INNOVATOR: BEAUTIFUL BIRDS DANNY PATO’S STUNNING COLLECTION MERGES ASIAN AND AVIAN INFLUENCES
Danny Pato scooped the Hair Expo New Zealand Hairdresser of the Year for the fourth time in a row this summer with his Japanese-influenced collection, Tori. The co-founder and creative director of the multi-award-winning D&M Hair Design in Auckland, New Zealand, is an acclaimed editorial session stylist, he has directed hair for fashion weeks from Auckland to New York and for editorial shoots in magazines such as Vogue, Fashion Quarterly, Oyster and Remix.
Pato is actively involved in salon sustainability and charity initiatives, raising $28,000 for KidsCan by selling prints of his photographic collections, $5,000 for Mercy Hospice Auckland by holding a Haircuts for Hospice event, and donating $7,000 to the victims of the Christchurch terror attacks in New Zealand. Danny launched the D&M Directory (directory.dandm.co.nz), a free online database of established and up-and-coming photographers, makeup artists, stylists and fashion designers, enabling hair professionals to easily build creative teams. With this collection, he is a finalist for Oneshot Hair Awards in the US and TCT in Spain, and is pre-nominated for International Hairdresser of the Year at the International Hairdressing Awards. Here, he takes us through the inspiration and evolution of Tori. >>
What inspired the collection?
It started as a tribute to the significant influence Japan continues to have in the world of design. I wanted to create bold silhouettes and combine them with exotic avian beauty to reference ancient Japanese feminine dress codes, re interpreting them for a current design aesthetic.
How did the looks evolve?
I like to tell a story with each collection. Once I’ve got a clear vision about what I want to tell and what direction I want to take, I actually start with the garments. I draw silhouettes, source fabrics and have them locally produced. Then I move on to makeup, creating mood boards and meeting with the amazing Kiekie Stanners from MAC to bring it to life. I worked with the insanely talented illustrator Kelly Thompson on one of Kathryn Wilson’s NZ Fashion Week shows.
What does it mean to win this award again?
It somehow means more to me now than when I first won it. For the Hair Expo Awards, you’re judged on your ability to create unique, technically advanced, innovative work. But you’re equally judged on your leadership, teamwork and business acumen, on how you advance the industry and how you give back. I’m passionate about all of these parts of our industry and challenge myself to push myself further each year; it’s a real honour to be recognised in this way.
How has this award influenced your career?
It’s provided me with some amazing opportunities, like doing my first Salon International show in London. But more so, it’s helped me to keep upping my own game, challenging myself to keep improving, to keep giving back what I’ve learned. ✂
