As we are all encouraged to stay working at home during these difficult times, we connected with friends from some of our favourite brands here at Hip to get an insight into their worlds. This week, we caught up with Shinya Hasegawa – Founder and Designer of Battenwear to check in on his current situation at his home in Los Angeles, California.

Hi Shinya, please introduce yourself and your role at Battenwear?

Hi, I am Shinya Hasegawa, the founder and designer of Battenwear.

Where are you currently in the world?

We live in Los Angeles, California and work out of our design studio in Topanga Canyon. Our Topanga office is currently just for my wife/partner, Carrie, and me. So, even before the pandemic we were social distancing at work!

What’s your guilty pleasure working from home song?

Our kids are really into “Blitzkrieg Bop” by the Ramones. I think they heard it in a soundtrack for a movie. Anyhow, it is played WAY too much in our house, but I still kind of love it every time it comes on.

Your go to comfy WFH piece from Battenwear?

Until recently when we started having a heat wave, I was wearing Active lazy Pants and a Reach-Up Sweatshirt every day. Recently, for the heat, I’ve been getting really into my new Weekend Shorts. This is the first season we made them and I’m very pleased with how they have turned out. I usually pair them with a Pocket Tee or our Topanga Pullover (the pullover has really good pockets for chores/gardening).

Sofa, desk or garden office? 

Garden office. The sun is getting stronger, so we set up a camping tarp over our deck for additional shade. Ever since we pulled out the camping gear, my son wants to cook outside every day, so we set him up with a way to make ramen on the camping stove while we work. I have to say, I could get used to doing work from this garden office!

Current media diet?

Books: I have had a couple of books on my shelf that I’ve been wanting to read for ages but hadn’t gotten to. Now I finally have time! I just started reading “1984”

Music: Recently, I find I’m most interested in listening to 90’s music which I used to enjoy when I was college student in Japan. Old electric music such as older Daft Punk, Stereolab, etc. Also I like a new psychedelic band called “Kikagakumoyo”

TV: I finished watching “Tiger King” along with everyone else.  

Movie: I watched “Fight Club” again recently and enjoyed it. It’s amazing how long ago it came out now.  

Which objects at home are keeping you sane?

All of our gardening stuff. When the kids are starting to go crazy from being inside, we always go out to check on our vegetable beds and fruit trees and flowers. My son has a tree that he’s trying to chop down. I think it’s therapeutic for him to hit a tree over and over. I do a lot of raking and weeding and digging to deal with stress.

What things in life have you come to appreciate more during these times?

Definitely spending time with my family. It’s been great to go on walks together every day and practice the kids’ bike riding and sports. We also have been doing lots of art projects together like making short movies. Of course, we also fight a lot. Home school is a challenge and the kids somehow always end up in our bed in the middle of the night.  Kids for sure feel stress time during these unusual times, just like us, but as a family, we get together and try to solve each member’s problems. We are bonding together in interesting ways.  

If the world went back to normal tomorrow what is the first thing you’d do?

Go surfing.

There’s usually a silver lining with all tricky situations, what’s yours?

I think of this time as an opportunity to reset my mind. I’ve been thinking a lot about what’s important to me and how to focus on those important things when I consider the future of my family, the business, etc.

Stay up to to date with Shinya and Battenwear here view the latest arrivals from Battenwear here and keep an eye out for more in this series over the next few weeks.