September 16, 2025 • 11 mins
Ahead of the 2025 edition of World of Wearable Art (WOW) at Wellington's TSB Arena, Newstalk ZB's Nick Mills is chatting to some of the key figures, both on stage and behind the scenes.
Nick sat down with Leonie Trathen, who first modelled for the show in 1990, and is now wardrobe and activations manager for the design competition.
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News talksb.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Well Wow, Wow It's on. It's on this week and
the town feels different. We've already seen the flags around
the city. It just feels different when Wow's on. World
of Wearable Art is back in Wellington for twenty twenty
five from this week. The preview show starts things off
on Thursday and the show runs until October the fifth
(00:35):
at TSB Arena. This year, the show's called Rise. It
sees the stage come alive with incredible works of wearable art, dances, music,
lights and av Over the next couple of days, we're
going to chat to a few of the main people
behind well both the stage and behind the scenes. I
(00:56):
was lucky enough to sit down with the show's wardrobe
and activations manager, Leoni Trathan, who was a model herself
in the show in nineteen and now she's in charge
of recruiting all the show's models and matching them to
all the garments. She's been a continuous she's one of
Wales's lifers and it was great to chat to Leone.
(01:19):
We're in the offices in the back part of Wow.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Now.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Leoni You're an interesting subject because you have been in
this role or a role with WAWE for how many years?
And welcome, by the way.
Speaker 4 (01:31):
Thank you very much. Thirty five years.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
Yes, and you started on the catwalk, I did so.
Speaker 5 (01:37):
I joined WAH in nineteen ninety as a model and
did that actually for the next seventeen years around about
and then just morphed into different roles.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Did you start in Nelson or did you start in
Willing and Nelson?
Speaker 4 (01:50):
And I'm still Nelson based.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Right and you've just stuck with the show. It's part
of you, part of my DNA.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
They can't get rid of me.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
What's changed?
Speaker 2 (01:59):
What's changed over the years, because it was really a
family affair to start with the Nelson I remember it
in Nelson very well. I had a bar there. It
was kind of like just this family in the backyard.
Speaker 5 (02:11):
It's still got the same DNA. It's still that same family,
but it's just morphed into something a heck of a
lot bigger.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
And your role now is to make sure everyone, the
models feel comfortable, feel that they're okay, and feel that
they looked after.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
Are you like and don't take this the wrong way?
The mother goose.
Speaker 4 (02:31):
Camp mum very much.
Speaker 5 (02:32):
So there's many people that are involved in that side
of things. We have a company manager and she does
the pastoral care of those models, performers, dances the cast
on a daily basis.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
But you're the one.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
You're the one that actually fits the right person to
the right role for the right result, right I am.
Speaker 5 (02:53):
But I also do that with Malia Johnson and with
Sarah Sarah who is our.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
Competition head of competition.
Speaker 5 (03:01):
So yes, so it's a combined job, but we all
look at different things.
Speaker 4 (03:05):
So I scout all.
Speaker 5 (03:07):
Year round for models, and Malie is walking the streets
thinking of those things as well. So when the garments
first come in, when they are entered into the competition
and they arrive for part of the preliminary selection process,
I'm the one that is matching them to the models
from earlier on, and then we cast the models depending
(03:29):
on the garments that have been entered.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
How difficult a situation is it if you have some
have a garment, someone that's designed a garment, and you've
got them this model and you think this is going
to work perfectly, that suits that, and the model designer says, nah,
it's not going to work.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
For me, wouldn't happen.
Speaker 5 (03:46):
We work really hard to make sure that all of
the designers needs are met and our aim is to
surpass that. So they might put in their part of
the What they do is they do a story and
an inspiration, and they have special notes in there, and
they might request something that my garment needs a model
of one hundred and seventy six centimeters.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
Tool with broad shoulders, et cetera, et cetera.
Speaker 5 (04:10):
They might put those things as part of the entry,
and so we refer to that, and then we look
at the garment and what is the best that we
can get out of this garment?
