Quality and Community Remain Core to New York City’s Blue In Green

For nearly 20 years, Blue In Green’s detail-obsessed staff has served up indigo-loving New Yorkers and in-the-know visitors with rare and premium denim brands.

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While the name may seem like a nod to the boutique’s beloved hue (blue) and its prime location in New York City’s SoHo nabe (Greene Street), real denim heads know the moniker is an homage to Miles Davis, specifically a tune from the jazz musician’s famed 1959 “Kind of Blue” album.

Jazz and jeans are how Blue In Green owners Gordon Heffner and Yuji Fukushima initially connected in 2006, bonding over a mutual interest in men’s wear and melodics. With a penchant for Japanese selvedge denim, the pair quickly became the Japanese denim destination in the U.S.

The 900-square-foot store was initially stocked with small-scale brands like Samurai and Studio D’Artisan that Heffner packed into his suitcase during his trips abroad. At the time there wasn’t much of a denim scene but that changed as more consumers learned about the products’ backstories and how they were made.

In the nearly 20 years since Blue In Green opened, the owners have expanded their vision. Geoffrey Chorbajian joined the fold, sharing the title of owner with Fukushima, while Heffner exited in 2019. A second store was opened last fall in Denver . Social media is a growing priority, and there’s more brands, accessories and knickknacks by labels like Beams Japan to peruse.

New York buyer Naoki Hamano—who came on board around the same time Heffner left—has expanded the shop beyond just denim, with Blue In Green now carrying clothing brands inspired by heritage and utility like Engineered Garments and Lite Year.

Though Hamano can identify the differences between any two selvedge jeans in the store, the average consumer just sees a sea of blue, he said.

“Denim and jeans all look the same,” he said. “Most people, you know, 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 make his own style. Don’t just buy brands. He’s taken that to heart at Blue In Green by stocking a variety of fashion brands so customers can curate their own look.

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“I want to give the customer more options, more interesting items,” he said. “Japanese people really want to divide denim and fashion—but this is New York.”

Premium denim remains Blue In Green’s bread and butter. The store stocks brands like Oni, Orslow, Kapital and Fullcount. The retailer still hems any pair of purchased jeans for free with a Union Special 43200G chain stitch machine from the 1950s.

Despite the store’s evolution, maintaining its point of view for the past 18 years has been relatively simple: it’s all about community.

One way of fostering this family is through Instagram . Run by Victoria Vasquez, the store’s social media coordinator, 34,000 followers flock to Blue In Green’s page for the scoop on new arrivals as well as product highlights.

“I think there’s two audiences that we speak to because every day, we’ll have someone come in and it’s their first time,” Vasquez said. “But, more than anything, it’s people that are very well aware of who we are and what we carry. We have a lot of loyal customers, especially with denim; they’re very locked in.”

However, in a city of 8.3 million people, don’t underestimate the power of IRL interactions.

“I know online is the ‘thing’ right now but real connection—like in-person—is very important to make community,” Hamano said, noting that one way to strengthen Blue In Green’s community is through events and brand collaborations.

“I’ve been working here for over 10 years, and I always felt like we didn’t have enough connection between brands or customers and that’s why I’m wanting to—little by little—work with brands and have more events,” he said. “And I think it’s been successful so far. Now more people are paying attention to Blue In Green; years ago, very few people were paying attention.”

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