It’s been 12 years since Air New Zealand tapped Trelise Cooper to design its distinctive uniforms. Today, the national carrier announces its new uniform designer, Emilia Wickstead.
After months of pitching and speculation, it has been confirmed by Air New Zealand that 39-year-old, London-based, New Zealand-born fashion designer Emilia Wickstead
Known for her contemporary take on old-world couture and shapes popularised in the mid-century, Wickstead is synonymous with dressing everyone from Catherine, Princess of Wales to Alexa Chung and Dame Jacinda Ardern.
Her Air New Zealand uniforms will be rolled out after a thorough consultation process and revealed to the public late next year.
“I could not be prouder, or more excited, to have been selected as Air New Zealand’s next uniform designer,” says Wickstead.
“This is a true passion project for me; one that further connects me with my homeland Aotearoa, and the community and places that I love.”
The topic of updating New Zealand’s most recognisable uniform for our national carrier has been on the cards since 2018, but the project was put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In May this year those discussions were reignited with the airline announcing it was inviting expressions of interest from local designers. Air New Zealand chief customer and sales officer Leanne Geraghty explained the time was right to update the uniforms.
“After 12 years with our much-loved and iconic Trelise Cooper designs, it is time to revisit our uniform to ensure it accurately reflects our new environment, our vision for the future, and continues to meet the needs of our people, while embracing our enhanced sustainability aspirations.”
After the announcement, Viva shortlisted Wickstead as a possible candidate.
Having gone through a competitive pitch process with 40 other leading New Zealand fashion designers, part of Wickstead’s application for consideration required her to deliver a uniform that reflects the times, with a particular focus on sustainability, functionality, safety, and te ao Māori culture.
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Advertise with NZME.Wickstead has a distinctive brand of clean-cut, timeless elegance which could prove to be a welcome tonic to the current uniform by Cooper which includes a polarising kitschy koru motif rendered in pink, green and blue.
She joins a long line of distinguished fashion designers who have designed uniforms for the airline, including Christian Dior’s New Zealand licensee El Jay (1958-1961), Zambesi (2005-2011), Nina Ricci (1975-1987), Barbara Lee (1992-2005), and current uniform designer Cooper, whose uniforms have been in rotation since their debut in 2011.
“Emilia presented outstanding initial designs that were creative, unique [and] will set Air New Zealand apart on the global stage,” explained Geraghty. “She also demonstrated her understanding of the importance of creating a uniform that is both functional and comfortable for our people.
“Her ability to create modern yet timeless pieces perfectly fits with what we were looking for in a design partner – someone who could create a uniform that our people can wear with pride now and into the future.”
While some might question the choice of Emilia over New Zealand-based fashion designers, her cachet is that she is a New Zealand designer operating on a global level. The partnership is one that will no doubt help reinforce her connection to Aotearoa but also help further establish the Air New Zealand brand as a world-class, premium brand.
Her previous efforts to honour her home country include her 2019 collaboration with The Woolmark Company. It focused on a group of exceptional New Zealand women who inspire her as a designer, including doctor, scientist and founder of the Mind For Minds network Dr Jessie Jacobsen and the first female president of New Zealand’s Federated Farmers, Katie Milne.
“My approach to the uniform centres around a deep respect for New Zealand’s cultural heritage,” Wickstead says.
“First and foremost, it is inspired by people. I’m a big believer that clothing can be transformative, uplifting and empowering, and my hope is that the new uniforms will instil a sense of pride and purpose in Air New Zealand’s incredible, world-class team.”
The news is another milestone for the designer this year, who spoke to Viva in May upon the highly anticipated relaunch of her collection of bridal wear.
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Advertise with NZME.Wickstead also currently appears in a seminal cover story for British Vogue’s November edition, marking Conde Nast’s departure from Vogue House in Hanover Square at the end of 2023 after 65 years.
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