Dayne Johnston

Dayne Johnston is the head designer of one of Aotearoa’s leading fashion brands, Kowtow. Last year, he moved to the capital to take up this role after holding the position of menswear designer at Zambesi for 20 years. Dayne’s sharp creative eye has been shaping local style for two decades and will continue to do so through a sustainability-focused lens.

We asked Dayne about his career as a fashion designer, his personal style and his favourite perfumes.

Let’s start at the beginning. Could you please tell us about your earliest fashion-related memory?

I grew up in Wanaka, Central Otago, it was very small and isolated. My first memories of fashion were of my Mum making her own clothes when I was a young boy. A vivid memory is watching her cut dresses and skirts out on the carpet and make them with her Bernina domestic sewing machine. She loves clothes and I always helped style her looks when she would go out. There was a newsagent in the Main Street of Wanaka and I was obsessed with magazines, The Face Magazine and ID were some of the first international influences I had, I religiously bought magazines and lived through these vicariously when I was at high school.

Where is home now?

I moved from Auckland to Wellington In June 2023 and call Pōneke my home now, I am really enjoying the change and challenge. I live in a 47m2 apartment on Cuba Street with my French Bulldog Angus. I took up the role as Head Designer at Kowtow in July 2023 and have almost completed my 3rd collection since I began, the first collection I have lead will be launching in February 2025, it feels like a really exciting time for myself and Kowtow.

What did the beginning of your career look like?

I graduated from Wellington Polytechnic in 1996 with an Advanced Diploma in Fashion Design and Technology (now Massey University). It was the mid 90’s and an exciting time to experience fashion. We had our graduate show at the Michael Fowler Centre. I would enter the Smoke Free Fashion Design awards many times and got through to the finals one year. I worked in jobs I didn’t really like and eventually went back to study and got my Fashion Design Degree in Wanganui. I moved to Auckland in 2000 and worked for Zambesi for 20 years as their Menswear Designer and buyer.

Could you walk us through your design process?

Design is an organic experience, I work a lot from vintage clothing and I love to vintage shop and source items for inspiration. I am drawn to moments and experiences and quite often travel plays an important focus for my design development. At Kowtow we develop our own colour palette, which involves creating the colour and fabrics from the raw organic cotton by our Fairtrade farmers. I have been really enjoying the evolution of this then creating the clothing.

What inspires your process? Is it nature? Travels? Other creatives?

I think it involves many things, I am always absorbing my environment and everything that surrounds me. I work within a team at Kowtow and I collaborate with the Creative Director, Marilou Dadat, Product Designer, Georgie Veitch, and Junior Textile Designer, Olivia Simpson. We are supported by a large team of pattern makers and garment technologists. The process is inspired by bouncing ideas off each other and our process always feels collaborative.

What are some of your career highlights?

Working for Zambesi for 20 years feels like a highlight in itself, during that time I traveled to Men’s Paris Fashion week, twice a year for many years and worked as a buyer attending runway shows and showrooms. I was lucky enough to meet my hero designers, Raf Simons, Jonathan Anderson, Dries Van Noten and Rick Owens all personally. My recent highlight is joining Kowtow and starting in a new role as Head Designer, I adore the team and all the beautiful people I work alongside.

What are some challenges you’ve come across as a creator? Any important lessons you have learnt along the way?

The biggest thing I have learnt is to trust your intuition, the first thought is usually the best one and stick to your gut feeling.

What’s next for Kowtow?

My first collection launches in February 2025. Gosia Piatek, the Founder of Kowtow will be back from London at this time and we are super excited to launch this new collection into the world.

Are you hopeful about the future of Aotearoa’s fashion industry?

Fashion is always about change and Kowtow are leaders in protecting the planet and being transparent about every part of the business, I hope in turn this inspires other fashion brands to do good things for the world. I really admire Kowtow’s circular design principles. Everything is considered, including reducing waste, making products that last and also regenerating the natural environment at every point of the process. We went plastic free at the beginning of 2024 and this is an important way forward for the future of fashion.

The Sauce team are big fans of your work as well as your personal style. Could you tell us a little more about what brands you like to wear?

Kowtow of course! We are expanding on our menswear and building on more styles, developing and elevating the mens collection. Other brands I love include Acne Studios, Studio Nicolson, Lemaire, Maison Margiela and I have a big personal collection of Raf Simons.

What are some of your favourite books?

I am reading ‘A Waiter in Paris’: Adventures in the Dark Heart of the City by Edward Chisholm. I also just bought ‘Year with Swollen Appendices’ by Brian Eno, I was so inspired by the Eno Documentary I saw in the Wellington Film Festival and found this book which is his diary entries from 1995.

What have you been listening to non-stop recently?

I have the new Jamie XX album, Waves and have it on repeat at the moment. I love PJ Harvey, Thom Yorke, Fever Ray, The National, Whispering Sons and I am a fan of local music, Reb Fountain, Marlon Williams and the Veils.

What’s your favourite scent?

‘Gosha Rubchinskiy’ which is produced by Comme des Garçons, it has Angelica Root, Mandarin Seed, Blue Chamomile, Vetiver and Patchouli, and reminds me of summer.

And lastly, could you give a piece of advice to younger designers trying to navigate the industry?

Follow your passion and trust your own individual instinct. The industry is hard work so be prepared to devote yourself, be committed and keep learning.

Styling by Nicola Provost
Interview and photography by Yana Kulishenko