In collaboration with Convergence, VOICE OF ASIA is proud to present timeless articles from the archives, reproduced digitally for your reading pleasure. Originally published in Convergence Volume 20 in 2013, we present this story on airlines and their uniforms, and how cabin crew can still strut their stuff in the air.
From the earliest years of aviation, flight attendants have been the ‘face’ of their airline and a focus of airline branding. They are the ones with whom the passenger interacts most, their service determines repeat business and the way they are dressed is reflected in the lingering memory of an enjoyable flight.
Originally flight attendant uniforms were classy but conservative. But this was before design consultants, customer recognition surveys, marketing gurus and image makers got involved. Today’s flight attendants are dressed by the hautest in couture, big names in the fashion industry who add their stamp to airline branding and their name to the suave and svelte uniforms worn today. The legendary Florentine designer Emilio Pucci who placed signature funky prints and vibrant colours on the hostesses of Air Braniff, ending a era of plain and simple, is a case in point.
The uniforms of flight attendants have become more than just a uniform, but apparel that appeals – especially to the eyes of weary travellers on long-haul flights! Today they are fashion statements that not only embody grace and style for the female attendant, but are also bold and chic – although the male counterpart is also in the loop with clothing that is fashion iconic.
Asian Style
As far back as 1964, Singapore Airlines employed French fashion designer Pierre Balmain to create a distinctive uniform based on the traditional sarong kebaya, a close-fitting traditional Malay costume, using batik cotton print. The uniform for the air-hostesses came in different colours depending on the grade or promotion and was specifically tailored to fit each individual. The design accentuated the grace and demure of the wearers and combined with exceptional service and heightened customer awareness, ensured world-wide recognition. Singapore Girl was everywhere.
Malaysia Airlines also adopted a batik uniform, utilising an intricate and colourful pattern popular in the Malaysian state of Sarawak. With a focus on friendliness and the warm Malaysian smile, the female attendants wore their contemporary kebayas at international airports throughout the globe, wowing travellers with their elegance and carrying the image of their airline with pride and the joy of being different.
For Thai Airways, a uniform competition in 2005 brought to the fore Pichitra Boonyarataphan, a Thai designer whose creations drew inspiration from the beautiful colours of orchids and whose in-cabin designs for female attendants were edgy contemporary fashion while still being feminine and having simplicity with a traditional spin. They are in sharp contrast to the stylish but corporate purple suits the attendants are required to wear outside the aircraft.
For a touch of modernity and a lot of harmony, Italian designer Gianfranco Ferro reinvented ‘uniform’ for the female flight attendants of Korean Air. Distinguished by ergonomic design and the use of practical yet subtle fabric, the uniforms are not only convenient and practical for carrying out cabin duty, but are also simply gorgeous, fusing the traditional culture of Korea with the appeal and inherent beauty of a Korean Air flight attendant.
Middle Eastern Chic
While Middle Eastern airlines are traditionally conservative, and uniform designs tend to favour straight lines with military details like epaulettes and brass buttons, they also embody poise and elegance with a sense of style and sophistication.
In May 2012, readers of the Business Traveller voted the attendants of Qatar Airways as ‘The World’s Best Cabin Crew’, not only because of their confidence and warm personality, but also because of the classic ensemble they wear with pride as ambassadors of their country.
Italian couture designer, Ettore Bilotta has ensured the attendants of Etihad Airways will be noticed in their perfectly suited classic grey with a dash of colour in their red leather pumps, red leather gloves and red scarf. The uniforms are sleek and well-cut, perfectly complementing the opulence of the airline.
For Emirates, female flight attendants are resplendent in exquisitely detailed khaki suits paired with a red hat and an attractively draped veil. Combining fashion with sheer glam, and the addition of a touch of class and a whole lot of femininity, the attendants turn heads wherever they walk, whether down the aisle or through the airport.
Fashionable European
The classic ensembles of British Airways and Lufthansa have shifted to more casual uniforms that use splashes of colour to add a dash of fun and help bring the cabin alive. While playful and wholly professional, the uniform designs add a new level to the flying experience.
Air New Zealand engaged the services of noted designer Trelise Cooper, who took inspiration from a hot and sassy-pink Barbie. Definitely a departure from the typical classic look of yesteryears, the playful twist comes in a variety of mix and match ensembles, allowing flight attendants to create their own unique look and enlighten the eyes of jaded travellers.
Banana Republic is responsible for the modern, sleekly-styled uniforms of Virgin America. According to Simon Keen, its creative director, the revamped look is not only more refreshing, it is also professional and both functional and fashionable.
Flight attendants definitely reflect the image each airline projects to its passengers and the world, and these are but a few examples of the level of class and sophistication their uniforms portray, as they wear their way through cabin and concourse, proudly bearing the brand of their airline with elegance and, most significantly, style.
