In just three years, San Francisco's Self Edge has established itself as the premier denim shop for purists who favor authentic, old world, and yes, expensive cult brands. This weekend, they opened a New York location with up-and-coming label 3sixteen. We caught up with owner Kiya Babzani, fresh off his cross-country flight.
157 Orchard Street, NYC, NY 10002 (Between Bblessing and Reed Space)
How many pairs did you pack for your trip?
Actually, I didn't pack any. I own more than 350 pairs of jeans, but I wear the same pair every single day for six months or so, then switch to a new pair.
What brought you to New York?
We were looking for a second shop and 3sixteen's partnership came at the right time. We chose the Lower East Side because it reminds us so much of the Mission District back home—unique people and full of life.
How's it different from the original?
We'll have a lot of the same brands as in San Francisco (including recent gets like Joe McCoy's and Ande Whall), but there's an exclusive hand-screened bandana by Mister Freedom himself, Christophe Loiron. And we're offer complimentary chainstitch hemming on a vintage Union Special machine.
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