DenimBlog Exclusive: Interview with Self Edge’s Kiya Babzani

We got the chance to do an exclusive live interview with Self Edge founder, Kiya Babzani. We talked about how he got his start, what got him interested in denim, how he came up with the name Self Edge, and more. You can see a few of the questions below:

DB: How did you get your start?

KB: I’ve had an interest in vintage clothing and denim for many years, far before my wife and I opened the first Self Edge almost six years ago in San Francisco. I found that the Japanese were doing reproductions of classic American styles better than the Americans themselves and wanted to bring some of those brands state-side.

DB: How did you come up with the name Self Edge?

KB: Self Edge is a reference to the word “selvedge”. Before the 20th century the edge of the fabric (denim in our case) was called “the self edge”. It was later shortened from “self edge” to “selvedge”. There are still some old tailors that you’ll run into that still call it “self edge fabric”.

DB: What got you interested in denim?

KB: I got really into rockabilly in the mid-90′s and sought out clothing that matched the music. Vintage jeans, johnny-collar shirts, etc… On some trips to Asia I discovered a few Japanese brands which were reproducing these vintage styles of jeans and shirts but had improved them very slightly and the production quality was something I’d never seen before. That coupled with the fact that denim itself is such an interesting fabric I became more and more obsessed with jeans and classic 1950′s style American garments.

It is so great to finally learn how Kiya came up with the name Self Edge. I never would have thought that is was just another form of the word “selvedge.” You can see more of the interview like his jewelry line and his thoughts on resin treatments by clicking here.

Image Courtesy of SelfEdge.com