{{Short description|Hong Kong Canadian fashion designer}} {{For|Chinese people surnamed Liu|Liu Dan (disambiguation){{!}}Liu Dan}} {{Infobox person |image= Dan Liu 2013.jpg |caption= Photo of Dan Liu 2013 |name= Dan Liu |native_name= {{nobold|廖建明}} |other_names= {{hlist|Liu Kin-ming|Dan Liu|Liu Tatsuaki}} |nationality = |citizenship = {{hlist|Hong Kong|Canada}} |birth_date = |birth_place = British Hong Kong |death_date = |death_place = |education = Aoyama Fashion College |label_name = {{hlist|TATSUAKI|AKI|DAN LIU|DAN LIU Design}} |awards= |occupation = {{hlist|Fashion designer|Television producer|Wardrobe Stylist}} |website = {{URL|http://www.DANLIUDesign.com/}} }} {{Infobox Chinese |t=廖建明 |y=Liuh Gin-mìhng |w=Liào Jiànmíng }}
'''Dan Liu Kin Ming''' ({{lang-zh|t=廖建明|cy=Liuh Gin-mìhng}}) also known as; '''Dan Liu''', {{Nihongo|'''Liu Tatsuaki'''|廖 建明|Ryō Tatsuaki}} is a Hong Kongese and Japanese Canadian fashion designer and producing apparel, accessories and fashions for men and women. He is also the founder and the creative director of TATSUAKI fashion label. He was born in Hong Kong and is currently based in Toronto and Tokyo.
==Early life== Dan Liu was born in Hong Kong and because of his complex family background, he moved to Canada by himself when he was 16. Liu attended high school at Resurrection Catholic Secondary School in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada and studied at the University of Waterloo for Psychology and Computer Science.<ref name="Moon, Herbert/Today Commercial News (February 6, 2011)">"Another level for Dan Liu". TodayCommercialNews.com, Commercial Newspaper, Sunday, February 6, 2011, P.32,33.</ref> At his early age, Liu worked as a janitor, as a delivery guy, as a tutor and as a choreographer/dancer until producing various fashion shows for a major fashion group in Canada in 1995; this triggered his passion in fashion. In 1997, he decided to discontinue everything and went to Tokyo, Japan to study fashion design and marketing at Aoyama Fashion College.<ref name="Mabel Shek/E Weekly Magazine (June 9, 2016)">"First HongKongnese goes to NYFW". eweekly.hk, E Weekly Magazine, E Media+, Thursday, June 9, 2016, Issue 032, P.54-56.</ref>
==Fashion career== Liu worked for a fashion house TSUKI Fashion as a designer in the beginning.<ref name="fashionwatch">{{cite web|url=http://www.fashionwatch.com/2002/winter20012002/danliu/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030221030420/http://www.fashionwatch.com/2002/winter20012002/danliu/|archive-date=2003-02-21|url-status=dead|title=fashionWATCH - Dan Liu (TSUKI)|access-date=2014-08-24}}</ref> In 2002, he began working with Holt Renfrew Canada<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ccue.com/ccp_east/2011-01-27/1296188725d2978858.html|title=Home Page|website=ccue.com|access-date=4 April 2018}}</ref> to promote his own label TATSUAKI by starting in 4 major Canadian cities; Montreal, Quebec; Toronto, Ontario; Calgary, Alberta and Vancouver, British Columbia until 2005 it was available across Canada. Liu went back to Tokyo, Japan in 2004 to launch his ready-to-wear collection and in 2006, he expanded his line with a lower price range label, AKI in Japan. In 2012, he started contracting with Hudson's Bay and became the first Asian Canadian fashion designer to launch his own label at the Bay in the 21st century.<ref name="frontrowmag">{{cite web|url=http://www.frontrowmag.com/tatsuaki-spring-2012-at-the-bay/|title=Tatsuaki Spring 2012 at The Bay Fashion. Beauty. Trends. | Frontrowmag.com|publisher=frontrowmag.com|access-date=2014-08-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141010144016/http://www.frontrowmag.com/tatsuaki-spring-2012-at-the-bay/|archive-date=2014-10-10|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Trendy Zone/OMNI TV">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsqTi6iaeVs/|title=TATSUAKI by Dan Liu 2012 S/S Collection for The Bay; omnitv.ca|publisher=omnitv.ca|access-date=2012-02-27}}</ref> In November 2010, Liu was fashion design/consulting to clients as a stylist/designer at Hugo Boss Canada<ref name="Moon, Herbert/Today Commercial News (February 6, 2011)"/> and he collaborated with Haight & Ashbury in Toronto, Ontario, Canada for men's clothing in March 2013.
