There has always been an affinity between the youthful energy of international air travel and the glitz and glamour of fashion.
On Thursday, Saudi couturier Mohammed Ashi is set to join a long list of fashion luminaries as he unveils uniform designs for Riyadh Air during Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week.
The first airline to truly grasp the connection between fashion and air travel was Air France when, in 1951, it based its cabin crew uniform on the work of then-new designer Christian Dior. With its restrictive midi-length pencil skirt and tightly tailored, Bar-inspired jacket, the uniform was elegant but hardly practical. Yet, it set a fashionable tone that others have looked to emulate since.
Today, the list of big brands that have joined forces with various airlines reads like the fashion hall of fame, from Giorgio Armani to Zac Posen all helping elevate high fashion to the highest altitudes. Here are some names to know.
1962
Air France enlisted Christian Dior designer Marc Bohan to update its uniform, replacing the restrictive silhouette of the previous decade with an A-line skirt and boxy jacket, in different colours and fabrics for summer and winter. Bohan also added other couture details such as a bow at the waist and a pillbox hat.
1966
When Aristotle Onassis, owner of Olympic Airways, asked Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel to revamp the uniforms, she responded with her trademark boxy jacket and skirt set, adding a simple stripe around the neckline.
In a busy year for fashion in the sky, Pierre Cardin gave the Air France cabin crew a more space-age feel in 1966, dressing them in a cape and skullcap.
1969
The ever-stylish Air France enlisted Cristobal Balenciaga for yet another new design. For the only time the Spanish couturier made ready-to-wear outfits during his career, his design included a knee-length skirt with kangaroo pockets, a blue serge coat and a riding hat.
1971
Italian couturier Valentino Garavani created the uniform for Trans World Airlines, as a button-front tunic dress, a pair of hot pants and a Valentino logo-inscribed scarf.
1974
Pierre Balmain created the “Singapore girl” uniform for Singapore Airlines. Made to echo Singaporean culture, especially via the use of traditional batik fabric, it is still used today.
1986
For Australian airline Qantas, Yves Saint Laurent used the company’s kangaroo logo as patterning on the dress and scarf, in yellow, blue and red.
1991
Giorgio Armani brought his signature muted style to Alitalia, with a dress in dark beige worn with a double-breasted jacket in army green.
2005
Air France enlisted Christian Lacroix to create straight-cut shirt dresses in navy and light blue, and fastened with bright red belts.
2013
Vivienne Westwood crafted chic suits for the Virgin Atlantic cabin crew. The waisted jacket referenced the garb of 18th-century dandies, while the bright red colour was taken from Virgin’s livery.
2014
For Etihad, Italian designer Ettore Bilotta created uniforms, of which 30 per cent could be made only by hand, making it the one truly couture uniform in the world.
2018
US company Delta Airlines enlisted Zac Posen to design new looks, which arrived in new colours including “passport plum”. Despite taking years of research to create – and a rumoured cost of $20 million – part of the new uniform was ditched two years later amid complaints relating to skin allergies.
Updated: June 24, 2024, 9:18 AM