Looking over the brand roster at SENY, there’s a resounding story of quality and heritage through many of the Japanese brands. While some brands may not possess the same hundred year legacy as the brands they are reproducing, a story still exists. Within the last while and perhaps corresponding with the downfall in the US economy, we’ve seen “Made in the US” moniker become just as much as a marketing angle as an accepted guarantee of quality. What percentage of 3sixteen is made in the US and what are some added bonuses of working stateside?
As of this past season, almost the entire collection is made in the USA; The only pieces that are not made in the States are ones that we had a hard time sourcing production for. Although we do take pride in where our clothing is made, it was certainly not a strategic marketing decision for us to bring production back here. Rather, it was a necessary move for our company’s survival. We weren’t able to meet the high minimums that overseas factories were demanding of us, and if it weren’t for the production houses that are right in our backyards in NYC and LA, we wouldn’t have been able to continue. Our desire for 3sixteen has always been to grow the brand organically and we didn’t want to be forced to accelerate that process due to our production requirements. Costs have gone up significantly for us, but the quality has too and we now have the flexibility to run big numbers or small ones depending on our needs.
When I first stepped into the doors of Self Edge NY, the decor was immediately captivating. Everything seemed to work together cohesively on so many levels. How did you look to set apart the Self Edge NY and Self Edge SF stores? Was there a particular aspect of the store’s design you were most proud or happy of?
Self Edge’s founder Kiya Babzani wanted the New York store to have a similar vibe to the original San Francisco store. The store is meant to feel warm and inviting, a place that you’d feel comfortable staying in for awhile. There were a few aspects about the NY location that inevitably set it apart from SF one. First off, we only have one level to display product, so we had to be efficient with our usage of space. Secondly, our NY shop was fully renovated prior to us moving in, so it had a bit of a cleaner, more modern feel to it right off the bat. We needed to develop a rack system that could hold a lot of clothing efficiently, and would serve to warm the space up. Kiya and Johan sat down with our metalworker to design a custom rack system that was capable of holding very heavy weights with minimal wall bracings. Thus, the hand-wrought iron fixtures and hangers are my favorite part of the store buildout because they’re unique, functional and eye catching.