For nearly 20 years, the attention-to-detail staff at Blue In Green Indigo has been supplying rare and high-quality denim brands to New Yorkers and in-the-know visitors alike.
While the name may seem like a nod to the boutique’s popular color (blue) and its prime location in New York’s SoHo district (Greene Street), true denim fans know that the name is a tribute to Miles Davis, more specifically to a melody from the jazz musician’s famous 1959 album “Kind of Blue.”
Jazz and jeans are the reason why the owners of Blue In Green, Gordon Heffner and Yuji Fukushima, first came into contact in 2006. Their shared interest in menswear and melodies connected them. With their preference for Japanese selvedge denim, the two quickly became the Japanese denim address in the USA.
The 84-square-meter store was initially stocked with small brands like Samurai and Studio D’Artisan, which Heffner packed in his suitcase during his trips abroad. There was no real denim scene at the time, but that changed as more and more customers learned about the background and manufacturing methods of the products.
In the nearly 20 years since Blue In Green opened, the owners have expanded their vision. Geoffrey Chorbajian joined and shared the ownership title with Fukushima, while Heffner left in 2019. A second store opened in Denver last fall. Social media is becoming increasingly important, and there are more brands, accessories and knick-knacks to discover from labels like Beams Japan.
Blue in Green
New York-based buyer Naoki Hamano – who came on board around the same time Heffner left – has expanded the business beyond jeans; Blue In Green now carries heritage- and functionality-inspired clothing brands like Engineered Garments and Lite Year.
Although Hamano can tell the difference between any two pairs of selvedge jeans in the store, the average consumer sees only a sea of blue, he says.
“Denim and jeans all look the same,” he said. “Most people don’t see the difference. And we have a lot of jeans from different brands. They all look the same. I want the customer to be excited.”
When Hamano was working at a clothing store in Tokyo, a designer once told him to develop his own style and not just buy branded products. He took that to heart and stocks a variety of fashion brands at Blue In Green so that customers can create their own look.
“I want to offer customers more choice and more interesting items,” he said. “The Japanese really want to separate denim and fashion – but this is New York.”
Premium denim remains Blue In Green’s core business. The store carries brands such as Oni, Orslow, Kapital and Fullcount. The retailer still hems every pair of jeans purchased for free using a 1950s-era Union Special 43200G chainstitch machine.
Despite the store’s evolution over the past 18 years, he’s managed to maintain his point of view with relative ease: It’s all about the community.
One way to promote this family is through Instagram. Blue In Green’s page is run by Victoria Vasquez, the store’s social media coordinator. 34,000 followers flock to Blue In Green’s page to learn about new arrivals and product highlights.
“I think we appeal to two audiences because every day someone comes to us for the first time,” Vasquez said. “But mostly it’s people who know exactly who we are and what we carry. We have a lot of loyal customers, especially in denim; they’re very close.”
However, in a city of 8.3 million people, don’t underestimate the power of IRL interactions.
“I know online is all the rage right now, but real connections – like face-to-face – are very important to building community,” Hamano said, noting that events and brand collaborations are one way to strengthen Blue In Green’s community.
“I’ve been working here for over 10 years and I’ve always felt that we don’t have enough connections between brands or customers. So I want to – little by little – collaborate with brands and do more events,” he said. “And I think so far it’s been successful. Now more people are paying attention to Blue In Green. Years ago very few people paid attention to it.”