Speaker 4 (04:22):
How can we bring it.
Speaker 5 (04:24):
To life on stage? What do we need to do that?
And we're pretty done good at what we do. And
once that garment gets moving and gets on stage and
has all the choreography and is brought to life on stage,
I think that what we actually can do for a
garment exceeds the designer's needs. I've never had a designer
(04:46):
come to me or to any of us and go,
you got that wrong.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
So how has it changed over the years?
Speaker 2 (04:52):
I mean, and have you looked at some costumes and
you say someone selected that, but that's so similar to
the one we did in eighty nine, ninety one, two thousand.
Speaker 5 (05:03):
Each garment is judged and selected on that year, and
you can have designers that will enter year and year
in a game, and what they enter you wouldn't even
guess who's made it because they reinvent themselves and it's
really on the designs that are entered in that year.
Speaker 4 (05:24):
And they are also different.
Speaker 5 (05:25):
Materials have changed so much, the mediums that they are using.
It's very much changed tobacco back when we first started
in nineteen eighty seven. So it's grown, just like everything has.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Do they have to present the garment complete? Or do
you build the garment and do you showcase the garment
or does the designer have to turn up and say,
here's my garment, now you show it off.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
No, so part of it, it's quite a long judging process.
So they do.
Speaker 5 (05:50):
They have to enter their garments by photos and so
the judges actually select which garments are going to be
sent to New Zealand or sent to the first judging process,
which is a selection process. Their garment has to be
completed at that stage. Once it's leaves and is in
our hands, then that's the last time the designer will
(06:10):
see their garment until it appears on stage.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Do you own the garment or do they they.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
Own the garment? They own the garment.
Speaker 5 (06:17):
There is part of the awards process where we retain
the Supreme Award winner and the other garments.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
We then are able to loan them for.
Speaker 5 (06:27):
Around five years if we quiet, and then we're able
to showcase those garments in different ways, whether it's a
exhibition or whether it may be a performance, another performance
outside of the show.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
You got me a little bit interested when you said
overseas how many would how many of the actual items
would be from overseas and versus New Zealand.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
It varies every year.
Speaker 5 (06:48):
It used to sit around fifty to fifty percent, and
I can't give you their exact numbers. This year, I
would say that we have slightly more international garments appearing
on stage, but it does vary every year.
Speaker 4 (07:00):
We do have a lot of international designers.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
What brings you back year and year out?
Speaker 2 (07:05):
And as Wellington as good as it was when you
first came here for it?
Speaker 4 (07:09):
Oh, it's better, even better.
Speaker 5 (07:11):
That's a twentieth year in Wellington this year and the
way they it's a community. Like I say, I keep
on talking about the community, but and Nelson, it was
a massive community support that helped us to where we
got to, as well as all the many people that
are working behind the scenes but Wellington have taken it
on board like their own and support it so well.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
It's the best part, best place for it.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
I got to ask you this question because you're the
only person who can answer. And there's something that when
I ever i've seen the shows, understand it.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
I say to myself, is the.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Team a team out the back or all the all
the models bitchy and moaning and fighting and you know
you've got you look better than me?
Speaker 3 (07:50):
I mean, is it a team team event?
Speaker 4 (07:52):
There's none of that. It is a main absolutely incredible.
Speaker 5 (07:56):
It's an amazing support network and that's what brings our performers,
our cast back year after year after year as a family.
It's one one hundred percent. That's why I'm still here.
Speaker 4 (08:07):
I wouldn't be.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Here by how many people like you are still a
part of the show year and year out.
Speaker 5 (08:15):
Well my dresser manager, for one, it's her twentieth year,
so she's done every single year in Wellington. There are
many people that have done many years. One of our
models is doing her sixteenth show. I think we've got
two dresses that are doing their twentieth year, but eighteenth show. Unfortunately,
because of COVID we missed too. So just to give
(08:37):
you an example, within our models, we would have seventy
percent of returning and it's not just their second year,
it could be their sixth, seventh, eighth year, and right
across our dressing team and a lot of our crew,
we celebrate every year when we have our show ten shows,
fifteen shows, so we do like a little bit of
an award as part of celebrating their years with us.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Thank you, thank you for being part of the show.
