being part of Burton gives Analog advantages a lot of other small brands don't have. It gets to piggyback on Burton's contacts with manufacturers and retailers across the globe.
But Analog, which designs clothes inspired by surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding, is following in the footsteps of smaller, independent apparel companies. It's looking to build cachet (and profits) by sticking to small stores. Analog's clothes are sold in surf shops and other boutiques, as well as at stores of Everett, Wash.-based Zumiez Inc.
Don't look for them at Seattle-based Nordstrom Inc. or PacSun, the mall chain of Anaheim's Pacific Sunwear of California Inc.
"We're not trying to go everywhere at once," said Kevin Meehan, Analog's general manager, who came from Nike Inc.'s Costa Mesa-based Hurley International LLC last year.
"Quality is a big point for us," design director Joey Gorgensen said.
Analog is playing to smaller retailers that want more exclusive brands, which help their stores stand out.
"It's a newer brand and people like...