In February 2016, Liu was first accepted by WME/IMG (IMG's Official NYFW: The Shows) to showcase his DAN LIU line at New York Fashion Week in New York City, United States.<ref name="nyfw">{{cite web|url=http://www.nyfw.com/dan-liu/|title=DAN LIU FW16; nyfw.com|publisher=nyfw.com|access-date=2016-02-08|archive-date=2016-02-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160214145042/http://nyfw.com/dan-liu|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="USA Today (February 19, 2016)">"NYFW: 2016's latest trends". usatoday.com, Friday, February 19, 2016 LIFE.</ref><ref name="Jeff Grossman/WENN.com (February 18, 2016)">"NYFW: 20 looks we'd rock this fall". torontosun.com, Toronto Sun Newspaper, Thursday, February 18, 2016 Life Fashion.</ref> He was accepted again to showcase his 2017 Spring collection in September 2016<ref name="Washington Square News (September 10, 2016)">"Washington Square News: Dan Liu S/S 2017". nyunews.com, Saturday, September 10, 2016.</ref><ref name="Elia Mell/fwo">{{cite web|url=https://fashionweekonline.com/dan-liu-interview-img-new-york-fashion-week-spring-2017|title=Dan Liu interview at IMG New York Fashion Week by Eila Mell; fashionweekonline.com|date=12 September 2016 |publisher=fashionweekonline.com|access-date=2016-09-12}}</ref> and since then, he is with IMG New York showcasing his collection at NYFW twice a year.<ref name="Maggie Gillette (February 10, 2017)">"Dan Liu autumn/winter 2017 collection catwalk show for NYFW". theupcoming.co.uk, Friday, February 10, 2017.</ref><ref name="Resident (February 10, 2017">"DAN LIU'S FALL FAIRY TALE COLLECTION". resident.com, Friday, February 1, 2017.</ref><ref name="kontrol">{{cite web|url=http://www.kontrolmag.com/dan-liu-creates-fall-fairy-tale-fashion-week-2017/|title=King of the Cocktail Dress. | kontrolmag.com|publisher=kontrolmag.com|access-date=2017-02-10|archive-date=2017-12-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201031156/http://www.kontrolmag.com/dan-liu-creates-fall-fairy-tale-fashion-week-2017/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Fashion Maniac (September 11, 2017)">"DAN LIU Expresses Femininity for the Real Woman on the NYFW Runway". fashionmaniac.com, September 11, 2017.</ref>
Liu has been named as 'King of Cocktail Dresses" and "Cocktail Dress Connoisseur" from the fashion industry since 2017.<ref name="Resident (February 10, 2017"/><ref name="kontrol"/><ref name="VRAI Magazine">{{cite web|url=https://www.vraimagazine.com/nyfw-dan-liu-spring-summer-2019/|title=NYFW: Dan Liu Spring/Summer 2019. | vraimagazine.com|publisher=vraimagazine.com|access-date=2018-09-11}}</ref><ref name="MEFeater (September 11, 2018">"#NYFW Dan Liu Spring Summer 2019: Cocktail Dress Connoisseur". mefeater.com, Tuesday, September 11, 2018.</ref> VRAI Magazine in the United States also called Liu as "Showman of New York Fashion Week" after he showcased his Spring/Summer 2019 Collection at New York Fashion Week at the Gallery 1 of Spring Studios on September 11, 2018, in New York City, New York.<ref name="VRAI Magazine"/>
==TATSUAKI label and DAN LIU label== thumb|Dan Liu, as creative director of TATSUAKI fashion house, walked out at World MasterCard Fashion Week in Canada for 2015 Fall/Winter fashion show TATSUAKI fashion was founded by Liu in 2002 and it's named after his Japanese name. The label emphasis on beauty and practicality and caters for women as ‟Funky Couture". The DAN LIU label was first noticed in February 2016 at New York Fashion Week by Liu as his high-end line and the collection appears to be more mature.<ref name="USA Today (February 19, 2016)"/><ref name="Jeff Grossman/WENN.com (February 18, 2016)"/><ref name="Fisique Magazine">{{cite web|url=http://fisiquemagazine.com/dan-liu/|title=DAN LIU SS17; fisiquemagazine.com|publisher=fisiquemagazine.com|access-date=2016-09-11|archive-date=2016-09-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911225906/http://fisiquemagazine.com/dan-liu/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Both collections often appears with knit, crochet, lace and embroidery details.<ref name="fwo">{{cite web|url=https://fashionweekonline.com/smile-power-dan-liu-carves-new-path-nyfw/|title=Smile Power: Dan Liu carves a "New Path" at NYFW; fashionweekonline.com|date=12 September 2016 |publisher=fashionweekonline.com|access-date=2016-09-12}}</ref>
