ABOUT SS20
Dear Friends and Partners,
Battenwear has adventure in its DNA. Take how we started the brand in 2011: A surfer from Tokyo, influenced by west coast American surf and sportswear, designing in Brooklyn and making clothes in Manhattan, with hopes of outfitting people in great metropolises and towns all over the world with exceptional outdoor gear.
Battenwear’s 19th collection, Spring/Summer 2020 (SS20), is especially focused on a spirit of travel and adventure. You will see it in the SS20 tee shirt graphics (Surf the World), our focus on packable and travel-ready items (we like to cut down on suitcase space with stylish gear equally suited to hiking and an evening out), and most of all, in the fabrics we chose for the collection.
Check out the paisley, for example. Generally speaking, paisley patterns are of Persian origin, but the textile was designed in Scotland, and the fabric has spent centuries traveling the world to be used in everything from British neckties to Azerbaijani rugs to decoration for Prince’s mansion in Minnesota. Bark cloth is another historically international fabric with roots in Hawaii, Uganda, Indonesia, midcentury Las Vegas and more. We think you’ll like the Hawaiian tuxedo we made in bark cloth for SS20.
The madras pieces in Battenwear SS20 are particular favorites. This traditional Indian fabric has been used for international trade ever since the thirteenth century, and has weirdly deep roots in the American Ivy League scene. In addition to being a historically far-reaching fabric, we also feel that the basic idea of madras, that it is “guaranteed to bleed,” fits well with Battenwear’s aesthetic. The expression is meant to celebrate the fabric’s core eccentricities and prepare the wearer for constant seismic change in the landscape of the cloth. Like any Battenwear garment, the more you wear a madras item, and the more you wash it, the more it will change and grow and become yours. For Spring/Summer 2020, we devoted a whole section of the collection to madras, choosing to make these garments in India to keep each item’s madras roots true and sure.
Much has changed since we founded Battenwear in 2011 in a tiny Brooklyn apartment, but something that will never change is our desire to make a contribution to the great tradition of outdoor, sports, and travel gear. As we take Battenwear to its next level, we aim to be the go-to brand for adventurers the world over, whether they’re navigating peaks, subway stairs, sandy beaches, or asphalt streets.
Join us for the adventure.