Thank you for coming on our show, and thank you
for discussing. I think it's an incredible achievement for you
personally and the organization for you to want to keep
coming back break a leg.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
Thank you very much. It's yeah, I can't wait.
Speaker 5 (09:15):
It's an amazing show this year and I'm really excited,
really excited.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
That was leone Tretha now Well.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
I said it the beginning of the interview that when
I spoke to the people at Well, everyone I spoke
to at Well, for every single person, all exactly the same,
like really friendly, wanted to help, wanted to sing the
praises of being in Wellington, wanted to sing the praises
(09:45):
of the Wellington people and how they felt. International superstars
that have come to be part of the show. We're
talking about their favorite restaurant. We're talking about they come
in year and year out and go to their favorite places.
They have their favorite places, stay at the QT Hotel
still there, still want to stay there year after year
because they feel comfortable there. They are amazing people and
(10:10):
we are absolutely blessed to have them in our city
and have the show in the city. So if you
haven't bought your ticket, there is still tickets available scattered
amongst the dates that they are here. It's called the
show well show this year is called Rise and you
just head to the website World of Wearable Art not
artsart dot com to get your tickets.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
Now, we're blessed. We're blessed.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
And if I'm sounding a little bit emotional, i am
because not often you meet people that are at the
top of their importance. Whatever they do, they're the top
of it. And these people are and they're down to earth, energetic,
energized and can't wait for the first show to start
(10:58):
and the awards won. They have a dress rehearsal on Thursday,
the awards evening on Friday. Then the show begins and
we will be speaking to the man, the genius behind it,
the actual show, Brian Burker's name is gurgle him. I mean,
he is a genius and one of the performers. She
(11:19):
was incredible, young Hutbelly high school superstar, one of the
dancers on the show.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
She was a model.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
We'll be talking to her as well, and honestly, if
you haven't bought a ticket, get off your backside and
buy one.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Do it now.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news Talks It'd Be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News talksb.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Well Wow, Wow It's on. It's on this week and
the town feels different. We've already seen the flags around
the city. It just feels different when Wow's on. World
of Wearable Art is back in Wellington for twenty twenty
five from this week. The preview show starts things off
on Thursday and the show runs until October the fifth
(00:35):
at TSB Arena. This year, the show's called Rise. It
sees the stage come alive with incredible works of wearable art, dances, music,
lights and av Over the next couple of days, we're
going to chat to a few of the main people
behind well both the stage and behind the scenes. I
(00:56):
was lucky enough to sit down with the show's wardrobe
and activations manager, Leoni Trathan, who was a model herself
in the show in nineteen and now she's in charge
of recruiting all the show's models and matching them to
all the garments. She's been a continuous she's one of
Wales's lifers and it was great to chat to Leone.
(01:19):
We're in the offices in the back part of Wow.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Now.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Leoni You're an interesting subject because you have been in
this role or a role with WAWE for how many years?
And welcome, by the way.
Speaker 4 (01:31):
Thank you very much. Thirty five years.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
Yes, and you started on the catwalk, I did so.
Speaker 5 (01:37):
I joined WAH in nineteen ninety as a model and
did that actually for the next seventeen years around about
and then just morphed into different roles.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Did you start in Nelson or did you start in
Willing and Nelson?
Speaker 4 (01:50):
And I'm still Nelson based.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Right and you've just stuck with the show. It's part
of you, part of my DNA.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
They can't get rid of me.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
What's changed?
Speaker 2 (01:59):
What's changed over the years, because it was really a
family affair to start with the Nelson I remember it
in Nelson very well. I had a bar there. It
was kind of like just this family in the backyard.
