Most brands scale back when business slows, but Blackhorse Lane Atelier (BLA), the London-based small-batch denim manufacturer, did the opposite by opening a second London store in SoHo last fall.
The new store is a response to the post-pandemic disruptions in denim retail and manufacturing and a strategic move by founder Han Ates to safeguard BLA’s workforce. During the pandemic, many brands faced supply chain breakdowns and turned to U.K.-based production, prompting a surge in orders. To keep up with the demand, BLA expanded its team, but as restrictions lifted, Ates said brands returned to cheaper suppliers in countries like Turkey.
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“It was a business decision, so we found ourselves having to make one, either we were going to let people go, or we were going to be more creative and increase our own brand’s production,” he said. “With that, we decided to open another store in Soho, in order to look after our workforce really.”
The store is a showcase of BLA’s denim expertise as both a direct-to-consumer brand and a manufacturing partner. Around 70 percent of the products are BLA’s own denim, while 30 percent comes from small, like-minded brands from the U.K. and Europe with whom BLA has strong partnerships. Located at 96 Berwick Street, nestled among centuries-old buildings on the historic haberdashery street, the 700-square-foot ground floor is dedicated to jeans and fabric, while the 4,400-square-foot basement houses BLA’s made-to-measure services. The first BLA store is just a 30-minute tube ride away in Coal Drops Yard.
Ates steps away from BLA’s Walthamstow factory once or twice a week to visit the stores. He compares those days to a crash course on customers’ expectations and lifestyles. “It teaches us so much like how they love the fact that the jeans are made in London. That’s important for them,” he said.
Providing top-tier service is also central to BLA’s mission of creating the best jeans in the world. By not hemming any jeans in advance, BLA ensures that customers can personalize the fit right in the store. “We create that kind of constant connectivity on the spot with the customer, so that we understand them a bit better. It’s a two-way street,” Ates said. “They see our professionalism and understand our quality.”
That commitment to quality, combined with competitive price points, has resonated with consumers. BLA’s sales grew by 40 percent last year, and despite the high costs of producing denim in London, eliminating wholesale and retail profit margins allows BLA to offer Italian denim jeans for for 220-240 pounds and Japanese denim jeans for 280 pounds—prices that Ates notes would typically exceed 700 pounds through traditional wholesale channels.
The SoHo store serves as a key asset in BLA’s efforts to raise awareness not only for the brand but for higher quality denim. Ates said consumers are increasingly recognizing that they can purchase a pair of locally made small batch jeans crafted from premium fabrics at a price comparable to mass-produced options.
“I think people are more knowledgeable, and they really want to invest in good quality clothes,” he said.
This article appears in SJ Denim’s spring issue. Click here to read more.