TATSUAKI garments have graced the racks at Holt Renfrew Canada and other notable boutiques in both Tokyo, Japan and Toronto, Canada.<ref name="Nick Lee/Best of Toronto">{{cite web|url=https://www.bestoftoronto.net/2012/02/tatsuaki-ss-2012-launch-party/|title=TATSUAKI 2012 launch party; bestoftoronto.net|date=27 February 2012 |publisher=bestoftoronto.net|access-date=2012-02-27}}</ref><ref name="ACCE Canada">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CGmG938s5k/|title=ACCE 2012 Most Innovative Award: TATSUAKI INC.; acce.ca|date=25 April 2012 |publisher=acce.ca|access-date=2012-04-25}}</ref> Dan Liu opened the flagship store of TATSUAKI in the heart of the Yorkville district of Toronto in 2002 and was frequented by stars such as Jennifer Love Hewitt, Renée Zellweger and Robin Williams.
==Fashion Girls by Dan - Fashion Makeover Reality Television Show== thumb|Dan Liu interviewed by Rogers Television, OMNI Channel, for the reality television show, Fashion Girls by Dan. Fashion Girls by Dan is a spin-off of TLC's What Not To Wear and Look-A-Like reality TV show with an Asian inspiration from Fashion TV's Tokyo Girls in Japan. The reality show premise is the walk through transformation of an ordinary person and the discussion of real life issues. Dan will give the participants a head to toe transformation to help them look and feel better about themselves and to gain the confidence that they need to achieve their goal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.omnitv.ca/on/yue-can/shows/fashion-girls-by-dan/|title=Fashion Girls by Dan - Shows - OMNI Ontario Cantonese|website=OMNI Ontario Cantonese|access-date=4 April 2018|archive-date=4 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180404203154/http://www.omnitv.ca/on/yue-can/shows/fashion-girls-by-dan/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The reality show began in the fall of 2014, contracted for 2 series by OMNI TV from Rogers Media Group, with 13 episodes for each series. It was aired on OMNI TV channel 2 nationwide in Canada.<ref name="OMNI TV">{{cite web|url=http://www.omnitv.ca/on/yue-can/videos/3764022556001/ |title=OMNI TV - OMNI 2 - Cantonese News Segment |publisher=omnitv.ca |access-date=2014-09-01 }}{{dead link|date=December 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name="Man, Suki (September 27, 2014)">"Fashion Girls by Dan - fashion makeover reality TV show by Dan Liu". Today Commercial News.com, 701 magazine, Saturday, September 27, 2014 p. 39.</ref> The show was also aired in China starting 2016.
==Personal life== Liu has extensive training in martial arts. He started training in Muay Thai since he was 15. Starting 1997, he learned iaido and bushido.<ref name="youtube2">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSuKrhcBQYo|title=Dan Liu Tatsuaki - Iaido examination: 9th move SOETE TSUKI 九本目 添え手突き - YouTube|date=12 March 2011 |publisher=youtube.com|access-date=2014-08-24}}</ref> According to him, practicing martial arts is not just a physical exercise, it's also mental. It is a life philosophy.
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == * [https://www.danliudesign.com/ Official website]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Liu, Dan}} Category:1972 births Category:Living people Category:Canadian gay artists Category:LGBTQ fashion designers Category:High fashion brands Category:Fashion designers from New York City Category:Artists from Toronto Category:Businesspeople from Toronto Category:Canadian fashion designers Category:Canadian expatriates in the United States Category:Chinese emigrants to Canada Category:Chinese expatriates in the United States Category:Chinese fashion designers Category:Japanese emigrants to Canada Category:Japanese expatriates in the United States Category:Japanese fashion designers Category:Japanese people of Chinese descent Category:Hong Kong fashion designers Category:Janitors Category:21st-century Japanese LGBTQ people Category:Japanese gay artists Category:21st-century Canadian LGBTQ people