After first one delay then another at long last I made it down to Self Edge - the latest creation from the folks responsible for both Turf and the (soon to be announced) Transit Clothing relaunch. I spent some time at the shop in San Francisco last night taking pictures and talking to the owners. See below for the full report.

Self Edge - Storefront
Self EdgeSelf EdgeSelf Edge DenimSelf Edge ChandelierSelf Edge Shmack HoodiesSelf Edge Homeroom HoodiesSelf Edge Estevan Oriol TeeSelf Edge Iron Heart DenimSelf EdgeSelf Edge HangtagSelf Edge Samurai JeansSelf Edge Snakeskin
Self Edge is primarily a denim shop - specializing in premium selvedge jeans for those who love and covet denim on another level. A veritable 'you either get it or you dont' selection of brands are on offer including cult denim styles and brands such as Samurai out of Tokyo, Sugar Cane out of Japan, Iron Heart from Japan, Imperial Denim of Japan/Australia, and Nudie. Many, if not most of these brands have been unavailable stateside until now and are likely to fly off the shelves faster than you can say "online store coming soon".

In addition to the premium selvedge there's a large collection of t-shirts and hoodies from the likes of Diamond, RockersNYC, Homeroom, Gold Coin, House33, Mama, Upper Playground, Mighty Healthy, Married to the Mob and aNYthing among others.

I had a chance to speak with Kiya of Self Edge and got this exclusive interview shortly before they took the world by storm.

JL: So first things first - with the success of Turf Shoes, why choose selvedge denim for your next venture and not something straightforward like a New Era collaboration or XXXXXL basketball jerseys?

SE: I've been wanting to do denim from day one. Even though Turf was our first store I was never terribly into sneakers, I like them as a fashion item, but I've never been a collector like Bwals, my partner at Turf. Even though we do the buying together as a team, he's the one that shaped the direction Turf has gone into because of his deeper understanding of sneakers. I just rock New Balance and my NB collection has now taken over my house. So it was only a matter of time until I did my denim boutique, something I've been following for ten years now ever since I was 18 or so.

JL: I definitely fell in love with a pair of Sugar Cane jeans while I was at the shop but I felt pretty intimidated by the stiffness of something like Iron Heart. Are those even wearable?

SE: Dry denim is how denim is meant to be worn, in its raw state with no abrasions of wear marks. Those marks are for you to leave yourself, like a journal of your past the denim has a memory you wouldn't believe. Far better than any diary ever will. They soften up with wear and it's traditional for denim snobs to wear their new pair for a month straight to form a good bond with the denim and to break it in properly before doing a cold soak to bring the denim in with some shrinkage.

JL: To be honest, I thought some of the streetwear stuff was in stark contrast to the premium denim you carry. Are you seeing a potential for crossover success or is it strictly one or the other?

SE: I definitely do.. like a madman I have predictions of what's going to happen within the next year. Two things, sneaker-heads are going to get into denim in a big way (for better or worse...) and hipsters and fashionistas are going to get into hyped streetwear brands like 10deep, Rockers, Mama, Mighty Healthy, etc.. It's gonna be ugly, beautiful, and hectic.

JL: You've only been open a week and I've already seen Self Edge mentioned in a number of respected publications. I imagine this has been a whirlwind for you. Did you anticipate this much interest?

SE: I kinda did, yeah.. I've been waiting to do this for so long that once it happened I knew exactly what Self Edge needed to carry and how it needed to be done. 5 of the 7 brands we carry are nearly impossible to find anywhere in north America online or offline. We got denim on lock.

JL: The decor of the shop really took me by surprise - such a mix of aesthetics. The chandelier, the exposed rebar and that desk... all I can say is wow! What was your inspiration? Does this style have a name or is it completely freeform?

SE: Definitely not freeform. I wanted to stick with the denim theme throughout the entire store. Denim's background comes from work-wear, it was meant as a sturdy and fashionable way to protect yourself and wear something that lasted a long time. Its golden age was in the early 1900's and all of our furniture and displays are from 1885 to 1912, besides some of the rebar which goes along with the factory theme of denim. The original Levis factory of the world is four blocks from Self Edge, how's that for hitting close to home? :)

JL: Okay, off topic for a moment - what's your take on the 80's streetwear revival? It's been hitting big and I've seen some shit lately that's straight out of Gleaming the Cube. It's like Fresh Prince of Bel Air all over again!

SE: I refuse to comment on revivals. Fashion is an ongoing process and is a never ending cycle, as Quantick said in 1985, Pop Will Eat Itself.

JL: Sorry, back to the topic at hand. If I were to hazard a guess I'd say this is only the second store of many more. What's next for Kiya and crew?

SE: Anti-Yo will expand and dominate the lifestyle market, Transit Boutique will open a block from Turf and be Turf's clothing only store, Self Edge x Iron Heart Denim (December 15), Homeroom x Self Edge Tees (Late December), and think "chocolate denim"...

JL: Alright, any shout outs you'd like to give?

SE: Bwals for getting me into the hustle of opening stores, Demitra for the love and support and my partner in Self Edge, and Sonny for keeping the yoyos spinning.

JL: Word man, thanks for your time and see you on the 18th!

SE: Hell yes, J-Zone the original Ignant Rap mixmaster from NYC is gonna wreck shit at Self Edge on Saturday November 18th for our opening party. Bring your bib.


Self Edge
714 Valencia Street
San Francisco, California
415.558.0658
denim@selfedge.com
www.selfedge.com

words and photos: shimone
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