Meet The Viva Team: Dan Ahwa, Creative & Fashion Director

In this Q&A series, get to know the hardworking members of the Viva team, as they share the highlights of their role, their go-to restaurants and what they do on their time off.

What is your role at Viva?

Creative and fashion director. It encompasses different things. Some days I’ll be writing a feature or conducting an interview; other days I’ll be styling and producing a shoot or creating a video with our video production team.

Every day I’ll be checking in with our digital editor Julia Gessler to ensure the website and social are supporting one another.

Some days I am working on creative ideas with commercial teams and finding solutions for clients with our commercial editor Emma Gleason, and other days planning and ensuring we continue to lead the conversation when it comes to our fashion pillar with our talented team of editors.

I like the variety and opportunity to learn different skills on the job, which is essential in media.

Is there a story, issue or project you’ve worked on at Viva that was particularly memorable for you, and why?

Our fashion issue from 2015, where we filled the cover with all the terribly cliche fashion and lifestyle cover lines, still feels like a very radical Viva moment. Phrases shouting “strong and real women”, “florals for spring”, and “your new-season icon” were just some of the silly tropes featured.

All of our travel issues conjure up so many great memories of being on the ground and creating unique content that helps shape Viva’s take on travel — my top five are probably Palm Springs, London, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Berlin.

Another that stands the test of time included working with Lorde as a guest editor for the seventh edition of our quarterly magazine, Viva Magazine. I’d spent some time back and forth with her management over the years and when she agreed to it, it was a great moment. I know how specific she is when it comes to her creativity, so it was an honour to have her on board.

She proved to be a very generous collaborator and brilliant writer, and she had some really great ideas around te reo revitalisation, conservation and spotlighting wonderfully creative, emerging minds and talent.

The other issue was from one of our weekly magazines from February 2021 during Pride month featuring the members of the local ballroom community the House of Iman, photographed by my talented friend Hōhua Ropate Kurene, with a supporting article from Cameron Ah Loo-Matamua. To have their talent and voices amplified in a way that acknowledged their value and creativity was special, and brought to life a sub-culture many of the Viva readers might not be familiar with.

I think this is what makes a good issue and cover of Viva, when we can challenge and surprise people so they are receiving the type of content they don’t already know they need.

What can people expect from Viva Premium?

The best. In-depth feature stories that have been written by specialised, experienced editors who know what they are talking about, photographs taken by the very best pool of photographers, captivating video content and a really strong synergy between our social platforms and our website.

There’s a special curated edit of syndicated stories from The New York Times which has been filtered through by the team to complement our offering, giving an added layer of access to some great reads. Even some of our furniture stories and round-ups are trusted too because we’ve actually taken the time to taste test those scones or visit each individual restaurant and cafe for a personal, hot-take recommendation.

The Viva team cares deeply about the stories they create, which is worth paying the small price of a subscription for. The reason why Viva is successful comes down to the fact that we have and always will prioritise editorial content that’s rich in context and knowledge.

What’s the best thing about your role?

The best thing is working with a team of people who are all very good at what they do.

I look around at other magazine teams about town and I know for sure that we have the best people behind Viva. They know what they’re talking about, and aren’t concerned with smoke and mirrors. That to me is the most rewarding thing — being able to turn up to work with people who are genuinely invested in bettering our communities.

Our editors want to see our hospitality industries thrive; our editors want our fashion industry to be held accountable when it comes to inclusivity and sustainability; our editors want to support the next generation of creatives and talent. Our editors also want to ensure best practice is adhered to when we’re out researching, writing and filing our stories.

Viva as a brand is tasked with delivering quality journalism too in our own lifestyle patch — and that is a valuable asset for any newsroom that wants to remain relevant.

Describe your personal style.

I like a little romance with my clothes, so sometimes it might be a nostalgic silhouette or something that evokes an easiness; like a languid shirt or a special piece of knitwear. I like clothes that have a feeling of ambiguity. This to me is a sign of being confident in your masculinity.

