For Dan Ahwa, fashion has always been about context – where a garment comes from, what it represents, and how it lives in the real world.
With the launch of Archive by Dan Ahwa, the stylist, journalist and creative director turns that instinct inward, unveiling a made-to-order menswear capsule drawn from his own wardrobe history, cultural references and lifelong fascination with archival style.
Spanning 1940s tailoring, retro sportswear and sun-drenched holiday dressing, the seven-piece collection distils the constants that have shaped Ahwa’s personal uniform – from bomber jackets worn growing up in Mt Albert to polo shirts collected in the early 2000s, and the quiet elegance of his grandfather’s wedding suit. Produced in small runs using a demand-led, made-to-order model, the capsule is designed to slow fashion down, prioritising longevity, versatility and ease over seasonal noise.
Here, Ahwa speaks on evolving personal staples, resisting the algorithm, and why Archive by Dan Ahwa is less about overthinking style – and more about wearing what you genuinely love.
Q&A with Dan Ahwa on Archive by Dan Ahwa
Your capsule collection is deeply inspired by your personal wardrobe archives and your career in editorial and creative direction. How did you decide which pieces or styles from your past to re-interpret for Archive by Dan Ahwa?
I leaned towards the pieces that were constants – from when I was a child to my teens. Bomber jackets were something I lived in when I was a little boy growing up in Mt. Albert, while polo shirts were something I used to collect in the early 2000s. My grandfather’s wedding suit was also a source of inspiration. I’m also inspired by era of style where menswear really flourished with its exaggeration – 1940s, 1970s, 1990s.
The key here was to try and evolve those staples into something that would appeal to people my age and how that could work in a versatile, modular wardrobe that doesn’t require too much thinking but still feels elevated. The idea here is to create beautiful, made-to-order clothes that have a very small run so there’s no waste involved.
The NZFW 2025 show Into the Archives celebrated New Zealand fashion history by weaving together iconic garments from past decades. How did that curatorial process influence the aesthetic and philosophy of this capsule collection?
Hugely, but also that show was a revelation by that point in understanding just how much archival fashion and pop culture has informed the way I look at style and codes of dress. Whether it’s streetwear or formality, I’ve always looked at the past.
In another life I could have been a curator for a museum, so I’ve utilised that same interest with everything I do in my work whether it’s styling a shoot or writing an op-ed, being able to think critically about the world and to use culture and fashion as a jumping off point has always been part of the fun when exploring the politics of identity.
But also, it’s ok to have fun – not everything has be over analysed. We are at the junction point of constant churn and over thinking. Archive by Dan Ahwa and Into the Archives are two projects that aim to resist both spectrums by simply allowing you to pause. Think about what it is you genuinely like away from the algorithm.
You mention influences from 1940s tailoring, retro sportswear and holiday dressing. Can you talk about a specific garment in this capsule that best represents that blend of influences – and why?
The Van Dan Polo is a perfect combination of those themes. With a deep V neck contrast collar and a plated button pocket, it’s the perfect blend of smart and informal that underpins my style, but can work in any situation; whether you’re at the office or on holiday.
It’s a piece that any guy can wear without feeling like they’re trying too hard.
How important was sustainability – both in practice and message – in shaping the collection’s production and materials?
Having a brand that is responsible is really important to me, and it’s an ongoing conversation about ensuring premium fabrics are sourced for the collection. It was important for me to work with a team who understood this from the start.
To also have that infrastructure to do this on a very small scale is already focused on slowing down the supply chain. This is not a seasonal collection either, so we’re wanting to reduce waste by demand-led overproduction.
This collection is being produced as a made-to-order capsule. Can you tell us where the garments are being made, and why that production model felt like the right fit for this project?
Production is being managed across Australia and China with internationally approved partners operating professional, regulated factory and atelier environments.
My design mentor Daniel Avakian is Sydney based and his model of using technology to create bespoke pieces appealed to me, so this is why it works well for this project.
There is a Trans-Tasman appeal about the collection that lends itself naturally to how I like to focus on pre-collection dressing, so that is another reason why this works, along with it appealing to a much bigger market outside of New Zealand.
You’ve shared that some of your grandfather’s wardrobe helped inspire this collection. What did his style represent to you, and how does his influence show up in the pieces themselves?
My grandfather is my first style icon so it was important for me to have his presence in at least 1-2 pieces.
His style to me is the perfect example of how you can combine a sense of elegance and ease with menswear without it feeling pretentious. It’s about making sportswear looking smart or tailoring feel languid.
Most of the time it’s a sense of confidence that I try to capture with his personal style, and how I’ve picked up on some of those feelings with how I dress today. So hopefully this collection aims to encourage a sense of easy confidence without being overbearing.
And finally, if Archive by Dan Ahwa – your debut capsule – were a film, what would it be, and why?
That’s impossible to answer. Film does inform a lot of what I love about the process of archiving, but I would say a collection of visuals from some of Pedro Almodóvar’s greatest hits could be a decent contender for this debut collection’s sunny disposition.
Archive by Dan Ahwa is available to shop online now HERE
Follow the brand on Instagram at @archivebydanahwa and @danahwa
Imagery credits
Campaign and lookbook photography: Scott Hardy (@scotthardy.work)
Models: Oliver Arlove and Natalie Pejcic, 62 MGMT (@62managament)
Hair and makeup: Katie Melody Rogers (@katie_melody_rogers)
Portraits of Dan Ahwa: Geoffery Matautia (@southsides) and Eleohn Totu’a (@eleohntotua)
