San Francisco–based denim purveyor Self Edge opened its first East Coast outpost on Friday, encroaching on the territory of fellow Lower East Side denim specialists Prohibit, Amoskeag XX, and Earnest Sewn. Spouses Kiya Babzani and Demitra Georgopoulos founded the original Self Edge in 2006, and the pair partnered with Andrew Chen of 3sixteen Clothing for the New York launch. They handpicked each brand in the tightly edited selection, which specializes in classic Japanese indigo jeans woven on vintage looms. (Babzani and Georgopoulos also design clothing for various denim lines, traveling to Japan five times a year.) The space has a dated feel, with jeans stacked in a vintage armoire, an antique desk serving as the cash counter, and custom-made metal racks shipped over from San Francisco. The selection is limited to fewer than ten lines, including Iron Heart, Sugar Cane Jeans, Sling & Stones, Dry Bones, and Imperial Denim, and the store is the exclusive U.S. supplier of Joe McCoy’s and Ande Whall. Most pairs hover around $300 and are designed to be worn-in over time; stitch repairs and hemming are included with purchases, conducted on a vintage chain-stitching machine. Click ahead for a first look at the store.
157 Orchard St., nr. Rivington St. (212-388-0079); MS (noon7), Su (noon5).
