Danny Pato’s awards are almost taking over the counter at the hair salon he co-owns in Tāmaki Makuarau/Auckland’s Ponsonby, D&M. “That’s my most recent one,” he says, reaching for a weighty gold goblet. “It’s made by the people who make the Golden Globe awards.”
Pato mentions this fun fact humbly, though. He’s won a host of awards, yet seems pretty nonplussed by it. There are almost too many to mention. He’s scored seven international hairdressing gongs, the only Kiwi to have ever won any of them; two made him International Hairdresser of the Year, once in Spain and once in Canada. There are other international accolades in Australia, France, the UK and the US that he brushes over, and then there’s the New Zealand Hairdresser of the Year awards he’s won for the past six years at Australia’s Industry Awards. It’s a lot, so much so that if he wins the New Zealand Hairdresser award again (for the seventh year in a row), he’ll have to stop entering.
“I have five beautiful, powerful, outspoken sisters and heaps of aunties, all with gorgeous hair — and someone had to do it!”
“The annual awards cycle gives me a deadline to finish creating work, so if I end up having to stand down for a bit, it might mean I spend more time developing my ideas,” he says. “I love creating new work, and I love giving back to my industry. My feeling has always been that I’ll keep creating collections if I’ve got stories to tell and ideas to share.”
Pato’s obviously very talented and, full disclosure, he’s has been my hairdresser for more than a decade. I might be biased about his talent, but it seems his other clients and the industry agree. His most recent win — for a campaign called Pride (pictured left) inspired by a tiny pink robin — was deemed by the judges to be “highly imaginative, original work showcasing outstanding hairdressing skills”, and “technically excellent and creatively beautiful”.
Originally from Greece, Pato credits his upbringing for ushering him into the hair industry. “I have five beautiful, powerful, outspoken sisters and heaps of aunties, all with gorgeous hair — and someone had to do it!” he says.
It’s an approach that’s permeated his shop floor and his tight-knit salon team, who he says are like family. “We’re all there for each other, and I love training them to pass my experience on to the next generation.”
Whenever I see him in the salon, he’s chatting away to clients and ever the chameleon, trialling new hairstyles on himself. I’ve even heard a rumour that he creates the salon’s incredible playlists himself. Clearly, for Pato, this job doesn’t feel like work.
As for the rest of this year, he has plenty of projects on the go. He’s just finished shooting his next collection and has hair shows, runways, overseas trips and mentorships in the mix. Nevertheless, he’ll be here for his clients.
“Like all hairdressers, I develop really close personal relationships with my clients,” he says. “I get excited to spend time with them, learn from them and help make them feel more beautiful and confident. I think for many people, visiting their hair salon has a lot to do with self-care, identity and connection. I love how our industry has the power to lift people up and make them feel and act stronger.”
Danny’s top five trends for autumn:
1. ’70s and ’90s layers
2. Shorter bobs
3. Shags of all lengths
4. Shiny colour
5. Animal-inspired cuts (think octopus, wolf and butterfly)
This article appeared in Fashion Quarterly’s Autumn 2023 issue.
Words: Sarah Murray.