Speaker 5 (02:11):
It's still got the same DNA. It's still that same family,
but it's just morphed into something a heck of a
lot bigger.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
And your role now is to make sure everyone, the
models feel comfortable, feel that they're okay, and feel that
they looked after.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
Are you like and don't take this the wrong way?
The mother goose.
Speaker 4 (02:31):
Camp mum very much.
Speaker 5 (02:32):
So there's many people that are involved in that side
of things. We have a company manager and she does
the pastoral care of those models, performers, dances the cast
on a daily basis.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
But you're the one.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
You're the one that actually fits the right person to
the right role for the right result, right I am.
Speaker 5 (02:53):
But I also do that with Malia Johnson and with
Sarah Sarah who is our.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
Competition head of competition.
Speaker 5 (03:01):
So yes, so it's a combined job, but we all
look at different things.
Speaker 4 (03:05):
So I scout all.
Speaker 5 (03:07):
Year round for models, and Malie is walking the streets
thinking of those things as well. So when the garments
first come in, when they are entered into the competition
and they arrive for part of the preliminary selection process,
I'm the one that is matching them to the models
from earlier on, and then we cast the models depending
(03:29):
on the garments that have been entered.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
How difficult a situation is it if you have some
have a garment, someone that's designed a garment, and you've
got them this model and you think this is going
to work perfectly, that suits that, and the model designer says, nah,
it's not going to work.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
For me, wouldn't happen.
Speaker 5 (03:46):
We work really hard to make sure that all of
the designers needs are met and our aim is to
surpass that. So they might put in their part of
the What they do is they do a story and
an inspiration, and they have special notes in there, and
they might request something that my garment needs a model
of one hundred and seventy six centimeters.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
Tool with broad shoulders, et cetera, et cetera.
Speaker 5 (04:10):
They might put those things as part of the entry,
and so we refer to that, and then we look
at the garment and what is the best that we
can get out of this garment?
Speaker 4 (04:22):
How can we bring it.
Speaker 5 (04:24):
To life on stage? What do we need to do that?
And we're pretty done good at what we do. And
once that garment gets moving and gets on stage and
has all the choreography and is brought to life on stage,
I think that what we actually can do for a
garment exceeds the designer's needs. I've never had a designer
(04:46):
come to me or to any of us and go,
you got that wrong.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
So how has it changed over the years?
Speaker 2 (04:52):
I mean, and have you looked at some costumes and
you say someone selected that, but that's so similar to
the one we did in eighty nine, ninety one, two thousand.
Speaker 5 (05:03):
Each garment is judged and selected on that year, and
you can have designers that will enter year and year
in a game, and what they enter you wouldn't even
guess who's made it because they reinvent themselves and it's
really on the designs that are entered in that year.
Speaker 4 (05:24):
And they are also different.
Speaker 5 (05:25):
Materials have changed so much, the mediums that they are using.
It's very much changed tobacco back when we first started
in nineteen eighty seven. So it's grown, just like everything has.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Do they have to present the garment complete? Or do
you build the garment and do you showcase the garment
or does the designer have to turn up and say,
here's my garment, now you show it off.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
No, so part of it, it's quite a long judging process.
So they do.
Speaker 5 (05:50):
They have to enter their garments by photos and so
the judges actually select which garments are going to be
sent to New Zealand or sent to the first judging process,
which is a selection process. Their garment has to be
completed at that stage. Once it's leaves and is in
our hands, then that's the last time the designer will
(06:10):
see their garment until it appears on stage.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Do you own the garment or do they they.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
Own the garment? They own the garment.
Speaker 5 (06:17):
There is part of the awards process where we retain
the Supreme Award winner and the other garments.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
We then are able to loan them for.
Speaker 5 (06:27):
Around five years if we quiet, and then we're able
to showcase those garments in different ways, whether it's a
exhibition or whether it may be a performance, another performance
outside of the show.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
You got me a little bit interested when you said
overseas how many would how many of the actual items
would be from overseas and versus New Zealand.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
It varies every year.