I like soft and hard energy when it comes to dressing. I like a little streetwear, but not too much; and on my off-duty days I veer toward very technical clothes and 90s sportswear. Some of my favourite brands include Dries van Noten, Steven Stokley Daley, Stussy, Willy Chavarria and Wales Bonner.

What are your favourite New Zealand stores or brands?

I enjoy the curated edit from Rubbish Bin vintage, and I’ve been an avid collector of Wynn Hamlyn’s knitwear for a few years now. I also enjoy Jacob Kalin’s denim jeans, he does great custom jeans, and I do admire some of the heritage pieces from brands such as Canterbury or Swanndri. I’ll usually find some piece of tailoring that fits my style from Zambesi or Crane Brothers too.

What’s the most special item of clothing in your wardrobe, and why?

I have a few special items. One of them is a full black quilted coat from the supremely talented Georgia Pratt Holiber and her label Hilda Ereaut. It’s like wearing a duvet, extremely decadent. My custom, chocolate brown linen wedding suit from Crane Brothers, which took weeks to make in Italy and was totally worth every penny. I also have a soft spot for a green hoodie. It’s kind of silly but every time I wear it it makes me smile. It has an illustration of a person wearing a bear suit with the words ‘Bear With Me’, from the now-defunct Alexa Chung label. I also love my Worktones T-shirt with a smiley face and the words ‘Thanks For Nothing!’ which basically sums up my dry sense of humour.

Where’s your go-to spot for dinner and drinks with friends?

I like the snacks and martinis at Candela on K Rd, and for a nice meal, I’d try and get a table at Apero, also on K Rd. It’s cosy, you can hear people talk, the lighting is perfect and the food is something special.

And for coffee?

Herne Bay Foodstore, which I still prefer to call by its former name Baccio, is my go-to for fresh juice and my daily long black (Supreme). Dee, the owner, and her team are good at the banter and they serve up some of Auckland’s best cheese scones.

What’s your favourite meal to cook for company, and for yourself?

For someone with not much of a sweet tooth, I’d base a dinner menu around my dessert and wine. So, usually, I’d try and make a Victorian sponge cake from scratch, which then informs the main — something easy like spaghetti (handmade) with loads of basil, garlic and fresh heirloom tomatoes, or maybe a creamy cacio e pepe. And lots of wine.

What else do you read, listen to or watch when you’re not reading Viva?

I used to be an avid magazine collector, but lately, I can’t remember the last time I bought a magazine, which says a lot about the declining relevancy and unsustainable expense it costs to create a magazine now. I will fork out every now and then on something like Fantastic Man or Architectural Digest if the cover story is interesting enough.

I turn to digital subscriptions — The Cut, Evening Standard, The New York Times and Business of Fashion. I have a soft spot for newspaper magazines, so when I do get a chance I try and get a hard copy of How To Spend It delivered to my home; or I try and get friends overseas to send me specific copies of D Repubblica from Italy or M Magazine from Le Monde in France. Like Viva, newspaper magazines are able to harness a more nimble sense of immediacy which is key to being relevant in media.

I’ve been listening only to a small handful of podcasts, only because I tend to not like listening too much to people who like the sound of their own voices. There are some good ones though — Brit Cult is a favourite, along with a new addition The Powers That Be: Daily, from Emmy award-winning journalist Peter Hamby.

What’s your guilty-pleasure binge-watch?

I have several that I no longer feel guilty about. Selling Sunset, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Terrace House — all great shows to include when my watch list for the week is getting unbearably pretentious.

A book (or two) you couldn’t put down?

I loved reading Birnham Wood earlier this year from Eleanor Catton — a very astute observation of modern society. The other book that I couldn’t put down and will never escape my mind was A Little Life by Hanya Yanigahara, and I am currently enjoying The Creative Act: A Way of Being by legendary record producer Rick Rubin.

On your time off, what do you like to do?

I like to go to the movies by myself during the daytime. Catching up with family is sacred for me and an important part of having some sense of being grounded in this industry I work in. I also like to read and go for walks, and drives out of Auckland for some perspective.