Runway To Runway: How Airline Uniform Design Helps Nation Branding

It is surprising how quickly society took flying for granted. So much so that nowadays aviation rarely makes positive headlines. The mainstream news cycle is dominated by air traffic controller strikes, crash landings, volcanic flight path disruptions, or even diarrhea. On any given day, over 100,000 flights connect about 9,000 airports around the world. The industry has come a long way since the era when New York City couldn’t sustain its first commercial airfield. Before the more recent advent of low-cost gamechangers like Ryanair, JetBlue, or AirAsia, the open skies were the domain of elite national carriers, often founded and backed by governments. By default, they represented their countries while connecting peoples and cultures on the global stage.

Airlines were typically branded with references to folklore (Lufthansa’s crane logo), national costume (Air India sarees) and hospitality values (Qantas’ first-ever Business Class). Over the years, crew uniforms became a visual calling card for the airlines and the nations. Famous designers tried to make their mark with this element of fashion diplomacy.

An increasingly valued cultural artifact, airline uniforms have been featured in blockbuster exhibitions like Fashion in Flight at the SFO Museum and included in permanent collections of institutions such as Flight Path Museum in Los Angeles. Fashion and travel form a unique lifestyle bond in the contemporary imagination. Fittingly, in October 2023, Air France celebrated its 90th anniversary with a fashion extravaganza at the famed department store Galeries Lafayette. Let’s start with a look at its sartorial legacy.

Air France: The Infinite Runway

While the Dutch carrier KLM is the world’s oldest airline, Air France was the first to bring high fashion on board. It commissioned its first uniforms from designer Georgette Rénal, a creative business move consistent with the national strategy of cultivating style as a primary export. Its roots can be traced back to the legendary royal ball days of Marie Antoinette. What happened at Versailles didn’t stay there but became adapted as streetstyle throughout Europe. Air France turned the open sky into an infinite runway. The flight staff have worn exclusive ensembles by who-is-who of haute couture: Christian Dior, Cristobal Balenciaga, Jean Patou, Nina Ricci, among others. Its current uniform was introduced by Christian Lacroix in 2005.

It continues to top various Best Dressed corporate wear lists. Given the role style plays in Air France’s branding, its in-flight magazine EnVols with bimonthly circulation of 150,000 can be considered one of the world’s premier fashion media platforms. To mark the company’s 90th birthday, Xavier Ronze, head of costume design at the Paris Opera Ballet, created a five-gown exhibition honoring the onboard visionaries of the past while current it-brands like Vanessa Bruno, Delsey, Bernardaud, Brun de Vian-Tiran and Le Parapluie de Cherbourg collaborated on limited edition commemorative collections. Fashion is a crucial part of French cultural DNA and Air France is a great ambassador for the world’s most trend-setting fashion industry.

Etihad vs. Emirates: A Fashion Win-Win

Here is a Middle Eastern geopolitical rivalry in which we, the people, win. Etihad and Emirates are two of the world’s largest and consistently ranked best airlines. Both are based in the United Arab Emirates: the emerging economic powerbrokers of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, respectively. Since its launch at the turn of the Millenium, the Emirates cabin crew uniform has been heralded as an industry milestone. It is instantly recognizable for its beige and red color scheme invoking images of the sand dunes and zest for globetrotting nomadic lifestyle.

The iconic pillbox hat complete with a white scarf highlights the Persian Gulf region’s cultural heritage. Since 2009, Simon Jersey, a British workwear manufacturer, has been responsible for production. In cultural diplomacy, consistency between projected ideals and IRL experience are key to lasting impact. Dubai’s fashion ambitions remain on-brand grandiose despite a notable glamorous misstep when a Fashion Island project by the late Karl Lagerfeld ended up indefinitely on hold.

In 2014, Etihad had rocked the frequent flyer fashion scene by introducing “couture uniforms” by the Milanese designer Ettore Bilotta. About 30% of each individual outfit is handmade making it the world’s first bespoke uniform. This solidified Abu Dhabi’s image as a fashion-forward emirate after its zeitgeist moment as a dream destination for the Sex & the City and the Fast & Furious sequels. Between Yas Mall and Marina Mall in Abu Dhabi and Dubai Mall and the Mall of the Emirates in Dubai, these two modest fashion capitals boast some of the world’s grandest retail space.