Speaker 5 (06:48):
It used to sit around fifty to fifty percent, and
I can't give you their exact numbers. This year, I
would say that we have slightly more international garments appearing
on stage, but it does vary every year.
Speaker 4 (07:00):
We do have a lot of international designers.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
What brings you back year and year out?
Speaker 2 (07:05):
And as Wellington as good as it was when you
first came here for it?
Speaker 4 (07:09):
Oh, it's better, even better.
Speaker 5 (07:11):
That's a twentieth year in Wellington this year and the
way they it's a community. Like I say, I keep
on talking about the community, but and Nelson, it was
a massive community support that helped us to where we
got to, as well as all the many people that
are working behind the scenes but Wellington have taken it
on board like their own and support it so well.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
It's the best part, best place for it.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
I got to ask you this question because you're the
only person who can answer. And there's something that when
I ever i've seen the shows, understand it.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
I say to myself, is the.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Team a team out the back or all the all
the models bitchy and moaning and fighting and you know
you've got you look better than me?
Speaker 3 (07:50):
I mean, is it a team team event?
Speaker 4 (07:52):
There's none of that. It is a main absolutely incredible.
Speaker 5 (07:56):
It's an amazing support network and that's what brings our performers,
our cast back year after year after year as a family.
It's one one hundred percent. That's why I'm still here.
Speaker 4 (08:07):
I wouldn't be.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Here by how many people like you are still a
part of the show year and year out.
Speaker 5 (08:15):
Well my dresser manager, for one, it's her twentieth year,
so she's done every single year in Wellington. There are
many people that have done many years. One of our
models is doing her sixteenth show. I think we've got
two dresses that are doing their twentieth year, but eighteenth show. Unfortunately,
because of COVID we missed too. So just to give
(08:37):
you an example, within our models, we would have seventy
percent of returning and it's not just their second year,
it could be their sixth, seventh, eighth year, and right
across our dressing team and a lot of our crew,
we celebrate every year when we have our show ten shows,
fifteen shows, so we do like a little bit of
an award as part of celebrating their years with us.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Thank you, thank you for being part of the show.
Thank you for coming on our show, and thank you
for discussing. I think it's an incredible achievement for you
personally and the organization for you to want to keep
coming back break a leg.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
Thank you very much. It's yeah, I can't wait.
Speaker 5 (09:15):
It's an amazing show this year and I'm really excited,
really excited.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
That was leone Tretha now Well.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
I said it the beginning of the interview that when
I spoke to the people at Well, everyone I spoke
to at Well, for every single person, all exactly the same,
like really friendly, wanted to help, wanted to sing the
praises of being in Wellington, wanted to sing the praises
(09:45):
of the Wellington people and how they felt. International superstars
that have come to be part of the show. We're
talking about their favorite restaurant. We're talking about they come
in year and year out and go to their favorite places.
They have their favorite places, stay at the QT Hotel
still there, still want to stay there year after year
because they feel comfortable there. They are amazing people and
(10:10):
we are absolutely blessed to have them in our city
and have the show in the city. So if you
haven't bought your ticket, there is still tickets available scattered
amongst the dates that they are here. It's called the
show well show this year is called Rise and you
just head to the website World of Wearable Art not
artsart dot com to get your tickets.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
Now, we're blessed. We're blessed.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
And if I'm sounding a little bit emotional, i am
because not often you meet people that are at the
top of their importance. Whatever they do, they're the top
of it. And these people are and they're down to earth, energetic,
energized and can't wait for the first show to start
(10:58):
and the awards won. They have a dress rehearsal on Thursday,
the awards evening on Friday. Then the show begins and
we will be speaking to the man, the genius behind it,
the actual show, Brian Burker's name is gurgle him. I mean,
he is a genius and one of the performers. She
(11:19):
was incredible, young Hutbelly high school superstar, one of the
dancers on the show.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
She was a model.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
We'll be talking to her as well, and honestly, if
you haven't bought a ticket, get off your backside and
buy one.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Do it now.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news Talks It'd Be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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