The Trophée Haute Coiffure Française is a prestigious global competition focused on hairdressing photography, renowned for its showcase of artistic innovation. Considered the pièce de resistance for hairdressing creatives, this year’s event took place on September 29 at the iconic Folies Bergère theatre in Paris.

Among talented competitors from the USA, UK, France, and Spain, multi award-winning New Zealand hairdresser Danny Pato triumphed in the Avant-Garde category with his stunning collection, The Nomad Queens. Captured by Mara Sommer, the collection envisions a future utopia where a band of royal sisters reign in peace.

Although Danny could not attend the ceremony in person, friend and fellow hairstylist Emmanuel Esteban accepted the award on his behalf.

“I am so humbled to be recognised with this award. For my collection, I wanted to create a world where all cultures are united in peace, celebrating their uniqueness. Congratulations to all of the other finalists. Thank you to the @hcfparis judges, and thank you to my team,” shared Pato to Instagram.

In addition to this achievement, Pato is among six New Zealand nominees for Hairstylist of the Year at the upcoming Viva Beauty Awards, with winners set to be announced on October 9.