Bristol St. in Costa Mesa, CA has yet another spot fashion enthusiasts can add to their weekend thrift spree. It’s called “HENCH” and it’s the new official storefront for the underground clothing brand Basketcase Gallery. In reality, the store is just it’s just their studio space repurposed and rearranged to suit shopping needs. However, one step inside will make you forget that little fact and immerse you in an experience that captures that grey area in between a trendy boutique you’d find in LA intermixed with a mellow thrift store from your hometown.
For Basketcase Gallery, the ambiance seems to be just as important as the product itself. In contrast to the high-density shopping centers surrounding the store, HENCH feels more than the sum of its parts. The store is designed like a free-for-all all, with limited first come first served garments scattered throughout the space no bigger than the average office. Although what may seem small on the outside tends to feel bigger on the inside. Despite the hustle and bustle of avid shoppers parading around the studio space, it kept its more independent and intimate atmosphere at the forefront, “Need 2” by Pine Grove playing melodically in the background via speakers, the walls adorned with collages of vintage memorabilia and monochromatic photography.
The products available in the store were mainly restocked past season pieces from the brand as well as a few in-store exclusives to commemorate its grand opening. Also sold were multiple racks containing over 200 recycled vintage t-shirts. All of them came complete with Basketcase branding on the inside and tagging upper back, effectively making the garments reversible.
I pulled out two vintage tops; an Iron Maiden band tee that someone had just put back and a thin black hoodie with the PlayStation 2 logo slapped on the chest. I spotted 27-year-old Zach Kinninger, Basketcase Gallery’s mastermind, and asked what the damage was. He told me all vintage was $80 a piece, remarking afterward that I was getting a pretty good deal. Considering the alternative prices on online markets like Grailed or Depop, his words weren’t too far from the truth.
Kinninger wears his heart on his sleeve, he’s present in every moment, cheerfully speaking to customers, taking photos with anyone who asks, and thanking everyone for stopping by. Whatever initial spark got him to start the brand clearly hasn’t left. He took me outside to conduct the interview away from the hungry crowds sifting through the ample selection of garments, but still within earshot of hangers sliding along the metal frames of clothing racks.
“It’s something that I would have wanted to see as a like a younger person I think,” said Kinninger, when asked about the inspiration behind opening a shop right next to two massive shopping districts. “It’s also just where I work every week,” he continued, “This is my studio space that we do our product photography, we do our design work, we have infrastructural conversations, you know? This is where we work. I’m interested in sharing that physically, like a shared sort of work in progress.”
The HENCH storefront is an experiment in the brand’s ongoing quest to satiate the constantly evolving fashion paradigm. It’s also a chance to have something more personalized for dedicated fans of the brand without having to commit to something massive, like a pop-up shop, or a full-scale promotional rollout. “…we try and create like a moment and do really like thoughtful marketing and make it feel like a big event that everyone can kinda come and have fun but I wanted to do something with the studio space that was a little bit more casual and private,” said the budding mogul.
According to Kinninger, the current plan is to keep the storefront Instagram page @hench.offline private and do small exclusive rollouts for the studio to gauge creative interest. This would appear to split the brand into two distinct sides; the high-volume monthly online releases versus the more lassies-faire “if-you-know-you-know” weekly in-store drops. “I think I’m supposed to be like aspirational in every conversation and tell you how we’re gonna grow it and be dynamic and explosive but…I’m okay if we grow it and we do another one in New York like this or I’m okay if like in six months from now we decide, ‘Oh you know what? We wanna be more private again’ and we shut it down,” he said, “Everything is kind of like a test.”
Like most things in life, Basketcase Gallery seems to be an object constantly in motion. It’s that evolutionary nature that draws people into the central ethos of the brand, that perpetually maneuvering ebb and flow. They’ve always tried to attack something new and see if it sticks. They offer custom screen printing at their pop-up events, collaborated with Adidas, create cinematic short films to promote their online drops, and even once gave $50 tattoos alongside their product. Now they have an official store. “I don’t think there’s a brand that’s doing exactly what I want to be doing and that’s why we’re doing this,” a hard claim to deny from Kinninger after seeing what his brainchild has already achieved.
The HENCH storefront is located on 702 Randolph Ave and is open on weekends from 12 P.M. – 6 P.M.
UPDATE: As of May 2024, HENCH is no longer open to the public.
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