Getting Ready for the Night Shift Is Like Clockwork for Naz Hassan
The chef and restaurateur gives Hypebeast an inside look at his routine in a new campaign with UGG.
If there’s one process that signals the start of chef Naz Hassan’s night, it’s changing his shoes. Having worked in kitchens across Milan and now London, the simple act of swapping his lace-ups for a pair of work-ready clogs remains constant, helping him get physically and mentally into gear for a busy shift making Italian plates.
Exploring what functionality in style means to the chef, Hypebeast heads to his acclaimed neighborhood restaurant, Ornella, for a new two-part UGG campaign. With the debut installment capturing stylist Joel Lyall moving through the night, the latest feature shows how Hassan adapts to the energy behind the counter, as well as the moment he winds down with the brand’s functional Fall 2026 offering.
“During a busy day, we’re like an orchestra, and everyone needs to play their instrument in the best way.”
“Service starts when the first customer comes through the door,” Hassan explains, once he’s slipped into his chef whites and the UGG Otzo Western Clog. “What kicks in is that sense of duty: you have to perform because you’re selling goods that need to be served to the highest level it possibly can.”
Today, the chef begins service by making risotto, one of his favorite dishes on the menu. “During a busy day, we’re like an orchestra, and everyone needs to play their instrument in the best way,” he shares. It’s not just about the individual performance, though. Hassan mentions how, more importantly, they need to “stay in harmony” so the kitchen can run like clockwork.
To keep him in top form, he is drawn to the silhouette’s contoured EVA footbed and lightweight rubber outsole for its support throughout the day. “Having a comfortable pair of shoes is non-negotiable because I’m standing on my feet for 16 hours,” he says. “Shoes are the only part of my uniform that can be personalized, so it’s nice when I can bring a bit of myself to my work.”
Though Hassan has over a decade of experience perfecting his routine to meet the demands of restaurants, his success comes down to the customers. “What has kept me going when I work at night is seeing the smiles when people enjoy my food,” he reflects on his time as a chef. “The best memories I have are around the table at Christmas, Diwali and birthday parties, so I want them just to enjoy the moment and forget they’re in a restaurant.”
“Having a comfortable pair of shoes is non-negotiable because I’m standing on my feet for 16 hours.”
Hassan clocks out of his shift by switching his clogs for the more weather-appropriate UGG Loften Chukka for his journey home. A lace-up leather shoe with a hard-wearing base and cozy sheepskin-lined tongue, the chef shares how it helps him adapt to temperature changes, saying, “To be able to step out of the hot kitchen with this warm feeling on your feet on a very cold night is perfect.”
After resting up after a long night, he adopts a slower pace the next morning. Maintaining an element of calm, he walks around his local area and picks up coffee and pastry before preparing for yet another day of service at his restaurants.
Follow Naz Hassan from the kitchen in East London to his go-to café in the campaign above.
You can now shop the UGG Otzo Western Clog and Loften Chukka on the brand’s website and at the UGG Knightsbridge, London store.