Ettore Bilotta made quite an impact on the industry with subsequent collaborations with Alitalia, Kuwait Airlines, and Turkish Airlines.

All-American Airlines: Beyond Hollywood

First flight attendants in the North American skies were nurses trained to ease passengers’ anxiety over a new mode of transportation. However, hospital vibes were not selling high-priced tickets so people could feel like cargo. The novel idea needed immediate rebranding and Delta knew exactly who could help. In 1959, the company recruited the legendary Academy Award winning costume designer Edith Head to establish the association between aviation and glamor in the mind of the curious consumer. Aspiration is at the core of the American Dream. And just like that, a routine flight turned into a coast-to-coast fashion show between Wall Street and Sunset Blvd. In 2018, Delta Airlines presented uniforms designed by Zac Posen, winner of the Swarovski’s Perry Ellis Award for Womenswear from the Council of Fashion Designers of America. It came in a signature “passport plum” color, a mix of the brand’s blue and red logo.

Having made history as one of the most seen looks of its kind (imagine: 26,000 flight attendants in front of 200 million passengers heading to 300 destinations in 50 countries on 6 continents), the uniform is being gradually phased out in 2023 making room for excited speculation about the next stylish move from Delta. Anticipation is at the heart of fashion. Elsewhere above “the land of the free and the home of the brave” American Airlines teamed up with Land’s End for its unform revamp after a six-months trial involving 1000 crew members.

However, when it comes to promoting the all-American style, United Airlines takes the prize. Its multiyear wardrobe overhaul is presided by designer Tracy Reese in cooperation with Brooks Brothers and Carhartt. Nothing says “Main Street, USA” quite like the casualwear from these two iconic retailers.

Flying Norse: Scandinavian Knowhow

Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) is the only flag carrier in the world carrying three flags at once: Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. In 2016, SAS debuted its uniforms by Swedish designer Ted Bernhardtz created with adherence to the region’s tradition of minimalism. It has undergone only minor iterations, continuously accented with accessories by other artists. Teamwork thrives in the details.

In 2013, Norwegian made those rare positive headlines as the first transatlantic low-cost airline. To mark the milestone, it unveiled its new long-haul uniforms by Moods of Norway. When the company began to replace this design in 2020, it partnered with UNICEF to prevent textile waste and support social initiatives like Sisters in Business by upcycling discontinued uniforms into unique handmade items. Sustainability is wired into the Scandinavian mindset.

Meanwhile, Finland’s national airline, Finnair is celebrating its centennial with a fashion retrospective at the Helsinki airport, the 2023 Best European Airport according to the Airports Council International. In the 1970’s, Finnair held an annual contest for its First-Class uniforms. Today demands a “greener” approach. The current wardrobe reflects the high-tech vision of the multidisciplinary artist Ritva-Liisa Pohjalainen in shades of white and blue, the colors of the flag. The footwear was designed by Sasu Kauppi for Karhu, itself a 100-years old Finnish sportswear brand. “Finnair has always been very design-driven and linked to great design stories like Tapio Wirkkala’s iconic Ultima Thule champaign glasses designed in 1968 and still in use in Business Class. Airline aesthetics tell quite a lot about a country, it is almost like a country’s creative business card,” notes Martta Louekari, Communication Director at Juni Communication and co-founder of Fashion in Helsinki. Finnair was among the first airlines to test a uniform recycling program which fits the Finish fashion agenda of innovation and sustainability.

In-Flight Announcement

Consistently ranked among the safest airlines, Air New Zealand has long been in class of its own as the last airline to circumnavigate the globe on its long-haul flights. Now it’s giving the world’s trendwatchers something extra to look forward to in 2024. The company has revealed the name of the designer commissioned to create its new uniforms. Emilia Wickstead will dress the 5000-strong cabin crew and ground staff. A Kiwi native, Wickstead reportedly cried when she got “the call”. She is familiar with the dos-and-don’ts of fashion diplomacy. Royal family enthusiasts note that Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, favors Wickstead’s looks for her many public appearances. A savvy choice for a global airline.